Sol_140F0S25Q0023.pdf

SEE ADDENDUMIS CHECKED

CODE 18a. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BY

CODE

FACILITYCODE

17b. CHECK IF REMITTANCE IS DIFFERENT AND PUT SUCH ADDRESS IN OFFER

OFFEROR

F0S

Falls Church VA 22041 5275 Leesburg Pike FWS, Over SAT G/S FWS Over SAT G/S

0011279897 CODE 16. ADMINISTERED BYCODE

X

X

115310

SIZE STANDARD:

% FOR:SET ASIDE:UNRESTRICTED ORF0S

REQUEST FOR

PROPOSAL

(RFP)

INVITATION

FOR BID (IFB)

10. THIS ACQUISITION ISCODE

REQUEST FOR

QUOTE (RFQ)

14. METHOD OF SOLICITATION

13b. RATING

NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRY

CLASSIFICATION STANDARD

(NAICS):

SMALL BUSINESS

07/11/2025 0800 ED

06/27/2025

571-447-8387Joni Dutcher (No collect calls)

INFORMATION CALL:

FOR SOLICITATION 8. OFFER DUE DATE/LOCAL TIMEb. TELEPHONE NUMBER a. NAME

4. ORDER NUMBER3. AWARD/ 6. SOLICITATION

140F0S25Q0023

5. SOLICITATION NUMBER

SOLICITATION/CONTRACT/ORDER FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS 1. REQUISITION NUMBER PAGE OF

1 36 0044021978OFFEROR TO COMPLETE BLOCKS 12, 17, 23, 24, & 30

TELEPHONE NO.

17a. CONTRACTOR/

Immokalee FL 34142 12085 State Road 29 S.

FWS SW FL GULF CSTL RFGS

15. DELIVER TO

Falls Church VA 22041 5275 Leesburg Pike FWS, Over SAT G/S

9. ISSUED BY

7.

2. CONTRACT NO.

EFFECTIVE DATE

$11.5

18b. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN IN BLOCK 18a UNLESS BLOCK BELOW

ISSUE DATE

DELIVERY FOR FREE ON BOARD

(FOB) DESTINATION UNLESS

BLOCK IS MARKED

11.

SEE SCHEDULE

12. DISCOUNT TERMS THIS CONTRACT IS A RATED

ORDER UNDER THE DEFENSE

PRIORITIES AND ALLOCATIONS

SYSTEM - DPAS (15 CFR 700)

13a.

SERVICE-DISABLED

VETERAN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS

(SDVOSB)

HUBZONE SMALL

BUSINESS

8(A)

FWS Over SAT G/S

WOMEN-OWNED SMALL

BUSINESS (WOSB)

ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED

WOMEN-OWNED SMALL

BUSINESS (EDWOSB)

24.

AMOUNT

23.

UNIT PRICE

22.

UNIT

21.

QUANTITY

20.

SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES

19.

ITEM NO.

Invasive Plant Treatments to Enhance Fire Dependent Habitats on Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge. This IDIQ task order will involve treatment of targeted exotic invasive plants species across 2,333.8 acres on FL Panther

Contracting POC: Joni Dutcher, email:

Joni_Dutcher@fws.gov Technical POC: Mark Danaher (239) 986-6158 Alternate POC: Erin Myers (239) 370-6302 Delivery: 12/01/2025

(Use Reverse and/or Attach Additional Sheets as Necessary)

HEREIN, IS ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS:

XX

DATED

Joni Dutcher

. YOUR OFFER ON SOLICITATION (BLOCK 5),

INCLUDING ANY ADDITIONS OR CHANGES WHICH ARE SET FORTH

COPIES TO ISSUING OFFICE. CONTRACTOR AGREES TO FURNISH AND DELIVER

ARE

ARE

31c. DATE SIGNED

27b. CONTRACT/PURCHASE ORDER INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-5 IS ATTACHED. ADDENDA

31a. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (SIGNATURE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER)

30c. DATE SIGNED 31b. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)

ALL ITEMS SET FORTH OR OTHERWISE IDENTIFIED ABOVE AND ON ANY ADDITIONAL

SHEETS SUBJECT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SPECIFIED.

27a. SOLICITATION INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE (FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION) FAR 52.212-1, 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-3

AND 52.212-5 ARE ATTACHED. ADDENDA

26. TOTAL AWARD AMOUNT (For Government Use Only)

OFFER

STANDARD FORM 1449 (REV. 11/2021)

Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.212

ARE NOT ATTACHED.

ARE NOT ATTACHED.

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION

PREVIOUS EDITION IS NOT USABLE

30b. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print)

30a. SIGNATURE OF OFFEROR/CONTRACTOR

28. CONTRACTOR IS REQUIRED TO SIGN THIS DOCUMENT AND RETURN

25. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

29. AWARD OF CONTRACT: REFERENCE

32e. MAILING ADDRESS OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE

32c. DATE 32b. SIGNATURE OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE

ACCEPTED, AND CONFORMS TO THE CONTRACT, EXCEPT AS NOTED:

32a. QUANTITY IN COLUMN 21 HAS BEEN

RECEIVED INSPECTED

40. PAID BY39. S/R VOUCHER NUMBER38. S/R ACCOUNT NUMBER

37. CHECK NUMBER

FINALPARTIAL

36. PAYMENT

FINALPARTIAL

35. AMOUNT VERIFIED

CORRECT FOR

34. VOUCHER NUMBER33. SHIP NUMBER

COMPLETE

32g. E-MAIL OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE

42d. TOTAL CONTAINERS42c. DATE REC'D (YY/MM/DD)

42b. RECEIVED AT (Location)

42a. RECEIVED BY (Print)

41c. DATE41b. SIGNATURE AND TITLE OF CERTIFYING OFFICER

41a. I CERTIFY THIS ACCOUNT IS CORRECT AND PROPER FOR PAYMENT

STANDARD FORM 1449 (REV. 11/2021) BACK

24.

AMOUNT

23.

UNIT PRICE

22.

UNIT

21.

QUANTITY

20.

SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES

19.

ITEM NO.

00010 Herbicide treatment of targeted exotic

Period of Performance: 05/01/2025 to 12/01/2025

32f. TELEPHONE NUMBER OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE

32d. PRINTED NAME AND TITLE OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE

36 2 of

RFQ: 140F0S25Q0023

Invasive Plant Treatments to Enhance Fire Dependent Habitats on Florida Panther National Wildlife

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INDEFINITE DELIVERY INDEFINITE QUANTITY CONTRACT FOR HEAVY EQUIPMENT

Clauses, terms, and conditions under this order are pre-established and binding under the IDIQ.

Additional clauses may be incorporated as appropriate. See below if applicable.

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS (CPARS)

CONTRACTOR PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT REPORTING SYSTEM (JUL 2010)

(a) FAR 42.1502 directs all Federal agencies to collect past performance information on contracts.

The Department of the Interior (DOI) has implemented the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) to comply with this regulation. One or more past performance evaluations will be conducted in order to record your contract performance as required by FAR 42.15.

(b) The past performance evaluation process is a totally paperless process using CPARS. CPARS is a web-based system that allows for electronic processing of the performance evaluation report. Once the report is processed, it is available in the Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS) for Government use in evaluating past performance as part of a source selection action.

(c) We request that you furnish the Contracting Officer with the name, position title, phone number, and email address for each person designated to have access to your firm's past performance evaluation(s) for the contract no later than 30 days after award. Each person granted access will have the ability to provide comments in the Contractor portion of the report and state whether or not the Contractor agrees with the evaluation, before returning the report to the Assessing Official. The report information must be protected as source selection sensitive information not releasable to the public.

(d) When your Contractor Representative(s) (Past Performance Points of Contact) are registered in CPARS, they will receive an automatically generated email with detailed login instructions. Further details, systems requirements, and training information for CPARS is available at http://www.cpars.csd.disa.mil/. The CPARS User Manual, registration for On Line Training for Contractor Representatives, and a practice application may be found at this site.

(e) Within 60 days after the end of a performance period, the Contracting Officer will complete an interim or final past performance evaluation, and the report will be accessible at http://www.cpars.csd.disa.mil/. Contractor Representatives may then provide comments in response to the evaluation, or return the evaluation without comment. Comments are limited to the space provided in Block 22. Your comments should focus on objective facts in the Assessing Official's narrative and should provide your views on the causes and ramifications of the assessed performance. In addition to the ratings and supporting narratives, blocks 1 - 17 should be reviewed for accuracy, as these include key fields that will be used by the Government to identify your firm in future source selection actions. If you elect not to provide comments, please acknowledge receipt of the evaluation by indicating "No comment" in Block 22, and then signing and dating Block 23 of the form. Without a statement in Block 22, you will be unable to sign and submit the evaluation back to the Government. If you do not sign and submit the CPAR within 30 days, it will automatically be returned to the Government and will be annotated: "The report was delivered/received by the contractor on (date). The contractor neither signed nor offered comment in response to this assessment." Your response is due within 30 calendar days after receipt of the CPAR.

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(f) The following guidelines apply concerning your use of the past performance evaluation:

(1) Protect the evaluation as "source selection information." After review, transmit the evaluation by completing and submitting the form through CPARS. If for some reason you are unable to view and/or submit the form through CPARS, contact the Contracting Officer for instructions.

(2) Strictly control access to the evaluation within your organization. Ensure the evaluation is never released to persons or entities outside of your control.

(3) Prohibit the use of or reference to evaluation data for advertising, promotional material, preaward surveys, responsibility determinations, production readiness reviews, or other similar purposes.

(g) If you wish to discuss a past performance evaluation, you should request a meeting in writing to the Contracting Officer no later than seven days following your receipt of the evaluation. The meeting will be held in person or via telephone or other means during your 30-day review period.

(h) A copy of the completed past performance evaluation will be available in CPARS for your viewing and for Government use supporting source selection actions after it has been finalized.

(End of notice)

DOI ELECTRONIC INVOICING Electronic Invoicing and Payment Requirements – Invoice Processing Platform (IPP)(APR 2013)

Payment requests must be submitted electronically through the U. S. Department of the Treasury's Invoice Processing Platform System (IPP).

"Payment request" means any request for contract financing payment or invoice payment by the Contractor. To constitute a proper invoice, the payment request must comply with the requirements identified in the applicable Prompt Payment clause included in the contract, or the clause 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions - Commercial Items included in commercial item contracts. The IPP website address is: https://www.ipp.gov.

Under this contract, the following documents are required to be submitted as an attachment to the IPP invoice: attach/submit hard copy invoice on company letterhead

The Contractor must use the IPP website to register, access, and use IPP for submitting requests for payment. The Contractor Government Business Point of Contact (as listed in SAM will receive enrollment instructions via email from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston (FRBB) within 3 - 5 business days of the contract award date. Contractor assistance with enrollment can be obtained by contacting the IPP Production Helpdesk via email: ippgroup@bos.frb.org or phone (866) 973-3131.

If the Contractor is unable to comply with the requirement to use IPP for submitting invoices for payment, the Contractor must submit a waiver in writing to the Contracting Officer with its Quote or quotation.

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144804.01 System for Award Management (formerly Central Contractor Registration)

A contractor/vendor must be registered in the System for Award Management referred to as SAM https://www.sam.gov/index.html) in order to receive contracts, purchase orders, and payments from most federal agencies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. By having all agencies use the same listing system, vendors will no longer need to submit separate Standard Form 129, Solicitation Mailing List Applications, to each agency.

SAM is a self-service database. Vendors register themselves and maintain their own information through the SAM web site. In order to register or learn more about SAM, go to:

https://www.sam.gov/index.html. You will need to know your Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) number;

however, if you do not have this number, you can contact Dun and Bradstreet at 800-333-0505.

The Offeror shall identify and explain/justify any deviations, exceptions, or conditional assumptions taken to any of the instructions or requirements of this solicitation in the appropriate part of the offer.

1. Provide a cover letter outlining general information regarding your company's history, organizational structure, size, primary expertise, e-mail address, website address, and any other pertinent information.

(Maximum two pages, one-sided, Font size 10 to 12)

2. Completed Standard Form 1449, Solicitation, Offer, and Award. (Blocks 30, 30a, 30b, 30c, & page 7 (Schedule of Items)

3. Provide SAM UEI

4. Quote/Proposal Sheet (as applicable)

5. Print-out of System for Award Management (https://www.sam.gov/index.html) registration.

6. Service Contract Act Wage Determination found at https://sam.gov/content/wage-determiantions

7. If applicable, provide a list of related equipment/supplies in the Offeror’s inventory related to the work requirement sufficient for successful contract performance.

8. If sub-contractor(s) will be used, the (prime) Contractor must provide the company name of the sub-contractor and contact information for sub-contractor (i.e. name, e-mail, and phone number) when submitting quote/offer.

9. Include a statement stating the following: “We, the undersigned, have carefully examined the RFQ and all addenda and herewith-forming part of this quotation/offer submission, have carefully examined the specification, and fully understand the full-scope of the technical specifications required and is so represented by our submitted offer/quote.”

52.223-19 Compliance with Environmental Management Systems.

As prescribed in 23.406(b), insert the following clause:

https://www.acquisition.gov/far/23.406#FAR_23_406

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Compliance with Environmental Management Systems (May 2011) (DEVIATION FEB 2025)

[RESERVED]

(End of clause)

52.223-22 Public Disclosure of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Reduction Goals-Representation.

As prescribed in 23.502, insert the following clause:

Public Disclosure of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Reduction Goals-Representation (Dec 2016)

(DEVIATION FEB 2025) [RESERVED]

(End of clause)

52.223-23 Sustainable Products and Services.

As prescribed in 23.109(a), insert the following clause:

52.223-23, Sustainable Products and Services (MAY 2024) (DEVIATION FEB 2025)

(a) Definitions. As used in this clause—

Biobased product means a product determined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to be a commercial product or industrial product (other than food or feed) that is composed, in whole or in significant part, of biological products, including renewable domestic agricultural materials and forestry materials, or that is an intermediate ingredient or feedstock. The term includes, with respect to forestry materials, forest products that meet biobased content requirements, notwithstanding the market share the product holds, the age of the product, or whether the market for the product is new or emerging. ( 7 U.S.C. 8101) ( 7 CFR part 4270.2).

Recovered material means waste materials and by-products recovered or diverted from solid waste, but the term does not include those materials and by-products generated from, and commonly reused within, an original manufacturing process. ( 42 U.S.C. 6903).

Sustainable products and services means:

(1) Products containing recovered material designated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines ( 42 U.S.C. 6962) ( 40 CFR part 247) ( https://www.epa.gov/ smm/ comprehensive-procurement-guideline-cpg-program#products).

(2) Energy- and water-efficient products that are ENERGY STAR® certified or Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP)-designated products ( 42 U.S.C. 8259b) ( 10 CFR part 436, subpart C) ( https://www.energy.gov/ eere/ femp/ search-energy-efficient-products and https://www.energystar.gov/ products? s= mega).

(3) Biobased products meeting the content requirement of the USDA under the BioPreferred® program ( 7 U.S.C. 8102) ( 7 CFR part 3201) ( https://www.biopreferred.gov).

(4) Acceptable chemicals, products, and manufacturing processes listed under EPA's Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program, which ensures a safe and smooth transition away from substances https://www.acquisition.gov/far/23.109#FAR_23_109 https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title7-section8101&num=0&edition=prelim https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title7-section8101&num=0&edition=prelim https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section6903&num=0&edition=prelim https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section6962&num=0&edition=prelim https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-40/part-247 https://www.epa.gov/smm/comprehensive-procurement-guideline-cpg-program#products https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section8259&num=0&edition=prelim https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-10/part-436/subpart-C https://www.energy.gov/eere/femp/search-energy-efficient-products https://www.energystar.gov/products?s=mega https://www.energystar.gov/products?s=mega http://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title7-section8102&num=0&edition=prelim https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/subtitle-B/chapter-XXXII/part-3201 https://www.biopreferred.gov/

Refuge that contribute to the depletion of stratospheric ozone ( 42 U.S.C. 7671l) ( 40 CFR part 82, subpart G) ( https://www.epa.gov/ snap).

(b) Requirements.

(1) The sustainable products and services, including the purchasing program and type of product or service, that are applicable to this contract, and any products or services that are not subject to this clause, will be set forth in the statement of work or elsewhere in the contract.

(2) The Contractor shall ensure that the sustainable products and services required by this contract are—

(i) Delivered to the Government;

(ii) Furnished for use by the Government;

(iii) Incorporated into the construction of a public building or public work; and

(iv) Furnished for use in performing services under this contract, where the cost of the products is a direct cost to this contract (versus costs which are normally applied to the Contractor's general and administrative expenses or indirect costs). This includes services performed by contractors performing management and operation of Government-owned facilities to the same extent that, at the time of award, an agency would be required to comply if an agency operated or supported the facility.

(c) Resource. The Green Procurement Compilation (GPC) available at https://sftool.gov/ greenprocurement provides a comprehensive list of sustainable products and services and sustainable acquisition guidance. The Contractor should review the GPC when determining which statutory purchasing programs apply to a specific product or service.

End of clause

Awarded IDIQ contractors may offer pricing lower than the award commensurate with level of effort for this Task Order offer to be more competitive.

Schedule of Items Pay Item Description Pay Unit Quantity Unit Price Total 00010 Unit 1 AC 358 00020 Unit 2 AC 274.7 00030 Unit 3 AC 265.4 00040 Unit 4 AC 314.8 00050 Unit 5 AC 425.8 00060 Unit 6 AC 513.2 00070 Unit 7 AC 24.7 00080 Unit 999 AC 157.4 https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section7671&num=0&edition=prelim https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-40/part-82/subpart-G https://www.epa.gov/snap https://sftool.gov/greenprocurement https://sftool.gov/greenprocurement

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I. General Information

1.1 General: This project is a maintenance/re-treatment of cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica), old world climbing fern (Lygodium macrophyllum) and Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolia) across 2,333.8 +/- acres within Units 1, 2, 4, 5, 7-9, and 999. (see attached Figures 1-8). Although they should only occur sporadically within the treatment areas, all melaleuca (Melaleuca quinquenervia), earleaf acacia (Acacia auriculiformis), and java plum (Syzygium cumini) shall be treated as well.

Brazilian pepper and old world climbing fern occur at low densities within all of the proposed treatment areas. Cogongrass on the FPNWR has been nearly impossible to eradicate, so control/maintenance is critical. Based on past research and communications with other land managers and researchers, the ideal treatment of cogongrass consists of two back-to-back treatments, combined with Rx burning. We have rarely been able to accomplish two back-to-back treatments due to funding constraints and the widescale invasive plant treatment needs on the FPNWR.

However, as of 2024 we have been able to obtain back-to-back cogongrass treatments within all of the 2025 proposed treatment areas except Unit 999. Unit 999 was last treated during 2021, but doesn’t have high densities of exotics. There are some fairly large cogongrass infestations within Unit 999, but they only occur sporadically throughout Unit 999. Large Brazilian pepper trees occur along both sides of the canal and around the I-75 entrance parking lot in Unit 999. Due to recent exotic plant treatments in Units 1, 2, 4, 5, 7-9, it is going to be important to search for and treat individual clumps/sprouts of cogongrass within these Units, as there are very few large infestations greater than ¼ acre in size. Unit 1 has the toughest vegetation conditions to walk through, but is planned to be prescribed burned during 2025/2026. Units 5 & 8 are also planned to be burned during 2025/2026. All planned burns are dependent upon weather/environmental conditions, so burning might not occur until 2026.

Reference attached Figures 1-8 for locations of treatment areas. Contractors will submit a cost per acre and total cost bid for each the Units. Acreages of treatment s may need to be adjusted based on available funding.

Unit # Acres 1 358 2 274.7 4 265.4 5 314.8 7 425.8 8 513.2 9 24.7

999 157.4

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 for supplying services rendered. Unless noted otherwise in section VII. below, the Contractor shall provide all personnel, equipment, supplies, facilities, transportation, tools, materials, supervision, and non-personal services necessary to perform work services as defined in this Performance Work Statement.

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The Contractor shall perform to the standards in this contract.

1.2 Introduction: The Contractor will apply the appropriate herbicide and adjuvant necessary to control and kill Cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica), old world climbing fern (Lygodium microphyllum), Brazilian Pepper (Schinus terebinthifolia), melaleuca (Melaleuca quinquenervia), earleaf acacia (Acacia auriculiformis), and java plum (Syzygium cumini) depicted in Figures 1-8. The Contractor will apply sufficient herbicide to control 95% of all treated vegetation within the treatment areas and achieve 100% coverage.

1.3 Period of Performance: Period of Performance: The period of performance shall not exceed 120 days from the commencement of work, unless mutually agreed upon otherwise by the Government and contractor. This time frame would account for holidays and weather days within the contract period. The project shall be fully completed [initial, re-treat, inspection, final invoice] within 120 days following issuance of the task order and notification to begin work unless mutually extended for a longer period.

The Contractor shall wait a minimum of 45 days before performing any re-treatments so that results of the initial treatment are visible, and crews shall then target plants or infestations missed during initial treatments. Final inspection and final billing shall be completed prior to the end of the Period of Performance when practical. Timing of treatment will be dependent upon the weather, ongoing Government activities and habitat conditions within the treatment area. No treatment will occur when the treatment area has standing water in it unless mutually agreed upon by the Service and Contractor. Due to the length of time that it takes to kill some of the targeted plants, contractor may submit final invoice once the following conditions have been met: 1) Completion of initial treatments by Contractor; 2) Contractor submittal of all GPS tracklogs and pesticide usage; and 3) Initial inspection by the COR or Government/Site Representative (GR/SR). However, Contractor agrees to complete re-treatments within 120 days following issuance of the task order if a final inspection by the Government determines that desired control rates were not achieved.

1.4 Place of Performance: The work to be performed under this agreement will be within the boundaries of the Florida Panther NWR, Naples (Collier County), Florida; a 26,600-acre refuge in southwest Florida (Figures 1-8). Treatment areas include a mixture of pine flatwoods, hardwood hammocks, wetlands, and prairies.

1.5 Type of Contract: This is a firm fixed price contract.

1.6 Security Requirements: n/a

I.7 Physical Security: The Contractor shall be responsible for safeguarding all government equipment 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 and 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.

Refuge l.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. [n 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 and lock/gate combinations 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/Gate Combinations (if applicable). The Contractor shall establish and implement methods of ensuring that all lock/gate combinations are not revealed to unauthorized persons. The Contractor shall notify the COR of the need to change lock/gate combinations when former personnel of the Contractor had access to the lock/gate combination, and 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: All personnel and equipment to be used will be appropriately licensed and certificated as appropriate for the work to be done. The ground crew supervisor must be a licensed/certified Florida natural areas pesticide applicator.

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 (SR): The COR/SR will be identified by either separate letter or other form of notification. The COR/SR 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.

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1.12 Key Personnel: The following 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 contract manager must be English speaking. 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 and the USFWS Site Representative. 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 at all times when work is being performed.

1.13 Identification of Contractor Employees: All Contract personnel attending meetings, answering Government telephones, and/ or 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 native and invasive exotic plants has been identified as one of the highest priorities within the National Wildlife Refuge System. Invasive exotic 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 exotic 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 exotic removal work is performed by refuge staff, independent Contractors, volunteers, and volunteer groups.

III. SCOPE

3.1 Objective: This project seeks to treat and control all vegetation specified in Section 1.1 above within the proposed treatment areas (Figures 1-8). Completion of the proposed project shall ensure continuing restoration, in part, to a larger ecosystem that provides high quality habitat for the endangered Florida panther, its prey, red-cockaded woodpecker, and numerous other native plant and animal species.

Refuge

3.1.1 Treatment Area: The treatment areas in Figures 1-8 consist of a mixture of pine flatwoods, hardwood hammocks, prairies, and various wetlands. Most of these treatment areas are on a 2-5 year fire return interval, and most are considered to be in maintenance condition for exotic invasive species.

These treatment areas on the FPNWR are easiest to access during the dry season (November to May).

The western treatment areas can be accessed via the I-75 refuge gate (immediately west of mile marker 88). Most treatment areas can be driven to using 4WD pickups, ATVs and swamp buggies during the dry season. During the west season (June to October), many of these areas are flooded in 6-12+ inches of water and may require specialized ORV’s for access. Many of these treatments areas have had multiple cogongrass treatments over the years, and it will be extremely important for the Contractor to search and spreay all cogongrass within the treatment areas, as most cogongrass will occur in small clumps or sprouts. Cogongrass shall be least 12 inches tall before treating cogongrass in recently burned areas.

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 herbicide 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 (e.g., herbicide application), equipment, supplies (e.g., sprayers) , 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. NOTE: Travel to delineated work areas must minimize impact to the native habitat by using the same trail to access the site as much as possible. 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 45 days 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).

3.5 The Contractor will provide adequate personnel and equipment 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 contractor. 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 contract.

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.

Refuge

3.7 The brand name and quantity of herbicide proposed by the contractor must be pre-approved by the USFWS through a Pesticide Use Proposal 30 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 refuge for which Pesticide Use Proposals have already been approved.

3.8 The Contractor will supply equipment to meter chemicals and water mixtures and will provide mixing and loading equipment and water. It is important to note that the water chemistry of much of the water sourced from on or near the refuge can impact herbicide activity, so conditioners are recommended for water based mixes. 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. In application areas where there is potential for public use, the Refuge shall advise the Contractor of any public use hazards. 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 USFWS 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 sooner than 48 hours after a rain event of 2 inches or more. During periods of extended wet weather or in areas with saturated soils, equipment cannot cause ruts greater than 6 inches deep. If work is prohibited by the USFWS due to extended wet weather, negotiations may be made to lengthen the contract period through a formal request to the Contracting Officer and USFWS Site Representative.

3.12 The Contractor shall avoid any damage to native vegetation and wildlife (including snakes) other than any identified native vegetation to be treated. The Contractor shall not collect, harass, harm, or molest native plants or wildlife (including snakes). The Contractor shall avoid damage to sensitive archaeological sites such as Native American middens and shell mounds. The Contractor shall be responsible for the removal of all trash and treatment-related equipment and containers. 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 The Contractor shall take every precaution necessary to prevent digging, gouging and displacement of soil. The Contractor shall prevent excessive rutting and compaction by operating the equipment only when suitable soil conditions exist, as determined by the COR. No vehicles will be driven off of existing woods roads and trails, unless mutually agreed upon by the COR and Contractor.

3.14 Ground crews shall be transported by trucks to be furnished by the Contractor. UTV’s and swamp buggies are often needed to access internal areas on the refuge. Each ground crew shall consist of one supervisor and no more than 10 crewmembers per supervisor. The ground crew supervisor must be a licensed Florida herbicide applicator, and shall be responsible for data collection, herbicide

Refuge 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. The Refuge COR 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.

3.15 All contractor equipment shall be clean of soil and plant debris prior to entering FWS property.

Particular attention must be given to places where foreign material could become accidentally trapped, such as in cracks and crevices, in undercarriages, and in the treads of tracks or tires. The following is a list of areas that warrant special attention, and where plant material could most easily become lodged:

Rubber Tired Land Vehicles

• Crevices in upper surface and panels

• Tires, rims, and fender wells

• Spare tire mounting area

• Bumpers

• Front and rear quarter panels

• Around and behind grills

• Bottom of radiator vent openings

• Brake mechanisms

• Transmission

• Stabilizer bar

• Shock absorbers

• Front and rear axles

• Beds

• Suspension units

• Exhaust systems

• Light casings and mirrors

Tracked Land Vehicles

• Crevices in upper surface and panels

• Top of axles and tensioners

• Support rollers Between rubber or gridded areas

• Beneath fenders

• Hatches

• Under casings

• Grills

Interiors of All Vehicles

• Beneath seats

• Beneath floor mats

• Upholstery

• Beneath foot pedals

• Inside folds of gear shift cover

Refuge

3.16 The COR and/or USFWS Site Representative shall inspect all contractor equipment prior to entering the Refuge in order to ensure that equipment has been properly cleaned.

3.17 In order to reduce the spread of invasive exotic species, the contractor shall clean all equipment prior to transporting the equipment off the Refuge.

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, 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, certification, and permits as required including a Florida State Certified Pesticide Applicator license.

Each crew supervisor shall have a valid and current license in the aquatic and/or natural areas categories issued by the State of Florida, Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The Contractor shall be required to submit a copy of the licenses to the Contracting Officer Representative and/or USFWS Site Representative prior to commencement of work.

4.6 Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act

4.7 Chapter 487, Florida Statutes

4.8 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 Apply supplied herbicides and surfactants according to desired outcomes as per label directions and quantities.

5.1.1 Employ approved Current Control Technologies (CCTs) for controlling cabbage palms and invasive plants within identified treatment areas. The Crew Supervisor shall be responsible for notifying the COR /SR within 21 days 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.

5.1.2 Treatment

Chemical solution will consist of a herbicide, carrier/surfactant and die mixture that is mutually agreed

Refuge upon between the Government and Contractor prior to treatment.

5.1.2.1 Performance based on treatment:

1) Treatment of all vegetation specified in Section 1.1: The Contractor shall be responsible for 100% treatment and 95% control (45 days post-treatment) of all vegetation specified in Section 1.1.

All treatments:

Herbicides shall be applied 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 the herbicide label and manufacturer’s specifications for control. The Contractor shall only apply herbicides that have been approved through the Refuge Pesticide Use Proposal process. Confirmation of permitted herbicides shall be coordinated with the Contracting Officer’s representative (COR) and or USFWS Site Representative, and approved at least thirty 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 non-approved herbicides.

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

5.1.2.3 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 (including snakes). In order to minimize drift, contractor will not apply herbicides when wind speeds are less than 3 mph, wind speeds are greater than 10 mph, temperature inversion conditions occur, or when the herbicide label specifies differently.

5.1.2.4 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 handling and mixing of all herbicides and adjuvants/surfactants, and will properly dispose of all used containers, including Government furnished bark oil and herbicide containers. 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 (See Appendix B for recommended minimum spill response plan).

5.1.2.5 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 as directed by the Contracting Officer and COR.

5.2.1 The Contractor shall coordinate with the COR to determine acceptable date(s) and time(s) of herbicide application in order to minimize conflicts with ongoing refuge activities. Contractor must have work dates and a plan of work approved by the COR 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

Refuge 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 CO or COR, and/or a storage site has been identified.

5.4 Contractor is responsible for immediately cleaning up any spills that may occur. Spills on public property and all spills involving pesticides that are considered to be highly hazardous must be immediately reported to local and state emergency planning personnel. Police or fire officials typically are local contacts to whom such spills should be reported. These agencies will advise you of the proper procedures for cleaning and disposing of accidentally released pesticides. Failure to report such spills is considered to be a violation of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA/SARA III).Refer to Appendix B for recommended spill response plan.

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 (including snakes). The Contractor shall be responsible for the removal of all trash and treatment-related equipment. Trash shall be removed on a daily basis.