FY_2023_CTHR_SOLICITATION_PACKAGE_FINAL_10_13_2022.pdf

SECTION 2- PRICE SCHEDULE

1. Potential Contract Period of Performance: February 1, 2023 through January 31, 2028

2. Contractor shall use Attachment 6 – Schedule of Services – Unit Pricing for pricing submittal.

Contactor must complete pricing for all items and periods for each state.

3. Contract Pricing Information

a. Minimums and Maximums are for the entire contract performance period. Each contract awarded will have a ceiling of $20,000,000.00 and a minimum guarantee of $25,000.00. The BLM does not anticipate that total combined orders will exceed $20,000,000.00

b. Per head pricing should be all inclusive of contractor expenses (i.e., Mobilization, Labor, Pre-Work Conference, Facility Construction, Per Diem, Demobilization, task order close-out, etc.) related to the trapping and the subsequent handling and care of the trapped animals.

Offerors are advised that offers are solicited based on all states defined in this schedule and that the offeror must be in a position to furnish the required services in all locations.

c. Feed day unit pricing shall include feed and water in accordance with the attached Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program (CAWP). A feed day is calculated per individual animal held for a day, with a day being defined as an overnight stay from at least 5:00 p.m. at either temporary holding or the trap site until the next morning. An animal that is shipped or released on the same day as captured does not constitute a feed day.

d. Gathers that require the capture and release of animals, such as a trapping operation for population growth suppression treatments only, may result in the contractor capturing the same animal more than one time. Contractors should use appropriate means to prevent recapture or use a temporary holding facility to hold animals until the gather and release is complete. The contractor shall not be allowed to invoice the Government for animals that are captured more than one time unless the COR directs the recapture.

e. Contractors shall not invoice the Government for animals that escape or are inadvertently released by of the Contractor. Unless prior approval from the contracting officer the contractor shall not invoice for more quantity than is identified in specific task order (TO) / Statement of Work (SOW). The contractor shall not capture more horses/burros than what is identified in specific task order SOWs. If more animals are captured the Contractor shall release the additional animals.

f. Transportation unit pricing is for stock trailers and semi-trucks with the price per loaded mile (vehicle contains gathered animals) per vehicle from the gather’s temporary holding site to the off-range preparation and holding facility(s) specified in the Task Order/SOW. There is a separate unit price for a semi-truck load and a stock trailer load.

g. Contractors shall use the applicable wage determination for each state included in this solicitation. The contractor can access these wage determinations online at https://sam.gov/content/wage-determinations

h. Gathering Daily Rate (GDR) expenses will only apply to drive trap gathers and include total Contractor costs pertaining to the gather for a day including salaries, insurance, equipment, maintenance, etc., including any necessary flight costs. A GDR may be applicable in the case of mandatory suspension of gather activities due to litigation. The use of a GDR rate is at the discretion of the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) and will be addressed in the Task Order and during the pre-work. GDR can apply in the following situations:

1. If BLM asks the Contractor to stop gather operations due to circumstances (gather disturbance, etc.) that were of no fault of the Contractor, the GDR could apply.

2. There may be days when only a few animals are gathered. These circumstances may include, but are not limited to, difficult-to-capture animals, few animals located in large areas, a required total removal of all animals in an area, etc.

Under these circumstances and if the Contractor is making acceptable effort to perform, the COR may use their discretion to authorize the GDR.

3. GDRs would not apply to the following, unless authorized by the COR:

a) Selection of drive trapping locations

b) Weather suspension

c) Difficult trapping conditions

d) Moving the trap to another location

e) Not working on Sundays or holidays

f) Attendance of pre- and post-work conferences

g) Equipment maintenance and/or repairs

i. Handling Daily Rate (HDR)-- for assisting BLM with various handling tasks for both bait trap and drive trap gathers as identified in specific task order requirements. This would include a minimum number of contract personnel as determined by the TO COR.

Additional handling tasks may include assisting BLM personnel with freeze marking, genetic testing, research (i.e., collaring, tail tags, etc.), and/or testing for equine diseases.

HDR may be used the same day as PGS treatments, as determined by the COR. HDR expenses will include total contractor costs for assisting for a day and not trapping including salaries, insurance, equipment, maintenance, etc. A HDR may be applicable in the case of mandatory suspension of gather activities due to litigation. If suspension of gather activities are anticipated to be prolonged, a suspension or stop work order may be issued, at which time HDR will not apply. The use of a HDR is at the discretion of the COR and will be addressed in the Task Order and during the pre-work. Daily rates will not apply to the following:

1. Selection of bait trapping locations

2. Weather suspension

3. Slow trapping conditions

4. Moving the trap to another location

5. Not working on Sundays or holidays

6. Attendance of pre- and post-work conference

7. Monitoring of bait locations before trapping commences

8. Days required for the acquisition of bait, water, or maintaining equipment or locations.

j. Post gather feed day unit pricing shall include feed, water and care in accordance with the attached Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program (CAWP). A feed day is calculated per individual animal held for a day, with a day being defined as an overnight stay at the temporary holding facility. This applies when animals require a longer holding period after gather operations have been completed.

SECTION 3 - STATEMENT OF WORK

1. General – Animal Drive and/or Bait Trapping

a. The work consists of the capture, handling, care, feeding, watering, treatment with fertility control methods (i.e., population growth suppression (PGS)), and transportation of animals from the States of Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming in accordance with applicable Federal state and local laws; regulations; and policies.

b. The majority of performance under resulting contracts will be in support of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) operations, but task orders maybe issued to support other agency requirements, i.e., Department of Interior, Department of Agriculture, Department of Defense.

These task orders must be coordinated through the BLM Wild Horse & Burro (WHB) Program Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) and Headquarters (HQ) Contracting Officer (CO). Only a warranted BLM HQ CO is authorized to place task orders and the COR can only be a BLM certified COR. No other agency has the authority to place a task order against this contract.

c. The method of capture will be with the use of drive, and/or bait trapping in accordance with the standards identified in the most current version of the Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program (CAWP), Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Instruction Memorandum 2021-002 which is incorporated into this solicitation and any resulting contract (Attachment 1). If sections of the IDIQ Statement of Work (SOW) deviate from the CAWP, the IDIQ SOW takes precedence over the CAWP, furthermore the Task Order SOW takes precedence over both the IDIQ SOW and CAWP. Extended animal care and handling for PGS treatments and/or research activities may be required. This includes but not limited to restraint, transportation and releasing of animals back to the Herd Management Area (HMA), Wild Horse and Burro Territory (WHBT), Joint Management Area (JMA) or Complex.

d. The Contractor shall furnish all labor, supplies, transportation, and equipment necessary to accomplish the individual task order requirements with the exception of the Government Furnished Property listed below in Section 4.a. below. The work shall be accomplished in a safe and humane manner and be in accordance with the provisions of 43 CFR Part 4700, policies and handbooks approved by the WHB Program in effect until they are rescinded, superseded or replaced a subsequent policy, the CAWP, the specifications and provisions included in this SOW, and any subsequent SOW documents issued with individual task orders.

e. The BLM and its Contractors are committed to the well-being, safety, and humane and responsible care of animals. The BLM and its Contractors shall ensure humane care and treatment for animals during all phases of the pre-gather, gather, and post-gather process. At all times, the care and treatment provided by the BLM and its Contractors shall be characterized by compassion and concern for the animal’s well-being and welfare. The BLM and its Contractors shall, to the maximum extent practicable, prevent or minimize fear, pain, distress, suffering, risk of injury, and death while carrying out activities authorized under applicable laws, regulations, policies (including but not limited to the attached CAWP), this contract, and associated Task

Orders/SOWs.

f. The nature of the work to be performed under this contract may involve inherently hazardous situations. Further requirements are specified in the Task Order Statement of Work.

g. If required in an individual task order, prior to starting gather operations, the Contractor shall clean and remove all mud, dirt and plant material on all equipment and vehicles to remove any seeds and/or plant parts of noxious weeds and invasive non-native species. Cleaning shall include the thorough washing of vehicles (e.g., trucks and trailers) and equipment (e.g., skid steers and heavy equipment) inside and out including undercarriages.

h. If required, feeding of weed-free hay (grass and/or alfalfa) will be identified at the task order level for drive trapping. Any reference to hay in individual bait trapping task orders, or any task orders with any activities involving bait trapping, will be implied as certified weed-free hay (grass or alfalfa). The Contractor shall be responsible for providing certifications to the COR and/or CO upon request.

i. BLM reserves the right to place Government and/or Contractor game cameras or other video equipment in the operational area (trap site, holding facility, equipment, etc.) to document animal activity and response, capture techniques and procedures, and humane care during trapping. This does not apply to the general public, media, or other interested public wishing to video or photograph operations. No cameras, including video cameras will be placed on the Contractor’s motorized drive trapping equipment. All pictures or video obtained by the Contractor using game cameras or other video equipment during gather operations shall not be shared with public without BLM permission.

j. Training requirements. In accordance with the standards identified in the Wild Horse and Burro Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program (CAWP), BLM Permanent Instruction Memorandum 2021-002 (Attachment 1), all Contractors and their employees MUST individually complete BLM’s mandatory CAWP training annually on the DOI Talent website listed below. This training is accessible via the Department of Interior (DOI) Talent, seminar number 4700-13. DOI Talent is accessible at the following website, https://doitalent.ibc.doi.gov/. Contractors or its employees that do not have a DOI Talent account, will request an account and the Training (4700-13 WHB CAWP) through DOI Talent for non-DOI Learners at the following website: https://www.doi.gov/doitalent/nondoi_learners.

Annual training certifications shall be provided to the base IDIQ COR and CO before execution of each option period, as well as any new employees during the performance year. All personnel working on a task order must have completed the required training prior to performance. This would include specialized training outside of BLM organized training for those personnel administering specific fertility control treatments (ex. PZP Zonastat –H, Attachment 4).

k. The COR/Project Inspector (PI)’s will be on site for 100% of drive trapping activity, and at least 25% of bait trapping activity, and for all PGS application and research activity.

l. The following internet links are applicable to the performance of this SOW for reference material, policy and regulation questions, education materials, gather updates and schedules, etc.

https://doitalent.ibc.doi.gov/ https://www.doi.gov/doitalent/nondoi_learners

BLM Homepage for Wild Horse and Burro Program

43 CFR 4700 – Protection, Management, and Control of Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros

m. The BLM is utilizing a CAWP assessment program to ensure that BLM employees and contractors involved in the WHBP are adhering to the Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program requirements. The CAWP assessment team will randomly conduct CAWP assessments during gather operations. The BLM CAWP assessment team will provide a preliminary report to contractors for review and comment prior to finalizing the report. The BLM may post finalized reports with findings and contractor comments on websites accessible to the public.

2. Information Specific to Each Project Area

a. Specific historical information concerning each Herd Management Area (HMA), Wild Horse and Burro Territory (WHBT), Joint Management Area (JMA), and/or Complex will be provided with specific task order SOW. It should be noted that certain HMA/WHBT/JMA/Complex may have a history of removals, population inventories, PGS treatments, research activities and limited access areas. Information regarding anticipated handling for research purposes should also be provided with the specific task order SOW.

b. Gather activities would be on the HMA/WHBT/JMA/Complex specified in the task order.

However, trapping could be required on adjacent land, federal, state, tribal, military, or private property. Per task order direction, animals that are in a Complex may be quoted by Complex and not broken out per HMA/WHBT/JMA due to movement of the animals in a Complex.

c. If trapping operations include work on military restricted areas, the BLM will assist in coordinating (i.e., Government will provide point of contact) necessary clearances, such as background checks, equipment, and personnel access as well as clearances (including air space, if applicable). The Contractor shall be required to finalize all required clearances (including air space, if applicable), including providing aircraft (if applicable) and personal information upon request. These clearances and requirements will be provided at no additional cost to the Government. Any necessary clearances for access to other state, federal and tribal lands will be coordinated by the BLM and provided to the Contractor.

d. The permissions to use private lands and/or other private resources during task order performance will be coordinated between the Contractor and landowner and approved by the BLM. The need for these permissions will be identified in the Task Order SOW and will be obtained in writing. Permissions will allow for the Government and potential public access to the private properties.

e. Site Clearances prior to setting up a trap or temporary holding facility, BLM will conduct all necessary resource clearances (archaeology, wildlife, weeds, etc.). All proposed site(s) must be inspected by the appropriate government specialists. Once clearances have been obtained, the https://www.blm.gov/programs/wild-horse-and-burro https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/granule/CFR-2011-title43-vol2/CFR-2011-title43-vol2-part4700 https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/granule/CFR-2011-title43-vol2/CFR-2011-title43-vol2-part4700 trap or temporary holding facility may be set up. Said clearances shall be coordinated and arranged for by the COR/ PI.

3. The following sections are in accordance with the CAWP and subsequent BLM policy and guidance:

a. Facility Design (Temporary Holding Facility Area)

1) All trap and temporary holding facility areas and locations must be approved by the COR and/or the PI prior to construction and/or operation. The Contractor may also be required to change or move trap locations as determined by the COR/PI. All traps and temporary holding facilities not located on public land must have prior written approval of the landowner or other management agency.

2) Facility design to include traps, wings, alleys, handling pens, gates (including finger gates for bait trapping) and temporary holding facilities, etc. shall be constructed, maintained and operated to handle the animals in a safe and humane manner in accordance with the standards identified in the Wild Horse and Burro Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program (CAWP), BLM PIM 2021-002 (Attachment 1).

3) Unless otherwise specified in the specific task orders all gather operations will require the construction of a temporary holding facility(s) including the Government furnished fly chute and Contractor supplied load out chute for purposes of holding management activities, such as sorting and aging, providing medical care, research (i.e., Research Staff and/or BLM will affix all radio tags/collars), PGS treatments, shipping, loading semi-trailers etc.

4) When moving the animals from one pasture/allotment to another pasture/allotment, the fencing wire will be let down for a distance that is approved by the COR on either side of the gate or crossing and additional flagging will be placed on either side of the opening as directed by the COR. No modification of existing fences will be made without authorization from the COR/PI and/or the landowner. The Contractor shall be responsible for restoring any fences that are modified or damaged during gather operations back to the original condition.

5) Temporary holding and sorting pens shall be of sufficient size to prevent injury due to fighting and trampling. These pens shall also allow for captured animals to move freely, and each animal will have access to water and feed simultaneously. Adequate pen space and feed distribution must be provided such that all animals in a pen can eat at the same time.

6) All pens will be capable of expansion when requested by the COR/PI.

7) Separate water troughs shall be provided for each pen where animals are being held.

Water troughs shall be constructed of such material (e.g., rubber, plastic, fiberglass, galvanized metal with rolled edges, and rubber over metal) to avoid injury to the animals. Pens designed to hold more than 30 animals must have more than one water trough located at opposite ends of the pen. Trough size and placement must be approved by the COR.

8) Management practices may require the capture of a large percentage of the total population within the project area for purposes of selective removals based on predetermined criteria, treating mares/jennies with PGS treatments. Treated animals may need to be held until they can be released back into the HMA/WHBT/JMA/Complex in such a manner as to not interfere with the gather operation. Treated animals may need to be held for extended periods of time so that they can be given a first dose of fertility control vaccine shortly after capture and then a second dose some weeks to months later. Holding treated animals may necessitate the need for additional/separate holding pens built by the Contractor at the direction of the

COR.

9) All traps, wings, and holding facilities shall be constructed, maintained, and operated to handle the animals in a safe and humane manner and be in accordance with the following:

a) If jute (or burlap) is hung on the fence posts of an existing wire fence in the trap wing, the wire should either be rolled up or let down for the entire length of the jute in such a way that minimizes the possibility of entanglement by animals unless otherwise approved by the COR/PI. No modification of existing fences will be made without authorization from the COR/PI. The Contractor shall be responsible for restoration of any fence modification which they have made back to its original condition.

b) The Contractor may be required to build a trail using personnel or domestic horses to create a trail through a fence line, crossing or gate, to avoid herded animals striking a fence and encourage movement through the site.

c) The trap site and temporary holding facility must be constructed of stout materials and must be maintained in proper working condition. Traps and holding facilities shall be constructed of portable panels, the top of which shall not be less than 6 feet high for horses and 5 feet for burros, and the bottom rail of which shall not be more than 12 inches from ground level. Height standards shall be maintained throughout the entire gather operation, even in soils that may cause panels to sink.

All traps and holding facilities shall be oval or round in design with rounded corners.

d) All portable loading chute sides shall be a minimum of 6 feet high and shall be fully covered on the sides with plywood, or metal without holes.

e) All alleyways that lead to the fly chute or sorting area shall be a minimum of 30 feet long and a minimum of 6 feet high for horses, and 5 feet high for burros and the bottom rail must not be more than 12 inches from ground level.

f) All gates and panels in the animal holding and handling pens and alleys of the trap site must be covered with plywood, burlap, plastic snow fence or like material approximately 4 feet in height to provide a visual barrier for the animals.

All materials shall be secured in place. The following guidelines apply:

(1) For exterior fences, material covering panels and gates must extend 48 inches from the top of the panel or gate toward the ground.

(2) For alleys and small internal handling pens, material covering panels and gates shall extend from no more than 12 inches below the top of the panel or gate toward the ground to facilitate visibility of animals and the use of flags and paddles during sorting.

(3) The initial capture pen may be left uncovered as necessary to encourage animals to enter the first pen of the trap.

g) Padding must be installed on the overhead bars of all gates and chutes (loading and fly) used in single file alleys.

h) The Government furnished portable fly chute to restrain, age, apply PGS treatments, or provide additional care for the animals shall be placed in the alleyway in a manner as instructed by or in concurrence with the COR/PI. The Government furnished fly chute must be on site during all phases of the Task Order gather, including post gather holding (post gather feed days) until all animals are released back to the range.

i) There should be no holes, broken welds, gaps or openings, protruding surfaces, or sharp edges present in chutes, fence panels, latches, or other structures that may cause escape or possible injury. Panels or gates with broken welds may not be used. Any equipment or other structure that becomes damaged, inoperable, or unsafe and cannot be repaired on site will be replaced with the appropriate working and safe replacement as was previously installed, or as directed by the

COR/PI.

j) Properly functioning hinged, self-latching gates must be used in all pens and alleys except for entry gates into the trap, which may be secured with tie ropes or chains. Self-latching function must be functional at all times. When latches are ajar due to animals shifting the gates, all efforts must be made by the Contractor to fix the gate in an expedited manner.

k) When dusty conditions occur within or adjacent to the trap or holding facility, the Contractor shall be required to wet down the ground with water. The Contractor and the COR will work together to identify available water sources. If a private water source is selected, the Contractor shall receive/coordinate with the owner and obtain written approval from the private owner and provide to the COR.

l) Under normal conditions, all animals gathered shall be sorted into holding pens as to age, size, temperament, sex, condition, ownership and whether animals are identified for removal as excess or retained in the HMA/WHBT/JMA/Complex.

These holding pens shall be of sufficient size to minimize, to the extent possible, injury due to fighting and trampling as well as to allow animals to move easily and have adequate access to water and feed. All pens will be capable of expansion should the COR/PI determine a need to adjust pen sizes. Alternate pens within the holding facility shall be furnished by the Contractor to separate mares or jennies with small, dependent foals, sick and injured animals, and private animals from the other animals.

m) Animals may be restrained to conduct procedures such as veterinary or fertility control treatment (i.e., PGS vaccine), freeze marking, microchipping, drawing blood, collection of hair samples for genetic testing, testing for equine diseases, application of GPS collars and radio tags or other procedures described in the SOW. One (1) portable fly chute will be provided by the Government per IDIQ contract and the contractor must have the fly chute on site for the entire Task Order Period of Performance for each gather. Alternate pens shall be furnished by the Contractor to hold animals if the specific gather requires that animals be released back into specified capture area(s) following selective removal and/or PGS treatments. Either segregation or temporary marking and later segregation will be at the discretion of the COR/PI. The COR will determine if the corral size needs to be expanded due to animals staying longer, large number of foals captured, or other circumstances that would warrant a larger pen.

n) For bait trapping, any changes, or substitutions to trigger and/or trip devices previously approved for use by the Government must be approved by the COR prior to use.

b. Drive Trapping, Roping, Animal Care, and Handling

1) During Task Order Request for Quote (RFQ) the Contractor shall propose a method of capture (i.e. mechanical, horseback, foot, etc.). The Contractor shall ensure that all operators of mechanical drive trap equipment are proficient and licensed to do so. The Contractor is responsible for the adherence to all rules and regulations associated with drive trap equipment.

2) The Contractor shall provide a minimum of two saddle horses and personnel experienced in roping of animals. Roping will be utilized only as directed by the

COR/PI.

3) Capture of animals by chemical immobilization is not authorized under this contract.

4) Capture of animals by fixed wing aircraft is not authorized.

5) No barbed wire material shall be used in the construction of any traps or holding facilities.

6) Dependent foals or weak/debilitated animals must be separated from other animals at the trap site, in a separate pen, to avoid injuries during transportation to the temporary holding facility. Separation of dependent foals from mares must not exceed four hours unless the COR/PI authorizes a longer time, or a decision is made to wean the foals.

The Contractor will notate the mare before foals are separated so that pairs can be re-established.

7) The Contractor’s personnel shall report any injuries/deaths and pre-existing animal health conditions observed during trapping operations to the COR/PI.

8) The COR/PI may utilize Contractor constructed temporary holding facilities, when necessary, in the performance of individual task orders for such management actions as population growth suppression treatments, research, and/or selecting animals to return to the range.

9) In performance of individual task orders, the Contractor may be directed by the COR to transport and release animals back to the range.

10) At the discretion of the COR/PI the Contractor may be required to delay shipment of animals until the COR/PI inspects the animals at the trap site and/or the temporary holding facility prior to transporting them to the designated facility.

11) Fueling operations shall not take place within 1,000 feet of animals, non-Contractor personnel, designated parking or public observation areas or equipment other than the refueling truck related equipment, and Contractor personnel.

12) The following willful acts of abuse, and those as defined in the CAWP, are prohibited:

a) Hitting, kicking, striking, or beating any animal in an abusive or harsh or unnecessary manner.

b) Dragging a recumbent animal across the ground without a sled, slide board, or slip sheet. Ropes used for moving the recumbent animal must be attached to the sled, slide board or slip sheet unless being loaded.

c) Deliberate driving of animals into other animals, closed gates, panels, or other equipment.

d) Deliberate slamming of gates and doors on animals.

e) Excessive noise (e.g., constant yelling) or sudden activity causing animals to become unnecessarily flighty, disturbed or agitated.

f) Excessive or improper use of electric prods.

c. Bait Trapping, Roping, Animal Care, and Handling

1) If water is to be used as the bait agent and the Government determines that cutting off other water sources is the best action to take under the individual task order, elimination of other water sources shall not last longer than a period of time approved by the COR/PI.

2) Hazing/Driving of animals for the purpose of trapping the animals (when it is specified as a bait trap in the Task Order) will not be allowed for the purposes of fulfilling individual bait trap task orders.

3) Roping will be utilized only as directed by the COR (to maintain pairs, etc.).

4) Darting of animals for trapping purposes will not be allowed.

5) No barbed wire material shall be used in the construction of any traps or used in new construction to exclude horses or burros from water sources.

6) Captured animals shall be sorted into separate pens (i.e., by species, age, gender, animal health/condition, population growth suppression, etc.).

7) A temporary holding facility area will be required away from the trap site for any animals that are being held for more than 24 hours.

8) The contractor shall assure that captured mares/jennies and their dependent foals shall not be separated for more than 4 hours unless the COR/PI determines it necessary.

9) As determined by the COR, the contractor shall provide a saddle horse on site that is available to assist with the pairing up of mares/jennies with their dependent foals and other tasks as needed.

10) Contractor will report any injuries/deaths that resulted from bait trapping operations as well as pre- existing conditions to the COR/PI within 12 hours of capture and will be included in daily gather activity report to the COR. Effective and accurate communication between the Contractor and COR method will be determined prior to the commencement of gather operations. Means of communication could be by cell phone, satellite phone, radio, or computer/internet communications. The Contractor shall provide the previous day’s daily gather activity reports to the COR/PI by 9:00am daily via text message or email, unless another time is determined by the COR. The required information that needs to be provided to the COR in the daily gather activity report is:

o Trap/Capture Location o Number of Males, Females, Foals Captured.

o Number of Males, Females, Shipped o Euthanized animals, should have color, age, death reason, o Henneke Body Condition Score (BCS) range of all animals

11) The COR/PI may utilize contractor constructed facilities, when necessary, in the performance of individual task orders for such management actions as research, selecting animals to return to the range, etc.

12) In performance of individual task orders, the contractor may be directed by the COR to transport and release animals back to the range from temporary holding.

13) At the discretion of the COR/PI the contractor may be required to delay shipment of horses until the COR/PI inspects the animals at the trap site and/or the temporary holding facility prior to transporting them to the designated facility, as per paragraph e.1.

below.

14) The following willful acts of abuse, are prohibited:

a. Hitting, kicking, striking, or beating any animal in an abusive or harsh or unnecessary manner.

b. Dragging a recumbent animal across the ground without a sled, slide board, or slip sheet. Ropes used for moving the recumbent animal must be attached to the sled, slide board or slip sheet unless being loaded.

c. Deliberate driving of animals into other animals, closed gates, panels, or other equipment.

d. Deliberate slamming of gates and doors on animals.

e. Excessive noise (e.g., constant yelling) or sudden activity causing animals to become unnecessarily flighty, disturbed or agitated.

f. Excessive or improper use of electric prods.

d. Wild Horse and Burro Care and Biosecurity

1) BLM will be responsible for providing on-call or on-site veterinary support for all drive trapping gathers, as deemed necessary by BLM. BLM Veterinary support will be under the direction of the COR/PI. The onsite and/or on-call veterinarian will consult on matters related to animal health, handling, welfare, and euthanasia at the request of the COR/PI. All decisions regarding medical treatment or euthanasia will be authorized by the COR/PI.

2) Health records for all saddle and pilot horses used on gathers shall be provided to the

COR, upon request including:

a) Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (Health Certificate, within 30 days of starting each gather. A shorter time may be required for horses entering the state if required by state regulations at the time).

b) Proof of:

(1) A negative test for equine infectious anemia (Coggins or EIA ELISA test) within 6 or 12 months, depending on state regulations.

(2) Vaccination for tetanus, eastern and western equine encephalomyelitis, West Nile virus, equine herpes virus, influenza, Streptococcus equi, and rabies within 12 months.

3) Saddle horses and pilot horses must not be removed from the gather operation (such as for an equestrian event) and allowed to return unless they have been observed to be free from signs of infectious disease for a period of at least three weeks and a new Certificate of Veterinary Inspection is obtained after three weeks and prior to returning to the gather.

4) Horses not involved with gather operations should remain at least 300 yards from any animals, saddle horses, and pilot horses being actively used on a gather.

5) Any animals, saddle horses, and pilot horses showing signs of infectious disease must be examined by the on-site/on-call veterinarian.

a) Any saddle or pilot horses showing signs of infectious disease (e.g. fever, nasal discharge or illness) must be removed from service and isolated from other animals on the gather until such time as the horse is free from signs of infectious disease and approved by the on-site/on-call veterinarian to return to the gather.

b) Any animals showing signs of infectious disease will normally not be mixed with groups of healthy animals at the temporary holding facility, or during transport unless approved by the COR.

e. Transportation and Animal Care

1) The contractor shall have prior approval from the COR/PI before shipping animals to the designated facility unless prior approval has been obtained from the designated facility.

Animals shall be shipped and arrive at the designate facility during normal facility business hours (hour vary depending on facility). Shipments scheduled to arrive at designated facilities on a Saturday, Sunday or a Federal holiday requires prior COR/PI approval.

2) The COR in consultation with the Contractor shall consider the condition and size of the animals, weather conditions, distance to be transported, or other factors when planning for the transport of captured animals. The final decision to transport animals will be made by the COR.

3) The BLM will coordinate any brand and/or veterinary inspection services required for captured animals. Prior to shipping across state lines, the BLM or its veterinary advisor will be responsible for coordinating with the receiving state veterinarian to transport the animals without a health certificate or Coggins test if approved. Under some circumstances as specified in the SOW, holding animals at trap or temporary holding facility locations may be necessary to allow for testing for equine infectious anemia if required by state or federal animal health officials.

4) Transportation may involve moving the gathered animals to a designated preparation facility from either the trap site or temporary holding facility as identified in the specific Task Order/Statement of Work (SOW). Transportation time must not exceed 10 hours under normal driving conditions. Transportation will be done in accordance with the Wild Horse and Burro Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program (CAWP), Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Instruction Memorandum (IM) 2021-002 (Attachment 1).

f. Euthanasia or Death

1) The COR/PI will determine if an animal must be euthanized and may direct the Contractor to destroy the animal in accordance with BLM PIM 2021-007 (Attachment

2) and dispose of the carcasses in accordance with state and local laws. Any Contractor personnel performing this task shall be trained as described in the above Instruction Memorandum.

2) The Contractor may be directed by the COR/PI to assist the BLM on-site or on-call veterinarian in moving a dead or euthanized animal for purposes of conducting a necropsy. A necropsy/veterinary box may be provided to the Contractor by BLM to be made available at assigned gather operation as needed.

3) Euthanasia Procedure during Gather Operations

a) An authorized, properly trained, and experienced person must be available at all times during gather operations. In addition, a firearm appropriate to carry out euthanasia must be available at the trap and holding facilities.

b) Euthanasia must be performed according to American Veterinary Medical Association euthanasia guidelines (2013) using the method of a gunshot.

c) The decision to euthanize and method of euthanasia must be directed by the COR/PI who must be on site and may consult with the on-site/on-call veterinarian. In event and rare circumstance that the COR/PI is not available, the Contractor, if properly trained, may euthanize an animal that is suffering from an obvious, serious injury or condition that it is unlikely to survive. The Contractor must notify the COR/PI within 12 hours.

d) All carcasses will be disposed of by the Contractor and/or BLM in accordance with state and local laws and as directed by the COR/PI.

e) At the direction of the COR, any carcasses left on the range should not be placed in washes or riparian areas where future runoff may carry debris into ponds or waterways. Trenches or holes for buried animals should be dug so the bottom of the hole is at least six feet above the water table and four to six feet of level earth covers the top of the carcass with additional dirt mounded on top where possible.

Trenches or holes used for carcass disposal must be appropriately flagged and identified for safety purposes and may not be dug in advance and allowed to remain open before or after the disposal of a carcass.

g. Safety and Security

1) The nature of work performed under this contract may involve inherently hazardous situations.

2) The primary concern of the Contractor shall be the safety of all personnel involved and the humane handling of all animals. It is the responsibility of the Contractor to provide appropriate safety and security measures to prevent loss, injury, or death of captured animals until delivery to the final destination. This responsibility will not be used to exclude, or limit public and media observation as long as current BLM policies are followed.

3) The Contractor will assume all responsibility and liability for all Contractor personnel, invited guests, family members or other individuals the Contractor allows within the gather working areas. The BLM will assume all responsibility and liability for all BLM personnel and BLM invited guests.

4) The BLM reserves the right to remove from service immediately any Contractor personnel or Contractor-furnished equipment which, in the opinion of the COR and/or CO, violates contract rules, are unsafe, or otherwise unsatisfactory. In this event, BLM will notify the Contractor to furnish replacement personnel or equipment within 24 hours of notification. All such replacement must be approved in advance by the COR and/or CO.

5) Contractor personnel who utilize firearms for purposes of euthanasia will be required to possess proof of completing a State or National Rifle Association firearm safety certification or equivalent (conceal carry, hunter safety, etc.). Contractor shall provide certification to the COR or CO upon request. In accordance with BLM IM 2021-007, personnel performing euthanasia must be property trained in euthanasia techniques by a licensed veterinarian.

6) All accidents and injuries, involving animals or people, that occur during the performance of any task order shall be immediately reported to the COR/PI.

7) The Contractor must comply with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations.

h. Communications

1) The Contractor shall have the means to communicate with the COR/PI and all

Contractor personnel engaged in the capture of animals utilizing a VHF/FM Transceiver or VHF/FM portable Two-Way radio. The Contractor shall obtain the necessary FCC licenses for the radio system.

2) The Contractor shall be responsible for furnishing all communication equipment for

Contractor use. BLM will provide the frequency for radio communications.

3) The Contractor shall provide daily gather activity report information to the COR/PI upon request of the COR/PI if they were not present during any aspect of gather operations.

i. Public and Media

1) Due to heightened public interest in animal gathers, the BLM expects an increasing number of requests from the public and media to view drive trap operations. All requests received by the Contractor to view gather operation shall be forwarded to the BLM, who will provide a person with the expertise necessary to escort the public and media. The safety of the animals, BLM employees, Contractor crew, Contractor’s private animals, and the media and public will be the first priority in determining whether a viewing opportunity will be provided, and if so, the time, location, and conditions associated with the viewing opportunity.

2) When providing a viewing area for the media and the public, the Contractor will establish this in accordance with instructions from the COR/PI and current wild horse and burro program policy and guidance. BLM’s observation policy will be discussed with the Contractor during the pre-work conference.

3) Member(s) of the viewing public or media whose conduct interferes with the gather operation in a way that threatens the safety of the animals, BLM employees, Contractor crew (including animals), the media, or the public will be warned once to terminate the conduct. If the conduct persists, the offending individual(s) will be asked to leave the viewing area and the gather operation. The COR/PI may direct the Contractor to temporarily shut down the gather operation until the situation is resolved.

4) If a drone or other aircraft is observed in the immediate area of the gather or holding facilities, the COR/PI will direct the Contractor to temporarily shut down the gather operations until the situation is deemed safe.

5) Under no circumstances will the public, media, or media equipment be allowed in or on Contractor’s capture equipment, to include panels, gates, trucks, trailers, motorized drive trapping equipment, etc. The public, media, and their video/ photography / recording and telephonic equipment must be at least 500 feet away from the trap during the drive trapping operations.

6) The public and media may be escorted closer than 500 feet to the drive trap site if approved by the COR and in consultation with the Contractor before or after the gather operation. Public and media observation at the holding facility will be staged at such a distance that does not disturb the animals or interfere with holding facility operations.

At the conclusion of the daily gather operations, including the feeding and care of the animals, the Contractor and COR may provide a tour around the perimeter of the holding facility, at the COR’s discretion.

7) During drive trap and bait trap gather operations the Contractor and/or their crew members shall not post any information or images to social media networks or release any information to the news media or the public regarding the activities being conducted under this contract. All communications regarding BLM management, including but not limited to media, public and local stakeholders, are to come from the BLM unless the Contractor is expressly authorized to give interviews, etc.

4. Additional Information:

a. Government Furnished Property/Material/Supplies

1) The Government is not obligated to furnish any real or personal property or data under this contract, unless otherwise specified herein or in the individual task order requirements. The Contractor does not have the authority to acquire any real or personal property or data at the Government's expense under this contract unless specifically stated otherwise in this contract.

2) The Government shall provide one (1) Government furnished fly chute per IDIQ Contract, and one (1) slip sheet or sled for loading recumbent animals per IDIQ Contract, when necessary. Contractors that have been supplied with a fly chute on any other BLM contract will not be issued a fly chute on this contract. If additional Government furnished equipment is required, such as boats for transporting burros, it will be addressed in individual task order SOWs.

3) The Government shall provide all necessary RFID microchips and universal microchip scanner for treated animal identification as determined by the individual Task Orders.

The Contractor will be responsible for aging animals and proper microchip insertion as outlined in Attachment 3. BLM is responsible for collecting and sharing the signalment key (or species and gender) to the Contractor as animals are microchipped.

The Contractor shall ensure microchip numbers and associated animal ages are provided to the COR with 24 hours of insertion.

4) The Government shall provide all necessary PGS vaccines (e.g., PZP ZonaStat-H, PZP-22, GonaCon-Equine) as determined by the individual Task Orders. The Contractor shall be responsible for proper storage, mixing (if applicable) and handling of all PGS vaccines as outlined in Attachment 4. All unused PGS vaccines must be returned to the BLM at the conclusion of each Task Order.

5) The Government shall provide all necessary freeze marking irons and liquid nitrogen for freeze marking. Freeze marking of any animals shall only be completed by BLM personnel if identified in the Task Order.

6) The Contractor shall be responsible for the security and care of all Government

Furnished Property until returned to the BLM as applicable.

b. Contractor Furnished Property/Material/Supplies

1) As specified herein, it is the Contractor’s responsibility to provide all necessary capture equipment, vehicles (semi and pickup trucks with associated trailers), hay, water, troughs, panels, gates, loading chute, etc., and any other item(s) needed for the performance of this contract/task orders. The proper operation, service and maintenance of all Contractor furnished property is the responsibility of the Contractor.

2) If inclement weather or poor road conditions occur during trapping operations, the

Contractor will need the necessary equipment to safely transport animals to the designated facility.

3) The Contractor shall provide a radio transceiver to ensure communications are maintained with the BLM COR/PI when driving or transporting the animals. The Contractor needs to ensure communications can be made with the BLM and be capable of operating in the 150 MHz to 174 MHz frequency band, frequency synthesized, CTCSS 32 sub-audible tone capable, operator programmable, 5kHz channel increment, minimum 5 watts carrier power.

4) The Contractor shall be required to have a firearm adequate for euthanizing animals in accordance with the BLM PIM 2021-007 (Attachment 2) or current BLM policy.

c. Definitions/Acronyms

Animals – Wild Equines protected under the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act, along with trespass or feral livestock.

Complex - Management area made of multiple HAs/HMAs/WHBTs/JMAs under similar management for administration, generally having shared common boundaries.

Gathering Daily Rate - The Gathering Daily Rate (GDR) will only apply to drive trap gathers and includes financial compensation to cover the Contractor’s daily expenses plus a reasonable profit as identified in Section B-Supplies or Services and Price/Costs table.

GDR expenses will include total Contractor costs pertaining to the gather for a day including salaries, insurance, equipment, maintenance, flight costs, etc. The COR will determine whether the Contractor will receive either the GDR or the Per Head Unit Drive Trap payment. If BLM asks the Contractor to stop gather operations for a day or more due to circumstances that were of no fault of the Contractor, the GDR will apply.

The following will not authorize the use of a GDR:

1. Selection of drive trapping locations

2. Weather suspension

3. Equipment maintenance and/or repairs

4. Moving the trap to another location

5. Not working on Sundays or holidays

6. Attendance of pre- and post-work…