Statement of Work.docx

U.S. BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

PINEDALE FIELD OFFICE, WYOMING

Aspen Ridge Class III Cultural Resource Inventory and Photogrammetry Project

STATEMENT OF WORK

I. Introduction and Background The contractor shall conduct a Class III cultural resource inventory of approximately 110 acres in three areas atop Aspen Ridge. The survey areas shall be within T34N, R112W, Sec 30, 31, and 32, and T33N, R112W, Sec 5 and 6, on lands managed by the BLM Pinedale Field Office. Inventory block units are irregular in shape and are not marked on the ground. The contractor shall be supplied with inventory block shapefiles and shall locate boundaries electronically using the NAD 83 UTM 12N coordinate system. There are 3 blocks to be inventoried, ranging in size from 26 to 45 acres. All sites located within the inventory area shall be recorded or updated using Wyoming Cultural Property Forms (WYCPF) and evaluated to make recommendations of eligibility.

Areas in the vicinity of these survey blocks are known to contain significant stone alignment sites, as well as other prehistoric resources. Formal Class III cultural resource inventories have not been previously completed in the three survey areas. In 2018, an Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) project was conducted in this area by the BLM WY State Office (SO). The UAS data products overlap approximately 32 acres of one of the inventory blocks. High precision UAS data products were produced, including a 3D terrain model, DSM, and orthomosaic.

In addition to the standard Class III inventory, the contractor shall compare the overlapping 32-acres of UAS data with the standard Class III inventory results. This comparison shall assess the effectiveness of the digital data products for identifying stone alignment features. The contractor shall be supplied with the UAS data products for comparison with their own data. The contractor shall also produce close-range, high precision, 3D photogrammetric models of three (3) stone alignment features.

II. Project Location and Scope The project area is located in western Wyoming, approximately 9 aerial miles west of Daniel. The survey areas are publicly accessible by two-track roads and by foot. The contractor shall not drive off existing roads.

III. Statement of Work The contractor shall conduct a background file search, Class III inventory of approximately 110 acres, site recordation/updates as appropriate, site evaluations, and eligibility recommendations for the National Register of Historic Places. Stone alignment sites may be left unevaluated under criterion A if prior tribal consultation information is not available, but they shall be evaluated under all other criteria. The site forms and updates shall carefully and precisely document the nature, magnitude, and location of any observed impacts to recorded or updated sites. Due to the potential for cairns and rock alignments in the survey areas, slopes greater than 30% are not excluded from inventory. Shovel tests shall not be excavated in the vicinity of stone alignment features. Diagnostic artifacts (if any) shall be collected and curated.

Contractor shall adhere to Class III inventory and reporting standards as defined by the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office Format, Guidelines, and Standards for Class II and III Reports. Wyoming SHPO Metadata GIS and Photographic Standards shall be followed.

Contractor shall complete Wyoming Cultural Property Forms for all cultural resources identified. Site forms for any previously recorded sites in the inventory area shall be updated, with special emphasis on documenting the nature, magnitude, and location of any observed impacts to these sites.

The standard Class III inventory report shall contain a non-standard appendix that assesses the effectiveness of the UAS data products for identifying stone alignment features. Existing UAS data products created by the BLM WY SO shall be compared to the results of the standard Class III inventory. The methods used to compare UAS data to on-the-ground inventory shall be clearly described and explained. The accuracy rate of identifying features with the UAS data products as compared to on the ground survey shall be calculated and reported. Recommendations regarding the resolution of future UAS data products shall be included in the report. The report shall answer the following question: for the purposes of stone feature identification, is the resolution of the existing UAS data adequate, or should higher or lower resolutions be used? The results of this comparative analysis will help guide future UAS data collection at other stone alignment sites.

The standard Class III inventory report shall contain a second non-standard appendix that reports the results of close-range, high precision, 3D photogrammetric modeling of three (3) stone alignment features. The exact features to be modeled shall be discussed with the POC prior to photogrammetric data collection. The photogrammetry work shall adhere to all methods and standards set forth in BLM Technical Note 428: Aerial and Close-Range Photogrammetric Technology: Providing Resource Documentation, Interpretation, and Preservation. Error reduction methods and estimated precision of the models shall be described and reported.

The contractor is required to have a current BLM Cultural Resource Use Permit, and shall follow the permit stipulations. Contractor shall also adhere to Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Archaeology and Historic Preservation.

The information from this report will be used to help manage cultural resources in the Aspen Ridge area, allow for more effective monitoring of those resources, and for Section 106 compliance if new projects are proposed. This information may also be used in future tribal consultation efforts, and possibly for the creation of a stone alignment district.

The contractor must notify the Point of Contact (POC), by telephone and with written confirmation, immediately upon the discovery of human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, or objects of cultural patrimony (as defined in 43 CFR 10.2) and must immediately stop any activities connected with such discovery and make a reasonable effort to protect the discovered remains or objects.

IV. Government Supplied Property A list of general legal locations of areas to be inventoried and map is supplied with this solicitation. The BLM will provide the successful applicant with GIS shapefiles of the inventory polygons and the existing UAS data products.

V. Funding/Schedule Work schedule and partial payment shall be divided into three phases. The Contractor may start work after a pre-work conference with the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) and POC is completed, and a fieldwork authorization request is approved in WyoTrack.

Phase I, Background literature search/ Field Work = Nov 1, 2020; 40% Partial Payment

Phase II, Draft Report and Data Products Submission = Jan 1, 2021; 20% Partial Payment

Phase III, Final Report and Data Products Submission = Feb 28, 2021; 40% Partial Payment

VI. Deliverables The contractor shall prepare a Class III inventory report, including WYCPFs and Wyoming Isolated Resource Forms, following the standards set forth in the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office Format, Guidelines, and Standards for Class II and III Reports and the BLM/WY SHPO State Protocol (2014). Two non-standard appendices shall be included with this report. One appendix shall describe the results of comparing existing UAS data with the Class III inventory. The second appendix shall describe the results of close-range photogrammetry at three select stone alignment features. The contractor shall enter the project in WyoTrack. The draft report shall be submitted to the BLM for initial review and comment through WyoTrack and as one (1) unbound hard copy with color maps and photographs. Draft data products, including the three close-range 3D photogrammetric models, shall also be submitted digitally (by e-mail, thumb drive, CD, or DVD). The BLM shall have up to 30 days for review. The contractor shall complete revisions and prepare the final report in accordance with BLM recommendations.

The contractor shall submit the final report to the BLM through WyoTrack, and as one (1) unbound copy with color maps and photographs upon completion of the project. The close-range 3D photogrammetric models, final report, site and isolated resource forms, all GIS information (including original field data files and GIS shapefiles), all photographs taken as part of this project, and copies of field and research notes and maps will also be submitted in electronic format.

Notifications: The contractor shall notify the BLM at least two weeks before commencing fieldwork by email and/or phone call to the Contracting Officer’s Representative and the Point of Contact (POC) and by submitting a fieldwork request through WyoTrack. The contractor shall discuss the features to be targeted for close-range photogrammetry with the POC prior to collecting photogrammetry data. The contractor shall also notify the COR and POC by phone or e-mail when fieldwork is completed. Email notifications shall be sent when the draft and final reports and data products are submitted to the BLM. All deliverables shall be submitted to the POC and/or through WyoTrack, as described above.

Confidentiality: To protect site information from unauthorized disclosure, all site location and content information must be kept in strictest confidence. The contractor shall make the information available only to the COR, Project Inspector, and POC, and must take whatever internal measures are necessary to ensure that confidential material is protected. All BLM and Wyoming Cultural Use Permit Stipulations will be followed.

EVALUATION AND AWARD CRITERIA

Respondents shall supply a written proposal which includes; 1) qualifications and experience of key personnel, 2) past performance, 3) and quality control plan. One-page resumes of all key personnel will be submitted. Respondents will submit a list of clients (no more than 5) for past and present similar projects covering the past three years. This list will serve as a list of references to obtain past performance information (quality, timeliness, cost control, business relationships) related to the Respondent’s current and past work. The quality control plan will show how the respondent intends to meet the tasks associated with this contract.

Respondents will then be evaluated on the specific evaluation criteria listed below. The selection of respondents will be based on an evaluation of written responses to specific evaluation criteria. The final award will be made to the most qualified respondent, if the cost is within the budget available for this project.

Technical Evaluation Factors (100 points maximum):

1. Quality of the Proposal (20 Points)

0. Does the proposal reflect a good understanding of the scope of issues involved in the inventory? (10 Points)

0. Is there a clear description of how the work will be managed and coordinated with the BLM? (10 Points)

1. Respondent Qualifications and Experience (40 Points)

1. Do the respondent and key personnel assigned to the project have experience in completing similar studies? (15 Points)

1. Does the respondent have knowledge relating to the prehistory and history in Wyoming, Sublette County, and stone alignment sites? (10 Points)

1. Do the key personnel assigned to the project have experience appropriate to the project described in the SOW (e.g., photogrammetry)? (15 Points)

1. Past Performance (30 Points)

2. Is the respondent capable of meeting the time and budget requirements for the project? (10 Points)

2. Are the reference checks supportive of the respondent’s technical abilities and business relationships? (20 Points)

1. Cost (10 points)

3. What is the cost for the entire project, and is it reasonable?