Statement_Of_Work___Chuska_Lake_Stand_Exam___Silvicultural_Prescription_(1).pdf

Statement Of Work – Chuska Lake Stand Exam & Silvicultural Prescription

1.0 Purpose and Objectives

1.1 The purpose and objective are to complete a stand exam for the project area in sufficient detail to prepare a silvicultural prescription in accordance with Indian Affairs Manual (IAM) Part 53, Chapter 9 Silviculture and its accompanying handbook, 53 IAM 9-H: Silviculture. This information will be used to complete a harvest document with either the Navajo Nation

Forestry Department (if on Navajo Nation Land) or the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)

Forestry (if on individual Indian Allotment (IIA) land).

2.0 Project Location and Acreages

2.1 The BIA FDNA Branch of Natural Resources (BNR) is proposing to remove tamarisk

(Tamarix spp.) and Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) within Red Willow Wash, Chuska

Wash, and Chuska Lake (hereafter project area; Figure 1). The proposed tamarisk and Russian olive removal treatment areas are located in the Tohatchi Chapter on the Navajo Nation in

McKinley County, New Mexico. The legal description for the proposed project area includes portions of sections 1 and 2, Township 18 North, Range 18 West and portions of sections 21, 22, 26–28, and 34–36, Township 19 North, Range 18 West (Figure 2). The 24k U.S.

Geological Survey quadrangles are Tohatchi, NM and Chuska Lake, NM. All tamarisk and

Russian olive removal would occur on Tribal trust lands. Project Maps are in the Appendix.

3.0 Personnel and Professional Qualification

3.1 The Contractor shall be required to have staff and/or sub-contractors available for this project with educational backgrounds and experience in the fields of land resources, water resources, air resources, biotic resources, cultural resources, stand exam, silviculture prescription, fire management (hazardous fuel conditions), or any of the sciences pertaining to natural resources to perform the work and duties required to finish the project. Field personnel shall have land navigational skills and be experienced with the data collection techniques provided for this project.

3.2 All bidders will submit a statement of professional qualifications, including previous consulting assignments.

3.3 Bidders are required to submit bids on both the Base Bid and Optional Bid items. Optional Bid items may be awarded at any time.

4.0 Scope of Work

4.1 Consult with the Navajo Nation Department of Forestry and the BIA Branch of Forestry before noxious weed management treatments are initiated and for technical assistance as needed during the development of a silviculture prescription for treating tree species (e.g., tamarisk and Russian olive).

4.2 Follow procedures detailed in the Navajo Forestry Compartment Exam Handbook (2012).

Conduct an inventory of all tree species and an estimate of trees per acre within the project treatment area. Also collect plot number, plot size, Public Land Survey System (PLSS) legal descriptions of the locations, and tree species using scientific name or USDA PLANTS code.

Native tree species (i.e., seedlings, saplings, and trees) with a Diameter at Breast Height

(DBH) or a Diameter-Root-Collar (DRC) greater than 6 inches need to be inventoried by species. Update the Stand Exam when trees are removed throughout the project timeline.

4.3 Use GPS to locate cottonwoods, willows, native trees, and other large stands of native shrubs during site plan development phase.

5.0 The Contractor shall:

5.1 Complete a stand exam as described within the Navajo Forestry Compartment Exam

Handbook (2012).

5.2 Complete a silvicultural prescription as outlined within 53 IAM 9-H: Silviculture.

5.3 Attend the Pre-Work Meeting scheduled by the Contracting Officer

6.0 Contract Time Requirements, Monthly Progress Reporting and Payments:

6.1 The Contractor shall be given a total of 365 calendar days (after the notice-to-proceed) to complete the project in this SOW. Any request for time extensions by the Contractor shall be done timely (at least 30 calendar days in advance of the deadlines) and with clear and detailed justification for consideration by the government.

6.2 Progress (Status) Reports, as required by the Contract, shall be submitted no later than thirty

(30) days after the notice-to-proceed, and then subsequently at the end of each month. The

Report shall accompany all invoices submitted for payment covering the period covered by the invoice. The sum of any previous payments requested on previous invoices and the current payment requested on the current invoice shall not exceed the estimated percentage of completion by dollar amount.

6.3 The Report, shall also include the follow:

6.4 Any problems encountered in performing the work with recommendations for corrective action.

6.5 An estimated percentage of completion for all work including work completed in the current month.

6.6 Payments shall be based on properly submitted invoices to Invoice Processing Platform (IPP) as outlined elsewhere in the task order.

6.7 Copies of the invoices and progress report shall be submitted to the COTR, at least 7 days prior to the original invoices submitted to the address above, so that a review can be conducted by the COTR for acceptability and processing can take place between Fort Defiance Agency, Division of Natural Resources, and the Division of Fiscal Services.

7.0 Government furnished property:

7.1 The BIA shall provide the topographic map with GPS coordinates to locate the project site.

7.2 The BIA shall provide an electronic version of the Navajo Forestry Compartment Exam

Handbook (2012).

7.3 The BIA shall provide an electronic version of the 53 IAM 9-H: Silviculture handbook.

8.0 Project Maps