RCW_Croatan_SOW_2025-06-18.pdf

STATEMENT OF WORK AND SPECIFICATION:

C. 1 - SCOPE OF CONTRACT

Contractor shall furnish all equipment, labor, transportation, supervision, and perform all work required for RCW Cluster and Tree Inventory; RCW Group Checks; Project-Level RCW Inventory; and Painting and Tagging RCW Trees on the Croatan National Forest in accordance with the specifications and provisions of the contract.

C.2 - DESCRIPTION AND LOCATION

A service contract to monitor and inventory red-cockaded woodpecker (RCW) clusters on the Croatan National Forest. The National Forest hosts approximately 140 known clusters of which an unknown percentage are active. The Forest aims to monitor and manage 100% of known clusters each year.

Almost all RCW clusters are located within one-half mile of roads or trails. Contractors will be required to attend a pre-work meeting.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

1) Contractors must have a valid federal permit from the US Fish and Wildlife Service Permit for working with RCWs in accordance with the activities as described in this document and be authorized to work in North Carolina.

2) ArcGIS Field Maps (accessible by phone or tablet) will serve as the official geodatabase for recording data and as the official map for orienting in the field. Record all data in ArcGIS Field Maps, using a phone or tablet that has a GPS with 5-m accuracy or better.

3) Within 24 hours of discovery of a new RCW tree or cluster, notify the wildlife points of contact

(POCs) for the local unit.

4) By December 1 (sooner is better), provide a succinct end-of-season report that provides maps, a narrative, and relevant appendices.

A. The narrative should provide a summary of the year’s efforts and the results of those efforts. It should not exceed five pages in length.

B. The objective is to provide a document that future biologists – many decades from now and naïve to this effort – will be able to understand. It should answer the question, “Who did what – where, when, how, and why – and what were the outcomes?”

C. The desired resolution of maps is as rough as possible while allowing the reader to easily identify the activity status of each cluster on the Forest. Maps should include common landmarks such as labeled roads, streams, and water bodies and clusters should be symbolized to illustrate which are newly discovered (previously unknown) and active, which are known and active, and which are known and inactive.

D. Relevant appendices include any summaries of information that would be useful to RCW management on the Forest. For example, an appendix that lists the RCW trees that have missing tags would be useful.

ITEM #1: RCW Cluster and Tree Inventory:

The following work will occur on an annual basis. All data will be recorded in Field Maps (an ArcGIS application), in a specific Field Map provided by staff of the Croatan National Forest.

1. Monitor 100% of known RCW trees during the nesting season (April 01 thru July 31).

2. Search for existing, unknown RCW trees within a 750 ft. radius of all known RCW trees during the nesting season.

3. Create a new record for all newly discovered RCW trees and clusters, including GPS coordinates.

The local USFS wildlife biologist will provide tags and instructions on naming/ID conventions.

4. Record the following data for each RCW tree, existing or newly discovered:

a. Date and time of observation.

b. Tree ID.

i. Enter this data for newly discovered trees. Confirm correct # for existing trees.

ii. For newly discovered trees, attach a new unique-identifying tag to the tree, and attach the tag so that it is on the same imaginary line as the cavity entrance.

iii. If an existing tree has an ID number in the geodatabase but does not have a tag during field inspection, describe that information in the comments and note that information in an appendix in the end-of-season report.

c. Cavity Type (natural, insert, drilled start, drilled cavity). Enter for newly discovered trees, confirm for existing trees.

d. Tree Species. Enter for newly discovered trees, confirm for existing trees.

e. Cavity Status (active, inactive).

f. Competitors (none, flying squirrel, alpha code for the bird species [e.g., PIWO = pileated woodpecker], or other…if “other,” then add details in comments.)

g. Crown Status (fully alive; partially alive; standing dead tree; fallen tree).

h. Install Restrictor Plate (yes, no). Record “yes” if cavity shows signs of competition from non-RCW species.

i. Replace Cavity Insert (yes, no). Record “yes” if necessary to replace insert.

j. Comments (optional).

5. Record the following data for each RCW cluster, existing or newly discovered:

a. Percent Midstory Cover. Estimate the percent midstory cover within the cluster.

i. What percentage of forest floor would have a shadow cast on it at high noon by vegetation that is 5’-20’ tall and within a 30’ radius of the tree?

ii. Objective is to gather information to determine which trees require mechanical treatment before applying prescribed fire.

b. Percent Understory Cover. Estimate the percent cover of grasses, forbs, mosses, and other non-tree/non-shrub vegetation within the cluster.

c. Invasive plants present within eyesight. List which invasive plant species you detect.

Local staff will provide a field guide if necessary.

i. Objective is to share information with local staff to inform invasive plant management activities. Only record as often as necessary to guide a botanist to the site of an invasive plant population (i.e., no need to record this data for adjoining clusters that intersect the same invasive plant population).

d. Feral swine sign present within eyesight. Yes or no. Local staff will show examples of feral swine sign if necessary.

i. Objective is to share information with local staff to inform invasive swine management activities. Only record as often as necessary to guide a biologist to the site of a single group of invasive swine.

e. Comments (optional).

ITEM #2: RCW Group Checks (must be done during RCW nesting season, April 01 thru July 31):

1. Monitor 100% of known RCW clusters and survey to determine potential breeding groups (Follow RCW recovery plan 3A. population monitoring guidelines)

a. Nest checks in active clusters using peeper cameras until nesting is observed

i. Conducted over 7-11 days until nesting is detected

ii. Once a nest is detected notify USFS Biologist or Forest Service POC

b. Morning follows in active clusters when no nesting is observed

2. For each RCW group, existing or newly discovered, conduct at least one group status check.

a. During each group status check event, record:

i. Group ID.

ii. Group status

1. Potential breeding group

2. Solitary Male

3. Captured Cluster

iii. Date and time of observation.

iv. Method used. Use one or more of the following methods:

1. Morning follow.

2. Nest Check.

3. Use the above information to

a. Create a shapefile that describes the status of each group.

b. Inform tables, figures, and maps for the end-of-year report, with particular focus on a summary of this year’s group status and trends in group status over time.

ITEM #3: Project-Level RCW Inventory General Description: This item entails conducting project-level RCW inventories in exact accordance with the survey protocol as described in the most current version of the RCW Recovery Plan. As of 2024, the most recent protocol is described on Appendix 4 (“Survey Protocol,” pgs. 288-290) of the 2003 Revised RCW Recovery Plan. See the attachment, “2018 NCDOT RCW Survey Protocol Guidance,” for useful guidance on implementing the protocol.

The specific areas to conduct the survey protocol will be determined, but in general, they will consist of forest stands of varying age and size classes that meet the definition of foraging habitat or suitable habitat per the survey protocol. Survey areas will range in size from approximately 2,000-20,000 acres, depending on the project.

Item #3A: See general description above. This would apply to the Timber 101 project area. See attached maps and shapefiles.

Item #3B: Same as #3A, but applies to the North Little Project area.

Item #3C. Same as #3A, but applies to an unknown area of approximately 10,000 acres on the Croatan National Forest. Exact project boundaries TBD in 2025 or later.

ITEM #4: Painting and Tagging RCW Trees

This item entails the following tasks:

1. Paint newly identified RCW trees.

2. Re-paint existing RCW trees if more than 20% of the previous painting has deteriorated and a cavity or cavity start still exists.

3. Painting and re-painting shall entail:

a. First removing enough exterior bark to create a smoother surface and a longer-lasting paint job. Remove a minimal amount of bark, and do not kill the tree.

b. Paint an 8”-wide band around the circumference of the tree at the tallest height manageable by the painter.

c. Paint to be used will be white in color and have an estimated durability of 5-7 years

d. Check all cavity trees to insure they are properly tagged with the corresponding number on the supplied inventory.

4. Black-out painting (painting black paint over white paint) shall occur for trees that do not have an existing cavity or cavity start AND are part of an inactive cluster.

5. Tagging shall occur according to the following conventions:

a. Tags to be used will be 1.25inch diameter round aluminum unnumbered tags.

b. Nails to be used shall be made of tin.

c. Stamp tags showing the Cluster ID and corresponding cavity tree number.

d. Ensure that all new cavity trees are tagged with the next available number (e.g., if the last tree recorded was # 9, then the next new tree would be # 10).

e. If tag is missing or improper number is present, place a correctly numbered tag on the cavity tree. Place the tag in line with the cavity entrance.

PART II - SECTION G- CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION

G.1- GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY

A. The USFS will provide the official Field Maps map and instructions to be used for recording the coordinates, ID, and other information about newly identified cavity trees.

B. On request and as Croatan NF staff are willing/able, USFS may supply printed maps, shapefiles, and/or Avenza maps to aid with field work.

G.2. INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

A. Inspection and acceptance will be performed by USFS personnel.