Description
It is the intent of the Forest Service to award the following services on a sole source basis to the State of Washington Department of Natural Resources because of the requirement to use NatureServe methodology for animal data for the state and no other private, state, or federal entity in Washington State has the authority, the information, the experience, or the ability to manage, synthesize data, and maintain a comprehensive database for rare species. Contractors who believe that they could successfully perform the services listed should contact the Contracting Officer, David Hallen, at 503-668-1667. The work consists of five components: 1) Providing a list of eligible non-vascular plants (lichens, bryophytes) and fungi that meet Forest Service criteria and the associated documented and suspected status for each National Forest in Washington, plus the rationale for the Heritage rankings 2) Providing a list of eligible vascular plants that meet Forest Service criteria and the associated suspected status for each National Forest, plus the rationale for the Heritage rankings 3) Producing species fact sheets for a selected list of non-vascular plants, and 4) Producing fact sheets for a selected list of invertebrate species. 5) Information management, 1) Information Management The Contractor shall provide computer data services on State of Washington endangered, threatened, and sensitive plant and animal species. This includes: • maintaining element occurrence records for National Forest lands within the State of Washington in the Washington Natural Heritage Program (WNHP) Biotics database, and • incorporating all new and revised data provided by the Government into the WNHP Biotics database. For flora, information will be submitted to the Contractor from individual National Forests for species on the Region 6 Regional Forester’s Sensitive Species Plant list including vascular plants, bryophytes, lichens and fungi. The information will be submitted on Region 6 Rare Plant Sighting forms or the WNHP Rare Plant Field Survey Form or in a mutually agreed upon electronic format that is compatible with the data system. When the Natural Resource Information System (NRIS) TES Plants module is issued to the field, then electronic transfer of data would occur from TES Plants to Biotics. There would not be a need for transfer of paper copies. For fauna, information will be submitted to the Contractor from individual National Forests for species on the Region 6 Regional Forester’s Sensitive Species Animal list. The information will be submitted on the WNHP Animal Field Survey Form or in a mutually agreed-upon format (hard copy or electronic) that is compatible with the data system. When the NRIS Fauna module is fully functional in the Region, then electronic transfer of data would occur from Fauna to Biotics. There would not be a need for transfer of paper copies. 2)Provide a list of eligible non-vascular plants (lichens and bryophytes) and fungi that meet Forest Service criteria (in Excel spreadsheet format) plus the associated documented and suspected status by each National Forest in Washington Government provided materials: A list identifying eligible non-vascular plant species and fungi (Attachment 1) prepared by Russ Holmes, Regional Botanist, based on information provided the WNHP. The task is to confirm this eligible list of non-vascular plants and fungi and to: • provide for each eligible species the associated documented and suspected status by National Forest (note changes in administrative units in attachment). • provide information on national rank, global rank, state rank and subspecies/variety rank and not just the rank that makes it eligible for inclusion in the Regional Forester’s Sensitive Species list (no rounding) • include on spreadsheet title, agency, who compiled information, draft or final, and date. • provide rationale of Heritage rankings with a narrative of the Heritage assessment factors for each species; also provide documentation from meetings, element occurrence sheets, or any other support documentation that will allow us to understand the rationale for ranking, therefore, allowing us to make a determination to add or remove species to or from the Regional Forester’s Sensitive Species list. 3) Provide a list of eligible vascular plant that meet Forest Service criteria (in Excel spreadsheet format) and the associated suspected status by each National Forest in Washington, plus the documentation of rankings Government provided materials: A list identifying eligible vascular plant species and their associated documented status (Attachment 2) and those without documented or suspected status (Attachment 3) prepared by Russ Holmes, Regional Botanist, based on information provided the WNHP. The task is to confirm this eligible list of vascular plants and add the associated suspected status by National Forest (note changes in administrative units in attachment). • provide information on national rank, global rank, state rank and subspecies/variety rank and not just the rank that makes it eligible for inclusion in the Regional Forester’s Sensitive Species list (no rounding), • include on spreadsheet: title, agency, who compiled information, draft or final, and date. • provide rationale of Heritage rankings with a narrative of the Heritage assessment factors for each species; also provide documentation from meetings, element occurrence sheets, or any other support documentation that will allow us to understand the rationale for ranking, therefore, allowing us to make a determination to add or remove species to or from the Regional Forester’s Sensitive Species list. 4) Produce species fact sheets for a 16 species list of non-vascular plants - Government provided materials: “Fact Sheet” format and the list of non-vascular plant species needing fact sheets 5) Produce species fact sheets for 23 species of invertebrates - Government provided materials: “Fact Sheet” format and the list of 23 invertebrate species needing fact sheets