STATEMENT OF WORK Title Search - FY20.pdf

ATTACHMENT ONE (1) STATEMENT OF WORK

TITLE SEARCH SERVICES for

NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE (NRCS)

EASEMENT PROGRAMS – Closed Easements

I. OBJECTIVE

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) requires the services of a Title Company for the performance of real estate searches in the States of Wyoming, South Carolina, Rhode Island and Mississippi and is issuing a Request for Quotes. The objective of this contract is to obtain a record of all real property interests held by the United States in Wyoming, South Carolina, Rhode Island and Mississippi under the authority of the Soil Conservation Act of 1935, the Flood Control Act of 1936, the Flood Control Act of 1944, the Watershed Protection and Flood Control Act of 1954, the Agricultural Appropriations Act of 1953, the Food Security Act of 1985, the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978, the Healthy Forest Restoration Act of 2003 and other NRCS authorities.

II. BACKGROUND

The Soil Conservation Act of 1935, the Flood Control Act of 1936, the Flood Control Act of 1944, the Watershed Protection and Flood Control Act of 1954 and the Agricultural Appropriations Act of 1953 authorized the Soil Conservation Service to acquire various real property interests on private land, on behalf of the United States, for the purpose of water and soil conservation and flood control. The Food Security Act of 1985, the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 and the Healthy Forest Restoration Act of 2003 authorized the acquisition of easements on private land by the United States for various purposes including the restoration and protection of wetlands, mitigation of damages caused by the conversion of wetlands to agricultural land, protection of lives and property from floods, drought and the products of erosion watersheds throughout the US and in floodplains, protection and preservation of the agricultural viability of eligible land and the restoration and protection of forestlands. NRCS (formerly Soil Conservation Service) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture that is responsible for monitoring and enforcing these various easements. The purpose of this search is to ensure that NRCS has an accurate record of all easements it administers in Wyoming, South Carolina, Rhode Island and Mississippi.

III. SCOPE

The contractor must coordinate and facilitate the following services:

1. Search the real property records in all counties of Wyoming, South Carolina, Rhode Island and in Chickasaw, Clay and Pontotoc Counties in Mississippi to locate all recorded real property interests acquired and held by the United States since 1/1/1940.

2. Review the recorded real property interests held by the United States and prepare a detailed list of all search results to NRCS. provide copies of the recorded easement deeds, while excluding those that are clearly not interests held by NRCS (or a predecessor federal agency)

IV. STANDARDS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Contractor is responsible for having a current knowledge of the requirements of state law in connection with searching real estate transactions. The Contractor must be on the United States Attorney General’s list of approved companies and must comply with all state laws.

V. DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES

A. Phase I - Search the Real Property Records and compile database of results

The contractor must search the Real Property Records in all counties of Wyoming, South Carolina, Rhode Island and in Chickasaw, Clay and Pontotoc Counties in Mississippi to locate all property interests acquired by the United States since 1/1/1940. To ensure that all property interests are located, the contractor will search for the following terms in the Grantee index in each county: United States, US, USDA, United States Department of Agriculture, NRCS, Natural Resources Conservation Service, SCS, Soil Conservation Service, CCC and Commodity Credit Corporation. In addition, in several of the search locations – the contractor will be provided with a list of approximately 20 additional entity names to search under the Grantee index in each county to obtain documents that were indexed under one of multiple grantee’s. The contractor will then prepare a list of all property records located – providing the following information for each record: (i) Name of Document, (ii) Grantor(s) name, (iii) Grantee(s) names, (iv) property interest acquired (if not indicated in the name of the document), (v) recording date (vi) county, (vii) book and page number in which the document was recorded.

The Contractor will compile the data into an Excel spreadsheet in the following format:

Document Name

Grantor Name

Grantee(s) Name (include name of US Depart. and/or Agency if stated on document)

Auth.

Interest granted under (Ex:

Food Sec.

Act of 1985)

Real Property Interest Acquired by United States

Recording Date

County Book & Page

The Excel spreadsheet will be provided to NRCS within 60 days of the contract being awarded.

B. Exclude irrelevant property records

Within 45 days after receipt and acceptance of the spreadsheet noted above, the Contracting Officer will provide the Contractor with a list of the documents listed in the spreadsheet referenced in Section V.A. Within 30 days of receiving the list from the Contracting Officer, the Contractor will deliver electronic and paper copies of each of the listed documents as requested by the Contracting officer.

VI. PAYMENT

There will be two payments issued:

1. Payment will occur upon receipt and approval of the all deliverables mentioned above in Section V. A. (excel spreadsheet listing all US held real property interests since 1940); and

2. Payment will occur upon receipt and approval of all deliverables mentioned in above section V. B. (copies of requested documents).

NRCS will approve the Contractor’s payment through the Invoice Processing Platform (IPP) for services rendered at www.ipp.gov.

VII. AUTHORITY

Only the NRCS Contracting Officer may authorize a modification to this contract. Any questions or requests may be directed to the Contracting Officer identified on the signed contract.

VIII. NON-DISCLOSURE

Work performance required by this Scope of Work will involve access to potentially sensitive information about governmental and landowner issues. All Contractor personnel must comply with the terms of AGAR 452.224-70, Confidentiality of Information, as well as provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U. S. C. 552a. Additionally, the Contractor's employees shall comply with privacy of personal information relating to natural resources conservation programs in accordance with Section 1244 of Title II of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-171).

IX. CIVIL RIGHTS AND PROGRAM DELIVERY

By signing this agreement, the Contractor assures the Department of Agriculture that the program or activities provided for under this agreement will be conducted in compliance with all applicable Federal civil rights laws, rules, regulations, and policies.

PRICE QUOTES

All quotes should be firm-fixed price per line item listed below:

Supplies or Service Unit Price

1. Search recorded real estate records in all counties of Wyoming, South Carolina, Rhode Island and in

Job $

Chickasaw, Clay and Pontotoc Counties in Mississippi

2. Provide copies of all requested recorded documents

Per hour $