USDA-NRCS-2-10.pdf

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

SOLICITATION NUMBER: USDA-NRCS-2-10

USDA NRI & WRP CONTRACT

& DIGITAL STUDY

AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY SERVICES

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

FARM SERVICE AGENCY

AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY FIELD OFFICE

NOTICE TO PROSPECTIVE OFFERORS:

This RFP is for a firm, fixed-price single year contract covering FY 2010. The RFP has two (2) elements: Aerial Photographic Film Acquisition and a Direct Digital Orthorectified Imagery Acquisition. Offerors are cautioned that selected areas shall require both film and direct digital acquisition.

Any proposal submitted in response to this solicitation must be presented in two parts, a pricing proposal and a technical proposal. See Section L for proposal preparation instructions.

This procurement for nationwide National Resources Inventory (NRI) and Wetland Reserve Program (WRP) aerial photography is designed to promote economy and efficiency of image acquisition by providing offerors flexibility in the selection of their area of interest and quantity of sites proposed.

This RFP is subject to the Availability of Funds Clause (FAR 52.232-18), See Section G-12, Page 38.

NOTICE TO OFFEROR

Any proposal submitted for this RFP must be identified with the following information labeled on the outside of the mailing package:

SOL.NO: USDA-NRCS-2-10

DUE DATE: 22-JAN-2010, 2:00 PM

RECEIVING OFFICE:CONTRACTING

Mail To: AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY FIELD OFFICE

CONTRACTING OFFICER

2222 WEST 2300 SOUTH

SALT LAKE CITY UTAH 84119-2020

The complete text of any or all clauses referenced herein may be obtained by submitting a request, identifying this solicitation number, to the Contracting Officer, USDA, FSA, Aerial Photography Field Office, 2222 West 2300 South, Salt Lake City, Utah 84119-2020. Complete copies of the FAR in loose-leaf or CFR form may be purchased from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington D.C. 20402.

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Part I – The Schedule P a g e | 2

SECTION B – SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS USDA-NRCS-2-10

PART I - THE SCHEDULE

SECTION B - SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS

B-1 AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY SERVICES

Furnish aerial photography services and related supplies in accordance with the requirements, specifications, terms, conditions, clauses, and provisions specified herein.

1.1 Contract Pricing Proposal – Project 1, Continental United States (CONUS) NRI/ WRP

PROJECT 1 - 2010 CONUS AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY AND SCANS OF

NATIONAL RESOURCES INVENTORY (NRI) SITES AND

WETLAND RESERVE PROGRAM (WRP) EXPOSURES

COMPANY NAME: AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE:

PROJECT 1 - PRICING PROPOSAL

TOTAL QUANTITY OF

SITES/EXPOSURES/SCANS UNIT UNIT PRICE TOTAL AMOUNT

NRI SITE

AND SCAN $ $

WRP EXP

GRAND TOTAL $

PRICING PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS:

In the space provided below, or on a separate paper, or delineated on a map, indicate by state(s) the NRI sites and WRP exposures proposed in your offer. You must confirm your proposed state(s) by marking the appropriate boxes on the next page, Section 1.1 Contract Pricing Proposal – Project 1, CONUS NRI/WRP – continued, (a) State Description, Quantities, and Check List.

PLEASE NOTE: The minimum unit of offer is a complete state including all NRI sites, WRP exposures, and associated scans within that state. The minimum unit of offer also includes the direct digital imagery required for any state included in your offer (See paragraph B-1.1(b) and Project 4 for direct digital states). Please see Option Item 1, paragraph B-1.5 for orthorectification of film based imagery for the related digital NRI sites.

Part I – The Schedule P a g e | 3

1.1

Contract Pricing Proposal – Project 1, CONUS NRI/WRP - continued

(a) State Description, Quantities, and Check List

The following are state NRI site and WRP exposure quantities for the 2010 CONUS requirements. Please mark the appropriate space provided below (Check Box) next to the state(s) you are offering in your task order proposal. A brief description of your proposed area is required in Section 1.1, of the previous page. Some WRP exposure quantities are estimates.

Final quantities will be provided prior to contract award.

CHECK NRI WRP TOTAL

BOX STATE SITES EXPS (SITES + EXPS)

[ ] ALABAMA 1,400 74 1,474

[ ] ARIZONA 580 21 601

[ ] ARKANSAS 1,399 1315 2,714

[ ] CALIFORNIA 2,023 558 2,581

[ ] COLORADO 1,649 363* 2,012*

[ ] CONNECTICUT 454 1 455

[ ] DELAWARE 290 18 308

[ ] FLORIDA 1,938 820* 2,758*

[ ] GEORGIA 1,600 128* 1,728*

[ ] IDAHO 1,599 97* 1,696*

[ ] ILLINOIS 2,200 930* 3,130*

[ ] INDIANA 1,500 612* 2,112*

[ ] IOWA 1,749 1,456 3,205

[ ] KANSAS 1,975 159* 2,134*

[ ] KENTUCKY 1,450 171* 1,621*

[ ] LOUSIANA 2,049 1,610 3,659

[ ] MAINE 688 5 693

[ ] MARYLAND & DC 1,028 48 1,076

[ ] MASSACHUSETTS 612 13 625

[ ] MICHIGAN 2,061 401* 2,462*

[ ] MINNESOTA 2,350 808* 3,158*

[ ] MISSISSIPPI 1,700 1681* 3,381*

[ ] MISSOURI 2,125 1,305 3,430

[ ] MONTANA 1,474 270* 1,744*

[ ] NEBRASKA 1,700 505* 2,205*

Quantities with an asterisk (*) are estimates.

CHECK NRI WRP TOTAL

BOX STATE SITES EXPS (SITES+EXPS)

[ ] NEVADA 699 2 701

[ ] NEW HAMPSHIRE 500 11 511

[ ] NEW JERSEY 600 36 636

[ ] NEW MEXICO 1,375 10* 1,385*

[ ] NEW YORK 1,689 441* 2,130*

[ ] NORTH CAROLINA 1,572 299* 1,871*

[ ] NORTH DAKOTA 1,999 470* 2,469*

[ ] OHIO 1,670 214* 1,884*

[ ] OKLAHOMA 1,550 366 1,916

[ ] OREGON 1,274 287 1,561

[ ] PENNSYLVANIA 1,800 59 1,859

[ ] RHODE ISLAND 290 1 291

[ ] SOUTH CAROLINA 1,249 620* 1,869*

[ ] SOUTH DAKOTA 1,825 883* 2,708*

[ ] TENNESSEE 1,550 239* 1,789*

[ ] TEXAS 4,798 459 5,257

[ ] UTAH 797 119 916

[ ] VERMONT 550 17 567

[ ] VIRGINIA 1,748 28 1,776

[ ] WASHINGTON 1,365 238* 1,603*

[ ] WEST VIRGINIA 826 15 841

[ ] WISCONSIN 1,833 506* 2,339*

[ ] WYOMING 924 33* 957*

TOTAL NRI SITES: 70,076 – CONUS

Actual quantities will be finalized prior to contract award.

TOTAL WRP EXPS: 18,722* – CONUS

Project 1 GRAND TOTAL: 88,798* – CONUS

(b)

Correlation Between Analog Film and Direct Digital States (NRI only):

(1) In states where the Direct Digital Imagery is to be acquired, any proposal submitted shall be for all imagery (aerial film and direct digital) for that state. The offeror shall either have or have available equipment to acquire both film and digital imagery.

(2) The direct digital imagery sites shall be acquired within 14 days of the film acquisition of the corresponding sites.

Part I – The Schedule P a g e | 4

1.2

Contract Pricing Proposal – Project 2, Hawaii NRI/WRP

PROJECT 2 - 2010 HAWAII AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY AND SCANS OF

NATIONAL RESOURCES INVENTORY (NRI) SITES AND

WETLAND RESERVE PROGRAM (WRP) EXPOSURES

COMPANY NAME: AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE:

PROJECT 2 - PRICING PROPOSAL

TOTAL QUANTITY OF

SITES/EXPOSURES/SCANS UNIT UNIT PRICE TOTAL AMOUNT

NRI SITES

NRI SITE

AND SCAN $ $

WRP EXPOSURES

WRP EXP

Enter your proposed unit price and total amount in the spaces provided above. PLEASE NOTE: The minimum unit of offer is the complete state including all NRI Sites, WRP Exposure(s), and associated scans.

1.3

Contract Pricing Proposal – Project 3, Puerto Rico & US Virgin Islands (NRI only)

PROJECT 3 - 2010 PUERTO RICO AND US VIRGIN ISLANDS

AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY AND SCANS OF

NATIONAL RESOURCES INVENTORY (NRI) SITES

COMPANY NAME: AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE:

PROJECT 3 - PRICING PROPOSAL

TOTAL QUANTITY OF

SITES/SCANS UNIT UNIT PRICE TOTAL AMOUNT

450 NRI SITE

Enter your proposed unit price and total amount in the spaces provided above. PLEASE NOTE: The minimum unit of offer is all NRI Sites, including scans, within Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands project areas.

Part I – The Schedule P a g e | 5

1.4 Contract Pricing Proposal – Project 4, CONUS Direct Digital Ortho (NRI only)

PROJECT 4 - 2010 CONUS DIRECT DIGITAL ORTHO-RECTIFIED IMAGERY OF

NATIONAL RESOURCES INVENTORY (NRI) SITES

COMPANY NAME: AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE:

PROJECT 4 - PRICING PROPOSAL

TOTAL QUANTITY OF SITES UNIT UNIT PRICE TOTAL AMOUNT

SITE $ $

GRAND TOTAL $

In the space provided below, or on a separate paper, or delineated on a map, indicate by state(s) the NRI sites proposed in your offer. You must confirm your proposed state(s) by marking the appropriate box(es) below. PLEASE NOTE: The minimum unit of offer is a complete state including all NRI Sites and associated orthorectified images within that state. See Section C-8 for orthorectification requirements.

The offered direct digital state(s) have a direct correlation with the CONUS film based NRI sites in Project

1. See paragraph (b) below.

(a) State Description, Quantities, and Check List

The following are state NRI site quantities for the 2010 CONUS Direct Digital Orthorectification requirement. Please mark the appropriate space provided below (Check Box) next to the state(s) you are offering in your task order proposal. A brief description of your proposed area is required in Section 1.4, of the previous page. PLEASE NOTE: The minimum unit of offer is a complete state or area listed below including all NRI Sites within that state or area.

CHECK BOX STATE SITES

[ ] ALABAMA 17

[ ] IOWA 73

[ ] KANSAS 204

[ ] MINNESOTA 247

[ ] MISSISSIPPI 303

[ ] MISSOURI 116

[ ] MONTANA 320

[ ] NEW YORK 82

[ ] OREGON 321

[ ] PENNSYLVANIA 317

TOTAL NRI SITES 2,000

Part I – The Schedule P a g e | 6

Correlation Between Analog Film and Direct Digital States (NRI only):

(1) In states where the Direct Digital Imagery is to be acquired, any proposal submitted shall be for all imagery (aerial film and direct digital) for that state. The offeror shall either have or have available equipment to acquire both film and digital imagery.

(2) The direct digital imagery sites shall be acquired within 14 days of the film acquisition of the corresponding sites.

1.5 Contract Pricing Proposal – Orthorectification of Film Based Imagery – Option Item 1

OPTION ITEM 1- ORTHORECTIFICATION of FILM BASED IMAGERY

COMPANY NAME: AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE:

TOTAL QUANTITY OF ORTHOS UNIT UNIT PRICE TOTAL AMOUNT

ORTHO $ $

Instructions: Provide pricing based on quantities from roll film at a resolution that results in a 15 cm GSD orthophoto. This option is designed for the orthorectification of the NRI film sites co-acquired with the same direct digital sites. However, this option may be applied to any NRI film site. Please refer to Section C-8 Digital Orthorectification for the specifications for this option.

1.6 Contract Performance Period

The contract performance period for issuance of contracts for the acquisition and delivery of NRI/WRP aerial photography is: Date of Award through December 31, 2010.

1.7 Confidentiality Statement

Site locations of the National Resources Inventory (NRI) are “For Official Use Only” and shall remain confidential. Site locations, represented in either hardcopy or digital form, are available exclusively for use by government authorized personnel conducting resource inventory activities or other authorized use.

Before release of exact site locations, offerors must agree to, by signature, the non-disclosure statements contained herein and submit with proposal. (See Exhibit 6, Non-Disclosure Agreement and Section C-1.1(d) Confidentiality Agreement

1.8 Intended Use of Photography

The primary use of the aerial photography is for photo interpretation, area and point delineation, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) measurements in support of multiple natural resource management and inventory programs.

Part I – The Schedule P a g e | 7

B-2 NRI & WRP PROJECT REQUIREMENTS

2.0

NATIONAL RESOURCES INVENTORY (NRI) PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

The general scope of this task order is to procure vertical, high resolution, natural color aerial photography and associated digital scans for inventories of natural resources managed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The NRI imagery shall be used by NRCS to collect and measure natural resource data by means of photo interpretation and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technologies.

Within each sample, data is collected on land cover and use, soil erosion, prime farmland, wetlands, and characteristics of other natural resources.

2.1 Location of Work

The 2010 NRI Program covers a sample of 70,076 NRI Sites located in the 48 conterminous states, 375 Sites in Hawaii, and 450 Sites in Puerto Rico/US Virgin Islands as previously identified. Please refer to Exhibit 2, 2010 NRI Locations, and Attachment E, FY2010 Oversized NRI Site Location Maps

2.2

Contract Deliverables

The deliverables for the 2010 NRI site film acquisition consist of the following:

(a) One (1) original color positive film transparency of each NRI site, cut and sleeved

(b) One (1) digital scan of each transparency

(c) One (1) orthorectified image of each transparency with associated metadata

**ONLY IF OPTION 1 IS EXERCIZED**

(d) Scan Data File(s) for scanned imagery

(e) Packing slip(s) completed as instructed. See Exhibit 5.

Only one (1) aerial film image and its associated scan shall be provided for each of the NRI Sites identified in the exposure data that will be provided by the government.

2.3

Size of NRI Sample Sites

Nationally, the nominal size of a NRI sample site is approximately 160 acres (1/4 square mile). Exceptions to the nominal size include:

(a) The 13 Northeastern states where the site size is 20 seconds of latitude by 30 seconds of longitude. This corresponds to a size from approximately 97 acres in Maine to 113 acres in Virginia. In Louisiana the NRI Site size is 500 meters by 500 meters, or 61.8 acres.

(b) Various western states have 40 acre sites of irrigated areas and 640 acre sites of relatively homogeneous areas containing large tracts of range, forest, or barren land.

(c) Other exceptions also exist, with some NRI Sites either being larger than 640 acres or smaller than 40 acres.

2.4 Project Flight Plan Description – NRI Sites

(a) All NRI Sites of 500 acres or less (300 acres or less in California and Missouri; 200

Part I – The Schedule P a g e | 8 acres in UT) shall be flown at flight altitudes designed to achieve a nominal photographic scale of 1:7,920, with the nominal flight altitude above ground of 1,207 meters (3,960 feet) with a 6” focal length lens.

(b) For oversize NRI Sites of 500 acres or more, (300 acres in CA, KS, or MO; 200 acres in UT) the nominal photographic scale is 1:12,000, with the nominal flight altitude above ground elevation of 1,829 meters (6,000 feet). For oversize NRI Sites greater than 900 acres within the conterminous 48 states, the nominal photographic scale is 1:15,840, with the nominal flight altitude above ground elevation of 2,414 meters

(7,920 feet). There are approximately 1,338 over-size NRI Sites located in the following states:

STATE

QUANTITY

MIN. ACRES

MAX ACRES

CALIFORNIA

KANSAS

MISSOURI

NEBRASKA

NEW MEXICO

SOUTH DAKOTA

UTAH

WYOMING

TOTAL QUANTITY

1,338

(c) Deviation from the specified flight altitude shall not exceed 2% low or 3% high.

See County NRI Site Location Description listing for minimum and maximum ground elevations (Attachment B).

(d) NRI Site Flight Requirements:

(1) Flight Orientation: North - South or East - West

(2) Allowable Horizontal Deviation from Site Centroid: 109 meters (356 feet).

(3) The NRI Site Centroids shall be identified by latitude - longitude coordinates based on NAD 1983, and expressed in decimal degrees with five (5) decimal places of precision (31.50255, 87.10906).

2.5

WETLAND RESERVE PROGRAM (WRP) REQUIREMENTS

The general scope of this task order is to procure vertical, high resolution, natural color aerial photography and associated digital scans to monitor wetland protection and restoration efforts on WRP conservation easement lands. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) shall use the imagery collected to monitor the areas by means of photo interpretation, change detection and use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technologies. Within each area, data is collected on wetland restoration, recreational uses, land cover and use, structures, and characteristics of other natural resources.

2.6 Location of Work

The 10,306 easement areas are covered by approximately 18,722 WRP Exposures in the conterminous states and two (2) exposures in HI. The WRP Exposures share the same photo periods as the 2010 NRI portion of this RFP. Please refer to Exhibit 3, 2010 Wetland

Part I – The Schedule P a g e | 9

Reserve Easement Locations.

2.7

Contract Deliverables

The deliverables for this Task Order consist of the following:

(a) One (1) original color positive film transparency of each WRP exposure, cut and sleeved

(b) One (1) digital scan of each transparency

(c) Scan Data File(s) for scanned imagery.

(d) Packing slip(s) completed as instructed. See Exhibit 5.

2.8

Size of Easements

The easements range in size from one (1) acre to as much as 15,382 acres and may require from one exposure to multiple exposures to provide required photographic coverage.

2.9 Project Flight Plan Description – WRP Exposures

(a) All WRP Areas shall be flown at flight altitudes designed to achieve a nominal photographic scale of 1:7,920, with the nominal flight altitude above ground of 1,207 meters (3,960 feet) with a 6” focal length lens. Deviation from the specified flight altitude shall not exceed 2% low or 3% high. Elevations for each of the WRP areas/exposures will be provided upon award

(b) The Government will provide the official flight plans indicating centroid locations of all exposures with flight line data covering the WRP Easement Areas. The official flight plan data will be provided in a set of shapefiles. The flight plans have been designed to provide physical coverage of each of the easements. Physical coverage is defined as coverage of each easement with at least 20% sidelap and 20% endlap where more than one (1) image is required. In addition to complete coverage of each easement, a minimum buffer zone of 1,320 feet, (402 meters) or (1/4 mile) is included beyond the actual boundary.

(c) The Government will provide a shape file identifying the WRP Easement boundaries covering the 10,306 individual easements that are associated with this project.

(d) Area Flight Plan Specifications:

(1) Flight Orientation: Preferred – North - South or East – West.

Note: There are areas that require non-preferred (diagonal) flight orientation. Such non-preferred orientation has been kept to the minimum practicable.

(2) The WRP Exposure Centroids within any state will be identified by county FIPS, program (WRP) and the individual centroid number. Their location is provided in latitude – longitude coordinates based on NAD 1983, and expressed in decimal degrees with six (6) decimal places of precision (31.502550, -87.109067).

(3) The Exposure Centroid Numbers [Photo_ID(s)] have been assigned by NRCS and begin at one (1) in each individual county. The numbering may not be consecutive within that county.

(4) A shapefile containing the individual flight lines for any state will be provided to assist in identifying and orienting the flight lines for that state. Flight line numbering begins at one (1) in each individual state, and continues consecutively.

Part I – The Schedule P a g e | 10

B-3 GENERAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

3.1 Nominal Photographic Scales:

(a) Standard Scales: 1:4,000 to 1:15,840. Predominately 1:7,920 scale.

(b) Non-Standard Scales: 1:24,000 to 1:40,000, as required.

(c) Required non-standard scale(s) will be specified where needed.

3.2 Approximate Photographic Periods:

(a)

First Photo Period

Nearly all states and territories contain one or more counties with front-end extended photographic acquisition periods. These first photo period areas are designed to allow earlier photo acquisition windows for non-agricultural terrain. The First Photo Period ends when the State Photo Period(s) begins. See Exhibit 1, 2010 State Photo Periods

State Photo Periods

There are 26 separate photographic acquisition periods, covering 48 United States, that are designed to capture specific crop types during their prime growing season. These photo periods generally follow state boundaries (with exceptions in CA, NV, and TX) and range between the dates of March 1 through September 30, 2009. Five (5) states have identified ‘Priority’ counties. These counties shall be flown before other counties within each of the states as ground and weather conditions permit. NRI Sites with elevations above 2,438 meters (8,000 feet) have been assigned an allowable alternate flying season of August 1, through September 30, 2010 where remaining snow below the timberline will be considered acceptable. Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands may be flown within the task order performance period (Date of Award through December 31, 2010) as ground and weather conditions permit. See Exhibit 1, 2010 State Photo Periods

(c) See Section F-5, Performance of the Work.

3.3 Minimum Sun Angle: 30 Degrees, unless otherwise indicated in the contract.

3.4 Aerial Film Camera:

(a) Lens Focal Length(s).

(1) Nominal Lens Focal Length: 6 inch (153mm);

(2) Other Lens Focal Length: 8¼ inch (210mm) and 12 inch (305mm).

(b) Filter: Antivignetting and additional filters specified by individual task order(s).

(c) See Attachment A, USDA Aerial Camera Specifications.

3.5 Aerial Film:

(a) Aerial Film: Color Positive Aerial Film (Brand Names: Kodak Aerochrome III MS

Film 2427, Agfa Aviphot Chrome 200 PEI, or equivalent).

(1) Every film transparency shall be cut to the following dimensions:

(i) Maximum Length: 25.4 cm (10 inches) long,

(ii) Standard Film Width: 24.1 cm (9.5 inches) wide, Part I – The Schedule P a g e | 11

(2) The uniform cut-film dimensions are designed to standardize the film transparency storage requirements.

(b) See Section C-5, Aerial Film.

3.6 Film Titling:

(a) Every exposure shall be titled in accordance with the format and instructions specified herein.

(b) Agency Designators: USDA-NRCS.

(c) Site Identification Codes for the 1): NRI Sites and 2): WRP Exp Centroid names will be provided upon award.

(d) Automatic electronic titling may be permitted upon Contracting Officer's approval.

(e) See Section C-6, Titling of Aerial Photography.

3.7 Aerial Film Scanning:

(a) The general requirement for film scanning is 40 microns, approximately 600 dots per inch (DPI) using a photogrammetric quality scanner.

(b) The scans are to be delivered as Tagged Image Format File(s) (.tif(s)) on media indicated. Refer to Section C-7, Aerial Photography Scanning.

3.8 Aerial Film Orthorectification:

(a) The general requirement is for digital orthorectification of the scanned aerial photography. National Standards for Spatial Data Accuracy shall apply. Refer to Section C-8, Digital Orthorectification.

(b) The output resolution of the imagery shall be approximately 600 DPI (dots per inch or pixels per inch.) The orthorectified imagery is to be delivered in Geo-referenced, Tagged Image Format Files (GeoTIFFs; .tif) on media indicated.

(c) For NRI sites where direct digital orthoimagery is also obtained, the aerial film shall be scanned and orthorectified to produce the same ground sample distance (GSD) as the direct digital orthoimagery which is 15 cm. The orthoimagery obtained from the aerial film shall be an 8 bit 3-Band product.

3.9 Direct Digital Sensors:

(a) The general requirement for this item is for a sensor capable of acquiring a standard NRI Site (160 acres square) in one pass (one flight line) at the required ground sample distance of 15 cm. The imagery is to be provided as a digitally orthorectified 8 bit 4- Band product with no more that 4 meters of offset from any absolute ground point.

Refer to Section C-8, Digital Orthorectification.

(b) The orthorectified image shall be delivered as a single file covering the entire site with a nominal ¼ mile buffer. The nominal ¼ mile buffer may be adjusted if necessary to achieve the requirement of a single-pass acquisition. This adjustment will require approval of the Contracting Officer. The image may be mosaicked if necessary and all chips shall not have more than ±3 pixels offset between them and the principal chip. The orthorectified imagery is to be delivered in Geo-referenced, Tagged Image Format Files (GeoTiff’s; .tif) on the media specified.

4.0 Photographic Operations

Part I – The Schedule P a g e | 12

(a) Air Space Clearance:

(1) This Contract Project Area may contain areas of controlled or restricted airspace. USDA will provide a letter describing the contract program to assist in gaining access to any controlled or restricted airspace.

(2) It is the responsibility of the Contractor to obtain all approvals necessary to assure that specified altitudes are achieved.

(3) See Section H-1, for instructions for Permits and Clearances.

(b) Terrain Conditions:

(1) Photography must be secured when neither snow nor flooding obscures the ground.

(2) See Section C-3, Photographic Conditions.

(c) Progress Reports:

(1) A Progress Report is required for each day progress is made in acquiring project photography.

(2) Progress Reports shall be transmitted by e-mail following each day of progress.

E-mail addresses are indicated on the form.

(3) Progress reports shall be submitted in an ASCII Text format.

(4) See Sections F-5.2 and G-4 for instructions and Section J, Exhibit 5 for sample

5.0

GOVERNMENT-FURNISHED PROPERTY

Pursuant to the Government-Furnished Property (GFP) clause (see Section I-2 of the contract) the Government shall furnish the item(s) of property listed below as GFP to the Contractor.

5.1

Exposure Data – NRI Sites

The Contractor will be furnished upon award, one (1) data text file containing the official Exposure Data and one (1) shapefile set showing the centroid location and boundary of each NRI site. The data text file contains latitude/longitude coordinates and NRI site identification data. The following data shall be furnished by the government as represented by the following sample data set (not actual site locations):

State County Poly-id Number Latitude Longitude Elev(Ft) Acres Start 10 End 10 Priority AL Autauga 01035_040402R 32.38066 -86.66086 308 171.345 20100601 20100630 CT Hartford 09003_080402R 42.01980 -72.83128 446 102.622 20100701 20100815 IN Grant 18053_020102R 40.44244 -85.86891 846 159.695 20100701 20100930 SC York 45091_010101R 34.86437 -81.42939 499 158.527 20100515 20100731 Priority

The shapefile set contains the standard ESRI files (.dbf, .prj, .sbn, .sbx, .shp, and .shx.)

5.2

Exposure and Flight Line Data – WRP Project

The Contractor will be furnished upon award the following data:

Part I – The Schedule P a g e | 13

(a) 2010 WRP Area Easement Locations (.pdf & .jpg) – a reference map of the project in

.PDF & .JPG formats.

(b) CNTY100KCOAST – Authoritative County Shapefile Set (.dbf, .prj, .sbn, .sbx, .shp, and .shx files)

(c) STATE100KCOAST – Authoritative State Shapefile Set (.dbf, .prj, .sbn, .sbx, .shp, and

.shx files)

(d) wrp_10_sample – the shapefile set (.dbf, .prj, .sbn, .sbx, .shp, and .shx files) which outlines the individual easement areas of this task order.

(e) 2010_wrp_(State Abbreviation)_fln – the shapefile set (.dbf, .prj, .shp, .shx and .txt files) which identifies the flight lines that have been assigned to this task order. The .txt file is a tab delimited text file which identifies the beginning and ending points of each of the flight lines, their nominal elevation above mean ground level, the nominal focal length of the lens in millimeters and the nominal scale of the imagery. The beginning and ending points are in degrees, minutes, seconds, and decimal seconds carried out to three (3) significant decimal places.

(f) 2010_WRP_Centroids – a folder containing the shapefile set (.dbf, .prj, .sbn, .sbx, .shp, and .shx files) which identifies the location and photo ID of every exposure associated with the 2010 WRP project. The .dbf file – us_rfp_wrp_10.dbf – indicates the state, county, photo ID, latitude, longitude, elevation in feet, flying season start and end, and whether it is in a priority county.

5.3 Packing Slips

Packing slips shall be provided for each state at time of award. These contain a listing by state and county of the quantities of NRI Sites and WRP exposures associated with each state. The instructions for filling them out are included in the header for the slip. See Exhibit 5, Packing Slip.

6.0 Non-Discrimination Statement

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its program and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of Discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720- 6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Part I – The Schedule P a g e | 14

SECTION C – DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/WORK STATEMENT USDA-NRCS-2-10

SECTION C - DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/WORK STATEMENT

C–1 SCOPE OF CONTRACT

The general scope of this contract is to procure vertical, high resolution, natural color or color infrared aerial photography for management and inventories of natural resources and other uses by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The aerial photography and digital imagery shall be used by USDA agencies for interpretative analysis and extraction of data by means of photo interpretation and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technologies. The data collected includes land cover and use, soil erosion, prime farmland, forest resources, wetlands, and characteristics of other natural resources.

1.1 Introduction

The contractor is responsible for furnishing vertical, high resolution, aerial photography and related deliverables in accordance with the requirements, specifications, terms, and conditions specified herein.

(a) Technical Requirements and Specifications.

The technical requirements and specifications of this contract are described in Section C which defines the essential elements in securing high quality photography. Any deviation from the specifications stated herein may cause increased time and effort in using the imagery as intended.

(b) Delivery and Performance.

The delivery and performance requirements are described in Section F. All material shall be shipped within the time limits and to the place of delivery specified herein.

Performance of the contract shall be authorized and monitored by the Contracting Officer and/or the Contracting Officer's Representative.

(c) Quality Control.

Quality control shall be exercised by the Contractor continuously throughout the performance of the contract. Procedures shall be established to assure that all aerial photography and related materials are delivered in accordance with the delivery schedule and at the required level of accuracy and quality. The Contractor shall acquire immediate reflights of any photography where coverage or quality fails to meet minimum requirements of the contract specifications. USDA inspection and acceptance procedures are described in Section E.

(d) Confidentiality Agreement.

It is USDA policy that site locations of the National Resources Inventory (NRI) program are “for official use only” and shall remain confidential. Site locations, represented in either hardcopy or digital form, are available exclusively for use by government authorized personnel conducting resource inventory activities or other authorized use. Before release of exact site locations, offerors must agree to, by

Part I – The Schedule P a g e | 15 signature, the non-disclosure statements contained in Exhibit ??? and submitted with the offer.

1.2 Location of Work

The NRI Sites for 2010 cover the conterminous 48 states, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Data is collected over approximately 300,000 randomly located NRI Sites. Each year a subset of approximately 70,000 NRI Sites will be inventoried. The WRP Easement Areas may be found in any of the conterminous 48 states and Hawaii. This RFP covers 10,305 Easement Areas (sites) located in the conterminous United States and one (1) in Hawaii.

1.3 Labor and Materials

The Contractor shall furnish all materials, equipment, transportation, superintendence, and labor as required herein. The Contractor shall execute and finish the aerial photographic services for the project specified and shall deliver to the USDA all materials called for in Section F-1, Materials to be Delivered.

1.4 Size of NRI Sites and WRP Easement Areas

The predominant size of a NRI sample site is approximately 160 acres (1/4 square mile.)

WRP Easement Areas (sites) sizes range from less than one acre to more than 15,382 acres (24 square miles) depending on the specific agreement requirements.

C-2 EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS

Any equipment (aircraft and cameras, in addition to those submitted at the time of the offer) proposed to be used by the Contractor must be approved for use by the Contracting Officer. If the aircraft and camera proposed for use is not owned by the Contractor, a written statement of availability from the owner of the equipment shall be furnished to the Contracting Officer. Refer to Attachment A, USDA Aerial Camera Specifications.

2.2 Aircraft

(a) All aircraft used in the performance of the work under this contract shall be maintained and operated in accordance with all regulations required by the U.S.

Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Aircraft operated in the acquisition of imagery under this contract shall be FAA certified to a service ceiling with operating load (crew, camera, film, oxygen, and other required equipment) of not less than the highest altitude specified in the individual task order.

(b) When the flight plan and location of any item in the proposed coverage falls within positive control airspace, the aircraft must contain the appropriate equipment to operate in such positive-control areas within the purview of the Federal Aviation Regulation.

(c) The design of the aircraft shall be such that when the camera is mounted with all its parts within the outer structure, an unobstructed field of view is obtained. The field of view shall be shielded from the exhaust gases, oil, effluence, and air turbulence.

Part I – The Schedule P a g e | 16

Glass, plastic, or other window material shall not be interposed between the camera or digital image system and the ground to be imaged unless authorized by the Contracting Officer.

2.3 Navigation System

The aircraft shall have an onboard, operational, and integrated Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver with a FAA certified antenna for navigation to sample site centroids and acquisition of aerial photography over the centroid. The GPS shall be able to receive real time differential correction signals where available.

2.4 Laboratory

The Contractor’s laboratory shall be adequately equipped and staffed to facilitate the production of the specified photographic materials or the Contractor shall have access to such facilities.

C-3 PHOTOGRAPHIC CONDITIONS

Photography shall be acquired during conditions when well-defined, high detail images can be resolved. It is preferred that the skies be clear, free from smoke, clouds, cloud shadows, and excessive haze. However, when overcast conditions exist, where cloud cover is uniform without shadow edges, correctly exposed well-defined images shall be acceptable. The ground shall be free from standing water (other than natural or man-made ponds and lakes), flood waters from streams which have overflowed their banks, and wet ground or snow which obscures field, soil, or crop lines.

Due to the overriding need to acquire quality imagery within the specified period, it may be necessary to acquire some images that are outside of the above requirements. Under the assumption that it may not be possible to acquire an image of the site within the required time frame because of weather or extensive ferry time to get back to the site, and an interpretable image can be acquired by deviation from the requirements; the Contractor is permitted to exercise judgment in acquiring images. USDA reserves the right to reject such imagery if it is deemed unusable for data collection.

3.1 Photographic Period

The official photographic acquisition periods are defined in Section ??? Generally, aerial photography acquisition is to be performed during the agricultural growth periods when vegetation has adequate canopy and greatest contrast. The beginning and ending dates of the acquisition periods will vary. Generally, the earliest beginning date is the Date of Award or approximately March 15, and the latest ending date is September 30. The Contracting Officer shall have the right to adjust the acquisition periods based on adverse weather, deviation of crop growth from normal planting and harvest dates, or other program requirements or factors.

3.2 Sun Angle Requirement

USDA desires that images be acquired only during the portion of the day when the sun angle exceeds the minimum of 30 degrees. However, to expedite acquisition within the

Part I – The Schedule P a g e | 17 photo periods, USDA will accept a sun angle of not less than 20 degrees, provided the image does not have excessive shadows that preclude interpretation and data collection.

Exceptions to this requirement shall be specified where/when needed.

3.3 Priorities for Acquiring Project Areas

The Contracting Officer may direct by written order certain areas or sites to be photographed in a priority order, weather and ground conditions permitting. All reasonable effort will be directed to providing a schedule of operations favorable to both the Government and Contractor.

C-4 FLIGHT PLAN REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall obtain vertical, high resolution, natural color, color infrared or black & white aerial photography in accordance with the following technical requirements.

4.1 Project Area(s) To Be Photographed

Each area or site exposure station centroid shall be identified by state, county, or region/area, unique site number, latitude/longitude coordinates, acreage, ground elevation, and acquisition period. USDA will furnish the above in a digital file as a coverage in decimal degrees compatible with Arc Info and ArcView. The site locations shall be indicated by latitude and longitude coordinate system of the North American Datum of 1983. Coordinates shall be expressed in decimal degrees with five (5) decimal places of precision. (Example: latitude 35.75502, longitude -102.37502).

(a) Coverage Requirements. Complete physical or stereoscopic photographic coverage of the site or small area shall be obtained by the Contractor. The image shall be acquired directly over the specified latitude/longitude coordinate of the exposure station centroid. In addition to complete coverage of the site, USDA requires coverage over a buffer zone beyond the actual site boundary. The minimum buffer unless otherwise specified shall be 1,320 feet, (402 meters) or (1/4 mile).

(b) Site/Area Coverage. USDA requires most sites to be on a single frame regardless of the size of the site. Contractor must adjust flight altitudes from the stated 1:7,920 nominal scale, to flight altitudes achieving a 1:12,000, 1:15,840, or smaller scale to ensure complete coverage of the larger sample sites or small area sites on one frame of film. WRP Easement Areas requiring blocked, overlapped aerial photography will have flight line information provided.

(c) Flight Direction. All flights will be oriented in either a North-South or East-West direction, however, the required project titling shall be at the north edge of the image.

Some WRP sites may require non-standard flight line orientations due to the shape and placement of the Easement Areas. These will be specified in the flight line data that will be provided.

4.2 Image Scale and Flight Altitudes

The nominal photographic scale for a Standard NRI Site, which constitutes the majority of the 2010 requirements, is 1:7,920, with the nominal flight altitude above mean ground

Part I – The Schedule P a g e | 18 elevation being 1,207 meters (3,960 feet) with a 6” focal length lens. For other nominal scales and flight altitudes, see table below.

SCALE FLIGHT ALTITUDES

6” Lens 8 ¼” Lens 12” lens 1:4,000 N/A N/A 1,219m (4,000’) 1:7,920 1,207m (3,960’) 1,661m (5,445’) N/A

1:12,000 1,829m (6,000’) 2,515m (8,250’) 3,658m (12,000’) 1:15,840 2,414m (7,920’) 3,319m (10,890’) N/A 1:24,000 3,658m (12,000’) N/A N/A 1:40,000 6,096m (20,000’) N/A N/A

4.3 Deviation From Specified Flight Altitudes

Deviation from the specified flight altitude shall not exceed 2% low or 3% high. For deviation from specified altitudes for nominal scales, see table below.

SCALE DEVIATION FROM SPECIFIED FLIGHT ALTITUDES

2% Low 3% High

1:4,000 24 meters (80 feet) 37 meters (120 feet) 1:7,920 24 meters (80 feet) 37 meters (120 feet)

1:12,000 37 meters (120 feet) 55 meters (180 feet) 1:15,840 48 meters (157 feet) 73 meters (240 feet) 1:24,000 73 meters (240 feet) 110 meters (361 feet) 1:40,000 120 meters (394 feet) 181 meters (594 feet)

This chart uses a six (6) inch lens for all but the 1:4,000 Scale, which uses a 12 inch lens as a standard.

4.4 Horizontal Deviation

Deviation from the specified site exposure station centroid in excess of six (6) percent of a full frame may be cause for rejection of the site.

4.5 Crab

Any photograph crabbed in excess of five degrees (5o) as measured against a North-South orientation, may be cause for rejection.

4.6 Tilt

Exposure made with the optical axis of the camera in a vertical position is desired. Tilt (departure from the vertical) of exposure station exceeding four degrees (4o) may be cause for rejection.

C-5 AERIAL FILM

All aerial film provided for any individual task order shall be from one film type and

Part I – The Schedule P a g e | 19 manufacturer and be purchased by the Contractor. All film for each project item shall be from the same emulsion batch. Extreme care shall be exercised to insure proper exposure and processing of the film to minimize vignetting due to differential exposure. This differential shall not exceed that which would result from a basic ¼ stop difference in exposure. All pertinent exposure information shall be supplied to the processing laboratory. The film shall be processed as soon as possible after exposure to avoid undesirable changes in the latent image.

5.1 Salient Film Characteristics

Only unexpired, fine grained, polyester base film of the type specified in the individual task order(s) shall be used. The film base shall have a nominal thickness of 4 mils and be 24.1cm (9.5 inches) wide. Natural color emulsions shall be sensitive to the entire visible spectrum plus an extended red sensitivity to approximately 720 through 750 nanometers.

5.2 Film Densities – Natural Color Positive Films

The natural color positive film will have a diffuse rms granularity value of 13 or lower (read at a net green diffuse density of 1.0 with a 48-micron aperture). Color emulsions shall be balanced for daylight exposure and the spectral sensitivity will cover the entire visible spectrum to 700 nanometers or greater.

5.3 Image Quality

(a) All film shall be properly exposed and processed according to manufacturer’s specifications. Modified or non-standard processing is not permitted on this contract without prior approval from the Contracting Officer. The film shall be processed in a continuous roller transport processor to achieve consistent and uniform development throughout the roll.

(b) The color film positives shall be of such quality to produce sharp, natural color or color infrared images that provide maximum image detail. All film imagery shall be inspected and evaluated according to established industry standards for general film quality and proper exposure and processing of film.

(c) When required by the Contracting Officer to establish contract standards for color rendition, the Contractor shall supply representative samples of his work for evaluation. If approved, these shall be used as criteria for acceptance or rejection of the contract photographs.

5.4 Physical Properties

(a) All aerial film shall be free of chemicals, stains, tears, scratches, abrasions, watermarks, finger marks, lint, dirt, and other physical defects. The imagery shall be clear and sharp in detail and uniform density. It shall be free from light streaks, static marks, and other defects that would interfere with the intended purpose.

(b) All film shall be thoroughly fixed and washed to insure freedom from chemicals and shall be of archival quality.

(c) Film found to contain an excess of residual chemicals, by testing in accordance with

Part I – The Schedule P a g e | 20 manufacturer’s procedures, may be rejected or returned to the Contractor for refixing and rewashing.

C-6 TITLING OF AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY

6.1 Required Titling

Each exposure shall be clearly titled on the northern edge of the film in accordance with the following format example sketch and required project data:

+ AZ 04001 090901B + 8 USDA-NRCS 06-12-05 +

State Acronym: The two-letter acronym representing the state designation.

State and County FIPS: Number identifying the state and county in accordance with Federal Information Process Standards (FIPS).

Site Identification Number or WRP Exposure Code: The unique site identification, or WRP exposure number specified in the individual project.

Scale: Nominal photographic scale represented by one or two digits to the nearest thousand (8 = 1:7,920, 12 = 1:12,000).

Agency Designator: The acronym of the Government agency the image is being acquired for and used by which is USDA-NRCS.

Date: Month-Day-Year in standard numeric notation (MM-DD-YY).

6.2 Type and Size of Characters and Application

The characters used in titling film shall be standard block lettering 6.35 mm (1/4 inch) high.

They shall be sharp, legible, and uniformly applied with non-flaking black ink. The titling shall be placed on the non-emulsion side of the film and may be applied by use of an ink drawing pen or stamp.

6.3 Location of Titling Characters

Identifying data shall be placed in a line along the northerly edge of the image. Titling shall be positioned so that the characters are 2.5 mm (1/10 inch) from the image edge and no closer than 2.5mm (1/10 inch) to the corner fiducials.

6.4 Automatic Titling Option

The Government may approve the use of automatic labeling/titling systems as a replacement of the standard ink titling. Contractors are required to submit color positive film samples of “auto-labeling” with similar data indicated above including any…