Carlsbad Field Office Rare Plant Surveys (SEE ATTACHMENT(S) FOR COMPLETE STATEMENT OF WORK) Statement of Work Section 1: Background The Carlsbad Field Office (CFO) manages approximately 2.5 million acres of public lands under Bureau of Land Management (BLM) jurisdiction in southeast New Mexico. The BLM's multi-use mandate serves to provide public lands for a variety of uses, including oil and gas development, vegetation treatments, mining, livestock grazing, and recreation; while ensuring that natural, ecological cultural, and historic resources are maintained for present and future use. This variety of land uses, and ranging severity of impacts, makes it important and necessary to survey for and monitor special status plant species (SSPS) to provide for the protection and conservation of these species and their habitats. Specifically, the BLM is mandated under BLM Manual 6840 Special Status Species Management, Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 15311543 2023), the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) of 1976, Endangered Species Conservation Program (632 DM 1.4.D), and BLM Policy Manual 6600, "Fish, Wildlife, and Special Status Plant Resources Inventory and Monitoring" to conserve special status plant species. Compliance includes but is not limited to surveying for presence/absence, conducting species inventories, providing avoidance and mitigation measures, and conserving SSPS and their habitats. Special status plant species include threatened, endangered, proposed, or candidate species for federal listing as well as New Mexico State endangered and BLM sensitive (Attachment 1) species. The Bureau of Land Management's (BLM's) CFO uses SSPS field surveys to inform environmental assessments and to support compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as well as to make effects determinations and inform biological evaluations or assessments in compliance with the ESA. This contract would fund botanical surveys on BLM land for certain priority special status plant species (SSPS) as determined by the BLM (see Section 3.0 Tasks to be Performed). Work would include surveys of potential habitat (as determined by BLM-furnished habitat models) to find new occurrences of SSPS as well as surveys to update previously documented Element Occurrences of SSPS for the Carlsbad Field Office GIS data. Some of these Element Occurrences have not been verified in many years, making the information less reliable to land managers and resource specialists. There are currently 21 SSPS and 1 special status lichen species that occur or have potential to occur in land managed by the CFO (Attachment 2). Many Carlsbad SSPS are associated with unique soils, such as gypsum and limestone, but some have more general habitat requirements. The survey project footprints and adjacent areas contain potential habitat for BLM SSPS with potential to occur in and be affected by proposed project activities. Project surveys shall occur while the species are reliably detectable, documenting survey efforts, plant occurrences, and habitat suitability determination rationales according to the provided survey protocols. The species and potential habitat occurrence data gathered will be for NEPA evaluation, ESA effects determinations, and biological evaluations or assessments. This particular project will result in presence or absence data and inventory of present SSPS within areas to be impacted by the upcoming Fuels reduction project. Actions associated with this fuels project primarily include aerial herbicide application supplemented with prescribed burn and/or mechanical mastication. The total project area is 13,146 acres, from which 8,832 acres are needing botanical surveys for various SSPS. Of particular concern for this project are two plant species protected under the Endangered Species Act as "Threatened"; Echinocerus fendleri var. kuenzleri (Kuenzler's hedgehog cactus) and Escobaria sneedii var. leei (Lee's pincushion cactus). All required Priority Tasks (see Section 3: Tasks to be Performed) will be focused on Kuenzler's hedgehog cactus 2301 acres in total. Due to optimal survey time for Kuenzler's hedgehog cactus being restricted to flowering period, special priority will be given to surveying potential habitat for this species between mid -May and mid- June, while this cryptic species is detectable, followed by Lee's pincushion cactus (OPTIONAL Priority Task), and lastly by any remaining SSPS habitat (OPTIONAL Priority Task), as phenology allows. Section 2: Scope and Schedule The botany surveys will partially fulfill the BLM's responsibilities to support environmental assessments and compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) as amended, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) of 1976 as amended, the BLM's Special Status Species Management Manual (BLM Manual 6840) and the BLM Policy Manual 6600, "Fish, Wildlife, and Special Status Plant Resources Inventory and Monitoring" (6600 MS). The contractor is expected to conduct surveys for Kuenzler's hedgehog cactus, Lee's pincushion cactus, and additional special status plant species (as time and money allows), and provide survey data to the BLM in the required format. The BLM will prescribe the overall project areas, to include impact effect zone buffers from aerial, chemical, physical and mechanical treatments. The contractor will plan and conduct prescribed surveys within the project areas provided by the BLM, following provided protocols. The BLM Botanist and Fuels Specialist will provide all relevant GIS information to the contractor to conduct this evaluation, as well as guidance on navigating to project areas. Surveys for Kuenzler's hedgehog cactus shall be conducted and surveys for other plant species shall be conducted. The work to be performed under this contract is within the Carlsbad BLM Field Office (Figure 1; Attachment 3). Field work will be concentrated within the western reaches of the CFO in steep foothill terrain of the Guadalupe Mountains (Figure 2; Attachment 4). It is anticipated that 95% of the work will be field related and 5% will be office related (GIS processing/data editing; field work planning). Field work will be in natural areas, with rugged terrain, and may involve inclement weather such as extreme heat, rain, lightening and/or flashfloods. Section 3: Tasks to be Performed. Task 1: Initial Project Management Meeting and Project Management The contractor will schedule and hold an initial Project Management meeting (to be held virtually) within 5 calendar days of receiving the Notice to Proceed. The contractor shall provide a draft work plan and preliminary schedule to be discussed at the initial project meeting. The work plan will illustrate the tasks and methods to be used to complete the project within the period of performance and shall prioritize work as described in Task 3. The BLM and contractor shall discuss next steps, priorities of the survey work, data delivery methods, and any questions the contractor has on guidance for performing the survey work. The Contractor will modify the work plan and schedule, if needed, as a result of the meeting, and provide the BLM opportunity to review all changes before finalizing the schedule and work plan. The BLM will provide all changes to the work plan and schedule to the contractor within 5 calendar days of the Initial Project Meeting. Based on BLM's review, the contractor will finalize the work plan and schedule and provide it to the BLM with 7 calendar days of the Initial Project Management Meeting. The Contractor will coordinate one project management call (to be held virtually) every two weeks throughout the period of performance. If the Contractor or BLM feels that a specific call is not needed during certain phases of this project, it may be cancelled if both BLM and the Contractor agree. During some stages of the contract, there could be more frequent calls, and in some stages, fewer calls. The Contractor will provide notes from the bi-weekly conference call to all participants, and other interested parties, as identified by BLM. The Contractor will be responsible for creating agendas and capturing notes from project conference calls and distributing them, creating and maintaining a project schedule with key milestones. The Contractor will provide timely notification to BLM if significant delays to the project schedule arise. Task 2: Prepare survey transects and devices The BLM will provide the overall project areas where treatments are to occur (see Attachment 4), to include impact effect zone buffers from aerial, chemical, physical and mechanical treatments, as well as potential habitat models for all appropriate surveys. The BLM will provide shapefiles of the exact areas needing survey within each project block to the Contractor. The Contractor is responsible for applying appropriate transect widths to these survey areas and preparing their field devices for data collection. The contractor will submit draft survey areas and transects to the Carlsbad Botanist for review and approval prior to conducting the field surveys. Task 3: Conduct Surveys and Submit Data Surveys for the following plants will be performed in order of priority, as time and money allow: Priority #1: Survey Buckhorn Fuels Treatment Block - Survey up to 452.42 acres of potential habitat for Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri while flowering in May and June at 20 meters transect spacing. Or, at 10 meters transect spacing post-flowering. - Document new EO's (if discovered). - Conduct inventory surveys at 10 meters transect spacing within 100 meters of detected EO's (if found). Or, at 5 meters transect spacing post-flowering. Priority #2: Survey Cox Canyon Fuels Treatment Block - Survey up to 305.43 acres of potential habitat for Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri while flowering in May and June at 20 meters transect spacing. Or, at 10 meters transect spacing post-flowering. - Document new EO's (if discovered). - Conduct inventory surveys at 10 meters transect spacing within 100 meters of detected EO's (if found). Or, at 5 meters transect spacing post-flowering. Priority #3: Survey Champion Canyon Fuels Treatment Block - Survey up to 703.23 acres of potential habitat for Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri while flowering in May and June at 20 meters transect spacing. Or, at 10 meters transect spacing post-flowering. - Document new EO's (if discovered). - Conduct inventory surveys at 10 meters transect spacing within 100 meters of detected EO's (if found). Or, at 5 meters transect spacing post-flowering. Surveys for the following plants will be performed at the BLM's selection as time and money allow: OPTIONAL Priority #4: Finish Surveys of Champion Canyon Fuels Treatment Block - Survey up to 418 remaining acres of potential habitat for Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri while flowering in May and June at 20 meters transect spacing. Or, at 10 meters transect spacing post-flowering. - Document new EO's (if discovered). - Conduct inventory surveys at 10 meters transect spacing within 100 meters of detected EO's (if found). Or, at 5 meters transect spacing post-flowering. OPTIONAL Priority #5: Survey Three Forks Canyon Treatment Block - Survey up to 702.05 acres of potential habitat for Escobaria sneedii var. leei at 5 meters transect spacing. - Document new EO's (if discovered). - Conduct inventory surveys at 3 meters transect spacing within 100 meters of detected EO's (if found). OPTIONAL Priority #6: Survey Acres Lake Treatment Block - Survey up to 738.12 acres of potential habitat for Escobaria sneedii var. leei at 5 meters transect spacing. - Document new EO's (if discovered). - Conduct inventory surveys at 3 meters transect spacing within 100 meters of detected EO's (if found). OPTIONAL Priority #7: Survey Lazy UT Springs Treatment Block - Survey up to 200 acres of potential habitat for Escobaria sneedii var. leei at 5 meters transect spacing. - Document new EO's (if discovered). - Conduct inventory surveys at 3 meters transect spacing within 100 meters of detected EO's (if found). OPTIONAL Priority #8: Survey for BLM Sensitive Species - Survey up to 1000 acres of potential habitat for BLM sensitive species, as needed, at 20 meters transect spacing. - Document new EO's (if discovered). - Conduct inventory surveys at 10 meters transect spacing within 100 meters of detected EO's (if found). All personnel conducting surveys for SSPS are not required to be a botanist but should have a strong background in plant field identification. It is preferred, but not required, that field surveyors have field experience identifying the species being surveyed for. All surveyors will be required to attend a calibration training with the CFO Botanist prior to beginning surveys and shall consult with the CFO Botanist during field surveys if any questions arise about plant species identification. If any field personnel are unsure of whether a plant is a special status plant species, they shall call the CFO Botanist, consult with an experienced field consultant, and/or e-mail or text images of key identifying features to the CFO Botanist. Surveys and data collection shall be conducted according to the following protocols: Element Occurrences (EO's) For each SSPS occurrence, a CFO EO record will be filled out via the Survey123 form provided by the BLM and submitted to the BLM with the following data: - Administrative State (New Mexico) - Administrative Unit Code (Carlsbad Field Office) - Primary Observer(s) - Organization of Primary Observer(s) (Contractor) o Other Organization Name (Contractor company name) - Observation Date - Scientific Name and species code of Special Status Plant Species - Species ID Verification (Contractor Submission Unverified) - Survey Type (STATUS/INVENTORY presence/absence location data) - Observation Method (Visual) - Project Association (Fuels Treatment Block Name; BLM-provided) - Number of plants - Primary health class - Primary phenology - Dominant Vegetation Type - GPS (location updated with submeter accuracy) - Photographs o Rare Plant Diagnostic Character (plant filling the frame) o Rare Plant Flower (if available) o Rare Plant Habitat (macro photo with plant in center, taken from eye-level pointed down) - General Comments assign a unique plant ID reference number per observation o BLM will provide a naming convention to follow In addition to the Survey123 FLORA form submitted for EO, plant occurrence location data will be backed up with a single geotagged photo including the plant individual in good resolution and an in-frame unique plant ID reference number, as assigned in the "General Comments" section of the Survey123 form. Survey Tracks and Documentation Survey data must have tracks to be accepted. Surveys will be conducted during appropriate phenological periods to best identify the target species. Survey results (including negative findings) will be collected using the mobile data collection platform FieldMaps and QuickCapture with a backup, or with an equivalent software that provides sub-meter accuracy for survey tracking and observation points. The BLM will provide the Contractor with access to linked data form and maps via GeoPlatform that can be seamlessly uploaded into AGOL at the completion of each field day. This will ensure that contractors are collecting all necessary information for effective integration into the CFO Botany geospatial database. Collecting high quality data contributes to a better understanding of rare species distributions and provides immediate data to the BLM to aid in decision making. The contractor will be responsible for editing their own data and the BLM will be responsible for transferring the quality-checked data to the CFO Botany database. Survey documentation is to be submitted, at minimum, upon completion of each Priority Task. It can be reported in brief, and should include, at a minimum, the following information: - Surveyor(s): First initial and last name of each Surveyor - Group: Surveyor organization name - Project Name: Official project name (Carlsbad BLM Fuels Project) - Date(s) Surveyed: Dates of field survey efforts - Species Surveyed For: Scientific names of species searched for - Calibration point and geotagged photographic evidence - Transect Spacing: Distance between Surveyors or survey paths walked - Survey Results Summary: 1) Presence or negative presence of species searched for. 2) Count by species of individuals found. - GIS File of Survey Tracks (lines; routes collected by surveyors while walking transects) - Submit GIS data in .shp, .kml or .kmz format; .shp files in coordinate system UTM NAD 83 Zone 13 N is CFO's preferred GIS data format. - GPS data collected should be accurate to at least 1 meter (3 feet). - GIS File of Any EO's Observed (confirm Survey123 submission) - Relevant Notes: Notes may include known data omissions or deviations from Survey standards; habitat descriptions, including dominant associated species; and information about other sensitive resources observed. Survey data must have survey tracks; otherwise, they will not be accepted. The Contractor may submit GIS files of survey tracks using FieldMaps and QuickCapture, as long as they have a backup GPS device or app (like Avenza) running simultaneously to record survey tracks. Otherwise, if the Contractor has access to and familiarity with another software or device that is capable of sub-meter accuracy and can provide all of the required information above in a report for each Priority Task, they may do so. The BLM notes that the major advantage of using the ESRI products is the ability to sync all data to AGOL at the end of each day (with an internet/cellular data connection), without the need of a computer. Survey Protocol Survey intensity will be determined from a combination of search speed and space between transects, or search paths. Surveyors are expected to search at a pace that will enable them to reliably detect the presence of the SSPS being searched for. This pace averages one mile per hour but may be slower in dense vegetation and faster in open areas or during a species' blooming period. Transect spacing varies by habitat type and plant phenology (i.e., Occupied Habitat or Potential/Suitable Habitat). Prior to beginning survey of a new Priority Task, surveyors will be provided with nearest documented EO's with which they will be required to calibrate on prior to beginning surveys of that Priority Task area. Priority Tasks (#1-3): - In Kuenzler's hedgehog cactus potential habitat (WHILE FLOWERING): Presence/absence surveys will be conducted along parallel transects spaced 20 meters (66 feet) from one another. - If EO's are detected: Survey transect spacing will be decreased to 10 meters (33 feet) within a 100 meters radius of the EO. This serves to conduct a thorough inventory of the species. - In Kuenzler's hedgehog cactus potential habitat (POST-FLOWERING): Presence/absence surveys will be conducted along parallel transects spaced 10 meters (33 feet) from one another. - If EO's are detected: Survey transect spacing will be decreased to 5 meters (16 feet) or less within a 100 meters radius of the EO. This serves to conduct a thorough inventory of the species. OPTIONAL Priority Tasks (#4-8): - In Lee's pincushion cactus potential habitat (GROWING SEASON): Presence/absence surveys will be conducted along parallel transects spaced 5 meters (16 feet) from one another. - If EO's are detected: Survey transect spacing will be decreased to 3 meters (10 feet) within a 100 meters radius of the EO. This serves to conduct a thorough inventory of the species. - In any other SSPS potential habitat OUTSIDE of Kuenzler's and Lee's: Presence/absence surveys will be conducted along parallel transects spaced 20 meters (66 feet) from one another. - If EO's are detected: Survey transect spacing will be decreased to 10 meters (33 feet) within a 100 meters radius of the EO. This serves to conduct a thorough inventory of the species. Section 4: Deliverables The Contractor should provide data collected (both positive and negative survey results) using the mobile data collection platforms Survey123, FieldMaps, and QuickCapture (or an equivalent software for submitting GIS data approved by the BLM) weekly while surveys are being conducted. Digital data should be successfully uploaded or synced weekly throughout the life of the project using Survey123 and QuickCapture or submitting GIS data directly to the CFO. The BLM will be responsible for transfer of the data to the Carlsbad Botany database. Surveying will be conducted between time of award and October 31, 2023. The inspection and acceptance of all deliverables is the responsibility of the Contracting Officer's Representative (Nathan Curnutt), in conjunction with CFO Botanist (Sophia Goss). Deliverables should be submitted to the CFO Botanist and COR at sgoss@blm.gov and ncurnutt@blm.gov, or: Sophia Goss Bureau of Land Management Carlsbad Field Office 620 East Greene Street Carlsbad, NM 88220 Section 5: Government Furnished Items and Services The BLM will: - Assign a COR to act as a single point of contact for the Contractor - Assign a BLM Project Manager to act as a subject matter expert - Provide a GeoPlatform Account for all external users - Survey123 Form to enter digital data - Provide field calibration and training for all target species to be surveyed for - GIS data for: - Prescribed survey areas - Existing EO's (as relevant to calibration and re-visits) - Potential habitat models - Land ownership maps - Guidance and verification for confirming sensitive plant species identification - Conducting final Quality Assurance and Quality Control of the Contractor's submitted data - Submit Contractor's quality-checked data to Carlsbad Botany database - BLM SSPS field guide for plant and habitat characteristics. - Provide a knowledgeable government point of contact to answer any questions related to data collection, navigation, or protocol Section 6: Contractor Furnished Items and Services The Contractor shall furnish all labor, equipment, supervision, transportation, travel, materials, supplies, and incidentals, except those indicated as government-furnished, to perform all work necessary for completion tasks in this Order. Section 7: Key Personnel The Contractor shall designate key personnel in its organization and key roles that meet the minimum requirements listed below. Resumes shall be submitted for each Key Personnel position. Additional years of experience or higher education may be substituted to meet the minimum requirements for all positions if pre-approved by the BLM CO and COR. All Key Personnel included in the quote MUST be the same individuals assigned to the project. Reference NEPA BPA PWS Section 8.3 for specifics on replacing Key Personnel and approvals. Surveys must be conducted by a minimum of 5 field surveyors. All field surveyors must have a minimum of 3 years' experience in botany-related field work and/or data collection. Documentation of their qualifications, education and experience must be available upon request. All crew personnel conducting inventories for SSPS are not required to be a botanist but should have a strong background in plant field identification as well as field experience identifying the species being surveyed for (preferred qualification). Section 8: Security and Administrative Matters Regular Work Hours: The performance period for this contract is only restricted to field work being conducted during daylight hours and ending when the phenology of the priority species is past when it can be surveyed. Work schedules are left to the discretion of the contractor and can include any day as long as no overtime rate is requested. The contractor will be paid the same rate per hour regardless of when the work occurs. Communications: "Time" for communications received after 3:00pm, after 12:00 pm locally on Fridays, or after 12:00 pm locally prior to a holiday will not start until the next business day. All times are local Mountain Standard Time. Fire Danger Season: If the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) allows the Contractor to continue work during periods of declared fire danger or season, the Contractor shall comply with all applicable state laws relating to fire prevention and with all special conditions of work as directed by the COR.
