Description
Description:The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Farm Services Agency (FSA) is issuing this Request for Information to determine if there are any interested parties who could perform the required services. No determination of set-aside has been made yet, therefore all interested parties including small and small disadvantaged businesses capable of fulfilling this requirement should respond to this RFI by providing the Contracting Officer with statements of their capability to perform this statement of work. Presently there are no incumbent contractors performing this service. This RFI solicits responses to include but not be limited to the following: Business size and revenue; Capability statements with references that will verify details of company and employee experience with projects of this size, scope and complexity. Past performance references including Contract number, Names and telephone numbers of contact persons that can verify references. Listing and History of Published papers on this subject. Resume(s) of employee(s) who are experienced in and capable of performing this statement of work. Interested entities are encouraged to provide comments relative to formation and /or improvement to the Government’s Draft Statement of Work. The NAICS Code is 924120. Interested entities are also encouraged to provide comments pertaining to the industry’s perception of how the contract line items may be structured, the practicality of multiple awards, contract type and, any known special terms and conditions unique to the industry represented by this requirement. Interested parties should respond to this RFI no later than 4:30 PM Eastern Time, Wednesday, May 5, 2004 to: Alonzo Jacobs, Contract Specialist, USDA, Acquisition Management Branch, Special Projects Section, Mail Stop 0567, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-0567. Estimating Wildlife Response to the Conservation Reserve Program GENERAL C.1.1 Background – (Introduction) The objective of the project is to produce estimates of population response by key wildlife species, or species groups, to land use changes associated with implementation of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). The project will provide a methodology the Farm Service Agency (FSA) can use to annually generate estimates of CRP effects on selected wildlife species populations. Species populations of greatest interest are upland -nesting waterfowl, ring-necked pheasant, northern bobwhite, and prairie grouse. Including non-game-grassland bird population effects in association with these species would increase the competitiveness of an offer. Under the CRP, environmentally sensitive cropland is being retired to conserving uses such as introduced and native grasses, trees, restored wetlands, riparian buffers, and grass filters. These covers provide multiple benefits including the creation of habitats for a wide set of wildlife species. Due to difficulties and costs of monitoring, documentation of program effects on wildlife species populations generally have been geographically isolated. Results from relatively small or disjunct studies, however, imply significant benefits to wildlife are being realized from enrolling land in the CRP. Results of completed studies have typically not been extrapolated to furnish estimates of population response on larger regional scales. The FSA is required by statute to consider enhancement of wildlife habitat when selecting CRP offers. To date, the performance measure used to assess wildlife response to the CRP has been the number of acres in various practices considered most beneficial to wildlife. This approach furnishes only an indirect measure of animal response based on the assumption that wildlife responds favorably to beneficial changes in the quality and distribution of habitat. A better measure of CRP wildlife benefits are estimates related to changes in wildlife populations. Examples of wildlife response to changes in habitat may be reflected by, but are not limited to, changes in density (#s/area) or alteration of nest success and survival rates. In order to refine CRP performance measures required by the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), FSA needs to assess the response of prominent wildlife species populations to establishment of CRP habitats. C.1.2 Objectives The contractor(s) is expected to produce an estimate of the response of selected wildlife species and/or species groups to land use changes and habitat development associated with CRP implementation. The project also will provide a method by which FSA can annually generate estimates of CRP effects on selected wildlife species. These annual estimates will be used to meet the GPRA requirements that programs set measurable goals and measure progress in meeting those goals. Further, results will be used for communication with decision and policy-makers concerning CRP benefits and refinement of program priorities. The contractor(s) will be expected to use existing wildlife, land use, and program data to develop estimates of changes in wildlife populations associated with implementation of the CRP. Examples of data identified as available and potentially useful include the USDA National Resources Inventory (NRI), the USGS Breeding Birding Survey (BBS), CRP contract data, Department of Interior Waterfowl Surveys, and State game records. Initiation of new field studies is beyond the scope of this project. C.1.3 Scope of Work CRP contract data, natural resource databases, and existing local, regional, and national data on key wildlife populations will be examined to determine the effect of the CRP on select wildlife populations. The accepted proposal(s) will consolidate significant findings from the scientific literature or ongoing or completed studies. Contractor(s) will be expected to develop and apply landscape models and other tools to determine wildlife population responses to different CRP conservation practices. The final product will include a model or an integrated set of models furnishing estimates of CRP effects on wildlife populations using currently available data. The CRP is national in scope, but the program’s impacts on wildlife populations are often regional or local. Species and species groups of special interest are upland-nesting waterfowl (e.g., mallard, gadwald, northern pintail, blue-winged teal, and northern shoveler), ring-necked pheasants, northern bobwhite, prairie grouse, and non-game grassland birds. Where regional assessments are proposed, regions will be defined by using aggregates of NRCS Land Resource Regions: Prairie Pothole, Northeast, South, Cornbelt, Great Plains, and Western States (see attached Map 1). The timeframe for the project is one year from the signing of the contract. Proposals will provide dates when preliminary estimates of wildlife population response(s) will be available. If multiple contractors are selected to address separate species or regions, these contractors will coordinate with one another to provide consistent, comparable methodologies. C.1.4 Quality Assurance The contractor will document model development, use of data, and statistical results. FSA will be able to replicate results from the model provided and data used. Data collection, aggregation, and analysis will follow accepted statistical and analytical methods. The report will be clear and concise, fully documenting and supporting the use of the model and the model results. C.2 Definitions Region: Defined as shown in attached Map1. C.3 Requirements/Tasks Contractor(s) will estimate population response of special interest wildlife species or species groups to land use changes and habitat development associated with implementation of the CRP. The estimates must include a measure of statistical reliability. A comprehensive description of the data and methods used is required. The description will permit FSA to subsequently estimate CRP effects on wildlife populations. The project will make use of existing resources such as the USGS Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) data, FSA CRP contract data, USDA National Resources Inventory (NRI) data, waterfowl production survey records, state wildlife agency information, other data sources, and research findings to estimate the effect of converting cropland and marginal pasture to long-term conservation cover. The contractor will document appropriate use of the wildlife population model(s) developed. Documentation will include the region covered, confidence intervals around the estimate, and the species covered. Regional and conservation practices effects may be pooled when statistical analysis indicates this is appropriate. For wildlife species or groups associated with wildlife species subject to the assessment, (i.e., species associated with species of special interest but for which few data exist that quantify their response to conservation programs), the contractor will describe species’ response to CRP habitat relative to the response of the species that are subject to quantitative assessment. (i.e. strongly positive, positive, neutral, negative, strongly negative). C.3.2 Deliverables The contractor will provide 10 paper copies and an electronic copy (in Microsoft Word XP) of the final report. Databases developed will be provided in Microsoft Excel or Access (XP version). The report will include: An estimate of the response of special interest wildlife species or groups to land use changes and habitat development associated with implementation of the CRP. A model of the species response to CRP will be provided. Multiple models will be provided when more than one species is included in the proposal. A description of the data and methods used. The results must be replicable to be accepted, and the process must permit FSA to estimate CRP effects on wildlife populations. Documentation of the appropriate use of the wildlife population model(s) developed. The documentation will include at a minimum the region covered, confidence intervals around the estimate, assumptions used to aggregate data or fill missing data values and the species covered. National and regional estimates of per acre CRP effects on wildlife populations for CRP conservation practices are required. A discussion of climatic variation or other biotic/abiotic factors potentially influencing estimates of changes in wildlife populations will also be included. For wildlife populations examined, but not quantified (i.e., species associated with species of special interest) a table of expected population relationships with the species of concern. (i.e., strongly positive, positive, neutral, negative, strongly negative) must be constructed. Contractor will be expected to provide quarterly reports detailing data base development, model development, and providing preliminary results when available. Each report will identify any barriers to timely completion of project. Delivery will be made to: TBD C.3.3 Deliverable Schedule The final report will be delivered no later than 12 months after the contract is signed. Progress reports will be made on a quarterly basis. C.4 Government Furnished Property FSA will provide county level summaries of contract data including acres and age of annual CRP enrollments by conservation practice. Conservation covers include introduced grasses, native grasses, softwood and hardwood trees, restored wetlands, riparian buffers, grass filters, and other CRP practices. FSA will if available provide geographic locations of specific CRP contracts with conservation practice data where necessary to carry out the proposed assessments. FSA will provide data derived from overlaying the Breeding Bird Survey and CRP information if and when such information is available. C. 7 ATTACHMENTS Map 1