PWS.pdf

Performance Work Statement for

A Nuisance Animal Response and Control Contract for the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island

Environmental Division, Natural Resources Section

1. Scope: The Natural Resources Section (NRS) of the Environmental Division (ENV DIV) has a responsibility to respond, handle, and possibly remove live nuisance wildlife, or euthanize wildlife as required on MCRD Parris Island (MCRDPI) at any given hour of the day, night, weekend or holiday.

1.1.1. Background: This requirement is for the services required to maintain continuous nuisance animal control. All wildlife are protected on a federal Installation, but in some cases wildlife can become ‘nuisances’. Nuisance wildlife is defined as: A non-domestic animal that by its presence or behavior restricts a certain activity, causes undue disturbance, poses threat to public health or safety, or causes property damage. Nuisance wildlife can include alligators, snakes, birds, opossum, raccoons, squirrels, bats, deer, and others. This contract will assist with supporting the continuity of operations, help mitigate human-wildlife conflicts and assist MCRDPI with the stewardship of the Depot’s natural resources.

1.2. Description of Services: This requirement is to secure the services of a licensed (approved South Carolina Department of Natural Resources [SCDNR], Wildlife Control Operators List) Nuisance Animal Response Contractor (NARC) to provide complete and satisfactory Wildlife Management Services for the express purpose of responding, handling and possibly removing or dispatching live nuisance wildlife from MCRDPI after normal working hours, and on call when requested by Depot NRS. Contractor shall supply all labor, materials, equipment, and supervision necessary for providing this service. Contractor shall be on call, 24 hours/day, 7 days/week for availability to assist with, humanely and safely handle, trap and/or remove or dispatch nuisance wildlife. If assistance is needed in determining disposition, i.e. euthanasia, relocation, or transporting/handling injured/orphaned wildlife, then notification of Depot NRS shall occur.

Contractor shall also provide two (2) training sessions per year for Depot NR personnel regarding the latest handling/capture techniques for alligators, snakes or mammals.

EMERGENCY RESPONSE - The Contractor shall be available twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week on an emergency basis. In an emergency where services are required immediately, the Depot personnel will contact the Contractor; the Contractor shall respond to the work location within a one (1) hour period. Contractor shall provide a telephone number and email for use during emergency response.

ALLIGATORS – The American alligator is a federally protected species (Endangered Species Act [ESA]) and shall be handled or euthanized accordingly. The Depot maintains a SC Alligator Control Depredation Permit (SCACDP) and several tags issued by SCDNR for nuisance alligators that require euthanizing. The NARC will be issued a copy of the Depot’s SCACDP along with one tag in order to respond to a nuisance alligator call. If the NARC uses the tag, the Conservation Law Enforcement Officer (CLEO) will issue a replacement tag. If the NARC is in possession of an unused tag at the expiration date of the permit (30 November), the tag will be returned to the CLEO within 5 days of the expiration date. Any nuisance alligator that is dispatched by the NARC will remain on Depot for final disposition by the CLEO. No alligator or parts of an alligator that is harvested on Depot property will be offered for sale, sold, bartered, or traded. Alligators shall not be translocated off the Depot property but can be re-located/moved within the Depot confines and boundaries if the contractor feels it is safe to do so.

EASTERN DIAMONDBACK RATTLESNAKES (EDB) – The EDB is currently under review by the U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for listing for federal protection under the ESA. The EDB population on MCRDPI is also currently being monitored and researched to understand how this unique population exists, moves, and lives within the Depot’s habitats and training areas. Eastern diamondback rattlesnakes are found everywhere on the Depot. Depot personnel are encouraged to notify NRS, the Provost Marshal’s Office (PMO – Military Police) or the EDB researchers if they are observed anywhere, anytime, therefore calls are a common occurrence at any time. When answering a rattlesnake call, make sure the caller maintains a safe visual distance from the snake while still maintaining visual surveillance until help arrives.

Safely and humanely capture the snake with a snake hook (tongs are discouraged, especially for smaller animals due to the potential to injure or crush the snake) and place carefully in the approved ‘snake box’.

Notify NRS personnel and/or the EDB researchers (numbers will be provided upon award) of the location, date and time of capture, and place the captured snake-in-the-box at the NRS’s warehouse for the EDB researchers to handle.

BATS – The contractor shall remove bats only by nonlethal methods, except when a State or local public health department requires lethal removal. The contractor may capture and release individual bats that enter a dwelling or office outside near the building. Certain requirements from State and Federal regulators may be in place (due to protection under ESA) for certain bats, and whether or not young are present, and may require prior approval from the regulators (through NRS) to be excluded from buildings from March 1 to August 31, depending on the maternal presence and young.

OTHER MAMMALS – If wildlife mammals are encountered, uninjured and not orphaned, then they shall be released unharmed near the capture site but away from buildings, structures, and personnel. If injured or orphaned, then see below paragraph for these animals. If the animal has been injured or appears ill (such as a car strike or illness) and appears to be suffering, then euthanasia may be the only option. If so, then euthanizing shall be performed away from bystanders, or enlist PMO to remove bystanders if the animal cannot be moved to a safe site. Rabies (and similar conditions due to distemper) could manifest in some mammals on the Depot and may need to be handled; it would be advisable to obtain a rabies pre-exposure vaccine. If rabies is suspected, then the animal will need to be euthanized, handled, and disposed of properly. If anybody has been exposed (bitten, scratched, handled without gloves, etc.) to the suspected animal, then reporting is required by the South Carolina Department of Public Health (SCDPH). The contact number/hotline after hours, weekends and holidays is 888-847-0902; during working hours, contact 843-953-4713 or 803-943-3878. The SCDPH no longer handles or tests animals for rabies unless somebody has been exposed to the suspected animal.

MIGRATORY BIRDS – All birds, except pigeons, starlings and house sparrows, are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA). A federal take permit is required to handle, move or harm any migratory bird, active nest, eggs, young, nestlings. Since MCRDPI does not have a federal take permit in hand, then no activity will be conducted that will result in the destruction of adults, active nests, eggs, or young of migratory birds.

INJURED/ORPHANED WILDLIFE – If wildlife appears to be injured or if the wildlife appears too young to be on its own, then the contractor should contact a certified/permitted wildlife rehabilitation center/personnel to make an assessment whether or not it should be handled and transported to them. Below is a list of rehabilitation groups in our area as well as a great app that will list rehabbers within the area:

App - Animal Help Now.

Singing Mouse Wildlife Rescue and Rehab: small mammals - Susan Lamberger - Bluffton, SC - 843- 422-7508

Keeper of the Wild: mammals – Laurissa Akers – Walterboro, SC – 843-363-1659

Palmetto Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation: raccoons, squirrels, foxes, deer, rabbits, and opossums -

Cille McCracken LeGrande - Columbia area - 803-969-0803

Carolina Wildlife Rehabilitation Center: mammals, reptiles - Myrtle Beach, Charleston, Charlotte (main center) - 800-388-2972

Black Creek Wildlife Center: mammals, reptiles - Holly Sellers, Tyler Wright - Bishopville, SC - 843- 858-9334

Avian Conservation Center: raptors, wading birds - Awendaw, SC - 843-971-7474

Sarah Brower - Beaufort, SC - Capture and transport liaison - 240-273-8645

CONTRACTOR REQUIREMENTS - Contractor shall be a licensed contractor (see Sec. 1.2) in the state of South Carolina and shall comply with all federal, state and local codes. A copy of the license(s) and any applicable permits must be submitted with the quote. Such copies to include those for this type of commercial operator or business. Contractor shall use safe, humane and Best Management Practices for each species and contractor shall provide all equipment and materials to perform the services specified. The services provided under these specifications shall be performed using the latest methods and practices in current use by the industry. The nuisance wildlife animals will be alive at the time of trapping, unless conditions warrant euthanization. If euthanization is required, notify NRS immediately.

SAFETY AND CLEANLINESS - Contractor shall provide for a neat, clean, and safe environment at all times during all work, all vehicles, trailers, and other equipment must be in proper working order and a neat, clean appearance. Contractor shall leave locations clean, safe, and free of any tools and other materials related to the work. Contractor shall be responsible for ensuring the safety of both their employees and the Depot personnel while performing service. Proper safety equipment and PPE shall be used while performing any service.

1.3. Objectives:

The Nuisance Wildlife Response and Control contract will enable the Depot NRS to: 1) manage the natural resources around the training mission thus assisting with continued access in order to support the Depot’s Continuity of Operations; 2) manage the wildlife with which we are charged with as required by MCO 5090.2, Volume 11; and 3) help to better protect recruits, civilians, and permanent personnel from nuisance wildlife interactions and vise-versa.

1.4. Task Requirements:

1.4.1 Nuisance Wildlife Calls/Response/Control

Task Number

Work Milestones Projected Completion

Date 1 Respond to nuisance wildlife animal calls 24 hours/day,7 days/week. June 2026 2 Notify Depot Natural Resources personnel if assistance needed in determining disposition, i.e. euthanasia, relocation, or transporting/handling injured/orphaned wildlife

June 2026

3 Conduct two training sessions at the Depot with Depot NR personnel June 2026

4 Submit quarterly reports outlining the number of calls responded or assisted, species, disposition and any other pertinent information.

August 2025, October 2025, January 2026, April 2026, and June 2026 5 Submit year-end report outlining the number of calls responded or assisted, species of animal, disposition, etc.

June 2026

1.4.1.1 Respond to nuisance wildlife animal calls 24 hours/day,7 days/week: This includes after hours when no NRS personnel are available or during normal working hours to assist NRS personnel.

On-scene arrival time by the contractor must be no more than one (1) hour after receiving a nuisance wildlife animal call.

1.4.1.2 Notify Depot Natural Resources personnel if assistance is needed in determining disposition, i.e. euthanasia, relocation, or transporting/handling injured/orphaned wildlife: If wildlife is posing human or wildlife safety issues, the Contractor can use their discretion in determining what action to pursue. The Contractor can also contact NRS personnel if assistance/decisions are desired from NRS personnel to determine whether the wildlife should be euthanized, re-located or transported to a wildlife rehab organization. Phone calls or text messaging to NRS personnel shall be initiated when these conditions and situations arise and anytime a weapon/firearm is discharged.

1.4.1.3 Deliverables: The contractor shall conduct/deliver two training sessions for Depot NR personnel concerning current handling/capture techniques for alligators, snakes and mammals. The timeframe for the training session delivery shall be at the contractor’s discretion to schedule with personnel.

The contractor shall deliver quarterly reports with information related to all calls and responses performed during the contracted year due the month after the end of the quarter. The report shall include the number of calls responded after hours and during normal working hours, dates and times of the calls responded, species handled, and disposition of the wildlife. A final report with all the required information shall be submitted at the end of the contracting period to MCRDPI Environmental Division Natural Resources personnel.

1.5 Government Furnished Property, Material, Equipment or Information: The Government will support the contractor with locally derived GIS maps and data layers such as roads, wetlands, training areas, installation restoration sites, forested areas in order for the contractor to access sites, deploy equipment and make other decisions needed to adequately perform the work.

1.6 Period of Performance: June 2025 to June 2026 or one year from the date of the funds approval/transfer.

1.6.1 Place of Performance: Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, SC.

1.6.2 Security: Contractor shall gain access through the standard DBIDS contractor access process through Depot’s Provost Marshal’s Office (PMO) at 584 Wake Blvd and the Depot’s Security Office (DSO) located in the Building #286. Since firearms may be required to euthanize wildlife, additional clearances will be required.

1.6.3 Identification of Contractor Employees: All contract personnel working in 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.

1.6.4 Contractor Travel: The contractor is responsible for making any travel arrangements required to support this work. Personnel clearance will be required through the DSO background check process and through PMO. A valid driver’s license, vehicle registration and proof of vehicle insurance will be required by PMO for vehicle/personnel entry.

1.6.5 Base Access: Contractor Base Access forms will be provided to contract awardee at time of award.

1.7. General Information:

1.7.1 Hours of Operation: The contractor shall be responsible for coordinating services with authorized personnel. The Contractor shall keep in mind that the stability and continuity of operations of MCRDPI is essential. Environmental Division hours are: 0730-1700.

1.7.2. Recognized Holidays: The following major holidays is observed:

New Year’s Day Labor Day Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday Columbus Day President’s Day Veteran’s Day Memorial Day Thanksgiving Day

Juneteenth Christmas Day Independence Day

1.8 Considerations:

1.8.1 The Contractor shall be and remain liable to MCRDPI in accordance with applicable laws for all damages to any facility cause by the Contractor’s negligent performance of any of the services furnished under this contract. The rights and remedies provided for under this contact are in addition to any other rights and remedies provided by law.

1.8.2 Any cost associated with services subcontracted by the Contractor shall be borne by and be the complete responsibility of the Contractor under the fixed price of this contact.