Sources Sought 2024.pdf

Archeological Services for National Forests in North Carolina

The National Forests in North Carolina (NFsNC) is seeking information to understand contractors’ capacity for performing landscape scale archeological survey of lands administered by the U.S.D.A Forest

Service. The current need is to inventory up to a total of 51,000 acres on the Croatan National Forest

(CNF). The timeline for the project is five years.

National Forest in North Carolina

The NFsNC includes four separate national forests: Pisgah, Nantahala, Uwharrie, and Croatan National

Forests. These forests are located in all three regions of North Carolina, providing unique landscapes from rugged mountains to gentle rolling hills, to sandy beaches. For more information about the NFsNC, please visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/nfsnc.

Croatan National Forest

The CNF is located on the eastern coastal plain of North Carolina. It covers portions of three counties: Craven, Carteret, and Jones. The CNF is relatively small in comparison to other national forests, covering about 161,000 acres.

The forest’s unusual topographic features are the pocosins that occur at the upper rather than the lower end of the drainages. A few miles to the south of the central lakes and pocosins are sandy ridges that support old and very large longleaf pines. The longleaf pine-wire grass ecosystem is globally rare and currently represents only 3% of the historical range for the ecosystem.

History of the Croatan

Native American occupation of the coastal plain in North Carolina extends back as much as 14,000 years.

These first occupants were hunters of large mammals, including mammoths and bison. The Woodland

Period, which began 3,000 years ago and extended through settlement by Europeans, is of particular interest for management of the CNF, because archeological sites from this period are present. During the colonial period, forest-related industries were more important than agriculture for North Carolina’s cash economy. Colonists raised crops for their own consumption, but the primary exports were naval stores—tar, pitch, and rosin for ships. North Carolina was Britain’s main supplier of these products.

Trees were cleared for agriculture and to obtain wood for buildings and ships, but logging did not become a major industry in eastern North Carolina until late in the 19th century. National forests were established in the South primarily on land that was cut over during the great logging boom. Efforts to reforest the land were successful, but loblolly pine was favored over longleaf pine in plantations, because its seedlings were easier to raise in nurseries and plant in the forest. The Croatan National

Forest began with the New Deal Programs initiated during the Great Depression. In 1936, President

Franklin D. Roosevelt created the CNF.

Figure 1: Location of the Croatan National Forest https://www.fs.usda.gov/nfsnc

Project Overview

NFsNC is seeking sources to understand contractors’ capacity for performing landscape scale archeological survey, as there is an immediate need for hurricane related archeological services. The

CNF is looking to complete survey of all high probability areas based on known predictive modeling. The current estimate of the need is up to 51,000 acres but may be modified, reduced, or expanded as needed. The majority of the work will be in the form of Phase I archeological surveys using shovel testing to identify new sites as described in the 2022 National Forests in North Carolina Programmatic

Agreement.

Figure 2: Map of survey needs on the Croatan national Forest. Light yellow indicates survey is needed. This area is approximate.

Specific survey needs will be identified as the project is developed. The pink/red indicates acceptable survey.

Survey Design

The first year of the contract will focus on the survey design, to include background research, archival research, data assembly, LiDAR analysis, and geographic information systems (GIS) mapping. The survey will be completed and report by USGA Quadrangle. It is estimated that there will be the need for twelve individual reports.

Archeological Services

The following three to four option years will focus on the archeological survey, to include survey of

10,000-18,000 acres of new survey for new site identification and evaluation, known site monitoring and evaluation, site form preparation, artifact curation, and Section 110 reporting. The final year of the contract will focus on capturing the summary of the findings and developing a management plan.

Supporting Services

Additional supporting services may be needed in support of the large-scale survey. Additional service that may be included under this contract include Section 106 reporting, site evaluation using

Phase II methodologies, NEPA support, hydrological research, ethnography, ethnobotany, ground penetrating radar, carbon dating, and interpretation and display.

Schedule

The work will be accomplished in annual cycles.

Fieldwork on the Croatan National Forest is most effective between the months of September and

May due to the hot weather and vegetation in the summer months. Contractor proposals shall accommodate this timeline for fieldwork as it is better visibility for finding sites and better working conditions for crew members within these months.

Reporting and planning will occur during the summer months.

Timeline

The Croatan National Forest intends to post the solicitation on SAM within ten days after the close of the sources sought.

The solicitation will be available for thirty business days.

Contract Award

The government reserves the right to award to a single or multiple contractors.

Figure 3: Work Breakdown Structure

Survey Design Services –

Survey Design Services may include but are not limited to the following:

1) Project Design – Determine survey needs and develop strategies for implementation

2) Background Research – Collect sources including the previous archeological surveys and cultural historic properties within the project area. May also include looking at historic maps, deeds, and other records that can be obtained from libraries, courthouse, university, etc.

3) Archival Research – Perform more intense research that the background research. This may include archival research, family records, land ownership plats, deeds, wills, maps, or other sources to gain insight about the site types and use of areas on the forest.

4) Data Assembly – Pull information from sources and make connections. Use the information to build the survey strategy.

5) LiDAR Analysis – Use existing LiDAR data to identify features on the landscape and form survey strategies and identify areas of high probability.

6) Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Mapping – Create maps for project design and survey preparation

Archeological Services –

Archeological Services may include but are not limited to the following:

1) Survey of 10,000-18,000 acres per year – The Contractor shall inventory 10,000-18,000 acres a year using the established survey methodology and record the newly discovered Cultural Resources. The fieldwork must include survey, recordation, GIS mapping, and data.

2) Site Identification – As part of the survey, sites must be identified, delineated, and recorded.

3) Site Evaluation (Phase I) – Previously identified and newly recorded sites will be evaluated based on their eligibility to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Evaluations will be completed using Phase I level archeological investigations. Phase II level evaluation will be recommended for sites that cannot be determined during the Phase I investigation.

4) Site Form Preparation – Prepare or update state site forms to reflect new information.

5) Artifact Curation – Clean, label, store and transfer artifacts as needed.

6) Section 110 Reporting – Write report in support of Section 110 of the National Historic Preservation

Act (NHPA). Section 110 reports are in support of the overall heritage program and may have site specific or programmatic recommendations.

7) Management Plan Development – Write a comprehensive summary of the project and develop a management plan to inform how the information will be maintained and used into the future. This is an opportunity to capture recommendation for next steps and have a landscape level overview of the sites on the Croatan National Forest.

Supporting Services –

Other services may be needed in support of the large-scale survey. Supporting needs may include but are not limited to the following:

1) Section 106 Reporting – Written in support of a specific project and may have specific recommendations based on proposed project activities in addition to site specific or programmatic recommendations.

2) Site Evaluation (Phase II) – Previously identified and newly recorded sites will be evaluated based on their eligibility to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Evaluations will be completed using Phase I level archeological investigations. Phase II level evaluation will be recommended for sites that cannot be determined during the Phase I investigation.

3) NEPA Support – Write reports in support of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

4) Hydrological Research – Reassess the waterways both existing and in the past to form survey strategies and identify areas of high probability.

5) Ethnography – Interview local community members or people associated with sites on the forest.

6) Ethnobotany – Look at the botanical resources and learn how they relate to people and land use.

7) Ground Penetrating Radar – Use GPR to look for underground anomalies that may indicate cultural use.

8) Carbon Dating – Use C-14 dating technologies to date sites on the forest.

9) Interpretation and Display – Create interpretive sign and displays to engage the public about the

Cultural Resources on the forest and allow for them to understand their local, regional, national importance.

Compliance

The work to be performed must be consistent with the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended and corresponding standards and guides. The work is occurring in North Carolina therefore the Contractor must adhere to the North Carolina (NC) State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), Office of State Archeology (OSA) Archaeological Investigation Standards and Guidelines for Background Research, Field Methodologies, Technical Reports, and Curation (Standards and Guidelines) (December 2017). This document is available online at https://files.nc.gov/dncr-arch/OSA_Guidelines_Dec2017.pdf.

https://files.nc.gov/dncr-arch/OSA_Guidelines_Dec2017.pdf

Contractor Information

Please respond with the following information about the company’s capacity for performing work related to this project by completing the Relevant Experience (Past Performance) Questionnaire:

• Experience/past performance in coastal plain archaeology of Forest Service projects and/or other Government agencies

• Resumes for principal investigators

• Number of full-time technicians/crew sizes available

• Capability in acres per year using current employees

• Capability or potential capacity to accomplish 10,000-18,000 acres of survey per year

• Potential organization for the large-scale landscape level project

• Do you staff any of the following: Historian, GIS Specialist, Lab technicians, Curation Specialists, Ethnographers, or other specialized employees that would be able to perform support services.

If so, please describe the experience and include resumes for these positions.

Note: Additional information may be requested on a case-by-case basis for clarification of responses.

CONTRACTOR’S INFORMATION (Contractor must be active in SAM at the time proposals are due to be eligible for this BPA as prescribed in FAR 52.204-7).

COMPANY NAME: _________________________________________________

TAX ID: ___________________________________ UEI#: _____________________________

POINT OF CONTACT(S): ________________________________________________________________

EMAIL ADDRESS: _____________________________________________________________________

OFFICE PHONE #: ______________ CELL #: _____________FAX #: __________________________

Type of Business: U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) certified 8(a), SBA Certified HUB Zone, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB), Women Owned Small Business (WOSB), and Small Businesses (SB), ETC.

MARK ALL TASKS YOUR COMPANY HAS EXPERIENCE WITH AND IS ABLE TO COMPLETE

THIS DOES NOT REPLACE THE REQUIRED RELEVANT EXPERIENCE QUESTIONNAIRE:

[ ] ALL TASKS CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED (do not need to mark all tasks if this is marked)

[ ] SURVEY DESIGN SERVICES, MAY INCLUDE BUT NOT LIMITED TO:

[ ] PROJECT DESIGN

[ ] BACKGROUND RESEARCH

[ ] ARCHIVAL RESEARCH

[ ] DATA ASSEMBLY

[ ] LIDAR ANALYSIS

[ ] GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS (GIS)

[ ] ARCHEOLOGICAL SERVICES, MAY INCLUDE BUT NOT LIMITED TO:

[ ] SURVEY OF 10,000-18,000 ACRES PER YEAR

[ ] SITE IDENTIFICATION

[ ] SITE EVALUATION (PHASE I)

[ ] SITE FORM PREPERATION

[ ] ARTIFACT CURATION

[ ] SECTION 110 REPORTING

[ ] MANAGEMENT PLAN DEVELOPEMENT

[ ] SUPPORT SERVICES, MAY INCLUDE BUT NOT LIMITED TO:

[ ] SECTION 106 REPORTING

[ ] SITE EVALUATIONS (PHASE II)

[ ] NEPA SUPPORT

[ ] HYDROLOGIC RESEARCH

[ ] ETHNOGRAPHY

[ ] ENTHOBOTANY

[ ] GROUND PENETRATING RADAR

[ ] ELECTRO-MAGNETOMETRY

[ ] CARBON DATING

[ ] INTEPRETATION AND DISPLAY

[ ] OTHER: __________________________________________________________________