PWS_Bon_Secour_Invasive_Species_Treatment_Final.docx

Performance Work Statement Furnish and Deliver FY 2025 Bon Secour NWR Invasive Species Treatment on Pilot Town Tract Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge Gulf Shores, Alabama

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

1.1 General: This is a non-personal services contract to provide control/treat invasive species within the newly acquired 73.43-acre Pilot Town tract of the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge (BSNWR). The target species include cogon grass (Imperata cylindrica), torpedo grass (Panicum repens), and rattlebox (Sesbania punicea). The Government shall not exercise any supervision or control over the contract service providers performing the services herein. Such contract service providers shall be accountable solely to the Contractor who, in turn is responsible to the Government. The Contractor shall provide all personnel, equipment, supplies, facilities, transportation, tools, materials, supervision, and other items and non-personal services necessary to perform work services as defined in this Performance Work Statement except for those items specified as government furnished property and services. The Contractor shall perform to the standards in this contract.

1.2 Introduction: The Contractor will treat approximately 12 acres of invasive species within the Pilot Town tract on BSNWR. The Contractor shall apply the appropriate herbicide and adjuvant to control/treat cogon grass, torpedo grass, and rattlebox. Approximate locations are identified in Figure 3. The Contractor will apply sufficient herbicide to control 95% of the invasive species infestation.

1.3 Period of Performance: The period of performance shall be on or about March 1, 2025, through May 31, 2026. This timeframe would account for holidays and weather-days within the contract period. The initial treatment should be applied as follows: cogon grass from late September through October, torpedo grass in the summer months, and rattlebox in the spring months. A second treatment of cogon grass shall occur in spring 2026. A 95% control rate must be reached when surveyed in spring 2026.

1.4 Place of Performance: The work to be performed under this contract will be within the boundaries of the BSNWR Pilot Town tract (Figure 2). BSNWR headquarters are located at 12295 State Highway 180, Gulf Shores, Alabama (Figure 1). Details concerning treatment areas are identified in Figures 1 and 2 as well as the Scope section of this document.

1.5 Type of Contract: This is a Fixed Price contract/task order.

1.6 Security Requirements: n/a

1.7 Physical Security: The Contractor shall be responsible for safeguarding all government equipment, information, and property provided for Contractor use. At the close of each work period, government facilities, equipment, and materials shall be secured.

1.8 Key Control (if applicable). The Contractor shall establish and implement methods of making sure all keys/key cards issued to the Contractor by the Government are not lost or misplaced and are not used by unauthorized persons. NOTE: All references to keys include key cards. No keys issued to the Contractor by the Government shall be duplicated. The Contractor shall develop procedures covering key control that shall be included in the Quality Control Plan. Such procedures shall include turn-in of any issued keys by personnel who no longer require access to locked areas. The Contractor shall immediately report any occurrences of lost or duplicate keys/key cards to the Contracting Officer.

1.8.1 In the event keys, other than master keys, are lost or duplicated, the Contractor shall, upon direction of the Contracting Officer, re-key or replace the affected lock or locks; however, the Government, at its option, may replace the affected lock or locks or perform re-keying. When the replacement of locks or re-keying is performed by the Government, the total cost of re-keying or the replacement of the lock or locks shall be deducted from the monthly payment due the Contractor. In the event a master key is lost or duplicated, all locks and keys for that system shall be replaced by the Government and the total cost deducted from the monthly payment due the Contractor.

1.8.2 The Contractor shall prohibit the use of Government issued keys/key cards by any persons other than the Contractor’s employees. The Contractor shall prohibit the opening of locked areas by Contractor employees to permit entrance of persons other than Contractor employees engaged in the performance of assigned work in those areas, or personnel authorized entrance by the Contracting Officer.

1.8.3 Lock Combinations (if applicable). The Contractor shall establish and implement methods of ensuring that all lock combinations are not revealed to unauthorized persons. The Contractor shall ensure that lock combinations are changed when personnel having access to the combinations no longer have a need to know such combinations. These procedures shall be included in the Contractor’s Quality Control Plan.

1.9 Special Qualifications: n/a

1.10 Post Award Conference/Periodic Progress Meetings: The Contractor agrees to attend any post award conference or progress meetings convened by the contracting activity or contract administration office in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation Subpart 42.5. The Contracting Officer, Contracting Officers Representative (COR), Government/Site Representative (GR/SR), and other Government personnel, as appropriate, may meet periodically with the Contractor to review the Contractor's performance and/or status of work. At these meetings, the Contracting Officer will apprise the Contractor of how the government views the Contractor's performance and the Contractor will apprise the Government of problems being experienced, if any. Appropriate action shall be taken to resolve outstanding issues. These meetings shall be at no additional cost to the Government.

1.11 Contracting Officer Representative (COR)/Government/SR Representative (GR/SR): The COR/SR will be identified by either separate letter or other form of notification. The COR/GR monitors all technical aspects of the contract and assists in contract administration. The COR/GR is authorized to perform the following functions: assure that the Contractor performs the technical requirements of the contract; conduct inspections necessary in connection with contract performance; maintain written and oral communications with the Contractor concerning technical aspects of the contract; issue written interpretations of technical requirements, including Government drawings, designs, and specifications; monitor Contractor performance and notify both the Contracting Officer and Contractor of any deficiencies; coordinate availability of government furnished property and provide site entry of Contractor personnel. A letter of designation issued to the COR, a copy of which is sent to the Contractor, states the responsibilities and limitations of the COR, especially with regard to changes in cost or price, estimates or changes in delivery dates. The COR is not authorized to change any of the terms and conditions of the resulting order.

1.12 Key Personnel: The follow personnel are considered key personnel by the government: Contract Manager/Administrator, Project Manager/Supervisor. The Contractor shall provide a contract manager who shall be responsible for the performance of the work. The name of this person and an alternate who shall act for the contractor when the manager is absent shall be designated in writing to the Contracting Officer. The contract manager or alternate shall have full authority to act for the Contractor on all contract matters relating to daily operation of this contract. The contract manager or alternate shall be available.

1.13 Identification of Contractor Employees: All Contract personnel attending meetings, answering Government telephones, and working in other situations where their Contractor status is not obvious to third parties are required to identify themselves as such to avoid creating an impression in the minds of members of the public that they are Government officials. They must also ensure that all documents or reports produced by contractors are suitably marked as contractor products or that contractor participation is appropriately disclosed. The Contractor personnel will be required to obtain and wear badges (or company attire indicating name of company) in performance of this service.

1.14 Data Rights (If applicable): The Government has unlimited rights to all documents/material produced under this contract. All documents and materials, to include the source codes of any software, produced under this contract shall be Government owned and are the property of the Government with all rights and privileges of ownership/copyright belonging exclusively to the Government. These documents and materials may not be used or sold by the contractor without written permission from the Contracting Officer. All materials supplied to the Government shall be the sole property of the Government and may not be used for any other purpose. This right does not abrogate any other Government rights.

II. BACKGROUND

2.1 Treatment and management of invasive species has been identified as one of the highest priorities within the National Wildlife Refuge System. Invasive plants displace native plant communities and native wildlife including threatened and endangered species. Their rapid growth and copious seed production permit the establishment of dense, impenetrable forests and thickets that shade out desirable native plant species, affect water flow and drainage, obstruct human and wildlife movement and public viewing opportunities. In general, invasive plants degrade native habitat quality decreasing native species abundance and diversity. Refuges employ a variety of management techniques to control invasive exotic plants including herbicides (primary means), mechanical controls (heavy equipment), cultural controls (prescribed fire), physical controls (hand pulling seedlings & vines), and biological controls (when available). Invasive plant removal work is performed by refuge staff, independent Contractors, volunteers, and volunteer groups. Refuges prioritize treatments based upon the targeted plant species ‘category’ of invasiveness; that is, the ability of the targeted plant to colonize and impact native plant habitats.

III. SCOPE

3.1 Objective: Treatment of cogon grass (Imperata cylindrica), torpedo grass (Panicum repens), and rattlebox (Sesbania punicea) on the Pilot Town tract of Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge (BSNWR). Treatment of these species on BSNWR will prevent invasions to new areas within the refuge.

3.1.1 Treatment Area: The overall goal of this effort is to treat the approximately 12 acres of invasive species within the Pilot Town tract on BSNWR. A recently completed contract that surveyed invasive species within Pilot Town identified locations of the plants depicted in Figure 3. In total, 44 sites of infestation were identified shown in Table 1. Cogon grass was identified in 7 sites (Table 2), torpedo grass was identified in 20 sites (Table 3), and rattlebox was identified in 17 sites (Table 4). Infestations are considered moderate to severe in these sites.

3.2 Contractor must comply 100% with the agreed-upon plan of work. Method of treatment will be by ground. Applications must be at the appropriate rate suggested by the manufacture and in accordance with the label. All work must be done according to work statement, EPA standards, and herbicide label restrictions.

3.3 The Contractor shall provide all personnel, labor (i.e. herbicide application), equipment, supplies (i.e. chemicals, herbicides, adjuvant), transportation, tools, materials, supervision, and other non-personal services necessary to perform the requirements of this contract order and shall plan, schedule, coordinate, and ensure effective performance of required services for the entire duration of contract. Crews must avoid all areas marked as “off limits”; coordinates will be provided to the Project Manager for these locations. Treatment applications shall be performed in such a manner as to protect non-target organisms, the environment, and the public. NOTE: The Contracting Officer reserves the right to require the Contractor to replace any operating personnel, or equipment used in the performance of this Contract if the personnel, or equipment are violating, or have violated, any state or federal laws; or are unsafe; or for any valid reason. In this event, the Contractor shall as soon as reasonably possible, upon written or verbal notice (to be later reduced to writing) from the Contracting Officer, provide replacements satisfactory to the Contracting Officer at no additional cost.

3.4 Work performance shall be defined as 100% of identified species infestations to be treated, and a 95% control rate (Acceptance Criteria [AC]) achieved two months post-treatment. If the AC is not met, it shall be the responsibility of the Contractor to re-treat areas until the control rate is achieved at no additional cost to the Government (FWS). The BSNWR and Contractor shall conduct surveys to determine if the 95% control rate is reached. However, BSNWR will make the ultimate decision if the 95% control rate is reached. Likewise, a treatment map with digital gps points of the invasive species treated will be submitted with a summary report prior to final project payment.

3.5 The Contractor will provide adequate personnel for the purpose of loading and dispersing of the chemicals. The Contractor will be responsible for all unloading/loading operations. Movement of chemicals, water, and equipment in and around the treatment locations will be the sole responsibility of the contract applicators. All personnel and equipment to be used will be appropriately licensed and certificated as appropriate for the work to be done. The Contractor will be responsible for providing sufficient equipment, fuel (for equipment), safety items, spill response kit, personnel and their subsistence needs during the project period, as well as checking all work sites for hazards of any type which could affect their ability to accomplish the spraying project.

3.6 The Contractor will provide USFWS with contact information for all ground personnel, vehicles, and equipment, identification information (including make, model, color, name of company, and contact information) at least 48 hours before implementation of the project.

3.7 Where applicable, the name brand and quantity of herbicide proposed by the contractor must be pre-approved by the USFWS through a Pesticide Use Proposal 60 days prior to application. Rates applied shall not exceed the highest rate recommended on the label for that treatment. Upon request, the USFWS can supply a list of commonly used chemicals for the Southeast Region.

3.8 The Contractor will supply equipment to meter chemicals and water mixtures and will provide mixing and loading equipment and water. Water hauling services may be required. The Contractor must be capable of calibrating equipment to the final application rate specifications. *NOTE: All equipment and personnel must be able to work at a semi-remote and semi-primitive site (i.e., no electrical or water hookups, bathrooms, or other facilities available).

3.9 Public Safety: Public safety must be ensured when spraying or using pesticides. Refuges are heavily visited by the public. For Pilot Town, most of the locations of the invasive species are within the main road that the public heavily uses to access the beach. Prior to treatment, the Contractor shall appropriately mark the area with a sign stating that invasive species treatment is ongoing. It shall be the ultimate responsibility of the Contractor to initiate spray operations – GO/NO GO. The Contractor shall mitigate for herbicide contamination on federal land and adjacent private property, and any adjacent waters. Herbicides shall be applied and utilized as approved or recommended on the label. Any fines or penalties for herbicide contamination or resultant environmental damage shall be the responsibility of the Contractor.

3.10 The Refuge Manager or their designee must be notified at least 48 hours prior to any application of chemical.

3.11 No heavy equipment will be allowed to operate within the treatment units.

3.12 The Contractor shall avoid any damage to native vegetation and wildlife other than any identified native vegetation to be treated. The Contractor shall not collect, harass, harm, or molest native plants or wildlife. The Contractor shall avoid damage to sensitive archaeological sites such as Native American middens and shell mounds. The Contractor must use hand tools when applying herbicide and operating in areas where Native American middens and shell mounds exist. The Contractor shall be responsible for the removal of all trash and treatment-related equipment. The Contractor shall be held liable if damage was determined to be the fault of the Contractor (negligence), the result of improper treatment techniques, or the result of Contractor control activities.

3.13 Ground crews shall be transported by trucks or boats furnished by the Contractor. Each ground crew shall consist of one supervisor and no more than six crewmembers per supervisor. The ground crew supervisor must be a licensed herbicide applicator, and shall be responsible for data collection, herbicide application and inventory, herbicide safety procedures, and crew supervision. The ground crew supervisor shall have navigation equipment such as a hand-held Global Positioning System (GPS) unit, to mark areas of treatment for submittal to the Refuge. All targeted plants, or populations of such plants, shall be treated and treatment sites recorded at each designated location before proceeding further as per the COR’s specifications. The Refuge COR/COTR shall provide technical support concerning species treatments for each delineated work area. Under no circumstances shall a non-approved herbicide or combination thereof, be used without knowledge or permission of the COR and an approved pesticide use proposal. Ground crews accessing the treatment area need be aware that the majority of the acres to be treated contain seasonal wetlands. Therefore, all heavy equipment used will be restricted to improve BSNWR roads.

IV. APPLICABLE DIRECTIVES

4.1 All Contractor employees performing work directly onsite must adhere to all local regulations, rules, policies relating to the obtainment of proper clearances, building access, site access, and badges. If applicable, employees must complete background investigation, computer security, and records management training.

4.2 The Contractor must abide by all applicable regulations, publications, manuals, and local policies and procedures.

4.3 OSHA, 29 CFR 1910 (as applicable)

4.4 EPA regulations

4.5 The Contractor is responsible for acquiring and maintaining all federal and local licenses, certifications, and permits as required. This includes the State Certified Pesticide Applicator (License). The Contractor shall be required to submit a copy of the licenses to the Contracting Officer prior to the award date. The only exception to this requirement is that the BSNWR will provide the Section 7 permit for endangered species for this contract. A copy of the Section 7 permit will be furnished to the Contractor and all conditions will be followed. Endangered species are not known to frequently occur in the treatment area and adhering to the Section 7 permit conditions should require minimal effort.

4.6 Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act

4.7 The Contractor (or their representatives) will not litter. Litter violations will be handled under Federal Code of Regulations 50CFR27.94(a) , which carries a fine of $100.00 per incident upon conviction.

V. PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS

5.1 Supply and apply herbicide according to desired outcomes as per label directions and quantities.

5.1.1 Employ approved Current Control Technologies (CCTs) for controlling cogon grass, torpedo grass, and rattlebox infestations within the treatment area. Current Control Treated plants shall be cut or left in place at the contractor’s discretion. The Crew Supervisor shall be responsible for notifying the COR /SR within three weeks of treatment completion so that area can be inspected. Areas not treated, or not responding to treatment shall be required to be retreated at the Contractor’s expense, if it is determined that the Contractor provided inadequate treatment measures. The Contractor shall be responsible for 100% treatment and 95% control of cogon grass, torpedo grass, and rattlebox within the delineated treatment area by the end of the period of performance.

5.1.2 Treatment

5.1.2.1 Hand crews will exclusively be used when treating invasive species on Bon Secour NWR.

5.1.2.2 Apply herbicides according to label instructions and in such a manner and rate to provide adequate coverage within the designated treatment areas. Application rates shall be no more than the maximum permitted by label and manufacturer’s specifications. The Contractor shall only apply herbicides that have been approved through the US Fish and Wildlife Service Pesticide Use Proposal process. Confirmation of permitted herbicides shall be coordinated with the COR/SR/Refuge Manager and approved 60 days prior to application. The Contractor shall be held liable for the use of any non-approved herbicides or damage occurring from the usage of a non-approved herbicide.

5.1.2.3 The Contractor shall canvass 100% of the treatment area.

5.1.2.4 Non-Target Damage: The Contractor shall, to the best of his/her ability, avoid non-target damage to native vegetation and avoid disturbance and impacts to native wildlife. Contractor will not apply herbicides when wind speeds are in excess of 7 mph (or as agreed upon by GR) or when inversion conditions occur to limit drift.

5.1.2.5 Handling, Mixing, Chemical Disposal: All herbicides and adjuvants/surfactants shall be handled and stored in accordance with instructions on the EPA registration label. All herbicides shall be mixed and applied in accordance with the label instructions. Unless noted, the Contractor shall be responsible for providing, handling, mixing and disposing of all herbicides and adjuvants/surfactants. The Contractor shall be responsible for providing all mixing water on all USFWS projects. In addition, the Contractor shall ensure that no contamination of any water source occurs, and that emergency spill containment equipment or spill kit shall be present at the worksite and shall be capable of containing all potential herbicide or surfactant spills from contract vehicles or equipment.

5.1.2.6 The Contractor shall perform an initial treatment and a re-treatment, as necessary, to ensure Acceptance Criteria is met.

5.2 The Contractor shall complete the herbicide application during the specified dates outlined in 1.3 Period of Performance above or as directed by the COR/SR.

5.2.1 The Contractor shall coordinate with the Government to determine the date(s) and time(s) of herbicide application to minimize impacts on other Government activities and so refuge staff has time to close roads and trails in the treatment area prior to treatment beginning. Contractor must have work dates and a plan of work approved by the USFWS 48 hours prior to beginning work, preferably established during a face-to-face pre-work meeting.

5.3 The Contractor shall clean and flush spray equipment in accordance with EPA guidelines. All spray tanks and mixing tanks must be properly cleaned (triple rinsed) prior to arrival because this will not be allowed on site. Contractor/operator may not flush/rinse out tanks onto the ground after the job is completed. Prior to leaving the worksite for the day, the Contractor shall remove all equipment and materials associated with contract or aerial spraying activities on government property unless approval has been granted by the Refuge Manager, and/or a storage site has been identified.

5.4 Contractor is responsible for cleaning up any spills that may occur.

5.5 The Contractor shall avoid any damage to native vegetation and wildlife. The Contractor shall not collect, harass, harm, or molest native plants or wildlife. The Contractor shall be responsible for the removal of all trash and treatment-related equipment. Trash shall be removed daily. If damage occurs, the Contractor shall be held liable if damage was determined to be because of Contractor negligence, the result of improper treatment techniques, or the result of Contractor control activities.

5.6 Special Conditions

5.6.1 The COR shall inform the Contractor of the time schedule as work progresses. However, the Contracting Officer may halt work at any time upon written notice.

5.6.2 Weather and site conditions may interfere with the work completion schedule negotiated at the award conference. The Contracting Officer may halt work at any time upon written notice for conditions beyond the control of the contractor. If this result in significant time lost, the completion date for the project can be re-negotiated by the CO/COR/SR and the contractor.

5.6.3 A line-item cost estimate for this project should be submitted and must include the price per acre for the treatment of each of the invasive species identified: cogon grass, torpedo grass, and rattlebox.

5.6.4 A pre-award site visit will be scheduled during the solicitation period on a date and time selected by the COR. The meet-up location will be 12295 State Highway 180, Gulf Shores, AL and RSVP for the site visit must be submitted one day prior to the site visit to jacqueline_sablan@fws.gov.

VI. WORK TIME/HOURS OF DUTY

6.1 Work will not be performed on the following holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President's Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

6.2 Hours of Operation: The Contractor is responsible for conducting business, between the hours of 5am – 6pm Monday thru Friday except Federal holidays or when the Government facility is closed due to local or national emergencies, administrative closings, or similar Government directed facility closings. For other than firm fixed price contracts, the Contractor will not be reimbursed when the government facility is closed for the above reasons. The Contractor must always maintain an adequate workforce for the uninterrupted performance of all tasks defined within this PWS when the Government facility is not closed for the above reasons. When hiring personnel, the Contractor shall keep in mind that the stability and continuity of the workforce are essential.

VII. SUPPLIES, MATERIALS, EQUIPMENT, AND UTILITIES

NOTE: As a government agency dedicated to “working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people,” the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service strives to incorporate the most ecologically sound and environmentally beneficial technologies, materials, and practices into all aspects of planning and operations. To help achieve this mission and meet Executive Orders (EOs) and Department of the Interior (DOI) planning requirements, the USFWS has implemented strategies to reduce the environmental impacts associated with procurement, lease acquisition, waste prevention and recycling, facility design, construction, operation and management, contracting and permitted commercial visitor services. These strategies have been collectively referred to as the FWS’s Green Procurement and Waste Prevention & Recycling Program (Greening Program) and are a part of the FWS’s overall approach to environmental management.

7.1 Government-Furnished Property and Services. The Government will provide the Contractor with the following items:

7.1.1 Services/Supply: none

7.1.2 Facilities: none

7.1.3 Utilities: none

7.1.4 Equipment: none

7.1.5 Materials: none

7.2 Supplies, Materials, and Equipment: to be provided by the Contractor

7.2.1 All supplies, equipment, parts, and material(s) required to successfully complete this requirement (unless otherwise provided by the Government as indicated above). All equipment to be used in the performance of work described herein is subject to the approval of the Government Representative (GR).

VIII. SUPERVISION

8.1 In order to ensure performance and accomplishment of the work as outlined herein, the Contractor shall always provide adequate and competent supervision for all work to be accomplished by the Contractor’s employees. When contract work is in progress, supervisory personnel shall be always available to receive notices, reports, or requests from the GR/COR or his authorized representative. At no time shall Government representatives direct or supervise the activities of the Contractor’s employees.

8.2 On-site Supervision. An on-site supervisor, with the ability to speak and understand English clearly and with the authority to act for the Contractor on a day-to-day basis and to sign inspection reports and all other correspondence on behalf of the Contractor, shall be present at the work site at all times when contract work is in progress, unless a contractor employee can act on the supervisor’s behalf.

8.3. Supervisory Responsibilities. Supervisory responsibilities shall include, but shall not be limited to, the following:

8.3.1 Providing an adequate labor force; this includes the immediate replacement of personnel dismissed for cause or leaving employment of their own volition.

8.3.2 Ensuring that Contractor personnel are properly trained to perform their assigned work in a proper, safe, and efficient manner, and ensuring that the proper supplies, materials, and equipment are on hand.

8.3.3 Taking action to prevent general carelessness by employees and/or abuse of facilities or equipment.

8.3.4 Establishing an effective and comprehensive safety program.

8.3.5 Indoctrinating employees to report fire, hazardous conditions, maintenance deficiencies, and graffiti.

8.3.6 Continually ensuring that the conduct of the Contractor’s employees reflect favorably upon the Contractor’s and FWS organization(s). If applicable, supervisory personnel are responsible for ensuring that employees fully support and participate in the energy-conservation program within the facilities. Use lights or other energy-consuming equipment only in areas where and when work is actually being performed. Secure lights and other equipment when not in use or needed.

IX. CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL QUALIFICATIONS

9.1 Supervisory Personnel. All supervisory employees engaged in directing the work to be accomplished under this contract shall possess, at least with-in the last two years of recent, (within the past four years) experience in directing the subject service-type operations in a supervisory capacity for buildings/property of the approximate size/scope under this contract.

X. DELIVERABLES

10.1 Frequent reporting/accounting of overall progress and (to-date) expenditures (i.e. 25%, 50%, 90%) or as determined by the Government/Site Representative.

10.2 Universal Daily Progress Report (U-DPR), to be provided prior to commencement of work, documenting all locations treated in UTMs, habitat types, herbicides and surfactants used and their respective volumes, dates treated, number of applicators, hours worked, targeted species and stems/acreage treated and seedlings pulled, equipment used and hours, etc., which shall be submitted to the FWS Site Manager or his/her designee on a bi-weekly basis (minimum).

10.3 A detailed treatment report that will include an electronic map that includes GPS points of all invasive species treated will be submitted within 2 weeks of completing the treatment and includes a chemical use section detailing application rates, coverage area and other chemical facts.

10.4 Coordination, application, and wrap-up meetings

10.5 Work plan to include schedule

10.6 Safety/spill response plan.

10.7 A government representative will inspect all areas periodically during the contract period and will perform a final inspection in spring 2026 following treatments.

10.8 Copies of all task order invoices (signed by the Contractor Crew Supervisor/Site Manager) shall be submitted to the FWS Site Manager as agreed upon by the Government and the Contractor. Invoices shall be submitted no more frequently than on a monthly basis.

DELIVERABLES SCHEDULE

(This technical exhibit lists any reports or documentation that is required as a deliverable and includes the frequency, # of copies, medium/format and who/where it is to be submitted. A deliverable is anything that can be physically delivered but may include non-physical things such as meeting minutes.)

COR/SR/Manager

Quality Assurance Plan

1.1 The Contractor shall institute a complete quality-control program to ensure that the requirements of this contract are provided, as specified. The overall goal of the program should be to identify and correct any problems that may exist before they are identified by or reported to the Government Representative (GR)/Site Representative (SR). This will aid in ensuring the contractor meets time schedules, adheres to standard commercial practices, and complies with Performance Work Statement/contract in an efficient, ethical, and productive manner. As a minimum, the program shall include:

1.1.1 An inspection system covering all the services required under Section V (Performance Requirements) with a comprehensive checklist to be used to inspect contract performance during scheduled and unscheduled inspections, and the name(s) of the individuals who will be performing the inspections.

1.1.2 A system for identifying and correcting deficiencies and/or a pattern of deficiencies in the quality or quantity of services provided before the level of performance becomes unacceptable and/or Government inspectors point out the deficiencies.

1.1.3 A file of all inspections conducted by the Contractor and corrective actions taken (at Contractor’s expense). This should include follow-up inspections to ensure that corrective action was appropriate, complete, and timely. This documentation shall be organized in a logical manner, kept current, and made available to the GR and the Contracting Officer (CO) during the term of the contract.

1.1.4 When notified of a deficiency, items designated as unsatisfactory or below standard shall be re-performed by Contactor at no additional cost to the Government. All corrective action must be completed by the next working day of notification of the deficiency. If not, a deduction may be made (as determined from the applicable month’s invoice). Failure of the Government to notify the Contractor of a deficiency does not relieve the Contractor of the obligation to perform services nor does it relieve the Contractor of the responsibility to ensure that quality control measures are adhered to for contract compliance.

1.2 Performance Indicators and Acceptable Quality Levels

1.2.1 Comply with work production/work schedule(s) except for Excusable Delays. 100% compliance

1.2.2 Comply with all work requirements and standards as indicated within the Work Statement. 100% compliance

1.2.3 Comply with all contract terms and conditions. 100% compliance

1.2.4 Must not damage government resources, fish, wildlife, and/or property. 100% compliance

1.2.5 Maintain safety of workers and work environment at all times. 100% compliance with no deviations

1.2.6 Maintain a Quality Control Plan and immediately disclose/report any problems. 100% compliance

1.2.7 Ensure all equipment is in good working order during the entire period of performance and safeguard the use and storage of all chemicals. 100% compliance

1.2.8 The Contractor shall submit the proposed herbicide brand name(s) and application rate(s) to Refuge staff for approval via a Pesticide Use Proposal (an internal USFWS document). 100% compliance

1.2.9 The task shall be considered completed following a thorough final inspection of the delineated treatment area by the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), and only if it is determined that the Contractor treated 100% of the cogon grass, torpedo grass, and rattlebox infestation within the delineated treatment area after the initial and re-treatment phases have been completed, and achieved a 95% control rate two months post-treatment. If it is determined that the Contractor did not achieve a 95% control rate, and was found in non-compliance, additional re-treatment of the entire area shall be performed at the Contractor’s expense. 100% compliance

1.2.10 Whenever possible and to the greatest extent of the Contractor’s capabilities, herbicide drift shall be avoided. The Contractor shall be held responsible for extensive non-target damage (to be determined by the COR/SR). 100% compliance

1.3 Surveillance Methods

1.3.1 Regularly scheduled inspection/review of work

1.3.2 Inspection of materials, equipment, and chemicals. The CO/COR/SR, reserves the right to inspect, at any time upon notice to the Contractor, the Contractor’s procedures, spray system, spray solution, and other ancillary equipment, and operating personnel. Inspection, however, shall not relieve the Contractor of any obligations or responsibilities, nor shall it transfer any liability to the Refuge.

1.3.3 Contractor logs/reports

1.3.4 Final payment shall be held until a 95% control rate is reached for the treatment area as determined by the final inspection conducted by Refuge staff in spring 2026 post treatment. Prior to reaching a 95% control rate and after the initial treatment, 75% of the awarded contract can be invoiced by the Contractor for payment. The remaining 25% of the awarded contract cannot be invoiced until a 95% control rate is reached. Unless 95% coverage is shown on targeted vegetation, the Contractor must return to the unaffected portion of the site and re-spray at their own expense within 13 months of the original treatment.

1.4 Incentives

1.4.1 Non-compliance with Performance Work Statement will result in negative performance evaluation/rating.

1.4.2 A positive performance rating will be given for overall satisfactory work and compliance related to the contract.

Figure 1. Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge Map.

Figure 2. Pilot Town tract boundary, which is approximately 73.43 acres.

Figure 3. Invasive plant observation map.Figure 2. Bon Secour NWR Sand Bayou Unit Treatment Area

Table 1. Summary of target invasive species identified within the Pilot Town tract.

Table 2. Cogon grass (Imperata cylindrica) observations including size of infestation.

Table 3. Torpedo grass (Panicum repens) observations including size of infestation.

Table 4. Rattlebox (Sesbania punicea) observations including size of infestation.

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