REQUEST FOR STATEMENTS OF INTEREST NUMBER W9126G-17-2-SOI-0024 PROJECT TO BE INITIATED IN 2017

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1 DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY FORT WORTH DISTRICT, CORPS OF ENGINEERS P. O. BOX FORT WORTH, TEXAS August 8, 2017 REQUEST FOR STATEMENTS OF INTEREST NUMBER W9126G-17-2-SOI-0024 PROJECT TO BE INITIATED IN 2017 Project Title: Natural and Cultural Resource Management Support Responses to this Request for Statements of Interest will be used to identify potential investigators for a project to be funded by Fort McCoy which provides professional and technical support for its Natural and Cultural Resource Programs in order to facilitate successful implementation of the 16 USC 670c-1 Sikes Act, the National Historic Preservation Act and other applicable regulatory mandates. Approximately $450,000 is expected to be available to support this project. Additional funding may be available for follow on work in subsequent fiscal years to the successful Recipient/Awardee. Background: The objective of this support is to provide planning, technical, and field assistance to the Department of the Army to successfully accomplish natural and cultural resource management activities. Specific services are requested for permit sales support, hunting and trapping season support, watershed, forestry, habitat and population management, vegetation monitoring and treatment, and cultural resource activities that support the Army training mission with natural and cultural resource management goals. Services will support Army environmental stewardship requirements to assess, enhance, improve, and restore Installation land. Fort McCoy manages 60,000-acres of public land along with leased federal and state properties. Type of Award: In accordance with the Sikes Act (Sec. 103A [16 USC 670c-1]) the Secretary of a military department may enter into cooperative agreements with States, local governments, Indian Tribes, non-governmental organizations, and individuals,. This project is in support of the Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan, as directed in the Sikes Act, and as a result, it is anticipated that a cooperative agreement through the CESU program will be awarded. Such awards may be administered through a CESU only upon mutual agreement and official authorization by both parties of the acceptance of the application of the CESU Network IDC rate (17.5%). Note: Must be a non-federal partner in the CESU Unit to be qualified to be considered.

2 Brief Description of Anticipated Work: This research focuses on the following objectives: 1) Objective 1 Provide non-personal services on-site to support natural resource management at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin. CESU shall complete tasks and processes in compliance with all state and federal regulations and obtain all required certifications and licenses in accordance with established laws, regulations and DOD guidance and obtain all required certifications and licenses necessary to perform tasks. May include the following: Natural Resource Support Provide technical expertise sufficient to support natural resource objectives identified in the INRMP. Ensure that data and information functionally support and inform program decisions, to include maintain databases for trend analysis and timely reporting. Collaborate with the local, state and federal partners and public on projects IAW INRMP as recommended by the GPOC. Tasks may be conducted in conjunction with outreach programs including, but not limited to military soldiers, volunteers, universities, school groups, and Fort McCoy tenant activities. 2) Objective 2: Customer Service provide administrative and customer service support to the Natural Resources Branch (NRB) including but not limited to supporting the hunting, trapping, fishing, and firewood programs, addressing general NRB program questions/inquiries per phone, , and/or over-the-counter, program recordkeeping, and mail pick-up and delivery during normal business hours. Areas of support may include the following: Provide information for public availability to Public Affairs Office (PAO), Visitor Control Center (VCC), Pine View Campground and other activities on and off the installation. Maintain and update Fort McCoy isportsman webpages to provide the most upto-date information about the Fort McCoy Natural and Cultural Resources programs. Provide input on educational material for isportsman and the Environmental Division Interpretive Center. Assist with the annual review and administrative update of the Fort McCoy Hunting, Fishing, Trapping Laws and Regulations (FMR ). Support the sale of Fort McCoy hunting, trapping, and fishing permits not available through the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) Go Wild System, over-the-counter or through isportsman. Compile and maintain firewood, hunting, fishing and trapping permit sales revenue reports IAW financial reporting procedures (DoD Financial Management Regulation (FMR) Vol 5, Chap 5. Data will include sale of permits through the WDNR Go Wild program. Submit DD1131 forms for deposit to Permit Sales Collection Office for approval. 3) Objective 3: Wildlife Management - The services performed will meet the requirements to assess, enhance, improve, and restore Installation land, with primary focus on Permit Sales support, hunting and trapping season operations, wildlife and

3 endangered species population and habitat management, and invasive species control activities. It is anticipated that during the course of this contract there will be workload increases and decreases due to, but not limited to environmental conditions, wildlife population and habitat management goals, invasive species treatment success, changes in programmatic requirements and military training requirements. May include: Wildlife population support Hunting and trapping harvest registration and data management Surveys and Monitoring Ecosystem Support - provide support to meet wildlife habitat management strategies including, but not limited to staghorn sumac, fruit and mast trees, aspens stands, wetlands, riparian corridors, oak barrens/savanna, grasslands, and forest ecosystems. Assist Fort McCoy personnel in habitat management projects including, but not limited to native seed collection, prairie restoration, and apple, pear, walnut and/or chestnut tree release. Develop required project specification and justifications for NEPA review. Coordinate with installation programs including, but not limited to the NRB, Roads and Grounds, Fire Department, Police Department, and Range Training Divisions to meet management requirements. May include: Natural area support Habitat manipulation Pre-scribed burning 4) Objective 4: Invasive Species Control - Provide technical expertise sufficient to accomplish invasive species control tasks as identified within this Statement of Objectives. Ensure that data and information functionally support and inform program decisions, to include maintaining databases for invasive species management trend analysis and timely reporting. Coordinate with the DPW GIS lab on the quarterly update of treatment, survey, and assessment data. May include: Biological control Surveys for exotic/invasive plant species 5) Objective 5: Endangered Species Surveys and Management - Provide technical expertise sufficient to accomplish endangered species surveys and monitoring tasks. Ensure that data and information functionally support and inform program decision making and report requirements. Coordinate with the DPW GIS lab as needed to maintain updated rare species occurrence records as well as survey and monitoring results. It is anticipated that during the course of this contract there will be workload increases and decreases due to, but not limited to environmental conditions, proposals by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to list additional species, changes in management goals and objectives, changes in programmatic requirements and military training requirements. May include: Karner Blue Butterfly(KBB) Surveys and Management

4 Straight-line transect Surveys Analysis of Historic Distance Monitoring Data Habitat Monitoring Data Analysis Map Wild Lupine Presence/absence surveys for KBB in relation to wild lupine Blanding s and Wood Turtle Surveys and monitoring Bull snake Surveys and Monitoring Phlox Moth Presence/Absence Surveys Frosted Elfin Butterfly Surveys Regal Fritillary Butterfly Surveys Otto Skipper Butterfly Surveys Rare Butterfly Habitat Monitoring Bumble Bee Surveys Bald Eagle Nest Monitoring Track Surveys Wolf Howl Surveys Avian Point Counts 6) Objective 6: Water Shed Management Support - Services include completion of on-going watershed assessments, aquatic invasives control, and bio-monitoring studies to assess the aquatic habitat for 10 lakes and 71 miles of streams in two major watershed basins on Fort McCoy. Provide technical expertise sufficient to achieve watershed management objectives identified in the INRMP. Ensure that data and information functionally support and inform program decisions, to include manage and maintain databases for watershed trend analysis and timely reporting. Collaborate with the local, state and federal watershed partners and public on projects IAW area basin plans and/or INRMP as recommended by the GPOC. Watershed related tasks may be conducted in conjunction with outreach programs including, but not limited to military soldiers, volunteers, universities, school groups, and Fort McCoy tenant activities. Stream Studies Fish Stream Health Studies Surface Water Quality Critical Habitat Redd Surveys Lake studies Fish lake health studies Lake Limnology Aquatic vegetation surveys Sediment Management Sediment removal Bathymetry Sediment monitoring

5 Fishing season provide regulations and public information Angler creel survey Aquatic habitat improvements including aquatic invasive removal, fish removal and re-stocking 7) Objective 7 Forest Management - The services performed will meet the requirements to assess, enhance, improve and restore installation land with primary focus on forest inventory data gathering, urban forest inventory data gathering, reforestation to include preparing and planting tree seedlings, and assisting forestry staff with marking trees for intermediate harvests for Option Years 1-4: Forest inventory Urban Forest inventory Tree planting Timber Marking 8) Objective 8 Cultural Resource Management - provide Installation Cultural Resource Project Management services in consultation with the Government appointed Cultural Resources Manager (CRM) for Fort McCoy, WI. The CESU participant will provide Cultural Resources Project Manager (CRPM) deliverables and services, having the appropriate knowledge, skills, abilities, and professional training and education that meets the applicable professional qualification standards established by the National Park Service in 36 CFR 61. The CESU participant will manage cultural resource projects and provide deliverables for the installation in accordance with all relevant cultural resource laws, regulations, including but not limited to Army Regulations (AR) Cultural Resource Management; National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA); American Indian Religious Freedom Act (AIRFA) and Executive Order EO 13007; Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA); Archeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA), 36 CFR 79; Installation Cultural Resources Management Plan; and other requirements and policies affecting cultural resources management. The participant will also provide oversight to any contracted cultural resources field crew services. Information requests Cultural resources projects reviewed Conduct ICRMP Annual Review and Develop New ICRMP Develop Programmatic Agreements/MOUs Curation Services and facility inspections Maintain coordination with Ho-chunk, SHPO, and Installation Activities Develop Site Mitigation Protection Rehabilitation and Preservation Plans Conduct archaeological site inspections Coordination meetings Conduction Cultural Resources Program Public Outreach

6 NOTE: At this time we are only requesting that you demonstrate available qualifications and skills for performing similar or same type of work. You will be evaluated for request for a proposal based on skills and qualifications demonstrated in your SOI. Period of Performance. The Period of Performance for the base effort is 12 months from the date of award. There are optional task included in this SOO which are subject to availability of funds. Annual re-occurring tasks could also be structured to fit categories as funded and/or non-funded tasks on an annual basis. No work is planned for forest management and cultural resources in the base year, but is planned to start in Option Year 1. There are four (4) twelve month option periods anticipated for this agreement. Each option year is subject to availability of funds. The first option period will begin at the end of the base period so there is no break in service. Materials Requested for Statement of Interest/Qualifications: Please provide the following via attachment to: alisa.marshall@usace.army.mil (Maximum length: 2 pages, single-spaced 12 pt. font). 1. Name, Organization, Cage Code, Duns number, and Contact Information 2. Brief Statement of Qualifications (including): a. Biographical Sketch, b. Relevant past projects and clients with brief descriptions of these projects, c. Staff, faculty or students available to work on this project and their areas of expertise, d. Any brief description of capabilities to successfully complete the project you may wish to add (e.g. equipment, laboratory facilities, greenhouse facilities, field facilities, etc.). Note: A full study proposal and proposed budget are NOT requested at this time. Review of Statements Received: All statements of interest received will be evaluated by a board comprised of one or more people at the receiving installation or activity, who will determine which statement(s) best meet the program objectives. Based on a review of the Statements of Interest received, an investigator or investigators will be invited to prepare a full study proposal. Statements will be evaluated based on the investigator s specific experience and capabilities in areas related to the study requirements. Please send responses or direct questions to: USACE Alisa Marshall, Contract Specialist CESWF-CT alisa.marshall@usace.army.mil

7 Office: Timeline for Review of Statements of Interest: The RSOI are required to be out for a minimum of 10 working days. Review of Statements of Interest will begin August 22, [End of RSOI]