CN-370000-PL352-T24.pdf

OOO-019 (Effective 09-04-2015) Page 1 of 6

Florida Department of Environmental Protection

TASK ASSIGNMENT FORM

Required Signatures: Adobe Signature

FDEP Contract No: Task Assignment No: Date: DEP Task Manager:

Project:

Contractor Name:

Contractor Representative: Phone: Email:

FDEP Contract Manager: Phone: Email:

Task Description:

Deliverables:

Performance Measures:

Financial Consequences:

PL352 24 01/03/2020 Wes Howell

Resource Management Analysis and Decision Support

FORESTECH Consulting, Inc, dba F4 TECH

Mark Milligan (850) 309-3940 mmilligan@thinkf4.com

Ralph Perkins (850) 245-2460 ralph.perkins@dep.state.fl.us

See Sections 1.A. - 1.D.

See Section 2.

See Section 4.

See Section 5.

OOO-019 (Effective 09-04-2015) Page 2 of 6

Florida Department of Environmental Protection

TASK ASSIGNMENT FORM

Schedule:

Start Date: Completion Date:

Fixed Price Cost: Cost Reimbursement not to exceed:

Total Task Value:

Signatures and Date:

1._________________________________ __________________________________ __________________ Task Manager, FDEP Signature Date

2._________________________________ __________________________________ __________________ Contract Manager, FDEP Signature Date

3. _________________________________ __________________________________ __________________ Budget Representative, FDEP Signature Date

4. _________________________________ __________________________________ __________________ Contractor, Contract Manager Signature Date

5. _________________________________ __________________________________ __________________ Contract Authority, FDEP Signature Date

Encumbrance Information:

Budget Entity

Project

Grant

Org Code Category & Year

Fund Special Category

Object Code

EO Amount

Total:

01/06/2020 06/30/2020

Rates per PL352 $253,887.00.

$253,887.00.

Wes Howell Wes Howell Digitally signed by Wes Howell Date: 2020.01.03 12:00:01 -05'00' 01/03/2020

Ralph Perkins Ralph M. Perkins Digitally signed by Ralph M. Perkins Date: 2020.01.03 14:32:09 -05'00' 01/03/2020

Greg Turral Gregory Turral Digitally signed by Gregory Turral Date: 2020.01.06 14:43:42 -05'00' 01/06/2020

Mark Milligan Mark M. Milligan Digitally signed by Mark M.

Milligan Date: 2020.01.03 13:53:06 -05'00'

01/03/2020

Parks Small Parks Small Digitally signed by Parks Small Date: 2020.01.07 08:04:12 -05'00'

37500300 80103 500500000 080039-20 408001 U4130-OCA 131545 PF $253887.00

253887

DEP Contract PL352, Task Assignment 24, Page 3 of 6

PL352 TASK ASSIGNMENT 24

TASK DESCRIPTION

Resource Management Analysis and Decision Support

1. TASK DESCRIPTION: The Department of Environmental Protection (hereinafter referred to as the “Department”) may, at any time during the period of this Task Assignment (“TA”), utilize FORESTECH Consulting, Inc. (dba F4 TECH; hereinafter referred to as the

“Contractor”) to conduct the services, actions, and/or duties identified herein. The Florida Park

Service (within the Department) has a mission to provide resource-based recreation while preserving, interpreting and restoring natural and cultural resources. The primary purpose of this TA is to provide additional long-term planning and decision support for land and natural resources management. The Contractor shall perform work under this TA to support the mission by providing the Department with services such as data collection, data analysis, modeling, and reporting. As directed by the Department via written authorization to proceed from the Task Manager or Contract Manager, the Contractor shall conduct the listed services and work.

To date, the Contractor has quantified forest/vegetation current conditions in portions of 73

Florida State Parks (mostly in Districts 1-3 followed by Districts 4 and 5) by inventorying

37,114 plots representing nearly 292,000 acres. About 80% of the plots and 70% of the acres correspond with upland “firetype” areas actively managed by the Department. This baseline dataset is being used to help quantify and objectively score current conditions and relative departures from desired future conditions (DFC) for associated natural community (NatCom) types. These “ecosystem condition scores” have also been integrated into a data-driven simulation planning tool (SPT) that allows the user to dynamically query data and run multiple

“what if” treatment-scheduling scenarios.

Per this TA, the Contractor will augment the Department’s knowledge base concerning forest/vegetation responses through time. This vegetation/community-level data and information will support improvements to the SPT, which will ultimately enhance the

Department’s ability to plan, budget, allocate resources, and implement land/natural resources management projects. Presently, the Department is focused on validating that the SPT is sufficiently accurate and helpful at various levels of management.

Primary tasks assigned to the Contractor under this TA and associated time and materials

(T&M) cost estimates are described below.

a) Increase Number of Scored Plots

Provide the Department with an expanded and itemized list of NatCom types corresponding with approximately 10,000 unscored plots.

DEP Contract PL352, Task Assignment 24, Page 4 of 6

i) Identify edge plots and potentially use nearest neighbor spatial analysis to determine most appropriate NatCom type and/or use methods developed under TA14 Project 5a and predict NatCom type for the unscored plots (focused on edge plots).

ii) Prepare and deliver a sampling protocol, review with the Department, revise based on

Department feedback, and deliver finalized document. Conduct targeted ground-truthing regarding edge and/or other plots identified in subtask i) above and adjust

NatCom type predictions accordingly.

iii) Identify a potential DFC for altered landcover types that currently lack a DFC by utilizing the decision tree created under TA14 Project 5a. Share results with BNCR staff in Tallahassee and appropriate District staff, consider feedback, and adjust if needed.

iv) Prepare and deliver updated NatCom-DFC maps, corresponding GIS data, and NatCom lister that identifies potential NatCom type reassignments per subtasks i), ii), and iii) above.

b) Update and Upgrade Simulation Planning Tool

i) Improve the NatCom scoring matrix, which includes but is not limited to allocating a portion of the final score to groundcover. Sampling data may need to be redefined to ensure relevant groundcover data is collected in the future, but feasibility will be included as part of that decision. Re-examine invasive/exotic scoring and the automatic downgrading of ecosystem condition to “Fair” when invasive/exotic species are present. Prepare and deliver updated ecosystem scoring documentation.

ii) Develop sampling protocol, review with the Department, revise based on Department feedback, and deliver a finalized document. Revisit and resample a subset of previously scored plots, comprising as much as possible the range of management actions and NatCom types currently included in the SPT, to review the accuracy of predictions, fine-tune if needed, and qualitatively evaluate the success of restoration projects. Data derived from this field effort (estimated 550 plots) would also help determine if treatments were implemented as prescribed (compliance check) and determine/gauge the effectiveness of treatments. Requires work on the front-end to identify areas that were treated (as-built maps), impacted by natural events, or simply biological growth since baseline plots were inventoried. Prepare and deliver forest-vegetation inventory datasets in a format pre-approved by the Department.

iii) Prepare and deliver an updated version of the SPT per corresponding items listed above.

c) Conduct initial analysis of data/results. Prepare and deliver a draft summary report of findings for corresponding subtasks. Refine/revise analysis of data/results and deliver a final summary report of findings for corresponding subtasks.

d) Prepare for and attend formalized meetings involving Department and F4 Tech staff, address meeting action items, and prepare and deliver meeting/notes.

DEP Contract PL352, Task Assignment 24, Page 5 of 6

2. DELIVERABLES: The Contractor will submit the following deliverables to the Department:

a. Meeting notes/minutes for scheduled, formalized meetings involving Department and

F4 Tech staff.

b. Sampling procedure documents for the two fieldwork subtasks.

c. Initial analysis of data/results and a draft summary report of findings for corresponding subtasks.

d. Refined/revised analysis of data/results and a final summary report of findings for corresponding subtasks.

e. Forest-vegetation inventory datasets in a format pre-approved by the Department.

f. Updated version of the Simulation Planning Tool per corresponding items listed above.

g. Updated NatCom-DFC maps, corresponding GIS data, and NatCom lister that identifies potential NatCom type reassignments.

h. Revised ecosystem scoring documentation.

3. TRAVEL: The Contractor shall be authorized to travel in order to support the services, actions, and tasks described above. Pursuant to Paragraph 8.A.4 of the subject contract, each traveler will complete a DEP Voucher for Reimbursement of Travel Expenses form and submit with receipts. Reimbursement will be made in accordance with Section 112.061, Florida

Statues (F.S.). The Contractor understands that no allowances shall be made for meals when travel is confined to the city or town of the official headquarters or immediate vicinity (within

15 miles of the city or town of the official headquarter) of the contracted personnel.

4. PERFORMANCE MEASURES: Each deliverable shall be reviewed by the DEP Task or

Contract Manager to ensure that work was performed as specified above. This includes reports which will guide the implementation of the system.

5. FINANCIAL CONSEQUENCES: No payment will be made for unsatisfactory deliverables.

In the event that a deliverable is deemed unsatisfactory, the Contractor shall re-perform the services needed for submittal of a satisfactory deliverable, at no additional cost to the

Department within 15 consecutive days. If a satisfactory deliverable is not submitted within the specified time frame, the Department may, in its sole discretion, terminate the Contract for failure to perform, or implement other remedies as detailed in Section 12 of the Contract

(PL352). The Department reserves the right to terminate any portion or all of a Task

Assignment upon notice to Contractor.

6. COST: The Contractor shall conduct the work outlined herein on a time and materials basis for an amount not to exceed $253,887.00. In the event that costs are anticipated to exceed the identified amount, the Department will be notified as soon as possible in order to consider a change order. Current Wage Rates for the Contractor are identified in Attachment B, Response

Form of the Contract. Any additional proposed costs must be reviewed and approved by the

DEP Task or Contract Manager.

DEP Contract PL352, Task Assignment 24, Page 6 of 6

7. PAYMENT: The Contractor shall submit itemized invoices to the Department on a monthly basis (unless otherwise agreed upon in advance for project implementation only) upon completion and acceptance of each task as identified in the Deliverables. Invoiced amounts will be based on the number of hours worked multiplied by the rates identified in Attachment

B, Response Form of the Contract, as well as fixed rate per unit implementation cost(s) as approved by the Department. Partial payments for work implemented shall be available to the

Contractor. The amount of work accomplished and payment amount to invoice shall be measured or estimated by the DEP Field Representative and the Contractor, documented with signatures, and submitted as a part of the monthly Performance and Cost Report. Payment will be made pursuant to Paragraphs 7, 8, and 9 of the Contract and any applicable addenda thereto.

Per Section 8, Invoicing Requirements, No. 9 (Retainage) of the Contract, the Department reserves the right to establish and apply Retainage on a Task Assignment.

8. REIMBURSABLES: Specific requirements concerning reimbursable items are detailed in at least three (3) areas of the Contract: A. Paragraph 8; B. Attachment B (Response Form); and

C. Attachment F (Contract Payment Requirements).

9. TERM: This task assignment shall begin upon execution and terminate June 30, 2020, unless the Department earlier terminates contract PL352 or this task assignment.