Exhibit 2n Survey-Inventory Data Collection Standards_Part A.pdf

2023 – 2027 IDIQ Region 4 Idaho Forests & Field Offices Invasive Species/Rare Plants Vegetation Management Services

STANDARD Exhibit: Survey and Inventory Data Collection Standards – Part A

The Contractor shall at a minimum utilize a single frequency Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) to acquire accurate spatial references. The following are the standard Forest Service (FS) minimum GNSS reception tolerance parameters and will help ensure 5-10 meter required horizontal accuracy at 95% confidence level. Open canopy conditions should result in higher locational accuracy. In order to achieve 5- 10m locational accuracy and minimum of 4 GNSS satellites for a 3D fix is required; 5 GNSS satellites is preferred.

The Contractor may use any Forest Service-approved portable mobile GIS data recorder integrated or external GNSS receiver and associated mobile GIS field data collection software. Most up-to-date smart phones and tablets meet these requirements.

Exact requirements for data collection will be stated in individual task orders. Generally, the Contractor shall adhere to the following data collection standards:

• Complete all spatial and tabular data collection in the required format associated with each task order. The specific format requirement may be general GPS, data collection app, paper forms, digital forms and/or other similar formats.

• GPS attributes for each of the mandatory data fields must be collected for every survey area. For most task orders the Contractor shall record spatial data delineating the specific areas surveyed/inventoried and/or treated on each day. Points, polygons, or both may be required by individual task orders.

• Within the survey or treatment area, all target plant species detected must be recorded spatially in species-specific plant populations. Populations shall be mapped as in a way that accurately defines the perimeter of the population and dense patches of rare plants/invasive plants within the perimeter. The task order will specify whether points or polygons shall be used. Note that polygons consisting only of four GPS points, one at each corner, are usually insufficient, and therefore, not acceptable. The entire perimeter must be recorded accurately.

• Where polygons for rare plants or invasive species already exist, the contractor is expected to collect spatial data to accurately update the existing perimeter and record what was found inside the polygon. If a known polygon is checked as part of the requirements of a task order and no plants are found, data must still be recorded stating that nothing was found. Failure to do so is unacceptable.

• The Contractor shall deliver spatial data in ESRI feature classes or shapefile (.shp) or Keyhole Markup Language format (.kml or .kmz). The specific format may be specified in individual task orders. If using a data collection app that syncs data to a central location (e.g.: Field Maps), it is the Contractor’s responsibility to ensure that recorded data has synced.

The Contractor shall adhere to the following rare plant/invasive plant inventory standards:

• The Contractor shall follow a grid system that provides a thorough search pattern throughout the entirety of the specified survey/inventory sites in each work area to locate, map and record all rare plant populations and invasive plant infestations.

• Rare plant or invasive plant species of the same species in a scattered or scattered/patchy distribution and located within 100 feet of each other may be mapped as part of the same population or infestation.

• Isolated individuals/patches located more than 100 feet from other plants of the same plant species shall be considered and mapped as separate populations or infestations. A distance greater than XXX feet may be specified for this threshold in individual task orders.

• Where multiple populations/infestations of different rare and/or invasive plant species exist at the same site, the Contractor shall collect inventory data for each species as a separate population/infestation.

Example Survey and Inventory Procedure:

The ability to identify and detect rare and invasive plants can vary enormously based on slope, terrain, plant phenology, surrounding plant community, other invasive plants present and season of survey. This section describes how the SCNF conducts survey and inventory work. We have found this procedure to work very well. If you have another system that works well, other procedures are acceptable if they produce work that conforms to at least minimum contract performance specifications.

Refer to Forest Service-provided maps and shapefiles to locate survey area(s). Once at the site, determine appropriate gridding area for the day. Rare plants occur in a variety of habitats and settings. Invasive plant species occur primarily in upland cover types on west and south-facing slopes, although they are also often found in riparian areas, aspen clones, and meadows. Most upland plant communities are comprised of bunchgrass habitat types with a variety of forbs and scattered sagebrush-steppe communities, generally on moderate slopes with sufficient soil depth. Conifer cover at inventory sites is generally sparse. The Contractor may avoid vertical rock outcrops and cliffs that cannot be safely traversed and heavily timbered areas with more than 50% canopy closure (note that these areas may already be delineated as places to avoid on inventory site maps provided by the COR).

Climb uphill to top of survey area and spread out the crew into a grid formation. The distance between crew members in this grid formation is based on several factors, including ability to identify plants, phenology of plants, habitat type, and terrain. For example, if spotted knapweed or Lemhi penstemon are in the rosette stage and identifiable no more than 10 feet away, two crewmembers should not be more than 20 feet apart or the next pass should be less than 20 feet apart.

Follow the contours of the hillside for the extent of the inventory area. Each person should remain at the same elevation for one entire pass. Once everyone has completed their pass, the crew will drop down lower in elevation. If the lowest person on the previous grid was at an elevation of 5000 ft., the highest person on the next pass would be at an elevation on 4980 ft. (assuming that the grid distance is 20 ft.).

Commented [GTF1]: Needs to be vetted, OK for invasive likely but question Rare?

Commented [BKFSI2R1]: I think maybe we need to come up with the smallest number folks want here because that will be most time consuming and most expensive. A larger distance could then be specified in a task order if desired.

Formatted: Highlight

Commented [BKFSI3]: I don’t really have a problem with this section. We could label it “Example Survey and Inventory Procedure from Salmon-Challis National Forest”

Continue this gridding pattern for the entire extent of the survey area. Upon locating target rare plants or invasive plants, collect inventory tabular and spatial data (including perimeter) of each rare plant populations or invasive plant infestation located during the survey using an approved portable data recorder and wireless GPS receiver or data recorder with an integrated GPS receiver. Collect required attribute data for each rare plant population or invasive plant infestation. Collect points around the perimeter of the population/infestation. If multiple populations/infestations of different rare/invasive plant species exist at the same site, the Contractor shall gather spatial and attribute data for each species as a separate population/infestation.

The Contractor spatially records the day’s work delineating the area(s) gridded for survey that day. The Contractor then creates a spatial datafile depicting the specific areas surveyed and populations/infestations inventoried to submit to the COR as a deliverable product per contract performance specifications. Alternately, the Contractor records spatial data via a data collection app like Field Maps and ensures that the data has synced to the cloud once they are back in Wi-Fi or cell service.

The Contractor checks with the COR to confirm that the data has synced and is present in government accounts.