RFQ_Attachment_1_-_Statement_of_Work.pdf

140D0422Q0266 INDIAN CREEK ESR STATEMENT OF WORK SOW Page 1 of 7

STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)

INDIAN CREEK DEER WINTER RANGE EMERGENCY STABILIZATION AND REHABILITATION

05/23/2022

1.0 SCOPE

1.1 INTRODUCTION: The Department of the Interior (DOI) Interior Business Center (IBC) Acquisition

Services Directorate (AQD), on behalf of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), is requesting quotes for vegetation treatment services on selected sites administered by the Vale District. The work consists of applying herbicides to control invasive annual grasses on public lands within the Malheur Field Office following the Fiscal Year (FY) 20 Indian Creek wildfire. The estimated treatment area for this requirement is approximately 4,835 acres.

1.2 APPLICABLE DIRECTIVES: The contractor must hold a current Oregon Commercial Applicator

License for the application of pesticides in the weed control category appropriate for the application type. The Proof of Licensing shall be provided prior to contract award.

1.3 LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION: A location and vicinity map showing the project area in which the treatment units will be located are attached. Please refer to SOW Attachment C - Indian Creek Location and Vicinity Map. Actual acres will be computed from Global Positioning System (GPS) information. The Contractor will not treat areas outside of the three (3) identified work areas identified in the SOW Attachment C.

2.0 ACRONYMS AND GLOSSARY

Adjuvant – An inert material added to a pesticide formulation or tank mix to increase the effectiveness of the active ingredient.

AQD – Acquisition Services Division

Base (reference, control) Station – A GPS receiver set up at a known location; that is, a point whose Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates and elevation are known

BLM – Bureau of Land Management

Chemical (herbicide) treatments – Application by Commercial Pesticide Operator/Applicator, licensed by Department of Agriculture (with Agriculture Herbicide Category), of BLM-requested herbicides to herbaceous or woody plants, as designated by the BLM, using industrial standard application equipment.

COR – Contracting Officer’s Representative

DOI – Department of the Interior

Drift – The movement of airborne particles by air motion or wind away from the intended target area.

ESR – Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation

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GPS – Global Positioning System

IBC – Interior Business Center

Non-Native Invasive Plant- Non-native aggressive plants with potential to cause significant economic losses.

Noxious Weeds – Plants found on the State of Oregon Noxious weed list at https://www.oregon.gov/oda/programs/weeds/pages/aboutweeds.aspx, which may change annually.

PAR – Pesticide Application Record – A legally required record of herbicide application that is filled out within 24 hours of treatment. It includes what herbicide and how much was used, what weeds were sprayed, dates and times of application, names of applicators, etc., (See SOW Attachment A - Sample Pesticide Application Record).

PI – Project Inspector on behalf of the Department of Interior

PUP - Pesticide Use Proposal –A BLM document that summarizes the intentions of the herbicide application including targeted species, allowable herbicide rates, sensitive resources, and mitigation measures for proposed projects.

SOP – Standard Operating Procedures - See SOW Attachment B - BLM Standard Operating Procedures and Mitigation Measures for Applying Herbicides

UTM - Universal Transverse Mercator - A mapping coordinate grid system based upon one of many different mapping projections. Note: The BLM in Eastern Oregon uses the projected coordinate system UTM, Datum NAD 1983 (Conus), Zone 10 or 11. The data is displayed in meters easting and northing.

3.0 SOW ATTACHMENTS

SOW Attachment A Sample Pesticide Application Record

SOW Attachment B BLM Standard Operating Procedures and Mitigation Measures for Applying Herbicides

SOW Attachment C Indian Creek Location and Vicinity Map

4.0 TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

4.1 The Contractor shall comply with all applicable Federal, State and Local regulations, as well as the BLM PUP.

4.2 The Contractor shall provide all equipment for chemical handling, spray equipment, personnel, supplies and materials, including chemicals, surfactants, and water, needed to provide spraying https://www.oregon.gov/oda/programs/weeds/pages/aboutweeds.aspx

140D0422Q0266 INDIAN CREEK ESR STATEMENT OF WORK SOW Page 3 of 7 of herbicides at the specified sites, using BLM specified herbicides at the rate specified, using appropriate application equipment and delivery methods.

4.3 All herbicide treatments shall be conducted following herbicide label directions, SOW

Attachment B, BLM Standard Operating Procedures and Mitigation Measures for Applying Herbicides, Approved BLM Pesticide Use Proposal (PUP), and all other policies and guidelines pertaining to their use. The Government will provide the PUP to the contractor within one week of application at a pre-work meeting to be coordinated with the Project Inspector (PI) and or COR. All herbicides and adjuvants used at the time of application must be listed on the approved project PUP.

4.4 At least 48 hours prior to the application date, the Contractor shall attend a pre-work conference and present a performance plan acceptable to the Government which includes how the work will be accomplished, including but not limited to pattern testing. The Government will determine at that time if the contractor may proceed with work or if revisions are required to the performance plan.

4.5 The contractor shall control the spray pattern and safely and evenly apply over uneven terrain, contouring at consistent application heights and speed. Spray strips shall be distributed in such a manner as to secure a high uniformity of herbicide distribution.

4.6 The Government may require, at any time, that the contractor perform a demonstration that the application equipment is calibrated and will evenly distribute the designated spray at rates specified in the PUP. Checks may be achieved through a pattern test or use of water sensitive cards at the project site. Where skips or obvious insufficient applications resulting in sublethal target species death, i.e. striping, are documented to be >1% of the project area as determined from flight data or during on the ground inspections by the COR/PI, retreatment of the insufficiently treated area will be required at no extra cost (for labor and herbicides) to the Government.

4.7 Daily PARs and a Final PAR, referenced in Section 9.0 Deliverables, shall be accompanied by detailed maps (both paper and electronic) showing flight lines, including daily printouts and files from the previous day. Electronic files of treatments shall be compatible with ArcGIS. A required template for the PAR will be provided by the requisite BLM field office upon award. A sample of a PAR is provided for reference only as Attachment A to this SOW.

4.7.1 The contractor shall provide the data in a standard format (NAD83 for zone 10 or 11 North in UTM or latitudes/longitudes in decimal degrees). At a minimum, the data shall contain applicator's name and address, State of Oregon applicator’s license number, date of application, beginning and ending times of application, weather conditions (temperature, climatic conditions, wind and relative humidity), product used, and any adjuvants added, application rate, application type, and number of acres treated.

4.8 Shapefiles of treatments shall be compatible with ArcGIS. The contractor shall be able to receive the BLM provided digital data (ArcGIS shapefiles) and use it accordingly to provide accurate track logs of work completed.

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4.9 Any refuse, debris or garbage generated by the Contractor or crew members shall be cleaned up and removed from the project site by the Contractor and disposed of legally offsite before final payment is made.

4.10 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: The timing of work shall take into consideration the potential target species, elevation, seasonal climate, aspect, and habitat of the project area. For this requirement, the expected start date is around September 1, 2022, weather and resources permitting, and will last for eight weeks.

4.11 ACCESS TO PROJECT AREA: Access to the project area is off US Highway 20 approximately 10 miles east of Juntura, Oregon. A previous aerial mix/load operation was accessed about 0.25 mile north of Highway 20 on a seasonally maintained gravel road, and then east on a two-track dirt road about .15 miles. The project area is devoid of vegetation as it burned in the Indian Creek Fire. The access location is on the south edge of largest block of the spray project.

4.12 UNIQUE FEATURES OF PROJECT AREA: This project area is over broken, steep terrain into and out of canyons. There are large junipers on portions of the project. The main canyon runs north to south and is deep with an elevational drop of approximately 1,000' on the east side and approximately 600' on the west side. There are smaller canyons angling roughly northeast of the main one. Due to steepness of slopes, contouring in and out of canyons will likely be required to lessen herbicide drop distance from boom to target and achieve consistent coverage. There is a creek in the bottom of the canyon that will be buffered out in the shapefiles and must be avoided due to sensitive riparian vegetation and live water.

4.13 The contractor shall use a helicopter to perform application. A fixed wing aircraft will not be acceptable.

5.0 CONTRACTOR FURNISHED ITEMS

5.1 GENERAL: The contractor shall provide all labor, transportation, tools and equipment necessary to perform the requirements of this contract. This includes the transportation of water to the project site for application. The contractor should be aware water sources may be long distances away from treatment or loading sites. The contractor shall be responsible for obtaining reliable water sources for the project. The contractor shall furnish the necessary qualified mechanics for maintenance of equipment and shall furnish all materials (fuel, etc..) and service required for operations of equipment and vehicles.

5.2 APPLICATION EQUIPMENT: Industry standard application equipment shall be used. The equipment shall be equipped with nozzles that produce a coarse spray to minimize drift and achieve uniform coverage. Equipment designed to minimize drift and/or a drift control agent may be added at the recommended label rate but must be approved by the COR prior to use.

The contractor shall use high flow rate nozzles to apply the highest practical spray volume and the lower spray pressures recommended for the nozzle. When higher flow rates are needed, the contractor shall use higher flow rate nozzles instead of increasing pressure. The contractor shall use the minimum number of nozzles that provide uniform coverage. Orienting nozzles so that the spray is released parallel to the airstream produces larger droplets than other orientation and is the recommended practice. The contractor shall use a nozzle type that is designed for the

140D0422Q0266 INDIAN CREEK ESR STATEMENT OF WORK SOW Page 5 of 7 intended application. The contractor shall minimize drift as practicably as possible. The contractor shall not use nozzles producing a mist droplet spray.

5.2.1 The contractor shall ensure all equipment utilized for the project is maintained in optimal condition at all times to ensure there are no delays in completing the project requirements.

5.2.2 The applicator shall have the ability to uniformly deliver the designated gallons per acre

(as stated in the task order) with a Boom/Nozzle configuration (including controlled pressure and nozzle orientation) that will provide a controlled droplet application.

5.3 The Contractor shall furnish sufficient equipment to have communications with the Government either by using radio frequencies designated by the COR or COR’s designated representative, or by providing a radio to the COR or COR’s designated representative.

5.4 MIXING/LOADING FACILITIES- The contractor shall provide such mixing/loading facilities as may be required for competent performance of contract. Use of any loading area shall be arranged by and at the discretion and risk of the contractor. The Government shall not be held responsible for any loss, mishap, or accident due to conditions of any loading facility used. Any applicable fee for loading facilities are the responsibility of the contractor. If the contractor wishes to use BLM land, this must be approved in advance by the PI or COR. The contractor shall obtain permission from the state/county if roads will be utilized as mixing/loading sites. The contractor shall provide appropriate warning signs for traffic if roads are used as mixing/loading sites.

5.5 HERBICIDE AND ADJUVANTS: For this requirement, the contractor shall utilize Plateau

Herbicide™, Grounded™, and Quest™. Products other than those specified will not be acceptable for this requirement.

6.0 GOVERNMENT FURNISHED ITEMS

6.1 At the time of award, the Government will furnish detailed GPS coordinate data of the unit boundaries, in the form of shapefiles created in ArcGIS, as well as the BLM approved PUP.

7.0 SECURITY AND SAFETY

7.1 Any hazards that would pose a danger to contractor’s personnel or operating equipment shall be identified and mitigated by the contractor prior to commencing operations.

7.2 EQUIPMENT: The contractor may leave its equipment at the work site. However, the contractor shall be responsible for the equipment if it is lost, stolen, vandalized or damaged. The contractor is advised that vandalism of equipment may be anticipated in all areas of operation. Therefore, it is suggested that a watchman service for equipment security be provided during all periods of no activity on the project, to include overnight, regardless of location.

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7.3 SAFETY: The contractor shall immediately notify the COR of any spills, leaks, or accidents, as quickly as possible, no later than within 24 hours of occurrence.

7.4 FLIGHT HAZARD: If contractor aircraft(s) are utilized, hazards such as the presence of power lines or anemometer towers on the work sites and military operations area (MOA) or restricted flight areas on or near the work sites are the responsibility of the contractor. The contractor shall be responsible for making arrangements with the appropriate military personnel to get permission to operate within a restricted flight area or MOA.

7.5 AIRSPACE COORDINATION: From OPM-11 Airspace Coordination – In areas of military airspace it is acceptable to describe coordination agreements with military airspace scheduling or range control authorities and that it is the contractors’ responsibility to coordinate their activities with the scheduling office or Range Control. Close coordination is necessary to ensure compliance with applicable airspace coordination agreements that states have with military authorities.

8.0 CONTRACTOR QUALIFICATIONS

8.1 The offeror’s key personnel shall include a minimum of one (1) experienced and licensed pilot and one (1) qualified mixing and loading staff, including but not limited to mechanics, truck drivers, pesticide mixers and loaders. All key personnel shall be able to successfully perform the requirements of this SOW.

8.2 The contractor and each applicator shall be licensed in the application and handling of herbicides in Oregon and shall have a Commercial Pesticide Applicators License which allows application on public rangelands (Agriculture Herbicide Category). If the status of any of these licenses changes at any time due to suspensions, the contractor shall contact the PI and or Contracting Officer immediately.

8.3 A foreman shall be present on site, either in the air or on the ground, during all applications. The foreman shall effectively and efficiently address on-the-ground issues and accurately communicate project progress by providing accurate track logs with the PI or COR.

8.4 The contractor’s pilot(s) shall have an aerial applicator license. See https://www.oregon.gov/oda/programs/Pesticides/Licensing/Pages/AerialApplicatorLicensing.a spx#:~:text=You%20must%20meet%20the%20following,your%20current%20FAA%20medical%2 0certificate.

8.5 The Contractor, applicator, and ground crew shall know the requirements of the contract including technical requirements and application locations.

8.6 The Contractor shall be able to perform a minimum production rate of 1,000 acres sprayed per day (5 gallons/acre application).

8.7 The Contractor shall maintain an adequate work force to ensure timely completion of the work.

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9.0 DELIVERABLES

Deliverable Name Deliver To Due Date/Frequency Accuracy Daily Pesticide Application Record and accompanying flight and map information – see section 5.4.9

PI and COR via email

Daily submissions to include flight, map, and any other accompanying information.

100%

Final Pesticide Application Record and accompanying flight and map information – see section 5.4.9

PI and COR via email

Final compilation of all Daily PARs and any other pertinent information, as specified by the COR, due within 48 hours of task order completion. This shall include flight, map, and any other accompanying information.

100%

[END OF STATEMENT OF WORK]