P03 1130666 SOW_2024_RockLake WRP restoration.pdf

Rock Lake WRP Easement, ACEP-WRE Project

Santa Rosa, Guadalupe County, New México

Natural Resources Conservation Service 100 Sun Avenue NE, Suite 602, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87109

Voice: (505) 761-4400 Fax: (855) 538-6003 NRCS is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.

STATEMENT OF WORK FOR TASK ORDER No. 2024-xx:

Russian Olive and Salt Cedar Treatment and Removal of Metal Item Wetland Reserve Easement 668C301000ZM2, Guadalupe County, New Mexico

Part I: General Information

It is the mission of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to provide leadership in a partnership effort to help people conserve, maintain, and improve our nation’s natural resources and environment. The NRCS accomplishes this mission by providing technical and financial support through a number of federal programs.

A. Introduction/Background

The NRCS is soliciting proposals to treat Russian olive and salt cedar and dispose of a large metal structure on a property with a conservation easement owned by the US government. The property is managed for wetland and wildlife values. Prior to implementing the proposed conservation practices, NRCS will submit a Biological Assessment to US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF). The implementation of the action must follow the conservation measures agreed to by these agencies.

B. Applicable Policies and Legal Requirements

This procurement contract must comply with the following regulations and policies:

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 Pesticide labels and NMDA Pesticide Licensing

Part II: Work Requirements

The Contractor shall

Furnish all labor, equipment, supervision, materials and incidentals necessary to perform the herbicide application and remove the large metal item.

Complete work in the timeframe allowed which is expected to be from late-September through February.

Ensure that all approvals, authorities, and permits, for conducting the tasks have been obtained prior to initiating fieldwork.

Provide the required training and safety equipment for their employees.

Provide competent supervision and skilled personnel to accomplish all work in progress.

Take appropriate actions necessary to protect the life and health of employees on the job and the safety of the public, Be responsible for all cleanup work on the project site(s) and at the equipment storage area(s)

Natural Resources Conservation Service 100 Sun Avenue NE, Suite 602, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87109 prior to final inspection and acceptance.

Ensure that vehicles are not driven into wet areas where equipment will cause ruts or get stuck.

Qualifications of PI shall be:

Knowledge and experience with plant identification, Knowledge and licensing for flying aircraft if bidding on aerial spraying Knowledge and licensing of pesticide application Knowledge of laws regarding handling of protected species and Experience with safety measures to avoid injuries or damage to property.

All vehicles and equipment entering the project area must be clean of noxious weeds and free from oil leaks and are subject to inspection by the NRCS. Wash all equipment to thoroughly remove all dirt, plant, and other foreign material prior to entering the project area. Particular attention must be shown to the under carriage and any surface where soil containing exotic seeds may exist. These efforts are critical to prevent the introduction and establishment of non-native plant species into the project area.

Proper corrective clean-up and safety actions shall be followed when gasoline, diesel fuel, antifreeze, hydraulic fluid, or any other chemical contained within the vehicle or machinery is released in the project area. Do not use equipment that is leaking. Repair oil leaks immediately on discovery. Have oil pans and absorbent material in place prior to beginning repair work. Have the “on scene” capability of catching and absorbing leaks and spillage of petroleum products including antifreeze from breakdowns or repair actions with approved absorbent materials. Keep a supply of acceptable absorbent materials at the project site in the event of spills. Dig up soils contaminated with petroleum products including antifreeze, place in appropriate safety containers, and dispose of according to state or federal laws and rules or regulations. At minimum, fire extinguishers and hand tools must be located on site in case of a fire ignition while operating machinery or equipment. During times of elevated fire risk, pressurized water and additional fire suppression resources may also be required.

Communication via telephone, radio, or satellite device must be available to immediately report emergencies or wildfire if not quickly contained. NRCS may limit or restrict work activity during times of high fire risk.

The Contractor shall have a long-handled shovel; Pulaski, McLeod, or combi-tool; and a five-pound capacity ABC dry chemical fire extinguisher available at the project location when project activities are occurring in each skidder, dozer, other large equipment. Each passenger vehicle, light truck, or medium truck up to 40,000 GVW must be equipped with a long-handled shovel and a two and one-half pound capacity ABC dry chemical fire extinguisher; and the tools and fire extinguishers must be in good working condition.

Part III. Technical Requirements

A. Pre-Field Work Requirements

Prior to fieldwork, the Contractor will become familiar with the site.

Natural Resources Conservation Service 100 Sun Avenue NE, Suite 602, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87109

Before beginning fieldwork, the Contractor will coordinate with the NRCS POC to schedule the tasks and secure proper access to the project area.

B. Russian Olive and Salt Cedar Treatment

The project area for Russian olive and salt cedar treatment is approximately 160 acres within the Rock Lake WRP easement in Santa Rosa, Guadalupe County, New Mexico. The treatment will consist of herbicide applications such as cut-stump, frill cut, basal bark and aerial application. The exact acreage of each treatment method will vary based on final conservation measures determined by the agencies. Some acres have dense levels of tall, mature trees. Other areas have smaller, scattered trees. The targeted treatment is 90-100% reduction in RO and salt cedar.

Airplane or helicopter applications may be used to spray mature Russian olive/salt cedar present in thick stands and interspersed with nontarget vegetation away from surface water. The aircraft used should be equipped with a satellite guidance system and an onboard GIS display system for spraying in wildland situations. It is recommended that areas to be sprayed are pre-mapped and the onboard computer spray system preprogrammed to apply herbicide on defined treatment areas.

The aircraft must be equipped with the correct spray system that can deliver a spray volume sufficiently high to insure maximum spray coverage. Spray nozzles must be fitted to deliver moderate to large-sized droplets ranging from 450 to 1,200 μm. A nonionic surfactant (0.25 percent by volume) and a drift control agent (0.07 percent by volume) should be added to the mixture. For optimum plant control, an aerial application should leave the entire Russian olive/salt cedar canopy glistening with spray liquid long after spraying has occurred.

Cut-stump is accomplished by a crew of sawyers to cut the trees and saplings at least 1-inch in diameter, immediately followed by a crew of herbicide applicators with backpack sprayers to treat the stumps within 15 minutes of being cut and spray stems less than 1-inch in diameter. This is manpower intensive and requires a large crew to treat a large area but causes little or no surface disturbance. Habitat, or generic formulations of herbicide approved for use next to water, must be used within 20 feet of surface water. The preferred herbicide for use away from surface water is Garlon 4 but other herbicides approved for use may be used mixed with a blue dye and carrier oil.

Cut woody material must be chipped at approved locations. This may require moving material to drier areas outside of the wetland. A masticator may be used if approved by NRCS and would only be allowed on dry ground and where cultural resources are not present.

Herbicide spraying may only occur under the following optimal environmental conditions: Moderate temperatures (60 to 80 ºF), high relative humidity (65 to 90 percent), and light winds (3 to 7 m.p.h.).

The ideal time of treatment is late September - October. If conditions and permits are not received in time to treat RO by February of 2025, the treatment must be delayed to September 2025.

Workers applying herbicides must use PPE required by the pesticide label. In addition, workers using chain saws and piling the cut woody material must wear the following safety equipment:

Natural Resources Conservation Service 100 Sun Avenue NE, Suite 602, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87109

Boots - all leather, lace-up type, minimum eight inches high with lug type sole in good condition (steel toes are unacceptable);

Hardhat - plastic, Class B, ANSI Z89.1, OSHA approved, with chinstrap. Must meet NFPA 1977, 1998 edition;

Hearing protection, applicable only to workers using chain saws- must meet OSHA standards;

Gloves - one pair of heavy-duty leather per person;

Eye protection - one pair per person, shatter resistant; and

Chaps - must meet OSHA standards.

Figure 1. Map of Planned Treatment of Russian Olive, approximately 160 acres

C. Removal of large metal structure

Contractor will remove a large metal structure south of Swan Lake and properly dispose of it at a recycling facility, landfill, or other acceptable and legal method of disposal. The large item consists of metal and Styrofoam and was used as a floating dock. The removal must follow the conservation

Natural Resources Conservation Service 100 Sun Avenue NE, Suite 602, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87109 measures agreed to by the agencies which may require cutting the structure into smaller pieces rather than removing in one piece.

The removal of the large item is expected to occur in the fall or winter of 2024 to minimize impacts to sensitive plant species.

D. Reporting and Deliverables Requirements

Contractor shall provide copies of herbicide application records that include the date, amount, and type of herbicide applied, location, and weather conditions (temperature, wind, etc.) to the Agency

POC.

E. Period of Performance and Payment

September 2024 - February 2025. If project is delayed due to weather or permits, the project may be completed from September 2025- February 2026.

No work is to be done from March through mid-September.

The Contractor shall submit payment requests via the Invoice Processing Platform (IPP).

Swan Lake

Natural Resources Conservation Service 100 Sun Avenue NE, Suite 602, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87109

Part III: Supporting Information

A. Confidentiality

Information related to this contract is classified as CONFIDENTIAL. Its distribution and use is restricted to the landowner and permitting agencies. Publication or disclosure of any part of this information is prohibited without the written permission of the NRCS and the landowner(s).

B. Place of Performance

As stated previously, the project acre consists of 160 acres of wetland on private lands adjacent to the State Game and Fish Department Fish Hatchery on River Road in Santa Rosa.

C. Special Considerations

NRCS will work with the Contractor and the landowner to resolve any access issues.

Technical questions should be directed to the POC, Athena Cholas, at 505-761-4419. Contracting questions should be directed to the assigned Contracting Officer.

Changes to task order content, analysis approach, level of effort, schedules and deliverables shall be made in writing by a revision to the task order by the Contracting Officer. These changes must receive written approval from the Contracting Officer before the additional work is commenced.

A task order is completed when the required end products are delivered by the Contractor and accepted by the NRCS in accordance with the executed task order and any formal revision thereof.

This is a firm-fixed-price contract.

D. State Conservationist Approval

The State conservationist approval will be required for the procurement contract to certify that the costs are reasonable, appropriate, and consistent with NRCS policy. The State conservationist may not delegate this decision.