Exhibit 1_IA Aerial Apps_SOW SAMPLE TO Weed-Seed_DS_04052022.docx

Interagency Aerial Services IDIQ

SAMPLE TASK ORDER

TASK ORDER PROPOSAL REQUEST

SECTION B--SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES

Post-Fire Restoration Aerial Herbicide Application and Seeding Project

SALMON-CHALLIS NATIONAL FOREST

NOTE: Please be aware of the requirements and specifications found in the Interagency Aerial Services IDIQ master contract, all of which apply to this Task Order. Information contained within this Task Order supplements information found in the master contract.

Prices shall not exceed the maximum pricing listed in the master IDIQ contract.

This contract complies with the procedures of FAR Part 12, “Acquisition of Commercial Items.”

The period of performance starts on the effective date of contract award through December 2, 2022. There are five (5) base items with two (2) option items if funding becomes available. The period of performance may be adjusted if option items are added.

B.1 - Schedule of Base Items Line Item Pricing Description For Each Line Item

Price Amount

TOTAL BASE ITEMS QUOTE $____________

B.2 - Schedule of Option Items Line Item Pricing Description For Each Line Item

Price Amount

TOTAL OPTION ITEMS QUOTE $____________

SECTION C - DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF WORK

NOTE: Please be aware of the requirements and specifications found in the Interagency Aerial Services IDIQ master contract, all of which apply to this task order. Information contained within this Task Order supplements information found in the Master Contract. It is the Contractor’s responsibility to be fully cognizant of and compliant with all requirements and specifications in the master IDIQ contract.

C.1 Introduction Work under this task order consists of five base items and up to two option items. The base items consist of (a) aerial herbicide application on 750 acres of cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), spotted knapweed (Centaurea maculosa) and rush skeletonweed (Chondrilla juncea) infestations and (b) application of a native grass seed mix across 50 acres. The two option items consist of aerial herbicide application on an additional 300 acres.

The Contractor shall provide all labor, supervision, equipment, materials and operating supplies, transportation services, permits, and licenses necessary to safely apply herbicides and seed using appropriate helicopter-mounted equipment, in accordance with the contract specifications and applicable federal and State of Idaho regulations. This includes fuel, fuel truck, support vehicles and personnel, and any other services or supplies necessary to support aerial operations.

Note that for this task order that the Contractor will be providing all herbicide and adjuvants for the herbicide application.

Note that for this task order that the Forest Service will be providing the native seed mix for the seeding application.

Work will occur in the fall on lands administered by SCNF on the North Fork Ranger District, just west of North Fork, Idaho in Lemhi County, Idaho, (see Project Area Description below for specific information).

C.2 Background The project area consists of steep slopes and large, flat ridgetops above the Salmon River corridor near North Fork, Idaho. The primary plant community is composed of bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass, needle-and-thread grass, and Idaho fescue with patches of dry conifer habitat, xeric Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine) and evergreen shrubs (mountain mahogany, rabbitbrush and sagebrush).

The Salmon River breaks are prone to frequent lightning strikes and there is a history of frequent fires, both large and small, in the project area. The land use history of timber harvest, road building and domestic livestock grazing has resulted in degradation of the native plant community due to widespread establishment of various non-native invasive plant species. The primary invasive plant species include annual grasses, annual mustards, spotted knapweed and rush skeletonweed. These invasive plants respond very positively to fire and with each wildfire, the plant community composition becomes more heavily weighted toward non-native invasive species. This results in a downward ecological spiral as non-native invasive plant species become predominant and the fire return interval shortens due to fuel buildup, particularly from invasive annual grasses.

The area is both winter and transitional range for elk, mule deer and bighorn sheep. Repeated wildfires in the project area (most recently in 2012) have resulted in the degradation of range and forage quality due to the encroachment of invasive annual grasses and mustards and Idaho state listed noxious weeds. Particularly, areas frequented by big game have become stands of cheatgrass and tumble mustard with very little native vegetation. This is especially true of ridge and bench systems where elk, in particular, spend considerable time and of drainages that had higher tree and shrub cover, but have since burned very hot, killing a high percentage of the overstory.

This project will support post-fire rehabilitation objective for areas of the 2012 Mustang Fire, big game winter range habitat improvement and SCNF objectives for fuels management in areas with frequent fire return intervals.

C.3 Scope of Work

C.3.1 Herbicide Application Commercial contract applicators must include a copy of the front and back of their Idaho professional pesticide applicator’s license with their quote for this task order.

· The active ingredient Imazapic will be aerially applied in the late fall months as a tank mix with Aminopyralid to infestations of annual grasses and mustards at a rate of 7 ounces/acre unless the COR specifies a change in active ingredient or application rate. See Table 1 and Map for details.

· The active ingredient Aminopyralid will be aerially applied in the late fall months as a tank mix with Imazapic to infestations of spotted knapweed and rush skeletonweed at a rate of 7 ounces/acre unless the COR specifies a change in active ingredient or application rate. See Table 1 and Map for details.

C.3.2 Seeding Application A native grass seed mix, as specified by these requirements, will be applied by aerial application in designated areas to assist with recovery of native plant communities. The native grass seed mix will be supplied by the government.

Native Grass Mix

TOTALS

20 lbs/acre (Total = 800 lbs)

· The contractor is responsible for storing and protecting seed and incidentals at staging area. Bags of seed shall be stored in a cool and dry storage facility to assure optimal viability of seed until seed application to treatment units.

· Contractor shall deliver any leftover seed to the COR at completion of seed application

C.4 Project Area Location and Description The project area is located four miles west of North Fork, Idaho, just north of the Salmon River in the vicinity of Buster Gulch and Deadwater Gulch. North Fork, Idaho is located along Highway 93 North approximately 20 miles north of Salmon, Idaho at the confluence of the Salmon River and the North Fork of the Salmon River. From North Fork, turn west onto the Salmon River Road and travel four miles west to the Deadwater Picnic Area and Boat Ramp. The project is located above the breaks of the Salmon River to the north and west.

There are six herbicide application treatment units in the project area: Whiskey Springs, West Buster I and II, Middle Deadwater, Buster Gulch Roads, and Buster-Dead. These are treatment areas for herbicide control of non-native annual grasses (primarily cheatgrass), spotted knapweed and for rush skeletonweed. There are also two side-by-side units for the aerial application of native grass seed.

Table 1 - 2022 Salmon River Breaks Treatment Area

ESRI shapefiles of treatment area boundaries, staging areas, exclusion areas, etc. will be provided to the Contractor prior to the pre-work meeting for the Contractor to review. Note that it is the responsibility of the Contractor to ask for clarification, if needed, on any geospatial referenced unit boundaries, etc. if there is uncertainty.

C.4.1 Staging Area The Forest has tentatively selected one possible staging area for use by the Contractor (see Map 2. Note that this staging area will also be provided to the Contractor as a georeferenced ESRI shapefile). It is accessible by road (Salmon River Road [#030] turning west at North Fork off Hwy 93 North) for support vehicles such as water tenders and fueling vehicles. The staging area is located along between the Salmon River Road (#030) and the Salmon River at the site of a a partially reclaimed asphalt plant for paving the river road. It is at an elevation of approximately 3,500 feet. The highest point in the treatment units is approximately 6,500 feet elevation. This staging area ranges from 0.25 miles to 2.5 miles from the treatment units.

Water may be drafted from the Salmon River at North Fork, which is approximately 4.6 miles from this staging area if the Contractor chooses.

Final decisions on the use of staging areas on NFS lands will be agreed upon by the contractor, local officials (such as the District Ranger, or acting), and the COR.

C.4.2 Environmentally Sensitive Sites There are no environmentally sensitive sites, (e.g. streams, ponds or rare plant populations) within the treatment areas. However, the Salmon River bounds the project area along the southerly edge of the project boundary and the North Fork of the Salmon River flows near the eastern boundary of the project. Treatment unit boundaries are buffered by 300 feet to remain at a safe distance from the Salmon River and North Fork of the Salmon River.

C.5 Furnished Information and Items

Government Furnished Information

General

Government Furnished Items

Seeding Application

Contractor Furnished Items

General

Herbicide Application

Seeding Application

For those specifications under which the Contractor is to provide material and supplies, the Contractor will be responsible for ensuring state certification and testing requirements are met, transport and handling to/from staging areas, protection, storage and other requirements before/after application commences.

Prior to project initiation, the Contractor shall provide a plan outlining what precautions and mitigation will be in place to limit spread of material. This will include daily clean-up plans, mitigation strategies, and equipment that will be used to meet above mentioned specifications.

Note that:

· Disposal of spilled mulch/seed, packing materials, pallets and/or other waste material is the responsibility of the Contractor.

· If the Contractor modifies physical characteristics of staging areas, the Contractor will be responsible for all restoration and rehabilitation. Clean-up and restoration will require that the restoration of the site will allow recovery to original pre-use conditions.

SECTION E – INSPECTIONS AND ACCEPTANCE

The means for determining acceptance or deficiencies are identified in Section E of the SCNF Aerial Applications IDIQ Master Contract. A determination of Acceptance or Rework will comply with the Master IDIQ Contract.

Acceptance will be determined based on the Contractor’s quality control inspection and verified by the Government monitoring and will be based on adherence to the specifications stated in the task order. Noncompliance with any of the specifications will classify the treatment as unsatisfactory and rework will be required to bring the treatment up to specification standards.

SECTION F – DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE

Work under this task order shall take place during the period from the date of the Notice to Proceed through December 2, 2022. Herbicide application and seeding shall be completed no later than November 18, 2022. Deliverable digital/GPS products shall be provided to and approved by the COR no later December 2, 2022.

SECTION H - SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

H.1 Site Visit Potential Contractors are encouraged to inspect the treatment areas where the work will be performed. A site visit is planned for late August 2022, if requested. If Contractors wish to fly over the project area, they must notify the COR at least one week in advance, so that flight following can be arranged with Central Idaho Dispatch.

H.2 Site-Specific Plans At the time of task order award, the Contractor shall submit site specific safety planning. This includes procedure for air to ground communications, flight following procedures with Central Idaho Dispatch, equipment protection, signing, and protection of personnel and public. This plan will be used during the pre-work and on site work to ensure safe operations. This information will also be used for quality assurance standards during the project.

At the time of contract award, the Contractor shall provide an aviation safety plan for the specific sites where aerial operations are conducted. The plan shall include flight routes. The plan will also include communication procedures to monitor location of aircraft assigned to the project, crash rescue, and missing aircraft plan.

· Note that there are private lands and human habitation near the project area that will require consideration in terms of the site-specific aviation and safety plans.

The Contractor shall have a spill response plan which shall be provided to and approved by the Contracting Officer and COR at the pre-work meeting. The plan must meet all FS standards and requirements for the management of spills.

Forest Service line officers shall make the final determination regarding a possible need to temporarily close public access to staging areas or to treatment sites for public safety in consultation with the COR and the Forest Aviation Officer. A public safety plan will then be agreed upon by the Contractor, COR, FS line officers, the Forest Aviation Officer and local officials.

The Government shall be responsible for posting local public notices of aerial activities prior to commencement of work. This may include radio and social media announcements and newspaper notices. The Contractor may be asked to provide information for these public notices.

Warning signs on roads leading to operations at the staging area and in the vicinity of treatment sites may be needed depending on location. The Contractor and COR shall determine the need for signing, barricades and traffic control to maintain a safe environment for the public. The Government will provide signs for road or area closures while the Contractor is responsible for signage of chase trucks, other support vehicles, etc.

SECTION I - CONTRACT CLAUSES

I.1 FAR 52.237-1 Site Visit (APR 1984) Offerors are urged and expected to inspect the site where services are to be performed and to satisfy themselves regarding all general and local conditions that may affect the cost of contract performance, to the extent that the information is reasonably obtainable. In no event shall failure to inspect the site constitute grounds for a claim after contract award.

SECTION J--LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

J.1 - Map(s) – All maps are part of this soliciation and any resulting task order. See attached PDF.

MAP 1. Project Area Vicinity Map

MAP 2. Potential Staging Area – Road Crew Bar image1.emf image2.png