Dept._Scope_of_Services_-_RCW_Monitoring_TM-Econ_Mitigation_Bank_Phase_IV.doc

Orange County Environmental Protection Division

3165 McCrory Place, Suite 200 Orlando, Florida 32803 Orange County Environmental Protection Division

Red-cockaded Woodpecker (RCW) Monitoring, Banding, and Assessment Project Coordinator Andrew Bray Sr. Environmental Specialist Orange County Environmental Protection Division

3165 McCrory Place, Suite 200 Orlando, Florida 32803 Office: (407) 836-1494 Email: Andrew.Bray@ocfl.net

Project Site Location TM-Econ Mitigation Bank Phase IV The site is in southeast Orange County. Specifically, the site is located at 13500 South County Road 13, Orlando, FL 32832.

Special Requirements

The Contractor must possess all federal and state permits required to band, peeper scope, and monitor RCWs and their cavity trees. The Contractor will be responsible for knowing and complying with federal, state, and local guidelines pertaining to project activities.

General Project Description This will be a two-year contract to conduct Red-cockaded Woodpecker (RCW) monitoring on the TM-Econ Mitigation Bank Phase IV for the Orange County Environmental Protection Division. The intent of this project is to identify, band, and mark all RCWs and their cavity trees. This contract may also include the installation and/or drilling of new cavities within trees. These activities will assist the County in conducting endangered species monitoring on the site.

SCOPE OF SERVICES

General Specifications The Contractor is required to have a United States Geological Survey (USGS) Master Banding Permit and a United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Recovery Permit that specifies all authorized activities for RCWs. If any additional permits are required, all permit activities and permit application fees shall be the responsibility of the Contractor.

It shall be the responsibility of the Contractor to keep gates closed and locked while conducting work and after leaving the project site.

The Project Manager shall be advised, at their request, as to the status and details of work being completed by the Contractor in the format they require. The Contractor shall always maintain coordination with the Project Manager. Either party may request and be granted a conference, upon request, in a timely manner.

When determined necessary by the Project Manager, the Project Manager or designee will conduct a mandatory pre-work meeting to ensure understanding and cooperation between all parties.

The Contractor shall follow the scope of services, work specifications, and work plan as required. No special compensation will be made to the Contractor to defray costs for any of the work or delays for complying with the permit requirements, but such costs shall be considered as having been included in the price stipulated for the items of work to be done under this contract.

The County reserves the right to inspect, at any time, the Contractor’s procedures or equipment. Inspection, however, shall not relieve the Contractor of any obligations or responsibilities nor shall it transfer any liability to the County.

Contractor will furnish all equipment, materials, labor, and such items necessary for the project. The minimum equipment required by the Contractor includes the following:

· Off-road vehicle to access field sites

· Spotting scope and binoculars

· Peeper scope and telescoping pole

· Ladder

· Climbing belt and flip-line

· Chick nooses

· Adult capture nets

· Bands and band utensils

· GPS capturing device

· Metal tags and nails

· Tree marking paint At the time of completion, all project specifications will be inspected by the designated project coordinator, or designee, to ensure specifications were followed.

The Contractor shall be responsible for any lost material or damaged equipment staged or used on site.

The County will hold the Contractor responsible for meeting all contractual obligations. If performance issues arise, the County will schedule a meeting to review the contractual deficiencies, and the Contractor will be responsible for providing a written corrective action plan within two (2) working days from the meeting date. Failure to provide a satisfactory corrective action plan, or failure to comply with any instructions, corrective action plan, and/or an agreed plan, will result in a stop work order and/or payment of services until issues are resolved.

Technical Specifications History

Ongoing inventory and management of RCW populations is needed on approximately 1300 acres of the TM-Econ Mitigation Bank Phase IV, located in the southeast corner of Orange County. All four phases of TM-Econ Mitigation bank were permitted in 2003. The permit reporting was handled by James L Clark, SCV, Environmental Management & Design, Inc., E Sciences, Inc., DeLotelle & Gutherie, Inc., SouthArc, Inc., Universal Engineering Sciences, Inc., and Swann & Hadley, P.A.

Monitoring previously occurred from May 2012 through May 2013 and May 2017 through May 2018. During the 2012-2013 season, the number of cavity trees, RCW clusters, and breeding groups on the site were identified. Also, within the 2012 and 2013 season, 10 drill starts were completed by the Contractor. In May 2013, a total of 10 clusters were identified with eight breeding groups and a total of 62 live cavity/start trees were identified. Of these trees, 11 new drilled cavities were installed. Twenty-six cavities were active during the 2013 nesting season, including 4 new drilled cavities.

During the 2017-2018 season, 97 live trees were identified as being monitored on the property. Of these, eight trees were identified as dead but standing. Excluding the 13 cavity trees found in recruitment clusters, there were 84 total live cavity trees. Six of these are located off property but are associated with the southwest cluster. These six trees were included in the previous totals. Fifty-one of the 84 live trees were determined to contain inactive cavities, both natural and artificial.

Additionally, 24 artificial cavity boxes were installed in trees which included 19 drilled cavities and five inserts. At the end of the 2018 season, it was determined there were a total of seven breeding clusters with a total of 20 adult birds associated with these groups. Five of the seven identified breeding clusters had helpers present. Additionally, nine nestlings were banded. Between August 2017 and August 2018, 30 RCWs were captured. Of these, eight were identified by sight as having been previously banded. Seven of the eight birds were re-captured and re-banded due to missing and/or faded leg bands. Fourteen previously un-banded adult or sub-adult RCWs were captured and banded.

Several RCW clusters are known to exist off site, on the other phases of the TM/Econ Mitigation Bank, with a high likelihood of the interchange of birds.

Cluster and Cavity Tree Status Assessment Prior to each nesting season, a cluster and cavity tree status assessment will be conducted. This assessment should conclude before April 1 of each year. Assessment will include mapping each cluster location as well as all cavity trees. Mapping of locations can be in conjunction with tree marking and tagging, as outlined below.

RCW Tree Marking/ID Tagging All prior known and future potential cavity trees will be inventoried prior to the first nesting season to determine status (use by RCWs). A map of all existing and newly identified trees will be created, and GIS data will be compiled differentiating between the two. Trees will be marked and tagged according to the guidelines outlined below.

Tree Painting – Any tree identified as a start tree that RCWs are still working on establishing a cavity in will receive a single white band approximately 6 inches in width that is approximately 6 feet above the ground. Any trees that are considered active cavities or trees that have full cavities (including inserts) will be painted with two white bands that are approximately 6 inches in width and separated by approximately 6 inches. The bottom band will start approximately 6 feet above the ground. If any tree is tagged but not marked with a band, or vice versa, the tree will be tagged/banded in accordance with the previous standards. All trees will receive fresh paint bands each year. These bands are used to identify trees associated with RCWs and used to protect trees from possible damage from fire, equipment use, or any other activity that may cause harm to the birds or trees.

Tree Tagging – The tree tag should be just below the white band, approximately five and a half feet in height, and directly in line with the main cavity. The tag and nails should be made of standard galvanized metal. Tag placement must be immediately below the white band and placed to not allow nails holding the tags to be driven completely into the tree bole, causing the tags to lie flush on the bark. Over time, this has resulted in tags growing into the tree and being covered with sap to the point of being illegible. All new tags must be installed with new nails that are galvanized and at least two inches in length. Tags must be hung in a manner such that the tags hang away from the tree trunk separated by approximately ¾”.

Numbering System – All RCW trees are to be permanently marked with tags as described above and a numbering system to keep track of RCW populations and cavity trees. Numbering must be continuous with the tagging of trees already on the property. Geospatial information, both raw and formulated report data, must be provided to the Division. The Contractor must GPS each tree and provide a shapefile to the Division showing the numbering system and status of each tree. The numbering system must be approved by Division staff prior to installation of the tags.

Pre-nesting Season Population Assessments, Banding, and Group Composition Determination After active cavity trees have been mapped, cluster locations and sizes will be determined. Roost checks will be conducted in each cluster to identify all birds present, both banded and non-banded. If possible, sex will be recorded as well. At least one adult in each cluster will be banded to distinguish different groups and territories. After banding, the number of breeding pairs will be determined.

Nesting Season Monitoring

Starting in mid-April, clusters with a potential breeding group (PBG) will be “peeped” every 7 – 10 days until all nesting is confirmed to be done, or the nesting season ends (June 30). Active nests will be peeped according to nesting chronology requirements. Nesting chronology requires that peeping is done every 7-10 days to determine where the birds are in the nesting cycles which determines hatch, banding, and fledge dates. All chicks surviving to banding age (8-10 days) will be banded with the approved five-band color scheme. A pre-fledge check (peep) will be conducted at 19-21 days and a fledge-check will confirm final survivorship and productivity. Nests are not to be peeped after day 21.

Fledge Checks After nesting season has concluded, fledgling success will be determined. This will be conducted between May – July. Methods for determining fledging success will be proposed by the Contractor and approved by the Project Manager.

Cavity Cleaning and Augmentation During the fall or early winter (October – January), all cavity trees will be inspected and cleaned as needed to prepare for the next nesting season. Any cavity augmentation must be approved by the Project Manager.

Installation of New Cavities It may be necessary to install or drill new cavities within trees to enhance the RCW population. If the Contractor determines a new cavity is needed to improve cluster success or population support, the Contractor must check with the Division Project Manager prior to installation to receive permission. Cavity installation will follow US Fish and Wildlife standards, or other standards as approved by the Project Manager. Only trees that are good candidates for RCW nest tree cavities will be chosen. The parameters for good candidate trees include:

· A high heartwood-to-sapwood ratio, which is defined as minimal sapwood of less than 1 inch thick and a heartwood core of at least 6 inches in diameter. A typical tree size overall would be an 8-inch diameter tree at cavity height.

· Conchs are present at 12 to 22 inches above ground level. This is an indication of red heart fungus in the vicinity of the portion of the bole where the cavity will be placed. Red heart fungal disease is the infection of the heartwood which is the inner dense part of a pine tree trunk by the (Porodaedalea pini) fungus. This causes the tree to be structurally weakened without killing the tree. Because RCWs only use live trees to create cavities, this fungus allows the RCWs to create cavities easier within the softened trees.

Cavity installation will occur after nesting season has completed, and before nesting season begins in the following year.

Nesting Season Summary Report A report detailing pre-nesting activities, nest season monitoring, cluster assessment and cavity tree assessment will be due by August 1st of each year, for a total of 2 reports. At a minimum, reports must detail all RCWs that were located, all breeding pairs and PBGs, and any helper RCWs. Additionally, a chronology of each nesting attempt, nestlings banded, and fledging production by sex is to be included. Group composition (including fledglings) must be broken down by cluster. Any new cavity trees that were identified and marked, any cavity trees that were deemed no longer active, or any artificial cavities installed over the course of the season must be summarized in both text and map format. GIS data of each numbered tree will be submitted with each report.

Final Report

A final report must be submitted no more than 60 days after the second nesting season has concluded. This report will be in addition to the nesting season report due by August 1st of the second year. The final report will summarize the two years of monitoring in detail. Additionally, any pictures that were taken throughout the monitoring project are to be submitted. All data, both raw and finalized, will be submitted with the report. The final report must detail suggested future management recommendations for the RCW populations including, but not limited to, prescribed fire, mowing, plantings, and any cavity management that may be needed. A section should be included detailing how the Green PLACE Program can safely and accurately monitor the RCW population while keeping in mind that staff that do not hold Federal permits for certain RCW monitoring activities.

Lone Miscellaneous Services Lone miscellaneous services include education of staff in the field, presentations on RCW cavity trees and their assessments, field hikes showing progress of the assessments and banding, and any other RCW work, as needed. These activities will be determined by Division staff.

DIVISION RESPONSIBILITIES

· Provide map(s) of the property. Existing GIS shapefiles will be provided, upon request.

· Provide historical information on the past monitoring aspects of the onsite RCWs.

· Provide keys or combinations to gates.

TIME FRAMES AND DELIVERABLES

The Contractor will begin work within fifteen (15) days of notification of contract award.

Invoices are to be submitted no less frequently than the first day of every month that work is conducted on the project. More frequent invoicing is acceptable.

The Contractor must provide a list of all personnel, by name and title, contemplated to perform the work, including their qualifications and certifications, prior to starting any services.

The Division Project Manager will have the option to extend the completion time for any type of activity if there are unanticipated events (drought, wildfire, hurricanes, extreme rain events, flooding, etc.).

The Contractor must inform the Division Project Manager prior to initiating any work on the site. The Contractor shall consult with and update the Division Project Manager for inspection and approval of work quality throughout project activities being accomplished.

The Contractor is responsible for notifying the Division Project Manager within five business days of completing each year’s monitoring event.

PAYMENT

The County shall pay the Contractor for satisfactory service upon submission of invoices following completed work. The invoice must include the description of work completed, accurate quantities for work completed, payment total for each line item, and total payment amount for each invoice. All invoices must be emailed to GreenPLACE@ocfl.net (or other email deemed appropriate by Project Manager), mailed, or hand delivered to the front desk of the Orange County Environmental Protection Division office (3165 McCrory Place Suite 200, Orlando, FL 32803) and directed to the Division Project Manager.

BID SHEET

Total Bid Cost:

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