Attach1_GenStmtOfAgencyNeed.docx

Project: Round 8 – Lincoln County Archaeological Initiative Solicitation Number: L15PS00066 Issuing Office: BLM Nevada State Office

General Statement of Agency Need Lincoln County Land Act of 2000 Round 8, Lincoln County Archaeological Initiative

The Lincoln County Land Act of 2000 directs that the BLM deposit 85% of proceeds from the auction of public land in Lincoln County into a special account with oversight by the Secretary of the Interior. One purpose of the account is to make funds available for inventory, evaluation, protection and management of unique archaeological resources in Lincoln County. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has established the Lincoln County Archaeological Initiative (LCAI) to allocate monies from the account for archaeological projects to carry out the purposes of the Act. Proponents proposing projects for funding under this initiative will submit their proposals as outlined below:

I. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Each year the Archaeological Resources Team with oversight by the Partners Working Group and the Executive Committee establishes priorities for LCAI archaeological projects and solicits proposals from the public, universities and government agencies that address these priorities. Proposals must be on public lands within Lincoln County, Nevada and meet all guidelines in the Lincoln County Implementation Agreement found at http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/ely_field_office/blm_information/special_legislation.html.

Projects that do not meet these criteria will not be considered.

Funds used to finance these projects can only be used for the inventory, evaluation, protection and management of “archaeological resources” as defined in the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (Public Law 96-95) (ARPA). An archaeological resource is any material remains of past human life or activity that is of archaeological interest and that is at least 100 years of age. Efforts will be made to recommend a mix of projects in each round that balance the needs for inventory, evaluation, protection, and management.

II. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

Proposals must address concerns for archaeological resources on public land located in Lincoln County, Nevada.

All proposal packages for LCAI shall be submitted in accordance to the instructions in the grants solicitation on www.grants.gov, solicitation # L15AS00013 for cooperative agreements or the contract solicitation on www.fbo.gov, solicitation # L15PS00066 for contracts.

Late or incomplete submissions cannot be considered.

All proposals, including electronic copies, become the property of the BLM and will not be returned.

The Lincoln County Land Act requires that Lincoln County Archaeological Initiative fund projects that comply with the ARPA definition of an archaeological resource. Therefore, proposals related to resources less than 100 years old cannot be considered for funding.

A complete proposal will consist of two stand-alone PDF Documents as outlined below:

1. A project proposal with a performance-based statement of work and attachments, such as maps or charts, not exceeding 10 pages as a stand-alone PDF file.

· Each Project Proposal shall contain a cover page (attached template)

· The Cover Page (attachment 2) shall be attached to the front of the project proposal

· There shall be no other document placed in front of the Cover Page

· The Cover Page is not included in the 10 page allotment for the proposal

· Each project proposal will begin with an executive summary of the proposal. This summary shall not exceed one paragraph. This summary shall contain a specific purpose statement regarding the purpose of the project. This summary shall address the following:

a) Who (agency/entity) will carry out the proposal.

b) What is being proposed (e.g., archaeological resources studied, educational publications, research design etc.)

c) Where is the proposal located and what agency/entity manages the area (e.g., valley or mountain range within agency/entity management area, etc.)

d) Why is the project being proposed (e.g., for the identification, evaluation, protection, management, preservation, or restoration of archaeological resources, to improve archaeological awareness of teachers, students, public, etc.)

· Each project proposal shall include at a minimum:

· A performance-based statement of work with a general proposal description. The proposal shall be divided into tasks. Each task shall include a written description of work to be done, the method of accomplishing the work, and any applicable performance standards. Each task shall include deliverables as defined below.

a) Primary Deliverables: Primary deliverables are those that must be completed at a minimum in order to complete the project and accomplish the purpose. Identify the size, quantity, anticipated site and configuration, and whether or not those elements are contingent upon the final results of design, planning, cost estimates, public scoping or other studies, analyses, or reports.

b) Anticipated Deliverables: Anticipated deliverables are those that are desirable and beneficial, but not minimally necessary to complete the proposed project and project purpose. Their inclusion will be based on the results of final planning, or other studies, analyses, or reports. The cost estimate for the project should include the cost of completing anticipated deliverables that are likely to be included unless the results of such studies, analyses, or reports determine that they should not be developed.

· A proposed schedule for completion of each task identified.

· A plan of how the work can be accomplished within the necessary time frame (number and size of field crews, estimated days to complete field work, etc.).

· A statement showing the organizational capability to accomplish the work proposed. This statement should briefly describe what facilities, equipment, and/or staff are available to accomplish the work and describe to what extent they will be used.

· A brief summary of the key staff and how they meet the Professional Qualification Standards as defined in the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and Guidelines for Archaeology and Historic Preservation (48 FR 44716).

a) Resumes may be included to supplement but not replace this summary of key individuals. More information regarding resumes is provided below.

· A statement showing that the proponent’s Principal Investigator and Field Supervisors for the project hold a current Cultural Resources Use Permit issued by the BLM Nevada State Office, or show they have the necessary qualifications to obtain the permit at the time of contract award.

· Each project proposal must demonstrate the following:

· Use of appropriate expertise

· Use of sound scientific and management practices

· The responsible use of archaeological resources

· Utilize appropriate physical and administrative protection measures of archaeological resources involved

· Advance knowledge of archaeological resources and use innovative application of techniques and technologies

· Involve citizen groups and non-federal partner organizations in achieving in-place preservation of archaeological resources wherever and whenever possible

· Be achievable, timely, utilize good business practices and include built-in evaluation processes

· Each project proposal should indicate if it is building on a previously funded LCAI project.

· Each project proposal will include a timeline for completion of project deliverables not to exceed 5 years.

· Each project proposal will contain only information relevant to the proposal

· Each project proposal will contain a section for Evidence of Past Performance

· Proponents are requested to provide three references for completed projects similar in nature to the work requested on this solicitation. This request is necessary in order for the BLM to evaluate Past Performance. In addition, past performance information may be based on the Government's knowledge of and previous experience with, the proponents, or other reasonable basis. It is desirable, but not required, that references be a project completed for other Federal Agencies. Work referenced should be recent, within the past year.

· References shall include, at a minimum:

· Name of the Project

· Brief Project Description

· Contract Number

· Name of Agency

· Location Address

· Point of Contact

· Contact’s e-mail address and phone number

· Evidence of Past Performance must be within the 10 pages allotted.

· The project technical proposal SHALL NOT contain any reference to price or associated costs of the project within the project proposal.

· Standard resumes for key personnel may be included as an addendum to the proposal.

· Resumes shall not replace the requirement for summarizing key staff qualifications as they relate to the individuals abilities to carry out their duties under the proposal

· Resumes shall not exceed one page per individual

· Experience listed should be recent and relevant to the individual’s ability to carry out their tasks under the proposal

· If resumes are submitted the resumes shall be included as a single stand-alone PDF

2. A Price Proposal which will contain any and all references to costs related to the project proposal as a stand-alone PDF file. Proposals are initially evaluated without any budget information. Do not include any budget information in your 10 page technical proposal

· Each Price Proposal must contain at a minimum the following two documents which are attached to this solicitation:

· Appendix B-Estimated Necessary Expenses and Key Milestone Dates (Attachment 4)

· An Expanded Proponent’s Budget (Attachment 3)

· Proponents without recent or relevant references shall submit a statement that explains why references are not or cannot be provided and request a “Neutral” past performance rating in order to be considered as having "Neutral" Past Performance history.

· The purpose statement along with the tasks and deliverables identified to accomplish the purpose will be used to determine project completion and acceptability of future change requests.

· All submissions shall contain the minimum requirements as outlined herein. The Government is not obligated to ask for additional information and in the absence of appropriate information; the proposal will be rated deficient and not funded.

· For questions regarding this program Offerors may contact:

· Kim Ferguson, BLM Contracting Officer, 775-861-6441.

ALL solicitation questions should be sent to Ms. Ferguson via email: k1fergus@blm.gov.

· Nicholas Pay, BLM Caliente Field Office Archaeologist, 775-726-8194.

Questions regarding the archaeology and other information as it relates to Lincoln County, Nevada should be sent to Mr. Pay via email: npay@blm.gov

· Carol Bass, BLM Ely District Special Legislation Manager, 775-289-1803.

Questions regarding the LCAI Program in general should be sent to Ms. Bass via email: cbass@blm.gov

III. SPECIFIC LCAI PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

· Each proposal shall identify the LCAI priority in section IV that it is being submitted under and clearly identify how the proposal addresses the priority.

· Each proposal should specifically describe how it addresses the evaluation criteria (attached) as well as any threats and research needs important to Lincoln County archaeology.

· Each proposal will identify any previous and/or future LCAI projects that would represent a phase of the proposed project.

· If the proposal includes production of publications that will be disseminated to the public, all copies will be produced by the agency.

IV. PROJECT PRIORITIES

Per Section III above, each proposal must identify one of the following priorities it addresses.

All Priorities are weighted equal.

1) Public Outreach and Educational Program Development for Archaeological Resources within Lincoln County, Nevada In 1966, in the National Historic Preservation Act the Congress of the United State of America declared that the spirit and direction of the Nation are found upon and reflected in its historic heritage. Added to that declaration was a directive that the historical and cultural foundations of America should be preserved as a living part of our communities in order to give a sense of orientation to the American People. In the face of the ever-increasing pressures on public lands, significant historic properties are being lost or substantially altered with increasing frequency. The Land Managers who bear the responsibility of preserving these fragile and irreplaceable portions of American Heritage are faced with unique challenges and opportunities as they try and balance progress with preservation.

This Priority is aimed at educating and involving the community in assisting Federal Land Managers in the preservation of these unique resources and allowing the citizens to enjoy them as a living part of their community. Projects proposed under this priority should focus on creating opportunities to preserve cultural resources as a living part of Lincoln County and encourage the citizens of the county to participate in the preservation and interpretation of these resources. All projects would deliver scientifically sound information and stress a conservation ethic focusing on awareness, protection, and preservation of the archaeological resources. The proposal would demonstrate that correct information would be conveyed to members of the public in common language that easily understood. The proponent would be expected to coordinate with the appropriate management agency when developing documents under this priority.

Projects proposed under this priority should address one of the following:

A) Develop interpretive materials for Print or Web Based Distribution Research and Develop materials that may be used by the agency educate the public about archaeological resources located in Lincoln County. These materials may focus on a single site or on a specific archaeological theme. Materials may include but are not limited to Posters, Pamphlets, Brochures, Booklets, Coloring Pages, Educational Lesson Plans, Videos or Webpages. All materials developed will comply with appropriate design standards of the agency. All materials submitted under this theme should be written in language that is appropriate to the target audience. The Proponent would work closely with agency staff to ensure compatibility with agency plans and systems.

The appropriate agency would make arrangements for printing of any materials in accordance with the agency printing procedures. The proponent would submit an electronic copy for publication on the agency webpage. In order to facilitate web posting, all final materials submitted would need to comply with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (as amended). For more information on Section 508 mandates visit the following webpage: http://www.howto.gov/web-content/accessibility.

B) Distribution of Interpretive or Scientific Information regarding Lincoln County Archaeological Resources For this priority, the proponent would identify interpretive or scientific materials that need to be shared with the Public and the Scientific Communities. Once the materials have been identified, the proponent would prepare them for distribution though both agency webpages and printed materials. All materials would adhere to the design standards of the agency involved.

For interpretive materials the final deliverables should be written in plain language and provide opportunities for the Public to learn about the unique cultural resources of Lincoln County. The agency would review all materials and approve them for distribution.

For Scientific Reports, in accordance with Section 9 of the Archaeological Resources Protection Act all Information concerning the nature and location of any archaeological resource must be redacted from these reports in order to prepare them for distribution. The information to be removed from these Scientific Reports includes, but is not limited to, all site forms and maps showing the location of individual sites. The agency would review the redacted version of the report and approve it for distribution.

The appropriate agency would make arrangements for printing of any materials in accordance with the agency printing procedures. The proponent would submit an electronic copy for publication on the agency webpage. In order to facilitate web posting, all final materials submitted would need to comply with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (as amended). For more information on Section 508 mandates visit the following webpage: http://www.howto.gov/web-content/accessibility.

C) Develop an interpretive and Public Use Site Plan Using established National Environmental Policy Act analysis procedures, the proponent would develop a Management Plan for one or more significant, well-known, publicly accessible archaeological site(s) or district(s). This plan would be developed in coordination with Federal, Tribal, State and Local Government agencies as well as the Public. The environmental effects of the proposed plan would be analyzed in and Environmental Assessment in accordance with agency policy. This plan would identify the need for interpretation at a specific site, provide alternative plans for the development of the site, and provide and implementation strategy for the construction of the identified infrastructure. Special consideration should be given to ensure that the design provides for visitor safety, resource protection and long-term sustainability for minimal costs. Site plans would focus on providing opportunities for education, interpretation, and recreation using the unique resources at the chosen site. Those submitting proposals under this priority are encouraged to contact the appropriate agency prior to developing their proposal to ensure that the project fits with agency plans. The interpretive concepts would present archaeological and environmental information and deliver a conservation ethic focusing on protection and preservation of the archaeological resources. The plan should be sufficiently detailed to guide construction of the infrastructure and interpretation later under a separate funding authority.

D) Implement an Interpretive and Public Use Site Plan Using an established Interpretive and Public Use Site Plan the proponent would build, produce, and implement the plan, or portions of the plan, in accordance with agency guidelines and standards. The interpretive and public use site plan will have been previously prepared and endorsed by the pertinent land managing agency. The plan will have already been reviewed under the National Environmental Policy Act or the pertinent agency will indicate that such review is forthcoming in a schedule that meets the implementation schedule of the interpretive and public use site plan. The Interpretive and Public Use Site Plan must include interpretive content as well as an approved concept and appropriate infrastructure. The proposed Improvements must take into account a broad range of cultural, scientific, and conservation perspectives including those expressed by culturally affiliated Native American tribes, the local community, archaeological and historical information, and other stakeholders. All interpretive materials developed for these areas will be made available to the public in both print and electronic means. All proposed educational and interpretive materials should comply with those requirements outlined in part B of this priority.

2) Museum Interpretation of the Prehistory and History of Lincoln County Lincoln County (as well as Clark County) has a number of large-scale development projects that have been developed over the past 10-20 years. These projects have invariably caused adverse effects to dozens of sites eligible for the National Register. To mitigate these effects, sites have been excavated to retrieve their scientific and educational information prior to project construction. As well, previously funded research projects through the LCAI have included a vast array of data analysis and, in some cases, artifact collection. The artifacts recovered from these excavations are required to be curated in a federally recognized curation facility. That means that these artifacts are currently being curated outside of Lincoln County, generally in Carson City, Las Vegas, or in the state of Utah. Lincoln County would benefit from a museum that met federal standards concerning the display of artifacts in order to interpret the history and prehistory of Lincoln County in a more in-depth manner. Artifacts must be displayed while complying with appropriate temperature, humidity, and security measures, in compliance with 36CFR79 (Curation of Federally-Owned and Administered Archaeological Collections) and BLM’s companion manual that implements policy on compliance with the 36CFR79 regulations: 411 DM, or Departmental Manual 411 (Housing of Department of Interior Museum Property).

This priority seeks proposals to upgrade an existing facility in Lincoln County to enhance the public interpretation of the county’s history and prehistory. Proposals are sought to upgrade a current facility that meets federal security and temperature/humidity to either design and construct new interpretive displays that may involve loans of artifacts from permanent curatorial facilities such as the Nevada State Museum, and/or upgrade existing interpretive displays that would enhance their interpretive potential. Enhancing interpretation of Lincoln County’s past is expected to bolster the economic output of the community.

Applicants will need to demonstrate:

(1) That the chosen facility is owned by a Town, City, County, State or Federal government agency;

(2) Knowledge of federal security and temperature/humidity standards and how they will be met;

(3) Ability to staff and maintain the facility, thereby demonstrating feasibility and stability of the facility;

(4) Adequate space to construct high-quality interpretive displays;

(5) Specific details of the interpretive displays that will initially result from the facility upgrade.

3) Innovative Technology and Techniques in the Preservation of Historic Properties The field of archaeology and historic preservation is consistently evolving with the development of new technology, techniques, and research opportunities. The application and testing of technology and innovative techniques within historic preservation allows for better preservation of historic properties, as well as the ability to address research questions in a less invasive manor and/or that might not have been previously possible to address. Environmental factors, such as humidity, material pH levels, and weather patterns can affect the results of such research; therefore, it is important to established baseline data, applicability, and best practices for research techniques and technology in the unique environment of Lincoln County, Nevada. This priority focuses on innovation in the application of technology and techniques for the preservation of and research on historic properties.

(1) A proposal under this priority can include established technology, techniques, and/or research opportunities within the field of archaeology and historic preservation that are new to a specific historic property in Lincoln County, a type of historic property, and/or have not been previously tested in Lincoln County, Nevada or.

(2) A proposal under this priority can include technology, techniques, and/or research opportunities that are new to the field of archaeology and historic preservation. This could consist of the application of research established in non-archaeological fields of study, including, but not limited to, biology, chemistry, and mechanical engineering, to archaeological resources and/or historic preservation.

A proposal submitted under this priority would identify a specific technology or technique that will be used, or developed. The proposal would clearly state how the identification, evaluation, and/or preservation of historic properties will be advanced by this project; otherwise the proposal would clearly establish how the technology or technique will be advanced while improving its application in archaeological research. All projects would deliver scientifically sound information and stress a conservation ethic focusing on awareness, protection, and preservation of the archaeological resources. Non-destructive methods of research would be the focus.

Attachment 1 – General Statement of Agency Need 8