Crab_Orchard_NWR_Hampton_Unit_Planting_Project_2025.docx

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE

CRAB ORCHARD NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

Statement of Work

Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge Hampton Grassland Complex Fescue-clover to Native Prairie Conversions and Interseeding of Forbs into Existing Native Warm Season Grass Stands

Overview and Site Condition

Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge (refuge) is seeking quotes from qualified contractors for conducting a winter/spring 2025 native grass and wildflower seed planting, cultipacking, and follow-up maintenance mowings. The preferred timeframe for planting is March 2025. Areas to be planted are within the Hampton Grassland Complex and include converting 391 acres of former row crop fields and cool season grazing units into a contiguous native prairie restoration. These conversions are aimed at providing nesting and brood rearing cover for upland game birds, grassland birds, pollinators, and other wildlife species. An additional 257 acres of former warm season hay and grazing units will be interseeded with a diversity of forbs for the benefit of grassland birds and pollinator species. Planting sites will be prepared for native seeding by refuge staff using multiple herbicide treatments in 2024 followed by prescribed fire just prior to seeding. See Attachment 1 for location map, current vegetative cover, and acreages of each field.

A total of 14 fields are included within this project and can be sorted into three categories of grassland types for site preparation and seeding purposes as shown in the table in Attachment 2. The fields also fall into two management types, encumbered areas (where soil penetration is prohibited, e.g., no disking or digging allowed, but mowing, cultipacking, hay rakes, etc. are allowed) and unencumbered areas with no restrictions on soil disturbing activities. The current grassland types when paired with management type result in the following five categories where seed bed preparations and seeding methods could vary if necessary due to restrictions and current vegetation:

1) Warm Season Interseeding of Forbs with no Encumbrances (Fields A, B, D; 148.3 acres)

2) Cool Season to Native Prairie Conversion with no Encumbrances (Field C; 66 acres)

3) Warm Season Interseeding of Forbs in Encumbrance Zone (Fields G, H, K, L; 108.5 acres)

4) Cool Season to Native Prairie Conversion in Encumbrance Zone (Fields E, F, I, J; 148.2 acres)

5) Fallow Farm Fields to Native Prairie in Encumbrance Zone (Fields N and M; 176.3 acres)

Location

Hampton Grassland Complex located on Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge in Williamson County, Illinois. Coordinates for the area of the project are Latitude: 37.697882°, Longitude: -89.068152°.

Refuge Responsibilities

· Conduct prescribed burns across all fields being seeded between February to April 2025.

· Every effort will be made to notify contractor two weeks prior of potential to conduct prescribed burning. Burning is dependent on several weather variables such as relative humidity, wind speed and direction, and mixing height. As such, the timing of prescribed fire may shift based on these variables and the contractor will be kept informed of changing conditions and potentials for conducting burns as much as possible.

· Treat cool season and fallow farm fields with two to three herbicide treatments in 2024 prior to conducting prescribed burns.

· Purchase and provide all seed for the project to the contractor.

Contractor Responsibilities

· Consulting, coordinating, and scheduling with the Project Manager or designee, on all aspects of the project. Additionally, prior to starting work on site, the contractor must inform Project Managers listed below at least 24 hours in advance and contractor will be required to complete seeding and cultipacking within two weeks following the application of prescribed fire.

· Providing a quote that outlines costs and any alternatives proposed by the contractor for additional processes to ensure successful establishment of native prairie grasses and forbs throughout the project area.

· Providing equipment, supplies, and personnel for all planting, and post-planting project needs and completion of planting and cultipacking within two weeks of the winter/spring prescribed burn operations conducted by the refuge.

· A progress report will be provided to the Project Manager within 90 days after the project has been completed. The report shall include:

1. Before, during, and after photos.

2. The total number of crew members and hours worked.

3. A summary of significant activities and results.

4. A statement explaining any problems, delays, or adverse conditions.

· Seeding must be completed within two weeks following prescribed fire with a deadline of completion by April 1, 2025. This may be extended at the Refuge’s discretion if prescribed fire is unable to be applied in early March.

· It is recommended that contractors visit the site prior to submitting a bid or quote. Site visits may be conducted during normal business hours 8am-4pm, Monday-Friday. Contact Project Managers to schedule a site visit. A minimum 48 hours advance notice is required.

· Encumbered areas have soil penetration restrictions that prevent drilling seed or disking. Due to site conditions and encumbrances on portions of the planting area, contractor will be required to broadcast seed and follow seedings with cultipacking to ensure adequate seed to soil contact. Unencumbered areas could be seeded using a variety of seed delivery systems that could include an air seeding type system, a native seed drill, broadcast seed spreaders followed by a cultipacker, or a combination of such seed delivery systems to ensure adequate seed to soil contact occurs. Broadcasting is the only option for 433 acres of encumbered fields. For this reason, it is expected that the most cost-effective method will be to broadcast and cultipack the entire project area. Although, if a contractor believes another method will be more efficient or cost effective in unencumbered areas that total 214.3 acres, the contractor should outline proposed methods and include cost estimates for each method of seeding.

· Broadcast seeding must be conducted such that seed is sown using one-half of the seed mix material needed to cover the entire field being planted. Then the contractor will sow the other half of the seed mix for that field by broadcasting perpendicular to the first line of travel. This ensures good coverage across the entire area.

· Cultipacking must be conducted when field conditions are dry and contractor will not cultipack a wet field to prevent excessive compaction and/or rutting.

· All work will be conducted in a manner that will minimize rutting, disturbance, or compaction of soil and the spread of invasive species.

· Contractor will include in the quote, details for all planned actions, estimated timing of activities, and all fees associated with seedings including, but not limited to, drilling, broadcasting, air seeding, cultipacking, mowing, etc.

· Contractor will include any mobilization fees along with meals and incidentals as separate line items in the bid for all staff involved in the planting and estimated time to complete the seeding.

· Equipment must be cleaned prior to entry of the site to avoid introduction and spread of invasive species.

· Clean native grass seed (planted at rates outlined in the seed list in Attachment 3) and native wildflower seed (planted at rates outlined in the seed list in Attachment 3) will be provided by the refuge at the time of planting. The grass and wildflower species and planting rates in Attachment 3 must be adhered to. Only refuge provided seed may be used on this project.

· Equipment left on-site must be secured and is the sole responsibility of the contractor.

· Payment will be processed following receipt of proper invoices and inspection of site for contract compliance.

· Within fallow farm fields and cool season dominant fields (390.5 acres), the Contractor will conduct first year mowing in spring following establishment as soon as competition begins to shade the emerging natives (~12”-18” tall), setting the mower to mow just above the height of the natives (no less than 8” high); thus, allowing sunlight to reach desired species. It should be mowed as often as is necessary, taking care to keep mowing height above the natives. It is critical that competition species not be allowed to develop mature seed heads, especially annual weeds. It is expected that a minimum of three mowings will be necessary.

· Any post-planting first year mowing needed in spring 2025, following establishment, will be restricted during the Spring Shotgun Turkey Season such that operations will not occur until after 10am during the five-week season to prevent disturbance to hunters within the Hampton Complex. The contractor will be responsible for determining the dates of this restriction by checking the Illinois Hunting and Trapping Digest for 2024-2025 once it is published by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

Contact Information:

Project Managers:

CONTRACTING POC: TBD, Contract Specialist, (301) 575-6495, Lamont_Sawyers@fws.gov

Attachment 1: Current Grassland Types and Acreages within the Crab Orchard NWR Hampton Grassland Complex

Attachment 2. Table of Fields, Current Vegetation, and Potential Site Preparation and Planting Actions

No soil penetration

2024 Herbicide Fall 2024 Herbicide

A,B, D (148.3)

Field D only

C (66)

E, F, I, J (148.2)

N, M (176.3)

G, H, K, L (108.5)

Attachment 3. Seed Lists

Total

Attachment 3. Seed Lists (continued)

image1.tiff