Statement_of_Work.docx

STATEMENT OF WORK

Welch Ranch Special Recreation Management Area Geophysical Investigation & Site Evaluation

Project Description The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Buffalo Field Office (BFO) is seeking a qualified contractor to conduct a geophysical investigation to identify buried cultural resources at the Welch Ranch Special Recreation Management Area (SRMA). The project consists of work to be done in calendar year 2024, to inform the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis and National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) compliance for the Tongue River Restoration project at site 5. The NEPA analysis for sites 1 through 4 of the Tongue River Restoration project can be viewed at the eplanning register https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2023163/510.

Project Location (see attached map) The Welch Ranch SRMA is a heavily used BLM recreation area located in northern Sheridan County along the Tongue River and is easily accessed via Wyoming State Highway 338. The Welch Ranch SRMA is closed to motor vehicles but is used for hiking, cross country skiing, biking, fishing, floating, and horseback riding. The area identified for geophysical investigations is located on the south side of the Tongue River. The area is currently being impacted by excessive riverbank erosion and will also be impacted by the Tongue River Restoration project as planned.

Project Work and Scope The objective of this project is to determine if cultural materials are present in the area of potential effects (APE) for the Tongue River Restoration Project, delineate cultural resources both horizontally and vertically, and evaluate any identified cultural resources for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). In areas where cultural materials are found through geophysical investigations, excavation of selected features or areas in order to establish site type and gather data that will otherwise be lost through erosion or project work, will be required.

The project footprint measures approximately 12 acres and is based on the engineered plans for the Tongue River Restoration project. Within the approximate 12-acre area, 1.96 acres have been identified for excavation, 0.68 acres for equipment staging, 2.92 acres for access work area, and 6.94 acres for repository of earth three to five feet in height. Particular attention will be given to identifying buried cultural resources in areas of planned excavation, equipment staging, and access work areas (5.56 acres). The present-day surface has been disturbed by agricultural plowing and cultivation to a depth of approximately 25 centimeters, and no known archeological resources have been identified on the ground surface. However, a geoarchaeological assessment of the area resulted in the identification of intact Holocene terraces with buried in situ cultural thermal rock, charcoal, and bison bone exposed in the river cutbank, indication of a potential intact buried cultural component. The contractor shall use geophysical techniques that, based on their experience, determines the greatest efficacy for identifying buried cultural resources at the greatest depth to complete work. Techniques may include but are not limited to magnetometer, ground penetrating radar, electromagnetic conductivity, or a combination of techniques. The contractor shall use limited targeted testing to further confirm the nature of features and evaluate cultural resources for the NRHP if needed.

Understanding that any cultural materials identified could be adversely impacted by erosion, as well as the current Tongue River Restoration project, cultural materials shall be recovered, any necessary studies (AMS dating, pollen analysis, material sourcing, ochre sourcing, etc.) shall be undertaken, and any artifacts collected shall be treated as outlined in the project specific Archeological Resource Protection Act Permit for Archeological Investigations. Intact areas of buried cultural materials that will not be adversely impacted by either erosion, or the project as designed will be mapped and identified, evaluated for the NRHP, and left intact. The contactor shall produce a Wyoming Cultural Properties Form (contact the BLM BFO for the appropriate format), with a recommendation of NRHP eligibility, and a report that meets the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office Format, Guidelines, and Standards for Class II and III Reports.

The BLM has committed to working with tribal partners on the Tongue River Restoration project and a minimum of two tribal cultural specialists will be onsite during all fieldwork. The BLM will work with the selected contractor to facilitate this requirement. The selected contractor shall be responsible for communicating fieldwork dates, coordinating with tribal specialists to be onsite during work, and incorporating tribal specialist observations into the final report as needed. Experience working with tribal specialists in the field and incorporating tribal information into the report is a requirement. Travel costs and compensation of the tribal cultural specialists will not be the responsibility of the contractor.

The contractor must show knowledge of and success with geophysical survey, targeted testing to determine vertical and horizontal extents of archeological sites, evaluation of cultural resources for the NRHP, followed by limited excavation, interpretation, and evaluation, and the ability to work with tribal cultural specialists both in the field and incorporating observations and data shared into the final report.

The contractor must meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Archeological work on BLM lands and acquire a project specific Archeological Resource Protection Act Permit for Archeological Investigations within the project timeframe from the BLM Wyoming State Office and will follow all permit stipulations. The contractor must notify the BLM BFO Field Manager, by telephone and with written confirmation, immediately upon 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.

Government Supplied Property The BLM BFO will provide the current project data on file, including shapefiles of the current parameters of the Tongue River Restoration project and relevant previous investigations related to the ongoing work on the Tongue River. The BLM BFO will provide names and contacts for Tribal Historic Preservation Officers who will assign the tribal specialists selected to work on this project.

Project Schedule Work schedule and payment shall be divided into two phases: fieldwork and reporting. The contractor may start work immediately after a pre-work conference with the COR and the BLM BFO Archeologist. The contractor shall coordinate fieldwork with the BLM BFO Archeologist.

· Background Research/Fieldwork, by August 31, 2024, 40% partial payment

· Teams meeting or conference call with the BLM BFO Archeologist and COR to discuss initial fieldwork findings, within 14-days after fieldwork ends.

· Draft Report Submission, 60-days after fieldwork ends for all tasks that fiscal year, 40% partial payment.

· Final Report Submission 30-days after BLM comments on draft report are received.

· Final Payment when BLM BFO accepts the final report.

If unforeseen circumstances, for example weather, delays fieldwork completion, a new due date will be negotiated via a bilateral contract modification.

Deliverables The contractor shall prepare a class III level technical report, including Wyoming Cultural Properties Form(s) as appropriate (contact the BLM BFO for the appropriate format), following the standards set forth in the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office Format, Guidelines, and Standards for Class III and III Reports. The report shall include photographic documentation, maps produced with GIS information, and figures/diagrams produced from the results of the geophysical investigations, as well as any associated Wyoming Cultural Properties Forms. The final report, all GIS information, maps, and photographs may be submitted electronically as .pdf files.

Period of Performance The BLM anticipates awarding a contract period of performance of June 1, 2024, to December 31, 2024.

Contract Type The BLM anticipates awarding a firm fixed price type contract.

Evaluation

Offerors shall provide the following in response to this solicitation; the factors are in descending order of importance and when combined, are equal in importance to price. The government reserves the right to award to an offeror who provides other than the lowest price.

1. Technical Ability

a. Offerors shall provide a narrative discussing the proposed work plan and describe how the work will be managed and how the firm will coordinate with the tribal entities involved.

b. Offerors shall provide a quality control plan (QCP) showing how the firm will successfully perform the tasks outlined in the statement of work. It shall also outline the process in place to identify poor performance and steps to take to improve performance should it be necessary.

2. Key Personnel

a. Offerors shall provide a listing of proposed personnel to include their previous experience with the work outlined in the statement of work.

b. Offerors may provide a narrative description of personnel qualifications or provide resumes for each employee proposed.

3. Past Performance

a. An evaluation of offeror’s past performance information will be conducted subsequent to the technical evaluation. The offeror must have demonstrated successful operations and maintenance of similar contract, to include scale and complexity. Preference will be given to proposals that demonstrate past performance of similar projects related to the work and scope outlined in the SOW.

b. The evaluation will be based on information obtained from the write-ups, other relevant past performance information obtained from other sources known to the Government, and any other information supplied by the offeror, to include problems encountered on the identified contracts and corrective action taken.

c. The Government will assess the relative risks associated with each offeror. Performance risks are those associated with an offeror’s likelihood of success in performing the acquisition requirements as indicated by that offeror’s record of past performance.

d. The assessment of performance risk is not intended to be the product of a mechanical or mathematical analysis of an offeror’s performance on a list of contracts, but rather the product of subjective judgement by the Government after it considers all available and relevant information.

e. When assessing performance risks, the Government will focus on the past performance of the offeror as it relates to all acquisition requirements, such as: 1) the offeror’s record of performing according to specifications, including standards of good workmanship; 2) the offeror’s record of controlling and forecasting costs; 3) the offeror’s adherence to contract schedules including the administrative aspects of performance; 4) the offeror’s reputation for reasonable and cooperative behavior and commitment to customer satisfaction; and 5) the offeror’s business-like concern for the interest of the customer.

f. The Government will consider the currency and relevance of the information, sources of the information, context of the data and general trends in the offeror’s performance. The lack of a relevant performance record may result in an unknown performance risk assessment, which will neither be used to the advantage nor disadvantage of the offeror.

g. Note: Contractors submitting offers without past performance will receive a neutral rating.

h. Offerors shall provide three projects completed in the past five years with a similar scope and size of this requirement. Describe any previous experience in the types of tasks outlined in the statement of work. (Note: Listing completed projects does not address this criterion. A narrative that articulates past experience and description of technical expertise in methods and analysis for these needs should be discussed).

i. Subcontractors – JOINT VENTURE OFFERORS: If the offeror is a joint venture, the offeror shall provide all required solicitation information for all parties including a copy of the joint venture agreement. The agreement shall include information that identifies the responsibilities for each entity under the subsequent contract. The agreement shall demonstrate the relationship between the firms; and identify contractual relationships and authorities to bind each entity of the joint venture. If the joint venture is comprised of 8(a) firms, the Small Business Administration (SBA) must approve the joint venture agreement prior to award.

j. SUBCONTRACTOR CONSENT: Past performance information pertaining to a subcontractor cannot be disclosed to the prime offeror without the subcontractor’s consent. Provide with the proposal a letter from all subcontractors that will perform major or critical aspects of the requirement, consenting to the release of their past performance information to the prime contractor.

4. Offeror’s price quote will not be adjectively scored but will be evaluated on price reasonableness. The price quote will also be used as an aid to determine if the offeror understands the requirements of the solicitation, price reasonableness and to assess the validity of the offeror’s approach to managing and performing the work.

The offeror shall submit a price quote separate from all other volumes; any pricing information found in the technical or past performance volumes will be removed prior to evaluation. Pricing will be reviewed to ensure that the prices are reasonably allocated across the tasks.

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