PWS MVM Aerial Brushkill.pdf

MVM AERIAL BRUSHKILL & IMAGERY

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS

1. WORK TO BE DONE.

The work to be done under these specifications consists of furnishing all plant, labor, equipment, materials, chemicals, sensors, and software, and performing all operations necessary for the accomplishment of:

a. Aerial Brushkill Services: The required kill of tree, brush, and aquatic plant growth by the precise aerial application of approved herbicides by helicopter and/or drone within designated channel corridors.

b. Aerial Imagery & Reconnaissance Survey Services: The acquisition, processing, geo-referencing, and delivery of high definition digital video imagery along designated channel reaches, collected either concurrently during active spraying missions or during dedicated reconnaissance only flight missions, to assist the Government in reviewing channel conditions, bank sloughing, blockages, and vegetation density across approximately 1,300 total miles of channel network.

The specific areas to be treated, surveyed, or both will be clearly identified by the Contracting

Officer (KO) or the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) via task order issuance and provided Google Earth KMZ/KML spatial files.

2. CONTRACTOR REQUIREMENTS.

a. Licensing & Bonding: Contractors shall be properly bonded and licensed in the aerial application and use of herbicides in the states of Arkansas and Missouri for the full duration of the contract.

b. Indemnification: Contractors shall indemnify and hold harmless the Federal Government and defend against any claims for damages caused by inappropriate or negligent application of herbicides, chemical drift, or aircraft operations.

c. Government-Furnished Property/Equipment (GFE): NO Government-Furnished Equipment, materials, aircraft, sensors, or chemicals will be provided. The Contractor shall furnish all necessary aircraft, spray systems, camera equipment, hard drives, software, herbicide, surfactant, and support equipment required to perform work under this contract.

3. AREAS TO BE TREATED.

a. Herbicide Spray Window: To avoid damage to crops adjacent to treated areas, channels will be sprayed no earlier than September 2026 (FY26 execution window). The COR shall determine those areas that may be treated prior to September and those that must be treated during September 2026 through October 2026 or the first killing frost. (Specific timeframes will be reviewed at the prework conference).

b. Mapping & Geographic Scope: The Contractor shall apply aerial brush control and/or perform aerial imagery within the limits of the Memphis District (MVM). Boundary lines, channel centerlines, and target spray corridors will be provided as Google Earth KMZ or KML spatial files prior to or at the prework conference.

c. Vegetation Height Restriction: No trees approximately 10 feet or taller shall be sprayed.

Aerial application crews shall strictly target brush, saplings, trees under 10 feet, and aquatic undergrowth.

d. Construction Impacts: Ongoing construction each year will impact which specific channels require brushkill or imagery in each operational period.

e. Geographic Coverage: The target operational area encompasses up to the following states and counties:

Missouri: Dunklin, Pemiscot, New Madrid, Stoddard, Butler, Mississippi, Scott, Cape

Girardeau, Bollinger.

Arkansas: Clay, Greene, Craighead, Poinsett, Cross, St. Francis, Lee, Phillips, Monroe, Desha, Crittenden, Mississippi.

f. Acreage Cap: Total acres actually sprayed shall not exceed 25% of the approximate acreage calculated in the contract task order without written authorization from the KO or ACO.

g. Imagery Area & Geo-Referencing: Aerial imagery shall be obtained across designated channel reaches within the 1,300-mile footprint. All video deliverables must be fully synchronized with spatial GPS coordinates matching the Government’s KMZ/KML channel data.

4. MATERIALS.

4.a Herbicides & Surfactants

General: The Contractor shall provide all herbicides, surfactants, and application methods, which shall be approved by the Corps of Engineers and comply with all Federal, State, and local laws and regulations.

Care & Disposal: Extreme care shall be exercised at all times in transportation, storage, handling, mixing, and usage to prevent damage to non-target property, infrastructure, animals, crops, and trees. Herbicide containers must be disposed of per manufacturer labels and environmental regulations. Any damage resulting from handling or application is the sole responsibility of the Contractor.

Licensing: The Contractor shall maintain a current herbicide applicators license as specified under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). All chemicals and surfactants must be EPA-approved for aerial and aquatic/waterway application.

4.b Aerial Imagery Camera Technical Specifications

To ensure clear, non-blurred, inspection grade footage at helicopter flight speeds, consumer action cameras or handheld video devices are strictly prohibited. The camera system must meet the following technical criteria:

Camera Stabilization: Active, aircraft mounted external gyro-stabilized gimbal (minimum 3-axis, active stabilization pod). Must eliminate airframe vibration and rotor jitter.

Articulation & Look-Down Capability: Continuous 360-degree panning with a downward tilt range of at least 0° (horizontal) to -120° (past vertical) to view directly into deep or narrow drainage channels without gimbal lock.

Resolution & Frame Rate: Minimum 4K Ultra HD (3840 x 2160 pixels) recorded at a minimum of 60 frames per second (fps) to eliminate motion blur.

Optics: Integrated optical zoom lens with a minimum 10x optical zoom. Digital zoom is prohibited for inspection purposes.

Sensor Type: Global electronic shutter or high readout rolling shutter capable of preventing

“jello effect” or warping caused by helicopter rotor pass frequencies.

Real Time Telemetry Overlay: The video stream must automatically integrate and display hard coded (burned in) or synchronous metadata tracks (e.g., KLV format) containing:

• Latitude and Longitude (Decimal Degrees, WGS84 datum).

• Altitude (Height Above Ellipsoid or Mean Sea Level).

• Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) timestamp and date.

4.c. Hard Drive Specifications

Due to restrictions on government equipment only the hard drives listed below will be allowed to supply aerial imagery data to the government.

• Samsung – 1TB External SSD Hard Drive T7

• Samsung – 2TB Portable SSD T7 USB 3.2

• Western Digital – My Passport Ultra 4TB HDD

5. APPLICATION.

a. Herbicide Application Rate: The herbicide mixture shall be applied in a manner that will result in a minimum of 90 percent kill over the target treated area.

b. Spray Coverage Limits: Coverage limits shall extend from the water’s edge to the top of the bank, plus any vegetation within the channel stream, unless otherwise specified in the task order notes or at the prework conference.

c. Imagery Coverage Limits: Camera framing shall capture the channel centerline and both adjacent banks simultaneously. For wide channels exceeding the single-pass field of view at standard operational flight altitudes, the Contractor shall execute a dual pass flight as coordinated with the COR.

6. EQUIPMENT.

a. Application Platforms: Herbicide application shall be conducted by commercial helicopter and/or professional agricultural drone systems equipped with calibrated GPS guidance and drift control systems.

b. Sensor Platforms: Aerial imagery acquisition shall be performed using aircraft and/ or professional drone systems equipped with the external gyro stabilized gimbal payload specified in Section 4.b.

7. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE (POP).

a. Base year plus four option years.

b. Aerial Brushkill POP: Strict seasonal window for Base year from September 2026 to

October 2026 (or first killing frost) to avoid crop drift damages. Each option year will be the same time period.

c. Aerial Imagery POP: Broad, flexible performance period spanning the full contract fiscal year for the Base year (01 October 2026 to 30 September 2027). Imagery flights will be scheduled and task ordered by the Government based on site conditions, water levels, foliage density, and channel visibility. Each option year will be the same time period.

8. INSPECTION, COMPLETION, ACCEPTANCE, & DATA DELIVERY OF WORK.

8.a Initial Inspection & Respraying

Acceptance of aerial brush control will be based on a Government Inspector determining that at least a 90 percent kill has been achieved in sprayed areas via aerial video and site inspections.

Areas failing to meet the 90% requirement shall be resprayed by the Contractor at no additional cost to the Government prior to the killing frost occurring on or about 31 October.

8.b Spring Follow-Up Inspection & Remediation (9–12 Months Post-Application)

If the control level in a treated area remains questionable, the Government will perform random sampling during the following spring/summer season (9–12 months post-application).

Spring Remediation: If spring QA inspections show control below 90%, the Contractor shall respray non-compliant channel reaches during the subsequent early spray window at no additional cost to the Government.

8.c Aerial Imagery Data Delivery & Quality Assurance

Delivery Media & Formatting: Imagery deliverables shall be submitted on an external Solid-

State Drive (SSD) in .MP4 or .MOV format (H.264/H.265 compression).

Due to restrictions on government equipment only the hard drives listed below will be allowed to supply aerial imagery data to the government.

• Samsung – 1TB External SSD Hard Drive T7

• Samsung – 2TB Portable SSD T7 USB 3.2

• Western Digital – My Passport Ultra 4TB HDD

Data Hierarchy & Naming: Folders must be organized by Channel ID / Ditch Name. Files shall follow the standard naming structure:

[YYYYMMDD] [Channel Name] [Miles] Recon.mp4

Turnaround Time: Completed imagery media shall be delivered to the COR within thirty (30) calendar days following flight completion.

Rejection & Rework: Videos that are out of focus, over/underexposed, obscured by aircraft components, or missing active GPS telemetry will be rejected. Rejected channel miles must be re-flown by the Contractor to capture compliant data at no additional cost to the Government.

9. CONTRACTOR’S RESPONSIBILITY.

a. The Contractor shall ensure that his employees strictly comply with all Federal, State, and local laws that may apply to operations under this contract. It is understood and agreed that the Contractor assumes full responsibility for the safety of his employees, plant, and material, and for any damage or injury done by or to them from any source or cause. Damage caused to plant or equipment by acts of the Government, its officers, agents, or employees will be the responsibility of the Government in accordance with applicable federal laws.

10. SECURITY REQUIREMENTS.

a. 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.

b. 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. OBJECTIONABLE EMPLOYEES. Under this contract, the Contractor shall be required to remove and replace the pilot, or any employee rendering service who, in the opinion of the KO, is objectionable or incompetent. This requirement shall not be made the basis for any claim for compensation or damage against the United States or any of it officers or agents.

11. NOTIFICATION OF AREA ENGINEER BEFORE BEGINNING WORK.

At least 48 hours before work begins, the Contractor shall notify the Caruthersville Area

Office (CAO) Area Engineer, Mr. Jack Ratliff, Telephone (901) 517-5954.

AERIAL BRUSHKILL & IMAGERY CONTRACT REQUIREMENT

(Google Earth KML or KMX File) MAP WILL BE PROVIDED AT PREWORK CONFERENCE

Item Description Est.

Quantity

U/M U/P Amount

0001 SFB Aerial Brushkill Services

(SEP 2026 – OCT 2026)

900 Acre

0002 MRL Aerial Brushkill Services

(SEP 2026 – OCT 2026)

190 Acre

0003 SFB Aerial Imagery

(OCT 2026 – SEP 2027)

500 Mile

0004 MRL Aerial Imagery

(OCT 2026 – SEP 2027)

0 Mile

0005 Aerial Brushkill Modification Work - Acre

0006 Aerial Imagery Modification Work - Mile

1001 SFB Aerial Brushkill Services

(SEP 2027 – OCT 2027)

900 Acre

1002 MRL Aerial Brushkill Services

(SEP 2027 – OCT 2027)

190 Acre

1003 SFB Aerial Imagery

(OCT 2027 – SEP 2028)

500 Mile

1004 MRL Aerial Imagery

(OCT 2027 – SEP 2028)

40 Mile

1005 Aerial Brushkill Modification Work - Acre

1006 Aerial Imagery Modification Work - Mile

2001 SFB Aerial Brushkill Services

(SEP 2026 – OCT 2026)

900 Acre

2002 MRL Aerial Brushkill Services

(SEP 2026 – OCT 2026)

0 Acre

2003 SFB Aerial Imagery

(OCT 2026 – SEP 2027)

500 Mile

2004 MRL Aerial Imagery

(OCT 2026 – SEP 2027)

0 Mile

2005 Aerial Brushkill Modification Work - Acre

2006 Aerial Imagery Modification Work - Mile

3001 SFB Aerial Brushkill Services

(SEP 2026 – OCT 2026)

900 Acre

3002 MRL Aerial Brushkill Services

(SEP 2026 – OCT 2026)

190 Acre

3003 SFB Aerial Imagery

(OCT 2026 – SEP 2027)

500 Mile

3004 MRL Aerial Imagery

(OCT 2026 – SEP 2027)

0 Mile

3005 Aerial Brushkill Modification Work - Acre

3006 Aerial Imagery Modification Work - Mile

4001 SFB Aerial Brushkill Services

(SEP 2026 – OCT 2026)

900 Acre

4002 MRL Aerial Brushkill Services

(SEP 2026 – OCT 2026)

190 Acre

4003 SFB Aerial Imagery

(OCT 2026 – SEP 2027)

500 Mile

4004 MRL Aerial Imagery

(OCT 2026 – SEP 2027)

40 Mile

4005 Aerial Brushkill Modification Work - Acre

4006 Aerial Imagery Modification Work - Mile

TOTAL $TBD $TBD