SOW Smith Mountain Proposed Trail Alignment Biological Surveys.pdf

Statement of Work

U.S Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Uncompahgre Field Office Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area Smith Mountain Proposed Trail Alignment Biological Surveys February 1, 2021

North Fork and Gunnison Rivers Special Recreation Management Area, Smith

Mountain area

Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area

COR: Neil Perry PI: Ken Holsinger and Robin Lewis

Background

Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area (GGNCA), designated by Congress in

1999, offers a wide array of recreation opportunities and welcomes thousands of visitors every year. While GGNCA boasts Gold medal trout fishing and nationally-renowned dirt bike trails, there are no non-motorized, mechanized trails in the NCA. The Delta Area

Mountain Bikers, a chapter of the Colorado Plateau Mountain Biking Association

(COPMOBA), have been working with GGNCA staff for a decade to design, plan, and ultimately implement purpose-built mountain bike trails (potentially e-bikes) within the

NCA. In 2019, over 40 miles of proposed trail alignment were surveyed for cultural resources in the North Fork and Gunnison Rivers Special Recreation Management Area

(SRMA), specifically in the Smith Mountain area. With the results of that survey in-hand, a biological survey for Threatened Colorado hookless cactus and Colorado desert parsley is the next step to understanding the resource landscape of the area. While recreation is a dominant use of GGNCA, it is also home to rare cultural and biological resources whose protection must be balanced with amenity development. Therefore, biological surveys are necessary to informing BLM of project viability and providing data should NEPA and consultation with the Fish and Wildlife Service proceed.

Option Line Item

In addition to the base line item detailed below, this contract includes an option line for additional survey acres. If the government chooses to award the option line, the work will take place early 2022. Prospective contractors should provide per-acre bids for the following acre ranges for the option year: 1) 200 to 449 acres and 2) 450 to 700 acres and 3) 701 to 1200 acres. Awarded acreage of the option would be based on available funding and the per-acre prices the awarded contractor proposed on the schedule of items. Map 1, below, represents the only geographic area that would be considered for option line item.

Proposed Project

General Summary: The Smith Mountain Proposed Trail Alignment Biological Surveys project will entail surveying areas around linear miles of proposed trail alignment to identify and map Threatened Colorado hookless cactus and Colorado desert parsley (see Map 1, below). The Smith Mountain area may see trail system development in the future. The biologic resource survey will be between 200 to 700 acres in the Smith Mountain area of the GGNCA. All survey areas may not be contiguous. The final project design will be dependent on the cost per acre provided by the selected contractor.

Prospective contractors should provide per-acre bids for the following acre ranges for the base year: 1) 200 to 449 acres and 2) 450 to 700 acres. The BLM is requiring that areas be surveyed using pedestrian surveys.

Location and Access: The Smith Mountain area is located 15-30 minutes from the towns of Delta and Hotchkiss, located in Delta County Colorado. It is accessed via H75, a 2WD county road that forks on the Smith Mountain saddle into H75, South River Road (AWD), and the Smith Mountain Jeep Road (4WD), respectively. These routes are open to the public however, travel in this area during or immediately after rain showers is not recommended. The general legal location for the project area is: 6th Principal Meridian T. 15 S., R. 94 W., Secs. 3,4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 26, and 27

Procurement Deliverables by Task

Task 1: Literature Review/File Search CNHP & BLM Records Review:

The purpose of the records review is to ensure known occurrences within the project area are revisited (verify current status), and to determine the presence of potential habitat. A records review must be completed prior to beginning fieldwork. The Contractor must contact the BLM Ecologist at least five business days in advance to schedule the records review and fieldwork.

Task 2: Biologic Survey

Field Inventory

The Fieldwork Authorization will constitute the Notice to Proceed. While reconnaissance may be completed at any time of year, when snow is not present, to determine if suitable habitat exists, the actual plant survey must be completed during the flowering season to ensure positive identification. The timing should be between April 1 and May 15th though depending on conditions there is possibility surveys could begin earlier or last later. The Smith Mountain area is located in sparsely vegetated pinyon-juniper and sagebrush shrublands at an elevation of approximately 6000-7000 feet. Plant species of concern in the area are: Sclerocactus glucus (Coorado Hookless cactus) and Lomatium concinnum (Colorado (Adobe) desert parsley). Colorado hookless cactus grows primarily in the mixed salt desert scrub community, although it is also found in sagebrush and very open-canopied pinyon-juniper. Soils are commonly derived from Mancos shale, ranging from fine silty clay to silty clay loam, and even sandy loams with significant coarse gravel derived from alluvium. Dominant co-occurring plant species include shadscale, mat saltbush, Gardner’s saltbush, claret cup, galleta grass, and Indian rice grass. Colorado hookless cactus is often found under small nurse shrubs, especially shadscale. Lomatium concinnum is typically found in the Adobe hills and plains on rocky soils derived from Mancos shale. It is also typically associated with shrub communities dominated by sagebrush, shadscale, greasewood, and scrub oak near the top of the elevational extent. Plants can occur at elevation ranges between 5500-7000 ft.

Ideal survey time for Hookless cactus is when in flower as the plants are more conspicuous and typically result in more accurate and complete survey with the least time and resource demand. Surveyors shall verify that a nearby population is flowering at the time the survey is conducted. Suitable habitat will be determined using site visits, aerial photos, soils maps, topographic maps and maps of known populations and consulting with other specialists familiar with these species in the area, such as Colorado Natural Heritage Program and Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).

The biological resource survey will cover proposed trail alignments with a buffer of 50 meters on either side of the centerline as well as identified polygons. The final survey area will be determined by the cost per acre provided by the selected consultant. All survey areas may not be contiguous.

The plant survey will require a 100% pedestrian survey of suitable habitat. Pedestrian transects will be even spaced, meandering (zig zagging) out to either side to cover the entire transect width. Pedestrian transect spacing will be 10-20 meters, and collapse as Colorado hookless cactus or Colorado desert parsley are encountered, recording the full extent of the occurrence. Transect widths should narrow to 3-5 meters depending on vegetation height and density. In situations where plants are recorded along the edge of the polygon, the surveyor will endeavor to determine the aerial extent of the population, typical populations in the project area are small often encompassing less than an acre. A complete census is not necessary but a good estimate of number of plants observed in a population is required. GIS data shall be collected as points if the population extent is less than 25 m2, and a polygon if greater than 25m2.

Intensity and extent of surveys will be determined by suitable habitat. Large areas not surveyed must be mapped as such. The site maps will include areas of disturbance that have altered the sites potential to support rare plant species. Areas of disturbance may include but are not limited to sediment catchments, water developments, previous mechanical disturbance resulting in near denudation, or erosion.

All fieldwork and documentation shall be performed to Department of Interior, (DOI) Bureau of Land Management, FWS, and other applicable professional standards.

Documentation must include a completed Colorado Natural Heritage Program (CNHP) Field Survey Forms for any Colorado hookless cactus and Colorado desert parsley newly discovered. Copies of the CNHP Form are available from the CNHP website.

TASK 2 DELIVERABLE: Acceptance of a written letter (can be emailed) with the results of the Biologic survey. This is due to the BLM no later than two weeks after completion of fieldwork or no later than July 15, 2021.

1) Brief description of each site, which will include if Colorado hookless cactus or Colorado desert parsley were recorded, dominant vegetation types, and presence of noxious weeds. If there are no Colorado hookless cactus or Colorado desert parsley Special Status Species in the survey area, include an assessment of whether or not the site is believed to contain potential habitat, and rationale explaining this determination.

2) Copy of a 7.5' topographic map showing the project survey boundary and Special Status Species locations, or appropriate GIS generated maps as either PDF or JPEG file format.

The PI’s review of the letter report and verbal notification of acceptance of the results to the contractor within 10 days of receipt constitutes completion of this item of the contract.

Task 3: Draft Final Report

An electronic copy of a draft Final Report, GPS shapefiles (projection data required) of the recorded species, survey routes, and areas (habitat) surveyed, and a copy of the CNHP Field Survey Forms to the BLM for review within six weeks of completing the fieldwork, or no later than September 15, 2021, whichever comes first. The consultant’s editor is strongly encouraged to review the draft before submission to correct grammatical and factual errors. This will all be delivered electronically via email or a compatible file-sharing platform.

The Report will document results. The report must include but is not limited to:

i. Detailed maps of the areas inventoried displaying GPS collected features of:

the target species found and unusual or relic plant. Surveyed areas will be identified and characterized by the procedure methods suitable to each location based on habitat potential. Base maps used should be 7-1/2 minute United States Geological Survey (USGS) quadrangles, and aerial photos.

ii. In addition to reporting locations of occurrences, shapefiles of the areas surveyed, surveyors’ tracks and recorded occurrences (points, lines or polygons) will be required. GIS deliverables for recorded occurrences should be divided into 2 shapefiles: Special Status Plants (Colorado hookless cactus and Colorado desert parsley) and occurrences of Colorado State listed A&B Weeds. Shapefiles must be ArcMap compatible (provided in coordinate system UTM Zone 13, meters, datum NAD83)

iii. Written descriptions of the areas inventoried, including the plant communities and dominant associated species, any noxious or invasive weeds present, soil types and/or geologic formations present. Colorado State listed A&B Noxious weeds should be mapped, invasive species such as cheatgrass/Halogeton should be described in terms of estimated cover, density, or composition in the required narrative.

iv. Photographs of the project area and any Colorado hookless cactus and Colorado desert parsley or significant natural communities found.

Photographs should be geo-referenced.

v. Date(s) of the inventory.

vi. Personnel involved in the inventory.

vii. Methodology employed, including techniques and intensity of the inventory.

State the size of the area that was surveyed.

viii. Assessments of the size and health of any Colorado hookless cactus or

Colorado desert parsley plant populations found.

ix. A list of references cited, persons contacted, herbaria visited, and the location of any voucher specimens collected.

x. Additional data needs.

xi. Other information as appropriate. If no Colorado hookless cactus or Colorado desert parsley are found, include an assessment of whether or not the site is believed to contain potential habitat, and rationale explaining this determination. (i.e. At times it is not possible to ascertain whether a specific project location comprises potential habitat based on topo maps, soils and vegetation maps or other available data prior to conducting a clearance. If during the site visit it is determined that the area does not constitute potential habitat, because, for instance, the soils are not appropriate for the target species, this should be documented for future reference.).

The BLM will provide a response to the draft Final Report within two weeks of receipt. If substantial editing is required, all documents will be returned with general comments, or tagged corrections. If minimal changes are required, specific corrections will be identified in the response and individual corrected pages may be submitted.

Task 4: Final Report

Delivery of the Final report (electronic) and supporting records (Task 3) is require no later than October 15, 2021. BLM will notify the contractor of acceptance of the Final Report and final payment within two weeks which constitutes completion of the contract.

Personnel

The UFO Ecologist will approve all contractors conducting plant inventories prior to conducting Fieldwork. Resumes will be submitted for every surveyor working on a botanical survey. Resumes should include educational background (colleges and universities attended, and any diplomas and degrees received), botanical survey work history, and any related work experience. All personnel conducting inventories for special status plants should have strong backgrounds in plant taxonomy and have experience with the local flora. A degree in Botany, Plant Science, or Plant Ecology, with at least 24 semester hours in botany is recommended. Two field seasons of surveying experience for special status species in the geographic area are also highly recommended.

A combination of coursework and appropriate experience may be substituted if it is determined that it meets the requirements. Such qualifications help to ensure that all special status plants and noxious weeds occurring in the area are inventoried, located and properly identified.

Payment Schedule

Costs of technical report revisions and rewriting based on BLM comments shall be included in the initial proposal for individual statements of work. BLM shall not be billed separately for extra costs incurred by the Contractor due to major or successive technical report revisions.

The Contractor shall not receive final payment for an order until all the deliverables have been accepted by BLM. Costs of technical report revisions and rewriting based on BLM comments, shall be included in the initial proposal for individual statements of work.

BLM shall not be billed separately for extra costs incurred by the Contractor due to major technical revisions to the site forms, GIS data, or report.

The following payment schedule shall be used:

TASK 1 & 2: Upon acceptance, 75% of award amount TASK 3: Upon acceptance, 15% of award amount TASK 4: Upon acceptance, 10% of award amount

*If the option line is exercised, payment schedule and deadlines for deliverables, associated with the option, would be negotiated and agreed upon by BLM staff and the contractor prior to acceptance of the option award.

Map 1

Evaluation Criteria

Technical and Past Performance

Award will be based on Best Value to the Government, which may not necessarily be the low bidder. Proposals will be evaluated based on the following technical evaluation factors, past performance, and price. Project bids and subsequent proposals should address all physical and technical aspects involved with completing the biological surveys and reports. At a minimum, each of the technical items below shall be addressed in detail.

The objective of these evaluation criteria is to assess the potential qualifications and capabilities of prospective bidders for this project. In addition to the bid values, these evaluations will be used to ascertain the ability of bidders to effectively and efficiently complete the contract with reliable results. The evaluation criteria are as follows:

▪ Technical

The evaluation shall measure the contractors’ technical knowledge of the project, involving:

• Knowledge of individual rare species that are likely to occur within the project area

• Timing of surveys according to blooming periods

• Knowledge of and skill in identifying relevant Special Status Species

(Colorado hookless cactus and Colorado desert parsley)

• Supervisor and crews must meet educational and experience requirements for conducting biological surveys.

• GIS skill in recording field results, and creating maps depicting survey results

• Type of equipment: Property/equipment to be furnished by the contractor for providing a GIS record of the surveyed area, potential habitat, areas of disturbance, and individual Special Status Species locations.

• Transportation

• Resumes of the key personnel who will act as the project PI or lead for the entirety of the project and crew chiefs as well as backup personnel should the assigned PI become unavailable.

• Capability and availability of personnel and equipment to complete the project on time

• Safety precautions and requirements

• Record keeping

▪ Past Performance

• Please furnish at least three (3) references involving comparable projects with Federal agencies, State agencies or Business.

(a) Name and location of agencies that the vendor has worked for; and points of contact (name and telephone)

• Experience conducting biological surveys

• Familiarity with the rare plant species occurring within the UFO or nearby field offices such as GJFO, particularly Colorado hookless cactus and

Colorado desert parsley

• Experience writing biological survey reports, for a professional audience

• Experience utilizing CNHP and CPW records for habitat assessment