19-01423_Statement_of_WorK_RFQ.docx

STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)

Marine Debris Shotgun Wad Prevention & Reduction

1.0 BACKGROUND

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary (GFNMS) requires support to maintain its coastal marine debris monitoring program called SEAS-Shoreline Marine Debris (SEAS-SMD), and implement an outreach program that supports Best Management Practices to prevent and reduce shotgun wad debris. We anticipate the project will begin September 1, 2019 and completed August 31, 2020. SEAS-SMD is a volunteer-based shoreline-monitoring project targeting the status and trends of coastal debris and trash that wash up on GFNMS beaches from offshore sources.

The Shoreline Marine Debris project is part of a West Coast wide network of highly trained volunteers that monitor the deposition and retention of marine debris along the GFNMS’s coastline. SEAS-SMD targets deposition patterns of shotgun wads, typically sources from hunting reserves and clubs within San Francisco Bay region. Two to four beaches will be identified and sampled six times, from December through June. Survey interval shall be at least three weeks and no more than six weeks apart. Beaches to be surveyed are those identified by the government as beaches with high deposition of shotgun wads. Use of volunteers to assist with deposition data collection is encouraged but not required. Historically, the number of volunteers conducting marine debris deposition has fluctuated from zero to 10 in any given year.

2.0 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

Under guidance from the Technical Point of Contact (Project Manager, TPOC), the contractor shall provide the following tasks:

· Data collection of deposition of shotgun wads at two to four outer coast locations between Bodega Head, Sonoma County and Año Nuevo, San Mateo County.

· Data collection of marine debris deposition shall follow the NOAA Marine Debris Program guidelines and protocols to perform Accumulation Surveys. The emphasis is on data collection, data quality from volunteers, and data integration with on-site data and off-site, social, environmental and biological monitoring data sets.

· Data management, technical review, and volunteer coordination are interrelated and essential in order to ensure that accurate information is provided.

· Design and implement an outreach program to hunters to share Best Management Practices to prevent and reduce the release of shotgun wads into the marine and estuarine habitats in San Francisco Bay and Delta region.

3.0 TASKS

The contractor shall provide the following support to GFNMS:

· Contractor shall consult various marine debris monitoring programs to identify beaches with highest locations of shotgun wad deposition. Contractor shall also consult with TPOC to identify conflicts with safety, access and wildlife disturbance.

· If contractor chooses to include the use of volunteers, the contractor shall track all volunteer hours and provide the following information:

· Number and hours of volunteers working on each project during each calendar year

· Number and hours of volunteers performing various tasks such as monitoring, data entry, training, travel to and from volunteer related tasks, enrichment participation, and volunteer hours contributed to the National and State Parks.

· Number of volunteers recruited and maintained

· Identify and sample two to four beaches six times from December through June. Survey interval shall be at least three weeks and no more than six weeks apart.

· Enter marine debris count data into the NOAA Marine Debris database. A link to this database shall be provide after award.

· Provide deposition rate data and interpreted findings from beach surveys to GFNMS.

· Contractor shall use NOAA’s Best Management Practices (BMP) (attached separately) to prevent and reduce shotgun wads in the sanctuary, to produce two to four actions. BMP will vary from outreach materials such as signage, lectures to hunters and reserve management, redesigning target ranges, use of biodegradable shotgun wads, incentive programs, etc.

· Produce a written report, no longer than 20 pages, mapping deposition patterns of shotgun wads, locations of hunting clubs and reserve participating in Best Management Practices (BMP), list of BMP, and recommendations for additional or changes to BMP.

This project requires a project manager to coordinate reports, invoices and deliverables. A field manager will also be required to perform field sampling of marine debris, recruit, train, coordinate and provide enrichment of field volunteers to assist with sampling, and identify and maintain equipment and supplies. Personnel are also required to provide outreach products to shot gun users describing Best Management Practices to prevent loss of shotgun wads in the marine and estuarine environments.

Some tasks will require effort that is more intensive during the same week. Implementing Best Management Practices at hunting clubs and conducting shoreline surveys shall require intensive, short-term effort and is weather dependent. Portions of some tasks will require multiple people. This Purchase Order will be a firm-fixed price contract.

4.3 PERSONNEL QUALIFICATION

Demonstrate a minimum of 1,000 hours of experience in the following:

· Entering and interpreting marine debris data, environmental data and human behavior data compiled by staff and volunteers;

· Experience entering data in to the NOAA Marine Debris Program database;

· Conducting marine debris sampling on outer coast beaches; and

· Estimating levels of environmental stewardship and understanding Best Management Practices.

5.0 DELIVERABLES

All reports as described in this SOW shall be delivered in Microsoft (MS) Office and PDF Adobe compatible format, as applicable. All images shall be JPEG or TIFF files. All maps shall be in PDF or JPEG format and root data layer files in ArcView v9 (or greater). All tables shall be embedded in applicable MS Word document(s) and root spreadsheets and tables in MS Excel. All charts and/or graphs shall be embedded in MS Word, and root files in MS Access or Excel spreadsheets. Database products shall be in MS Access unless the Government has identified MS Excel spreadsheet as an acceptable format.

All deliverables are the property of the U.S. Government. All documents, analyses, files (digital or other), reports, notes and photos are to be used only by Contractor personnel assigned to this Task Order; copies are not to be disseminated to anyone outside of NOAA GFNMS or to any other contractor personnel without explicit release from the NOAA GFNMS TPOC.

6.0 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

The Government will provide space for the contractor on the GFNMS campus at 991 Marine Drive, The Presidio, San Francisco, CA 94129-5265.

7.0 TRAVEL

There is no provision for authorization of travel expenses.

8.0 GOVERNMENT FURNISHED EQUIPMENT AND SERVICES

8.1 OFFICE FURNISHINGS

Government will provide standard office furnishings: work spaces, computers, telephones with local lines, and desks with chairs in sufficient quantity to satisfy the professional needs of the contractor’s representatives as requested by the contractor and approved by the TPOC. Access to standard office equipment like copier and fax machines are also provided.

8.2 GOVERNMENT-PROVIDED VEHICLES

Routine transportation requirements shall be the responsibility of the Contractor. The use of Government-owned or Government-provided vehicles may be made available to Contractor personnel in the performance of the contract work only. Use of Government vehicles will be authorized per Government regulations and with advance approval by the TPOC and GFNMS management. Contractor employees will only be authorized to utilize Government motor vehicles with the possession of a NOAA Common Access Card, a valid State driver’s license, and proof of insurance. Operators of Government vehicles shall become familiar with and obey all transportation/traffic laws of the States(s) and local jurisdictions in which they operate. Violation of traffic law can result in fines. Any fines imposed on the operator are his/her personal responsibility as well as any required payment thereof. This includes fines for parking violations.

9.0 PERFORMANCE PERIOD

Base Year: September 1, 2019 through August 31, 2020 Option Year 1: September 1, 2020 through August 31, 2021.

Task are the same in each Option Year.

Unless otherwise noted, the Contractor is authorized to perform duties outside of the GFNMS offices, under this task order on days when the Government facility/campus/designated performance site is closed, as may be the case in the event of a Government furlough, inclement weather, power outages, legal and Federal holidays, etc. In the event of Federal dismissal or early facility closure during otherwise normal working hours, the Contractor will be notified directly by the NOAA TPOC to depart from the facility/campus/designated performance site. Should announcement of facility/campus/designated performance site closure be made during off-hours, the Contractor will subsequently be provided with information regarding the site’s status, in order to make an informed decision about reporting for work on time, on a delayed time period basis, or not at all.