SOW_LMD10North_07012026_-NORTH.pdf

Statement of Work for Vegetation Survey (Rangeland Inventory & Report) for

Land Management District 10 North Sub-Units 10-2A, 10-2B and 10-3

Description

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Central Navajo Agency- Branch of Natural Resources is working on vegetation survey in LMD 10 located Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) – Colorado Plateau. The site occurs within the Colorado Plateau Physiographic Province. Elevations range from 5800 to 7300 feet and precipitation averages 13 to 17 inches per year. This unit is characterized by a sequence of flat to gently dipping sedimentary rocks eroded into plateaus, valleys and deep canyons. Sedimentary rock classes dominate the plateau with volcanic fields occurring for the most part near its margin. The average annual precipitation is 10-14 inches in almost all areas, and average snowfall is about six inches. About half of the rainfall occurs as high-intensity, convective usually brief, intense thunderstorms late in fall. Light snow falls in winter, but it does not remain on the ground very long, usually lasts for 3-4 days, but can persist much longer. The average annual temperature is 67 to 105 degrees F., decreasing to the north and at higher elevations.

1. About half of the area is grazed by sheep and cattle and is traditionally utilized by Navajo

Ranchers for seasonal grazing, thus creating overgrazing problems. Grazing permits are administered by the BIA Natural Resources program in accordance with the Navajo Grazing

Regulations 25 CFR §167. The Navajo Nation Department of Agriculture assists with the management of grazing activities primarily through District Grazing Committees. All three parties coordinate their activities to manage the forage resources on the Navajo Nation.

The contractor will conduct a vegetation survey within District 10-2A, 10-2B, and 10-3, within 3 communities, Rough Rock, Many Farms, and Chinle. The project area will consist of 458,435 acres.

There are six (6) Range Management Unit (RMU) within the study area. These RMU will be evaluated separately and therefore the acres for two chapter should be less from actual parameter boundary. The contractor is responsible for collecting and compiling the vegetation data of 433 total study plots. A map showing the location is included. See Attachment.

Statement of Work

The contractor will furnish all necessary manpower and equipment; specialized personnel, transportation, equipment, material necessary to complete the vegetation survey, data summary and report. The contractor is responsible for reconnaissance and mobility arrangements of the survey area. The principal data collector and the field crew members will meet the requirements set forth by the Department of the

Interior. The contractor is required to collect vegetation data and samplings on 433 transect of District 10

Sub-Units. The National Range and Pasture Handbook and Inventory and Monitoring (Tech. Report

1734-70) will be used to sample and collect data for the vegetation analysis in District.

Specification

The government prefers the field data collection to start September 7, 2026. The contractor shall collect and compile forage production data on 433 transects on 239,558 acres within District 10 Sub-units, based on soil maps and ecological sites (USDA NRCS 713 Soil Survey, Apache, Navajo). See attachment 1-

Map of survey location. Data collection will include forage production by species, frequency and ground cover utilizing the double sampling method (estimating and harvesting) as described in National Range and Pasture Handbook and Inventory and Monitoring (Technical Report 1734-7.

The contractor shall provide all equipment, facilities, materials, tools, supplies and services for the performance and completion of this contract. The contractor shall be responsible for all lodging, fee campgrounds, motels and housing rental arrangements. Field camping locations will be arranged with the area land users by the contractor.

A pre-work coordination meeting between the Contractor and BIA will be held prior to at a predetermined date and location. The primary focus for this meeting is to discuss the strategy for the field work and to answer questions and discuss issues regarding this statement of work and procedures. The BIA

Contracting Officer (CO) will be responsible for setting up this meeting.

Applicable Documents and References

Referenced Abbreviations and/ or Acronyms: The contractor will be consistent in the use of abbreviations and acronyms. Copies of the referenced abbreviations and standards may be procured by the contractor from the following sources:

1). National Range and Pasture Handbook, USDA NRCS, September 1997, Revision 1 Dec. 2003.

2). National Range Handbook Update H-441-1, USDA NRCS.

3). Inventory and Monitoring, Technical Report 1734-7, USDI-BLM, Dec. 2001.

4). Sampling Vegetation Attributes, Interagency Technical Reference 1734-4, Revised 1999.

5). Interpreting Indicator of Rangeland Health, Technical Reference 1734-6, 2000

Specification / WORK REQUIREMENTS

The contractor shall complete District 10 range inventories by collecting and compiling data on sample plots covering approximately 239,558 acres. See Attachment 1- on sample location. Locating Plot with

GPS

1). LOCATING TRANSECT WITH GPS

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) will provide UTM coordinates for each sample location. The contractor is required to use GPS to locate sample points. The UTM coordinates will be in NAD 83 UTM

ZONE 12N.

2). VEGETATION PRODUCTION STUDIES

The vegetation production shall be sampled using Double Sampling Methodology (estimating and harvesting). Vegetative species composition shall be measured by percent weight. Production shall be determined by measuring the annual above ground growth (grams per plot converted to pounds per acre) of vegetation. Contractor shall collect data from 1,067 transects using a 9.6 square-foot (square frame) at each study location base on soil maps (USDA NRCS_ 713 Soil Survey). The weight unit will be grams.

Weight units shall be estimated, measured and recorded (National Range and Pasture Handbook, 1997, Revision 1 2003) for each species in each plot. Only plants rooted within the 9.6 square foot or shrubs overhanging the plot shall be included in the recorded data for each plot. For quality control, two plots along each transect line shall be estimated then clipped and bagged by species to assist in the species weight unit determination. Anything rooted in the plot, but overhanging the plot shall be harvested to a stubble height of ¼ inch above the ground. Only the current year’s growth shall be included in the harvested sample, not total plant biomass. Shrubs rooted in or overhanging the 9.6 square feet plot and up to a height of 4 feet above the plot shall be included in the plot estimates and harvesting. The estimate weight for the species in the harvested plot shall be recorded on the field data sheet. The actual weight for the harvested species shall be circled or otherwise designated on the production data sheet. The species production data for each transect shall be totaled by species. The double sampling data sheets will show the total pound weight by species.

The harvest plants shall be bagged by species. The bags shall be identified by date collected, transect number, clipped plot number and weighted in grams. The harvested vegetation shall be air dried for a minimum of ten days at room temperature or oven dried until a consistent dry weight is achieved.

The estimated and actual dry weight of each harvested species shall be recorded in a spreadsheet data format (i.e., EXCEL.) that shows the date, transect number, clipped plot number and if applicable RMU number. The particular spread sheet software used will be determined jointly by BIA and the Contractor.

Since there is continuous livestock grazing on the study area, the existing plant community at the time of the data collection must be reconstructed to the total normal annual air-dry production. The reconstruction must consider the physiological and climatological factors that affect the amount of annual biomass measured. Contractor must determine Air Dry Weight (ADW) factor, Utilization, Adjustment (% plant remaining) and Growth Adjustment for each species. See Inventory and Technical Report Reference

1734-7.

The contractor shall use GPS and the UTM coordinates given by the BIA to locate sample location. The contractor shall document study and sample location, starting points, bearings, length, sampling intervals, frame size, photo points and other pertinent information on the Study Location and Documentation Data form. Contractor will use the random method to determine which direction to run transects. Each transect will be 200 feet long. Some variation may occur in the transect layout to keep transects within the same ecological site.

Double Sampling Data:

A. On the collection data sheet the contractor will fill in the following information:

1. Sample Number-a total of transects will be sampled based on Ecological Site Description or soil maps.

The transects will be a representation of the vegetation population based on the soil map, transect can be moved if the transect is not a well-represented sample area for the entire population using ocular and range experience.

2. Unit Number- (Range Management Unit), if applicable.

3. Date- the date the transect is run.

4. Ecological Site- write in the ecological Site name in this space.

5. GPS- write in the UTM coordinates.

6. Landform- mark X on the landform line indicating the transect land position.

7. Topography- circles the word(s) which describes the topography of the area.

B. Vegetative production, frequency and cover data will be collected every 20 feet long along each 200 feet transect line using a 9.6 square-foot frame. A total of 10 productions, 10 frequencies and 40 cover plots are sampled along each transect. At 20th foot place the 9.6 square-foot frame at the point of the toe.

C. For each species within the frame selected for clipping, estimate the weight of the current year’s production in grams, then clip each species and enter weight unit measure for each species. Unidentified species should be labeled as unknown #1, #2, etc. and harvested to be keyed out for identification. A trace of a species will be labeled “T” and an estimate of .25 gram should be entered in the data sheet. Since there has been a change in plant communities (changing from grasses to shrubs), larger shrubs (i.e., snake weed, rabbit brush, Mormon tea, cliff rose, big sagebrush, buckwheat, black greasewood, four wing

Saltbush, etc.) within the transect line will be included in extended shrub plot, which is 0.01-acre plot or

21 by 21 feet square frame. The weight of each species present within or above the plot will be recorded on the production data sheet of the study location. On a frequency data sheet, collect frequency data for all plant species. Record data by species within each frame using the Frequency form. Records on the

Frequency form, by dot count, tally the cover category at each of the four corners on the frame. Enter the data in the Cover Summary section of the Frequency form.

D. The existing plant at the time of the inventory must be reconstructed to normal air-dry weight production before it can be compared with the reference plant community. Contractor will determine for each species: 1) the percent air dry weight (ADW) factor, 2) Double sampling adjustment factor, 3) the percent of plant biomass of each species that has not been removed (% plant remaining), 4) percent

Growth Adjustment for each species that has occurred for the current growing season, 5) the climatic adjustment factor comparing current year growth to normal years growth, if appropriate. See Inventory and Monitoring Technical Reference 1734-7.

3.) SHRUB PRODUCTION:

If the sample plots/vegetation consists of larger shrubs, (i.e., snakeweed, rabbitbrush, Mormon tea, cliffrose, big sagebrush, buckwheat, black greasewood, fourwing saltbush, etc.) extended shrub plots

(0.01-acre plot) must be used. The contractor must comply with National Range and Pasture Handbook, Inventorying and Monitoring Grazing Land Resources.

4.) FREQUENCY AND COVER:

Frequency and cover data shall be collected and calculated in accordance with the guideline specified in the Bureau of Land Management’s Technical Reference 1734-4.

5.) PLANT CODES AND PLANT NAMES:

The standard alpha-numeric plant codes and plant names will be used for data compilation and reports.

These plant codes and names may be found in the National List of Scientific Plant Names or on the World

Wide Web at the following site: http://plants.usda.gov/plants/

6.) CODES AND STANDARDS:

The work shall comply with the standards applicable to each type of work and as listed in the individual sections of these specifications and as found in the “Technical Reference Vegetation Attributes” (1997) for the Double Sampling Methodology. The contractor shall incorporate materials and applications with the same force and effect as when they were given in full text.

7.) FINAL DELIVERABLE:

The contractor will furnish the government as requested in the contract, a draft report for Bureau’s review and comment at 30%, 60% and 90%. The bureau will have three weeks to review and comment on the draft report. The final report will be delivered to BIA Central Navajo Agency after 15 Calendar days of revision including the paper version with binder depending on pages, GIS data with Metadata updates, and all data collected in electronic format. The report shall include:

1.) Contractor will provide a detailed report on the data collection of transects on annual forage production by ecological sites and a complete vegetative analysis in Microsoft Excel software, the spread sheet will be determined jointly by BIA and the contractor.

2.) Contractor will determine total useable forage production and carrying capacity by ecological sites for

Grazing District 10. There are 11 Rand Management Unit in study areas and will be evaluated individually to determine carrying capacity.

3.) Contractor will calculate carrying capacity, percent frequency and percent cover by ecological sites;

explain and discuss the data results.

4.) Contractor will provide similarity index (SI) for each ecological site for District 10 and provide SI in

Microsoft Excel software; the spreadsheet will be determined jointly by BIA and the Contractor.

5.) Contractor will analyze and interpret the data results. Include tables, figures and maps in communicating the results, as well as general natural history observations. Tables and figures will include ecological sites, compartment number, acreage, range condition or score, total production, average production, useable production by grazing compartment number and carrying capacity. Provide photos with descriptions of each predominant ecological site or plant community.

6.) Contractor will use ArcGISPro 10.4.1 for analysis of the collected field data. This includes production, frequency, SI, cover and carrying capacity. Contractor will create a personal geo-database and put feature classes in it. Contractor must use NAD 83 UTM Zone 12 N.

7.) Contractor will provide to the BIA ten (10) copies of the final Technical Report no later than three weeks after the final review and comments by the Bureau. The final report shall include: a) the analysis and interpretation of data, b) use range condition score to explain the forage quantities and qualities, c) update carrying capacity and potential carrying capacity under improved conditions for 11 (RMU) d.

discussion on range trends, e) the analysis of the data, use five years of annual rainfall information from two communities within District 10 attached to the final report, there should be an updated stocking rate and range conditions for each ecological site, g) discussion on frequency and cover, h) forage production and frequency/cover field data sheets, I) range condition worksheet for each sample plot, needs to be in electronic copy and j) discussion and interpretation of results and recommendations.

8.) Contractor shall use the following format in their draft and final technical report:

a) A Cover Sheet

b) An abstract

c) A table of Content

d) An introduction (purpose and need).

e) Resource Descriptions

f) Methodology

g) Ecological Sites

h) Precipitation

i) Results

j) Discussions

k) Conclusion

l) Recommendations

m) Literature Cited

n) Figures

o) Tables

p) Appendix

q) Attachment

9) Contractor shall provide all the hard-copy and GIS database of the vegetation studies for future reference. This would include GIS shapefiles in UTM coordinates in NAD 1983 Zone 12 N in a portable terabyte hard drive to the Bureau and any other supporting documentation collected during the contract to the Bureau.

8. CONTRACTOR FURNISHED MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT:

The contractor shall furnish vehicles and equipment necessary to collect vegetation data on District 10.

This includes but is not limited to the following:

1) Sampling Frame 9.6 sq-ft in size.

2) Grass Clippers

3) Spade for soil profiling or sampling.

4) Paper bags for containing and weighting vegetation samples

5) Kilogram and gram spring loaded scales with clip

6) Oven for drying vegetation or air dry for 10 days.

7) Rubber bands

8) Pin Flags

9) Compass with adjustable bearing.

10) GPS unit with sufficient memory to store 500 points and with an accuracy of 40 feet.

11) 200 feet measuring tape

12) Clinometer

13) Digital Camera, 14 mega pixel or better and applicable software (jps)

14) Cellular phones (optional)

15) Portable Terabyte hard drive for GIS data, collected data, and final Technical Report.

9) GOVERNMENT FURNISHED MATERIAL, SERVICES AND EQUIPMENT:

1) Maps of sample location and copies of soil survey or ecological site descriptions.

2) GIS Layer of sample plots with UTM coordinates and shapefiles to be used for data analysis;

coordinates will be in NAD 83 UTM Zone 12N.

3) Access to office workspace in Chinle Agency Branch of Natural Resources.

4) Access to USDA Natural Resource Conservation Services website to copy/reproduce selected study

“Ecological Site Description”.

http://soils.usda.gov/survey/printdsurveys/state.asp?state=Arizona&abbr=AZ

5. Access to USDA Natural Resources Conservation Services’ website to copy/reproduce selected study

“Ecological Site Description”. http://esis.sc.egov.usda.gov/Welcome/pgReportLocation.aspx?type=ESD

6) Access to Navajo Nation Water Resource for the latest precipitation data, contact (928) 729-4004 http://www.frontiernet.net/--nndwer wmb/Administation.htm

7) Include other data that can be useful in the analysis and interpretation of the data.

10.) QUALITY CONTROL:

The government, at its option will perform quality control checks during the field data collection phase and spot check transects field data sheets. Incomplete or inaccurate work will be rejected, and the http://soils.usda.gov/survey/printdsurveys/state.asp?state=Arizona&abbr=AZ http://esis.sc.egov.usda.gov/Welcome/pgReportLocation.aspx?type=ESD http://www.frontiernet.net/--nndwer contractor will make corrections if the problems are minor or run another transect if a major mistake is made. All failures to correctly collect or record field data will be deemed as major mistakes.

11) SUPERVISION OF FIELD PERSONNAL:

The contractor, or his/her designee, will supervise field personnel daily basis. The field supervisor will make him/her available to field personnel for any matter regarding the full performance of this contract. If the contractor chooses a designee for field supervision, then the designee will have a Bachelor of Science

Degree from an accredited University or College in any of the disciplines listed under Professional

Qualifications.

12.) PERSONNEL AND PROFFESIONAL QUALIFICATION:

The contractor is required to have staff and/or sub-contractors available for this project with educational backgrounds and experience in the fields of range science, range ecology, weed science, weed biology, medicinal plant of the southwest, plant biology, or any of the ecological sciences pertaining to range management. Field personnel should have land navigational skills and be able to accurately perform tedious tasks in isolated and rugged terrains. All bidders will submit a statement of professional qualifications, including previous consulting assignments.

12.) ATTACHMENTS:

Attachment 1: Sample Location Map

10-2A 10-2B

10-3