Amd 0003-Attach 0001-Notional 2025-Beaver_Island_FREP_Stands_A_and_B_Placement_SOW.pdf

US Army Corps of Engineers Mississippi Valley Division

Rock Island District

This is the Statement of Work (SOW) for the notional project that will be used for open season on-ramping evaluation purposes only under the Forest Services MATOC. The table below provides details on the SOW for Beaver Island Habitat Rehabilitation and Enhancement Project (HREP).

Table 1 - Management Areas Included with Treatment Stand Improvements and Planting Effort Specifications Actions

Pool Management Area Treatment

14 Stand A Geometric Thinning – >18” dbh trees marked by govt.

Dominant Thinning - >6” to <16” dbh suppressed trees marked by contractor; coppice cut Free Thinning – all dbh size classes of mulberry marked by contractor; high stump and herbicide treated Plant 600 containerized trees evenly throughout

14 Stand B-1 Dominant Thinning - >12” dbh trees marked by govt.

Free Thinning - >4” to <12” dbh suppressed trees marked by contractor; coppice cut

Free Thinning – all dbh size classes of mulberry marked by contractor; high stump and herbicide treated

14 Stand B-2 Plant 100 containerized trees evenly throughout Plant 100 containerized shrubs in lower elevation

14 Dredge Placement Areas

Plant 2,150 containerized trees and 1,000 containerized shrubs into designated planting areas Monitor and identify undesirable vegetation for mowing and/or herbicide treatment

Treatment Areas

The treatment areas are all located on the downstream half of Beaver Island; which is in

Navigation Pool 14 near Clinton, IA; spanning from river mile 516 to 513. In total, there are approximately 121 acres included within the treatment areas. Only Stands A and B-1 will have thinning treatments. Stands A and B-2 will include planting efforts. The placement areas will only have planting efforts and vegetation maintenance.

General Area Description

The treatment areas are partially located on US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) fee title lands of the Mississippi River Project and partially on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

(FWS) fee title lands in Navigation Pool 14. The USACE fee title portion of the treatment areas are included in the General Plan Lands and is managed by the FWS. All areas are within the Upper Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Refuge, Savanna District. The main interior lakes and back water sloughs of Beaver Island are currently under dredging efforts by an active construction contract. Dredge and placement activities were completed in the fall of 2023. Stands A and B are accessible from the slough side of Beaver Island, which is the western side of the island. The dredge placement planting areas are only accessible from the southern inlet into the interior lakes of Beaver Island. See attached map for reference of general access to work areas. There is no land access to treatment areas.

Treatment Area Work Execution Timeline

Calendar Year 2025

1. The contractor is to provide an initial acknowledgement from the nursery(ies) that they will have availability of the correct species by quantities requested for the fall 2025 planting seasons and requested delivery for the fall 2026 planting season no later 16

June 2025.

2. Confirmation of the fall 2025 tree and shrub delivery meeting contract requirements for heights per species to be provided by 15 September 2025.

3. Marking efforts for trees to cut in Stand A may proceed post award and must be completed no later than 18 September 2025.

4. Marking efforts for trees to cut in Stand B-1 may proceed post award and must be completed no later than 26 September 2025.

5. Tree cutting work in Stand A may proceed on 01 October 2025 after approval of marking efforts and must be completed no later than 04 November 2025.

6. Tree cutting work in Stand B-1 may proceed on 01 October 2025 after approval of marking efforts and must be completed by 31 March 2026.

7. Fall 2024 planting efforts may proceed after 10 October 2025 and must be completed prior to frozen ground conditions or by 19 December 2025. This will include half of the required trees and shrubs planted into the dredge placement areas, all the required trees and shrubs planted in Stand B-2, and 200 of the required trees to be planted into

Stand A after tree cutting work is completed.

Calendar Year 2026

1. Initial vegetation monitoring and subsequent treatments in the placement areas may proceed after 01 May 2026 and must be completed no later than five weeks post spring flood.

2. Initial vegetation treatment must be completed prior to target vegetation reaches a growth height of 2 feet tall.

3. Final vegetation monitoring must be completed no later than six weeks post competition of the initial vegetation treatment efforts.

4. Final vegetation treatment must be completed prior to target vegetation reaching a growth height of 2 feet tall.

5. Confirmation of fall 2026 tree delivery meeting contract requirements for heights per species to be provided by 14 September 2026.

6. Fall 2026 planting efforts may proceed after 10 October 2026 and must be completed prior to 12 November 2026. This will include the remaining trees required to plant into

Stand A and into the dredge placement areas.

Treatment Area Work Exclusion Dates

There are no restrictions.

Pre-Work Meeting/Submittals

The contractor shall contact the COR, within 5 days of task order award date, to schedule the pre-work meeting. This may be conducted by phone or email to the COR. The pre-work meeting may be held in person or by phone call, or USACE provided web-ex meeting at the discretion of the Government. The Contractor shall provide all listed post award submittals that are required for this MATOC task order by the scheduled meeting date or provide an explanation and anticipated date for competition of any remaining submittal not prepared in writing. The contractor will not be able to proceed with work items until complete approval of submittals at the discretion of the Government.

Government Supplied Information Post Award

Details of what tree species, quantities, and spacing per planting area will be provided prior to planting efforts. This information may include spatial data, maps, drawings, spreadsheet list, and site visits. Distribution of tree species and planting density may vary.

The format of the spatial data will be an ESRI ArcGIS based shape file. The coordinate projection will be in NAD 83 UTM 15 North. Management area and treatment location area maps are provided with the task order posting.

Requirements to be met per Treatment Area

Any effort requiring the fleeting of a barge to complete work will require only using approved areas of shoreline that have been designated by the government. Designation of fleeting zone(s) along the shoreline will be determined post award. Designation of fleeting zone(s) must be completed at least 2 months prior to being used.

Tree and Shrub Order Acknowledgment from the Nursery(ies)

Trees and shrubs are to meet the specifications of required minimum containerized pot size and are to meet the minimum tree height listed in Table 1 and Table 2. Minimum height requirements may require purchase of larger containerized pot size depending on growing season and availability from tree nurseries. Early communication with the nursery(ies) is expected to occur to ensure that tree and shrub species requirements will meet contract specifications at the time of planting. There is no maximum tree or shrub height limit; preference to the government is to obtain that tallest stock that is available per required minimum containerized pot size. Seed source by county and state confirming wetland parent trees and shrubs is also required with the provided documentation from the nursery(ies).

This phase requires deliverables at three separate iterations through the execution timeline. Reports and documentation will be provided to USACE to meet this requirement.

Each iteration will need to demonstrate communication with the nursery(ies) and ability to deliver tree and shrubs at the time of planting seasons.

1. June 2025: Two part, acknowledgement to include confirmation from nursery(ies) that there are enough quantities per species that will be available to likely meet size requirements by 2025 fall planting season and to include documentation that the nursery(ies) are aware of species and quantities for the 2026 fall planting season. Acknowledgement to include seed source locations per species.

2. September 2025: Confirmation that all species being delivered for the fall 2025 planting efforts will meet the minimum size requirements.

3. September 2026: Confirmation that all species being delivered for the fall 2026 planting efforts will meet the minimum size requirements.

Table 2 – Fall 2025 Planting List: Stand A, Stand B-2, and Dredge Placement

Fall 2025 planting list for Stand A, Stand B-2, and dredge placement areas

Tree and shrub specifications by species, minimum containerized pot size, and minimum height requirement.

Planting Minimum Total

Material Height (ft.) Common Name Scientific Name Quantity Quantity

3 False Indigo Bush Amorpha fruticosa 180

3 Eastern Redbud Cercis canadensis 150

3 Buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis 70

3 Gray Dogwood Cornus racemosa 100

3 Redosier Dogwood Cornus sericea 100

3 Eastern Wahoo Euonymus atropurpureus 120

3 American Plum Prunus americana 150

3 Common Elderberry Sambucus spp. 200

3 Sandbar Willow Salix interior 30

3 Bitternut Hickory Carya cordiformis 50

3 Northern Pecan Carya illinoinensis 25

4 Northern Catalpa Catalpa speciosa 60

3 Swamp White Oak Quercus bicolor 20

3 Bur Oak Quercus macrocarpa 60

3 Pin Oak Quercus palustris 25

3 Northern Red Oak Quercus rubra 30

4 Boxelder Acer negundo 60

4 Siver Maple Acer saccharinum 65

4 River Birch Betula nigra 140

4 American Sycamore Platanus occidentalis 75

4 Eatern Cottonwood Populus deltoides 150

4 Peachleaf Willow Salix amygdaloides 85

4 Black Willow Salix nigra 120

4 Bitternut Hickory Carya cordiformis 18

4 Pignut Hickory Carya glabra 60

4 Northern Pecan Carya illinoinensis 18

2 Shellbark Hickory Carya laciniosa 46

6 Northern Catalpa Catalpa speciosa 16

4 Kentucky Coffeetree Gymnocladus dioicus 56

4 White Walnut Juglans cinerea 64

4 Black Walnut Juglans nigra 70

6 Swamp White Oak Quercus bicolor 16

6 Bur Oak Quercus macrocarpa 16

6 Pin Oak Quercus palustris 16

6 Northern Red Oak Quercus rubra 14

Containerized Shrub

Minimum pot size

3 gallon

Containerized Tree

Minimum pot size

3 gallon

Containerized Tree

Minimum pot size

5 gallon

Total Fall 2025 Delivery Quantity:

Table 3 – Fall 2026 Planting List for Stand A and Dredge Placement

Beaver Island – Stand A

Treatment Area

The treatment area is 54 acres in size. Tree density varies across the entire stand. Stand A has an average of 140 trees per acre, 130 basal area per acre, and includes a mixture of diverse bottomland tree species. The stand includes a high amount of oak and hickory in the canopy. The understory is variable in density, where natural regeneration is very minimal. Blue heron rookery nests have been identified in the southern portion of Stand A; canopy trees will not be cut within near proximity of trees that have heron nesting.

General Silvicultural Treatment Description

The objective of the thinning treatments and planting efforts is to increase species and structure diversity within the stand from only cutting enough trees necessary to achieve improved sunlight availability. To reduce the amount of larger diameter trees that need to be cut from the canopy to create adequate growing space for planted trees to establish, all suppressed trees less than 16 inches diameter at breast height (dbh) will be cut. The Government will mark trees to be cut from the canopy; trees marked by the Government will be greater than 18 inches dbh. The contractor will mark the suppressed trees that range from 6 inches to 16 inches dbh. Planting of containerized trees will be done after tree cutting work has been completed. Trees will be planted into canopy gaps and be evenly spaced throughout the entirety of Stand A.

Stand A, Phase 1 – Marking Trees to Cut

Trees are to be blazed clearly with tree marking paint or tree flagging that is to be visible from all sides or faces of said trees to identify clearly of the selection to be cut. Mulberry trees are to be marked by a different schema than other tree species. All tree species ranging from 6 inches to 16 inches dbh that have a suppressed growth form are to be marked to be cut. All mulberry trees of all diameter classes are to be marked to be cut.

Suppressed growth form will include trees that have flattened out crowns, broken tops, dead main leader, tree lean greater than 30 degrees, excessive epicormic branching, heart rot, hollow base, or greater than 50 percent of tree crown die back. Trees that are suppressed are estimated to be on average 60 trees per acre; there are portions of the stand that have less or more of the stand average. Mulberry trees are not present in over half of the stand. Mulberry densities range from scattered individuals to isolated patches where they are present.

Any changes to the specifications of tree marking or cutting efforts may be done by the discretion of the COR in the event of a discovery of a Bald Eagle nest or rookery nest or distinct change in forest dynamics that was/were not previously identified. Adjustments in treatment boundary will result in no net change in treatment acreage.

Stand A, Phase 2 - Thinning: Cutting all marked Trees in Stand A Only after passing QA inspection of Phase 1 may any work in Phase 2 proceed. All trees that are marked to be cut are to be cut down. Marked trees to cut include the trees marked by the government (trees greater than 18 inches dbh) and the trees that were marked by the contractor. Trees that are greater than 18 inches dbh will vary by number of trees per acre. There will not be more than 8 trees per acre marked to be cut down that are greater than 18 inches dbh. For the trees that are greater than 16 inches dbh, stump height is to be less than 3 feet above the ground from the high side of the stump. All mulberry trees are to be cut down and not have a stump that is less than 2 feet from the high side of the stump. Only mulberry trees are to have an herbicide application to the cut stump. A dye is to be included in the herbicide mix to indicate basal stump application has been made. The herbicide must have the active ingredient of triclopyr and be at a 3 precent concentration. All tree species, other than mulberry, that are 6 inches to 16 inches dbh are to be coppice cut. The tree will be first felled with a stump higher than 12 inches above the ground. Then a second cut (the coppice cut) will be made clean through the stump from one side to the other leaving a stump no shorter than 2 inches and no taller than 4 inches on the high side from the ground. The second cut of the stump is to be done in a manner to ensure that the stump has no cracked fiber and the cambium is intact completely around the entirety of the stump to increase the viable potential of stump sprouting for coppice.

Stand A, Phase 3 – Containerized Tree Planting with GPS Locating

Planting efforts will follow all conditions specified below under the heading of

“Containerized Tree and Shrub Guidelines”. Specific tree quantities per species to be planted in this stand will be provided prior to planting efforts. Tree planting locations and spacing will be determined by the contractor. Trees are to be planted into canopy gaps and not be directly under the lean or crown of a residual tree remaining after the tree cutting efforts. Planted trees must be at least 20 feet away from the main stem of any residual tree and any planted tree. Planted trees must be at least 10 feet away from any coppice cut stump. No more than 15 trees per acre may be planted. No less than 7 trees per acre may be planted. Tree species are to be randomly distributed across the planting area. Trees are to be planted as evenly across the stand to allow for planting into adequate locations that will provide unrestricted vertical growth. If there is any portion of the stand that these conditions are unable to be met for tree planting spacing, adjustments may be done by the discretion and approval of the COR.

Beaver Island – Stand B-1

The treatment area is 25 acres in size. Tree density varies greatly. The work area ranges from an average of 140 to 250 trees per acre for most of the work area and there is approximately 10 acres that is on average 780 trees per acre. With the wide variety of trees per acre, the entire work area is on average 150 basal area per acre and includes a high amount of oak and hickory. The understory is the most variable in tree density.

General Silvicultural Treatment Description The objective of the thinning treatments and planting efforts is to increase species and structure diversity within the stand by cutting back trees that are restricting growth of oak and hickory saplings and midstory sized trees while achieving improved sunlight availability overall throughout the work area. Only some canopy tree species will be targeted for removal and overall a low quantity of canopy trees will be cut. The majority of cutting will target silver maple, hackberry, and scattered mulberry trees below the canopy.

The majority of tree cutting will be of trees that are greater than 4 inches dbh and less than 12 inches dbh. The Government will mark trees to be cut that are greater than 12 inches dbh. The contractor will mark the suppressed trees that range from 4 inches to 12 inches dbh. There will be no planting.

Stand B-1, Phase 1 – Marking Trees to Cut Trees are to be blazed clearly with tree marking paint or tree flagging that is to be visible from all sides or faces of said trees to identify clearly of the selection to be cut. Mulberry trees are to be marked by a different schema than other tree species. All tree species ranging from 4 inches to 12 inches dbh that have a suppressed growth form are to be marked to be cut. All mulberry trees of all diameter classes are to be marked to be cut.

Suppressed growth form will include trees that have flattened out crowns, broken tops, dead main leader, tree lean greater than 30 degrees, excessive epicormic branching, heart rot, hollow base, or greater than 50 percent of tree crown die back. Trees that are suppressed are estimated to be on average 70 to 150 trees per acre; there are portions of the stand that have less or more of the stand average. Mulberry trees are not present in over half of the stand. Mulberry densities range from scattered individuals to isolated patches where they are present.

Any changes to the specifications of tree marking or cutting efforts may be done by the discretion of the COR in the event of a discovery of a Bald Eagle nest or rookery nest or distinct change in forest dynamics that was/were not previously identified. Adjustments in treatment boundary will result in no net change in treatment acreage.

Stand B-1, Phase 2 - Thinning: Cutting all marked Trees Only after passing QA inspection of Phase 1 may any work in Phase 2 proceed. All trees that are marked to be cut are to be cut down. Marked trees to cut include the trees marked by the government (trees greater than 12 inches dbh) and the trees that were marked by the contractor. Trees that are greater than 12 inches dbh will vary by number of trees per acre. There will not be more than 15 trees per acre marked to be cut down that are greater than 12 inches dbh. For the trees that are greater than 16 inches dbh, stump height is to be less than 3 feet above the ground from the high side of the stump.

All mulberry trees are to be cut down and not have a stump that is less than 2 feet from the high side of the stump. Only mulberry trees are to have an herbicide application to the cut stump. A dye is to be included in the herbicide mix to indicate basal stump application has been made. The herbicide must have the active ingredient of triclopyr and be at a 3 precent concentration. All tree species, other than mulberry, that are 4 inches to 16 inches dbh are to be coppice cut. The tree will be first felled with a stump higher than 12 inches above the ground. Then a second cut (the coppice cut) will be made clean through the stump from one side to the other leaving a stump no shorter than 2 inches and no taller than 4 inches on the high side from the ground. The second cut of the stump is to be done in a manner to ensure that the stump has no cracked fiber and the cambium is intact completely around the entirety of the stump to increase the viable potential of stump sprouting for coppice.

Beaver Island – Stand B-2

The treatment area is 3 acres in size. There is limited tree survival in this work area.

General Prescription This stand will only have planting of early successional species and wetland shrubs. The intent behind this treatment is to increase woody stem growth and improve overall forest structure from planting efforts. No tree cutting work will occur.

Stand B-2, Phase 1 – Containerized Tree and Shrub Planting with GPS Locating

“Containerized Tree and Shrub Guidelines”. Specific tree quantities per species to be planted in this stand will be provided prior to planting efforts. Tree planting locations and spacing will be determined by the contractor. Trees are to be planted into canopy gaps and not directly under the lean or crown of an existing tree. Planted trees must be at least

20 feet away from the main stem of any existing tree and any planted tree. Trees are to be planted as evenly across the stand to allow for planting into adequate locations that will provide unrestricted vertical growth. Shrubs are to be evenly distributed and planted throughout the stand. Planted shrubs must be at least 5 feet away from any existing or planted tree or planted shrub. If there is any portion of the stand that these conditions are unable to be met for tree planting spacing, adjustments may be done by the discretion and approval of the COR.

Beaver Island – Dredge Placement planting areas

The treatment area is approximately 39 acres in total top elevation footprint. There are five (5) dredge placement planting areas all together. Each dredge placement area is at some level of tree establishment post final shaping efforts from construction work. There has been a previous contract to plant 1,600 containerized trees and 2,400 containerized shrubs into some of the work areas. The trees are each marked by 6 feet fiberglass pennant flags; orange in color. Shrubs are planted in tight cluster patterns. During the previous growing seasons, there have been vegetation treatments to control phragmites, reed canarygrass, purple loosestrife, giant ragweed, and wild grape.

General Prescription

The dredge placement area will have planting efforts to fill in areas that are void of natural regeneration of early successional species. Shrubs will be planted into areas that have not previously had shrub planting efforts and may include areas that shrub establishment was not successful. Diverse tree species will be planted evenly throughout all dredge placement areas. In total, 2,150 trees and 1,000 shrubs will be planted over two different planting seasons into the treatment area. This will account for most of the planting work for this contract. Additionally, during the 2026 growing season, unwanted herbaceous growth that is prohibitive to tree growth and establishment will have treatments implemented to promote improved growing conditions for trees and shrubs.

Dredge Placement, Phase 1 – Fall 2025 2023 Tree and Shrub Planting

“Containerized Tree and Shrub Guidelines”. Specific tree quantities per species to be planted in this stand will be provided prior to planting efforts. Approximately half of the trees and all the shrubs will be planted in the fall of 2025. Tree planting areas will be provided to the contractor by the Government. The government will provide a list of species that are considered diverse, early successional, or shrub post award. Diverse tree species will be planted approximately 40 feet apart from any planted diverse tree.

Early successional species spacing for planting will vary dependent on density of natural regeneration and previously planted tree survival. Shrubs will be planted into clusters of

20 shrubs per cluster. Shrub cluster areas will be provided by the Government. Shrubs are to be planted 3 to 5 feet apart from any other planted shrub within the planted cluster.

The contractor will provide planting spacing design after the Government has provided the planting areas. Once the planting design is approved by the COR, the contractor may proceed with planting efforts.

Dredge Placement, Phase 2 – Vegetation Monitoring and Control

The contractor is to conduct monitoring for unwanted vegetation within the tree and shrub planted areas. At a minimum, the contractor will need to assess the dredge planting areas twice during the 2026 growing season. The contractor is to provide a work plan to include the frequency of monitoring efforts to identify unwanted vegetation and then provide the recommendation of vegetation control. Non-woody (herbaceous) vegetation to be considered unwanted may include: Japanese hops, poke weed, pig weed, bur cucumber, reed canary grass, giant ragweed, or any other identified herbaceous vegetation that would be detrimental to tree and shrub establishment and growth. All woody species natural regeneration is to be considered desirable and allowed to grow.

Areas including dense volunteer tree growth from natural regeneration must be excluded from any mowing or herbicide application to control unwanted herbaceous vegetation.

COR has full discretion on determination of what vegetation is to be considered unwanted and noxious. The contractor may decide method of vegetation control and proposed action must be approved by the COR prior to implementation. If herbicide application is part of the proposed action, a filled out CEMVR form 55-E of anticipated use must be provided and approved by the COR prior to implementation. The contractor is not required to mow vegetation considered not to be noxious by the COR or vegetation that is shorter than 2 feet in height. The contractor is to control unwanted vegetation, at the minimum, within 5 feet from any planted tree and shrub that would be considered detrimental to development of said tree or shrub. For considerations of cost line item

0020, vegetation control is to not exceed 20 acres of cumulative actual vegetation treatment area for the first treatment. For considerations of cost line item 0022, vegetation control is to not exceed 10 acres of cumulative actual vegetation treatment area for the second treatment. For both vegetation treatments, less than the maximum acreage is acceptable if the COR determines there is not unwanted vegetation per the contractors reports from monitoring efforts to meet the total maximum acreage. Natural regeneration must be avoided during vegetation control efforts. Every measurable ¼ of an acre of natural regeneration damage observed (i.e. stumps, overspray) will require planting (four) 4, 5-gallon trees; species selection require approval of the COR. Planted trees and shrubs are also not to be damaged during vegetation control treatments.

Damage to planted trees and shrubs under the count of 20 total individuals will not require any replanting work. Every tree and shrub over the allowable 20 damaged will each require planting a replacement 5-gallon tree during fall planting season. Damage to planted trees and shrubs to require replanting will include: being cut off, damage to the bark greater than ½ inch across, herbicide killed, or snapped main stem. Payment for this line item will be reduced by $200.00 per tree or shrub that is to be replanted during the fall planting season. The final remaining balance for this line item may be invoiced upon completion of any re-planting efforts required. The requirements identified for the initial tree and shrub planting effort will need to be followed and match required QA quality measures under “Containerized Tree and Shrub Guidelines”.

Dredge Placement, Phase 3 – Fall 2026 Tree and Shrub Planting

“Containerized Tree and Shrub Guidelines”. The remaining trees to plant into the dredge placement areas will be planted in the fall of 2026. Tree planting locations will be provided to the contractor by the Government. Diverse tree species will be planted approximately

40 feet apart from any planted diverse tree. Early successional species spacing for planting will vary dependent on density of natural regeneration and previously planted tree survival. Shrubs will be planted into clusters of 20 shrubs per cluster. Shrub cluster locations will be provided by the Government. Shrubs are to be planted three (3) to five

(5) feet apart from any other planted shrub within the planted cluster. The contractor will provide planting spacing design after the Government has provided the planting areas.

Once the planting design is approved by the COR, the contractor may proceed with planting efforts.

Containerized Tree and Shrub Guidelines

Containerized tree/shrub roots and potting material is to remain moist from the delivery out from the nursery to the time of being planted into the ground. Trees are to not have terminal leaders broken off during transport and handling efforts. Preference from the government is to consider palletizing trees and shrubs at the nursery to reduce damage during transport. Handling, staging, and storage of trees must meet nursery standards preventing unnecessary stress and/or damage to the trees. All trees must be inspected and approved by USACE prior to planting. At the time of inspection, the COR and/or QAR(s) will determine if tree/shrub roots are moist, that roots are not frozen, terminal leader is intact, tree/shrub height is correct, quantities per tree species is correct, and handling of trees meet requirements of this contract and industry standards. Failure to pass any of these requirements is subject to rejection of all or individual trees and shrubs which will require replacement at the cost of the contractor. Rejection of trees at any time from delivery and during staging prior to being planted will be replaced at no additional cost to the government.

During planting operations, all trees must be inspected for circle roots; roots growing around the edge of the containerized pot that are greater than ¼ in. in diameter. All circle roots must be properly pruned as discovered while removing trees from their individual containerized pot: roots are to be cleanly cut, not to be torn or shredded off. Proper tree and shrub handling and planting techniques must meet nursery industry standards. The hole dug for the tree must be wide and deep enough to plant the root ball without smashing the roots during back filling of loose soil around the roots. The tree/shrub needs to be planted with the top of the root flare at or just below ground level. Loose soil must be placed above the root mass during planting and is to not exceed 1 inch above the top of the root flare in depth. The soil is to be gently backfilled around the roots so that there are no air gaps between the root mass of the tree and edge of the dug hole. All nursery materials must be removed from the tree prior to placing the tree in the ground and properly disposed of; this is to include bamboo posts, fasteners, labels, pot, etc. Mixing of species during planting efforts is required for random distribution of species throughout the planting area. Trees and shrubs are to be planted so that the terminal leader is orientated vertical without any significant lean past 10 degrees. Every tree will additionally have a field marker flag installed. The field marker flag must be of ¼ inch fiberglass post with a large pennant flag. The flag is to be installed through the root mass of the tree into the soil deep enough to anchor the tree in position. All flags will be orientated to the same side of the planted tree per field determination with the contractor and COR. All these considerations will be used as metrics during QA inspection, failure to achieve above 95% accuracy will require rework at no additional cost to the government.

All planting efforts will require spatial data delivery. GPS locating individual planted trees is required to include tree species and height from the ground to the terminal leader.

Tree species is to be provided in USDA plant symbol code. Tree height is to be provided by the nearest foot rounding down from actual height. The Government will provide USDA plant codes and spatial data collect format to use. The contractor may provide an alternative spatial data format prior to planting efforts for approval by the COR. Shrubs will be individually GPS located in Stand B-2. Shrubs will have a central GPS point located when planted in clusters by species. Shrubs will follow the same requirements of recorded species and heights as required for trees. All considerations for spatial data delivery will be used as metrics during QA inspection, failure to achieve above 99% accuracy will require rework at no additional cost to the government.

Any planting stock substitutions may be authorized by the discretion of the government to meet required planted quantities per species and height requirements. All proposed substitutions must be provided in writing to include quantities by species and by height in units of 6 inches. Documentation from at least 3 nurseries, meeting planting material requirements, must be provided to show lack of availability to approve any substitution.

Quality Control/Quality Assurance

The MATOC agreement, task order, and QASP address quality control and assurance measures. Acceptable Quality Levels (AQL) are identified by category of required services in the QASP. QA inspections will determine if work meets AQL to avoid rework or reduction in payment. Meetings or site visits will be scheduled to AQL levels if needed.

Measurement and Payment

The measurement of meeting contract requirements and payment will be determined per line item. The cost per unit per line item is to include all labor, travel costs, equipment, materials, mobilization, demobilization, and any other associated costs.

Contractor Submittals with Bid

1. The contractor is to provide a cost per unit per line item and the total amount of all line-item totals added up.

2. Identify potential pesticide applicators and provide applicator license per applicator.

Contractor Submittals Post Award

1. Work plan schedule per MATOC scope of work.

2. List of employees per MATOC scope of work.

3. Accident Prevention Program

4. Quality Control Plan

Access and Security Requirements The Contractor is expected to comply with all applicable regulations related to site access. The Contractor shall provide boats to complete the work licensed to operate in waters in Iowa and Illinois. The Contractor shall be responsible for access to, into, and through all locations. Access to locations may or may not be through locked barricades or gates, only accessible by water, or through Government limited used or developed areas.

Access into and through Government property shall be by routes approved by the

Contracting Officer in advance prior to entry. It shall be the responsibility of the Contractor to lock all gates or barricades, if present, when leaving an area. Keys to Government locked barricades or gates will be supplied to the Contractor and returned to the Government after contract period is over.

General security requirements and guidance: The security requirements described below apply to all contract personnel (including employees of the prime Contractor (“Contractor”) and all subcontractor employees) supporting the performance requirements of this contract. The Contractor is responsible for compliance with these security requirements. Questions regarding security matters shall be addressed to the designated Government representative (e.g., Contracting Officer Representative (COR), Requiring Activity (RA) representative, or Contracting Officer (if a COR or other RA representative is not appointed)). Contract personnel are critical to the overall security and safety of US Army Corps of

Engineers (USACE) installations, facilities and activities, and security awareness training contributes to those efforts. The Department of Defense (DoD) and Army security training requirements specified below, if applicable, are performance requirements; all applicable contract personnel shall complete initial training within 30 days of contract award or the date new contract personnel begin performance on the contract. Within five business days from the completion of training, the Contractor shall provide written documentation (e.g., email or memorandum) to the Government representative. The documentation shall include the names of contract personnel trained and which training they completed;

the Contractor shall maintain training records as part of their contract files and be prepared to provide copies of training certificates to the Government representative. Contractor personnel and vehicles are subject to search when entering federal installations. Additionally, all contract personnel shall comply with Force Protection Condition (FPCON) measures, Random Antiterrorism Measures (commonly referred to as “RAMs”), and Health Protection Condition (HPCON) measures. The Contractor is responsible for meeting performance requirements during elevated FPCON and/or HPCON levels in accordance with applicable RA plans and procedures --this includes identifying mission essential and non-mission essential personnel. In addition to the changes otherwise authorized by the changes clause of this contract, should the FPCON or HPCON levels at any individual facility or installation change, the Government may implement security changes that affect contract personnel. The Contractor shall ensure all contract personnel are aware of their security responsibilities, including any site-specific requirements identified in local policies or procedures.

Antiterrorism (AT) Level I Training: All contract personnel requiring routine access to Army installations, facilities, and controlled access areas, or requiring network access shall complete initial and annual refresher AT Level I awareness training. Online AT Level I awareness training is available at https://jko.jten.mil/ (website subject to change).

For Access and General Protection Policy and Procedures. All Contractors and sub-Contractor employees shall comply with installation and facility access guidelines and rules as stated herein.

Contractor workforce must comply with all personal identity verification requirements as directed by

Department of Defense, Department of the Army Headquarters, Rock Island District and/or local policy. In addition to the changes otherwise authorized by the Changes clause of this contract, should the Force Protection Condition (FPCON) at any installation or facility change, the Government may require changes in Contractor security matters or processes.

In support of Rock Island District evaluation of personnel authorized for access to federal facilities, the Contractor shall submit background checks that have been conducted by a bonded third party within the last 6 months of Notice to Proceed date and authorize reports to be provided to the Rock

Island District Security and Law Enforcement Office by the third party. The background check will cover, at a minimum, the ten years covering states the employee has lived in, national criminal records check which includes felony and misdemeanor offenses, Department of Motor Vehicles records, and a national sex offender registry check, submitted 14 days prior to accessing the project site.

Identification Badges: The Contractor shall be responsible for furnishing a photo identification badge/card to each employee prior to the employee's work on-site, and for requiring each employee engaged on the work to display identification. At a minimum, the badge shall have the following items shown, the employee’s picture, employee’s name, and company name working for. The badge will be prominently displayed unless restricted for safety concerns, in which case it will be available for immediate display upon request (carried on person).

As employees are added or deleted from the submitted and approved Access Control List (ACL), this information will be reported immediately to the Contracting Officer (KO). Added employees will not be permitted on-site until requirements of this paragraph are completed, submitted, and approved.

Disqualifying factors include, but are not limited to:

(1) Criminal conduct, in particular violent crime and sex offenders;

(2) Habitual use of intoxicating beverages to excess as evidenced by Driving under the influence or public intoxication records; or

(3) Any illegal activity or other disqualification which makes the individual unfit for service (e.g. drug trafficking or procurement fraud).

In addition to the submitted background checks, supplemental agency checks may be performed at the discretion of the Rock Island District security personnel. The Contractor agrees to cooperate and ensure that Contractor personnel provide any documentation required to complete these checks.

Any person lacking proper identification credentials or deemed a security threat may be denied access to the project. Such action in no way relieves the Contractor from performance of the

Contract. The Rock Island District retains the right to deny any Contractor and sub-Contractor employee from working on a contract awarded by the Rock Island District based on final background investigation results. All information received as a result of a background check will be handled according to Privacy Act regulation.

In the event that an unexpected change in personnel is required, due to sudden absence of a critical path employee, the Contractor shall immediately contact the Contracting Officer to coordinate obtaining written approval from the Security Office for new/additional personnel to be brought on site prior to background check acceptance. Contractor shall submit Personnel Change Request

Form and will receive written authorization from the Security Office prior to bringing new personnel on site, and ensure a background check is sent to the Rock Island District Security Office no later than ten days from written notice of approval. The Rock Island District reserves the right to terminate access of the employee upon completion of the Government ’s review of the background check and the Contractor shall be notified immediately of any such Government decision.

In the event of an unforeseen change in work site conditions which may require a contract modification, and the Contractor is required to immediately add personnel, a Personnel Change

Request Form will be submitted to and approved by the Security Office prior to bringing new personnel on site, and ensure a background check is sent to the Rock Island District Security Office no later than ten days from written notice of approval. The Rock Island District reserves the right to terminate access of the employee upon completion of the Government ’s review of the background check and the Contractor shall be notified immediately of any such Government decision.

SubContractor personnel not expected to be on the worksite for more than 15 days may be allowed on site with the following conditions:

1) Employee will be on site a total of 15 days or less, for the duration of the project.

2) Employee is added to the ACL as a short-term employee.

3) Employee is escorted while on site. This is defined as being in the line of sight of an identified Contractor employee who has a background check on file with the Rock Island

District (as noted on the ACL).

4) Each Contractor employee can sponsor only five short term employees at a time.

Foreign National employees: Due to a difference in background check procedures for long term foreign national employees, all such employees must provide a photocopy of their passport to the

Rock Island District Security Office NLT 30 days prior to arrival on site. Short term foreign national employees (e.g. specialists with a two-week period of performance) may work on site with the following conditions:

1) Foreign national employee will be on site a total of 15 days or less, for the duration of the project.

2) Foreign national employee will comply with E-Verify requirements E-Verify paragraph).

3) Approved and identified Contractor employee shall escort the foreign national employee at

ALL times while on site.

4) Each Contractor employee can sponsor only one short term foreign national at a time.

Personnel Change Request Form

Contract #_______________ Date___________

We, _____________________, respectfully request to add/replace (circle one) personnel to the jobsite due to the following situation:

Personnel to be conditionally added to the ACL (escorted by):

Background checks (if required for a long-term employee) shall be submitted by close of business on (insert proposed date): ________________

(Insert signature block)

Pre-screen candidates using E-Verify Program: Contractors shall comply with the requirements set forth in FAR clause 52.222-54 Employment Eligibility Verification and FAR Subpart 22.18 in using the

E-Verify Program at (https://www.e-verify.gov/) (website subject to change) to meet the contract employment eligibility requirements. Contractors are encouraged to cooperate with Federal and State agencies responsible for enforcing labor requirements to include eligibility for employment under

United States immigration laws in accordance with FAR 22.102-1(i). An initial list of verified/eligible candidates shall be provided to the COR no later than three business days after the initial contract award. When contracts are with individuals, the individuals will be required to complete a Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, and submit it to the Contracting Officer to become part of the official contract file.

To protect the privacy of the Contractor, all Contractor employees, and all sub-

Contractor employees, background checks, OPSEC SOPs, E-Verify, and I-9 forms shall be submitted with a coversheet stating the contract number (e.g. W912EK-15-C-

XXXX), title of project, and the company's point of contact information, in a sealed envelope/container and mailed to:

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Rock Island District

Security Office

1500 Rock Island Drive

Rock Island, IL 61201