SOW_ADO_Pelleted_Aerial_Rate_Per_Acre_Service_Contract.docx

DESCRIPTION OF WORK STATEMENT

AERIAL HERBICIDE APPLICATION FOR

GRASSLAND RESTORATION AND INVASIVE PLANT CONTROL

C.1.0 GENERAL:

C.1.1 Introduction: The Government needs to restore native rangeland, riparian, and disturbed areas back to a healthy condition. Work will involve aerial application of herbicide for control of the identified target species. Herbicide shall be contractor supplied as identified in the bid schedule.

The contractor will be required to hold a commercial agricultural aircraft operator certificate issued under 14 CFR Part 137, and will conduct operations under the provisions of that certificate and be a NMDA certified herbicide applicator capable of identifying the target vegetation species. Any aircraft utilized will be operated as a civil aircraft, under the operational control of the contractor. The government will not exercise operational control over the aircraft at any time during this contract.

C.1.2 Location and Boundaries of Projects: State of New Mexico, as attached in Project Maps. Work type, quantities, locations and boundaries will be shown on the work data sheets and maps provided with each project area.

C.1.3 Access to the Work: Access to the work shall be provided by and at the Contractor’s expense. Prior to building of access roads across lands under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management, the Contractor shall obtain approval of the Contracting Officer. Public or private access roads damaged by the Contractor shall be restored, at the Contractor’s expense, to the same condition they were in at the commencement of work. Access construction shall be accomplished with regard for environmental considerations.

C.1.4 Scope: This contract shall be a rate per acre contract, end product service contract, provide an apply herbicide as indicated. The services in this contract are designed for restoring native grasslands in New Mexico. This will include the Contractor providing all labor, equipment, supplies and materials to apply the specified herbicide to control the target species identified in the statement of work.

C.1.5 Applicable Directives: All work shall be done in accordance with all federal, state and local laws and regulations to include the label. The contractor shall be responsible to attain any required permits for the area in which the work will be performed.

C.1.6 Environmental Considerations:

1. Protection of the Site(s): The aesthetic values of the site and surrounding area are of prime importance. The Contractor shall take all care necessary to preserve plant life and other natural features.

2. Equipment and Materials: Travel with equipment and storage of materials will be limited to existing or designated road or trail areas. Any deviation from this stipulation must have prior written approval of the Contracting Officer.

3. Work Camp: The location of any work camp by the Contractor must be approved in advance by the Contracting Officer. Should such a camp be established, the Contractor shall maintain the camp in a sanitary, orderly manner; and, upon vacating the camp, refuse and other signs of occupancy shall be removed or obliterated by the Contractor. In the equipment maintenance areas, special precautions shall be taken to contain spilled fuel, lubrication products, wash water, and chemicals. If the appointed Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) or Project Inspector (PI) suspect that contractor equipment is contaminated with noxious / invasive weed seeds or vegetative structures capable or reproducing they may be asked to decontaminated the equipment prior to entering or exiting the camp / batching / loading site(s).

4. Operations and Storage Areas: Operations of the Contractor (including storage of materials, project office, camping area, and equipment parking) upon Government premises shall be confined to areas approved by the Contracting Officer. The surrounding landscape shall not be disturbed. In the event that it is disturbed, the Contractor shall restore that area at the Contractor's expense. Government premises adjacent to the project location will be made available for use by the Contractor without cost whenever such use will not interfere with other Government activities

5. During periods of inclement weather or drought, operations shall be suspended when, in the judgment of the Contracting Officer, they have the possibility of unduly harming the surface or having a negative effect on the herbicide application.

C.1.7 References:

1. Referenced Specifications/Standards with Abbreviations and/or Acronyms: Wherever the following acronyms are used in these specifications or on the drawings, they are to be construed the same as the respective expressions represented. Copies of the referenced specifications/standards referred to herein may be procured by the Contractor, from the following:

E.P.A. Environmental Protection Agency 401 M. Street Washington, D.C. 20460

C.1.8 Certification: Furnish 3 copies of written certification from the supplier of the Contractor-furnished herbicide that it conforms to the Government requirements.

C.1.9 Protection: The Contractor shall protect section corners, bench marks, well markers and other survey markers and stakes, from damage or removal. In case of destruction or removal by the Contractor, they will be replaced by the Government and the actual cost for replacement will be deducted from payments due the Contractor.

C.2.0 CONTRACTOR-FURNISHED ITEMS:

C.2.1 The Contractor shall deliver Contractor furnished herbicide in original unopened containers, as specified. The herbicide to be furnished will be identified in each specific task order and will be one the types shown in section C.6.0 Specific Tasks.

C.2.2 Source Quality Control:

1. The Contracting Officer may permit use, prior to sampling and testing, of materials when accompanied by Certificates of Conformance. Materials used on the basis of a Certificate of Conformance may be sampled and tested. Installation of materials on the basis of Certificates of Conformance shall not relieve the Contractor of responsibility for incorporating materials which conform to the requirements of the specifications. Material not conforming to those requirements will be subject to rejection, whether in place or not.

2. The form of the Certificate of Conformance provided by the supplier shall be as follows:

a. State that the named product conforms to the contract requirements.

b. Either be accompanied with a certified copy of the test results, or certify that such test results are on file with the manufacturer and will be furnished to the Contracting Officer upon request.

c. Provide the name and address of the manufacturer, the testing agency and the date of tests.

d. Set forth the means of identification which will permit field determination of the product delivered as being the product covered by the certification.

C.2.5 DELIVERY, STORAGE, AND HANDLING:

A. Delivery: Protect products, incorporated into the work, from damage while in transit to the site. Products must be delivered in original unopened containers with manufacturer's name and brand designation and contents legibly indicated.

B. Storage: Provide temporary storage facilities for products. Storage shall comply with the manufacturer's instructions. The storage area shall permit access for inspection and handling.

C. Handling: The Contractor shall load and unload products protecting them from damage until installation/application on the project.

C.3.0 EQUIPMENT:

A. Aircraft:

1. General: The Contractor shall furnish aircraft to apply herbicide to the designated areas in the time specified.

2. Type: Aircraft used shall be rotor wing, piston class fixed wing, or turbine class fixed wing capable of applying herbicide at 150 mph maximum indicated airspeed, respectively.

B. Pellet Dispersing Equipment: Aircraft shall be equipped to carry pellets with a positive metering device complete with release, shutoff, and spreading device which can be calibrated for application of pellets at the prescribed rate and uniform pattern.

C. Differentially Corrected Global Positioning System (DGPS) Navigation:

General: DGPS is required for this contract. DGPS shall be used for application guidance and tracking. The contractor shall provide all guidance equipment, materials, computers, printers, personnel, and services require for the system to be used. The guidance equipment shall be capable of accurately guiding the application of chemicals, while dispensing at application altitude, along parallel application lines equal to the designated swath width of the application equipment. The system shall be sufficiently sensitive to provide immediate deviation indications and sufficiently accurate to keep the aircraft on the desired application path.

Accuracy: The DGPS system shall be capable of determining a differentially corrected location with an error of no more than one (1) meter on the horizontal plane. The guidance system shall be capable of updating current position at a rate of five (5) times per second. Differential correction must cover the complete operational area. During operation, differentially corrected signal must be accurately recorded at least 90% of the operational time. Differential correction may be provided by a portable differential station, FM radio fixed towers, or satellite.

Equipment Requirements:

Software: Software provided with DGPS shall be designed for parallel offset in increments equal to the assigned swath width of the application equipment.

Application Log: Must be capable of:

1. A minimum rate of one-second logging intervals. Full record includes position, time, altitude, speed, track, application system on/off, equipment number, applicator, job name/number, and differential correction status.

2. Calculating and showing total acres treated during the flight.

3. Downloading daily, or more often as needed, to an onsite computer for post-application analysis and review. Data from the equipment must be available for submission to the government at all times as requested by the COR/PIs. The application log must show the entire application route from departure of the staging area to return and differentiate between spray-on and spray-off when viewed on a computer monitor or color printer. Export files with swath data and of the swath data incorporated into a single polygon shape file, of each application, shall be provided and shall be compatible with. ARCMAP 10.0 system on a standard compact disk or through email at the completion of the contracted acres. The contractor shall have the swath data, and the swath generated polygon shape file submitted to the government within two weeks of finishing treatments. The contractor shall have the final swath data, and the swath generated polygon shape file submitted to the government within two weeks of finishing treatments.

4. Zooming in on any portion of the treatment to view a specific area with greater detail.

Hardware: Shall possess the following features:

Visual display monitor: (1)Capable of displaying swath width over application path: (2) mounted in equipment in a location that will allow the applicator to view the screen with direct or peripheral vision without looking down; (3) may display in real time or be available for access immediately after application has ceased.

Control Keypad: The keypad shall: (1) be able to input reference waypoints (A-B line): (2) have a feature which alerts the applicator when they are about to enter or exit a specific treatment block or an exclusion area within a block: (3) have a method to display nested polygons to indicate sensitive or no-spray areas within or adjacent to treatment blocks: (4) have a feature that allows the applicator to return to the exact location of application shutdown and complete application without omitted or doubled treated areas.

Course Deviation Indicator (CDI): The course deviation indicator or course deviation light shall have the capability to display both cross-tract error and intercept angle to desired heading. The CDI must be installed on the application equipment in a location that will allow the applicator to view the CDI with direct or peripheral vision without looking down. Cross-track error shall be adjustable down to one (1) foot.

Memory: Shall be capable of storing up to 12 hours of continuous application log data.

D. Special Aircraft Requirements: Contractor shall furnish properly equipped aircraft with pilot(s) experienced in applying herbicides on rough terrain at high elevations. Aircraft use will be in compliance with 14 CFR Part 137, Agricultural Aircraft Operations. End product Contractors using aircraft as a tool to fulfill contract requirements will meet the PPE standards in 351 DM 1, Aviation Life Support Equipment Handbook.

C.3.1 PERSONNEL:

A. Pilots: Shall be furnished by the Contractor and shall meet certification requirements of Federal Aviation Regulations for this type of work and be licensed to aerially apply herbicides in New Mexico. Pilots shall be able to hear and converse with the Project Inspector at load site and Project Inspector field personnel via radio through the use of BLM frequency throughout the duration of the contract and able to monitor secondary frequency such as when flying in restricted air space or when multiple aircraft are in operation.

B. Ground Crew: Shall be furnished by the Contractor.

C. Operator Certificate: Contractor shall hold an agricultural aircraft operator certificate issued by the Federal Aviation Administration, and will operate aircraft used in the project as agricultural aircraft. The contractor’s pilots must be licensed by the New Mexico Department of Agriculture Bureau of Pesticide Management. Contractor shall have attended a S.A.F.E. pattern testing clinic for solid and or liquid application within the past year to ensure proper calibration and patterning of aircraft application equipment. Attendance, accreditations, and S.A.F.E. data is mandatory and shall be provided to the Contracting officer and made available to the Project Inspector for validation / review.

C.3.2 PROJECT CONDITIONS

A. Work Limits: The government may define with conduit and flagging the outer perimeter of areas to be treated and areas within such perimeter which are to be excluded from herbicide application. The government provided shape files will be the final authority on the areas to be treated and excluded unless directed otherwise by the Contracting Officer.

B. Work Hours: Herbicide application will be permitted only during daylight hours.

C. Work Days: Herbicide operations will be permitted on every day of the week and holidays.

D. Work Staging Facilities: The Contractor shall obtain required work staging facilities or work areas used. The contractor assumes full responsibility and liability for work areas used.

E. Environmental Conditions: Application equipment will not be allowed to release herbicide or turn within 500 ft. of agricultural crops or 1,320 ft. from residences having plants susceptible to damage from herbicide when using aircraft capable of applying pellets at speeds of 150 mph or less.

F. Special Requirements: Time is of the essence. Failure to commence actual herbicide operations within five (5) calendar days from date of receipt of notice to proceed, weather permitting as determined by the Contracting Officer, will be considered cause for terminating contractor's right to proceed under the contract clauses of this contract. Application shall not be made during rain storms nor when winds affect application uniformity or when ground surface conditions are unsuitable (snow or ice on ground).

C.3.2 PREPARATION

A. Wind Conditions:

Pelleted Herbicide - Aerial application of herbicide shall not be done when the wind is not at a constant velocity or exceeds an average of 15 mph.

B. Application Paths: Irregular paths of application will result in immediate stoppage of work. Corrective action shall be taken immediately by the Contractor to insure evenly spaced, straight, and regular application paths and complete coverage of areas included in the application job.

The contractor or his applicators may be asked to apply herbicide along the edges of drainages to increase buffer distance if the predominate application path(s) are perpendicular to drainages as an effort to reduce drift into leave out areas. If field conditions indicate excessive drift into leave out areas the contractor or his applicators may be asked to make appropriate adjustments to minimize such drift.

C. Application Hazards: The Contractor shall check the operating areas for any obstructions or hazards to the personnel or equipment prior to herbicide application.

D. Restricted Areas: The Contractor shall comply with any airspace restrictions and shall obtain clearance to enter any prohibited or restricted air space. Radio contact shall be maintained with agency field personnel and air traffic control responsible for restricted airspace(s).

C.3.2 APPLICATION

A. General: All herbicide applications shall be done in accordance with the Specimen Label for the herbicide being used. The entire surface within the designated boundaries of the project area shall receive uniform coverage with the herbicide except areas excluded by the Government. Pilots may be asked during treatment to not treat certain areas of the shape file polygons, as directed by the COR/PI field personnel. These acres not treated within the treatment polygons may be added onto other polygons close to areas to be treated in the contract to make the treated acres match the acres that were contracted for. Areas excluded from the herbicide operation within the designated boundaries will not be included in the acreage computed for payment if actual treatment has not occurred.

B. Rates of Application: Specified herbicides shall be distributed at the rate indicated in the work data sheet. Refer to the Work Data Sheet/Bid Schedule for the specific rates of application by project.

C. Aerial Swath Width:

Pelleted Herbicide: Shall not exceed 42 feet for fixed wing piston class aircraft, 60 feet for fixed wing turbine class aircraft, and 70 feet for rotor wing aircraft. The 0.3 lbs active ingredient applications will be applied in 100 foot swathes. However, due the fact that there are many different types of pellet applying systems, the application will be field verified to be sure the equipment will apply at the specified rate and distribution.

For roto-wing aircraft, the blower system must operate between 65 and 70 MPH as measured by an anemometer prior to installation of the boom distribution system. When comparing right side blower to left side blower, the deviation must not exceed 2 mph difference from one another. Rheostats controlling metering of pelleted herbicide shall be secured as to not be affected by aircraft vibration or inadvertently altered during loading of chemical. Once set after calibration they cannot be altered unless agreed to between the Project Inspector and the contractor.

D. Application Strips: Shall be patterned to secure a uniform distribution of herbicide. Such distribution shall not vary more than 5% above or below the average distribution of herbicide per acre.

E. Flight Height:

Pelleted Herbicide: Shall be low enough to obtain proper Distribution and uniform coverage of herbicide, but no lower than 50 foot for rotor wing and 100 feet for fixed wing above ground level to allow for proper herbicide dispersion. Pellet application shall not be made during a rainstorm, snow, or when the ground is frozen. Aircraft shall be operated in conformance with Federal Aviation Regulations.

C.3.3 Products

Materials:

A. The Contractor shall deliver Contractor-furnished pelleted herbicide in original, unopened containers.

B. Herbicide shall conform to the following: Spike 20P or generic equivalent 20% by volume pelleted tebuthiuron herbicide shall conform to the following:

Active Ingredient(s):

Tebuthiuron: N-[5-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-y1]-N,N’- dimethylurea......................................20.0%

EPA Reg. No. 62719-121 (or generic equivalent EPA Reg. No. 81927-41)

C6.3 FIELD QUALITY CONTROL:

A. Tests for Uniformity: The Contracting Officer will make tests to determine uniformity of herbicide application.

B. Tests for Rate of Application: Rate of herbicide application will be determined from test flights and calibration made prior to commencement of spraying operations to establish setting of the distribution mechanism. Test flights and calibration checks shall be made as often as necessary to insure the distribution mechanism is calibrated correctly. Calibration will be within 1% of the requested rate per acre. Project inspectors will be allowed to look into the cockpit to view the data generated from each flight for acreage calculations and shape file flight accuracy. Project inspectors must be allowed to look into the aircraft before and after each flight to determine if the herbicide is being used completely.

C6.4 METHOD OF MEASUREMENT

A. Units: Application of herbicide will be measured and paid for by the number of acres treated to the nearest whole acre.

B. Measurement: The determination of the acreage of completed work will be made from GPS/GIS calculations from the export files of the contractor as compared to the original shapefiles supplied by the government, the actual amounts of herbicide loaded into the aircraft applied at the correct rate per acre, along with field observations to insure proper herbicide placement. Area measurements required under this Contract will be measured on a horizontal plane.

C. Remeasurement: Remeasurement of the acreage under this contract will be made upon written request of the contractor. The request for remeasurement must be made in writing within 10 calendar days after completion of work. If remeasurement indicates a difference of not more than 5% from the original measurement, the Contractor shall pay the actual cost of the remeasurement. Payments will be based on the second measurement where the difference between measurements is more than 5%. When the measurements are less than 5%, the results from the first measurement will be used.

C6.5 BASIS OF PAYMENT

Payment: Payment will be full compensation for the work described in above. Payment will be made on the determination of the acreage of completed work multiplied by the unit price per acre established in the Bid Schedule. However, final payment will not be authorized until all GIS data has been received and verified.

END OF SECTION

Project Name

*WSMR Restricted Airspace

Socorro Municipal Airport - Socorro, NM Lat/Long: 34-01-20.9000N / 106-54-11.3000W

Grants-Milan Municipal Airport - Grants, NM, Lat/Long: N 35-10.03' / W107-54.12'

Performance Time: October 3, 2022 to November 15, 2022.

MAPS

Project/Vicinity Maps - See attached PDFs