SCOPE OF SERVICES - Visitor Use and Experience - DENA Road Vehicle Management Plan - EISThis is a modification to Announcement No. A1000000991Please submit your proposal via email to
[email protected] by close of business March 22, 2010. PROJECT BACKGROUNDOver the next two years, the NPS shall be developing the Denali Park Road Vehicle Management Plan and EIS. The purpose of the plan is to establish the vision, goals, and strategies for managing vehicles along the Denali Park Road, including user capacity, in order to best manage demand while preserving visitor experiences and park resources and values. The Denali Park Road Vehicle Management Plan shall guide decision making and management of vehicles on the park road for the next 15 to 20 years. The planning process represents an intensive effort involving subject matter experts on transportation, visitor use, and resource management; park managers; stakeholders; local, state and federal governments; and interested members of the public. In January 2010, the park staff released an alternatives workbook to the public that describes four draft management alternatives for the vehicle management plan, including the No-Action Alternative. In addition to the workbook, public meetings are being held in February to seek public comments on the draft management alternatives. The park staff shall collect and analyze the public comments and make any necessary changes to the alternatives in the next several months. The next steps of the project are to analyze the impacts of the alternatives, prepare a public draft EIS, complete a final EIS and prepare a final decision-making document (record of decision). PURPOSE OF SCOPE OF SERVICESThe purpose of this scope of services is to identify technical support from the contractor to assist the NPS in its National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance activities for the Denali Park Road Vehicle Management Plan, EIS, as they relate to visitor use and experience. The contractor shall be working directly with the DSC Planning Division in support of planning efforts at Denali National Park. GENERAL REQUIREMENTSIn general, the contractor shall rely on existing information, including other park specific NEPA documents, to support development of the Vehicle Management Plan EIS. The contractor shall participate in the preparation of the draft and final versions of various sections (further described below) of the EIS relating to visitor use and experience and incorporate multiple review comments in a format that complies with the Department of the Interior and NPS policies for implementing NEPA. The EIS shall conform to all applicable NPS requirements including, but not limited to, those specified in NPS Management Policies 2006, Director's Order #12 and Handbook: Conservation Planning, Environmental Impact Analysis, and Decision Making, the NPS Dynamic Park Planning Sourcebook, and DSC Editing Reference Manual. The first two references may be found at http://home.nps.gov/applications/npspolicy/DOrders.cfm. The last is located at http://www.nps.gov/dsc/c_business/c_2_editing.htm. The DSC and Park shall provide to the contractor all existing information, such as visitor use statistics, use patterns on the park road, results of visitor surveys and other NEPA documents that are relevant (see below). The EIS shall include a complete discussion of the affected environment and a detailed analysis of the impacts to visitor uses and visitor experiences as a result of implementing each of the alternatives, including the No-Action. Impact analysis shall be limited to issues associated with implementation of the proposed alternatives only. The final list of impact topics to be analyzed shall be determined during a project workshop currently targeted for April 2010. The analysis shall include an impairment assessment and identification and analysis of cumulative effects and potential mitigation measures to effects. This contract does not include additional field studies. The contractor shall coordinate with the NPS through the DSC Visitor Use Technical Lead and Project Manager on acceptable levels of data analysis, assumptions, and analytical methods. The contractor shall integrate data and analysis supplied by the NPS and other federal or contractor personnel who may be asked by the DSC to provide input or information in specialized areas of jurisdiction or expertise. Contractor tasks may include but not be limited to: conducting literature searches; preparing charts and tables; interpreting data; interviewing experts; and documenting such research, analyses, or use of professional judgment in the absence of preexisting information. The contractor shall also be required to participate in meetings and teleconferences with the NPS and other contractors. SCOPE OF SERVICES AND TASKS/DELIVERABLES/TARGET DEADLINETask 1 - Review Background Information - the contractor shall be responsible for reviewing background information provided by the DSC and the park in preparations for the April site visit to Denali National Park.Deliverables: Demonstrated understanding of background information and ability to apply the information at the upcoming workshop. Target Deadline: April/May 2010 Task 2 - Project Kick-Off and Impact Workshop - the contractor shall send one representative to participate in an on-site Project Kick Off and Impact Workshop with the DSC and the park. The workshop shall discuss project issues and impact topics, along with the project schedule, milestones, communication, and protocol. The meeting is scheduled to take place at Denali National Park from April 26-May 1, 2010. The contractor may wish to fly to Fairbanks (AK) and drive/bus down to the park. The workshop shall begin Tuesday April 27 and conclude Friday, April 30, with return travel on Saturday, May 1. The workshop shall include a field visit to the project area hosted by the park staff to illustrate issues and potential mitigation options, and to collect baseline information. Following the meeting, the contractor shall prepare workshop notes relevant to the visitor use and visitor experience components of the project and submit those to the DSC. Deliverables: Visitor use and visitor experience workshop notes via email. Target Deadline: April 26-May 1, 2010 (May 13, 2010) Task 3 - Prepare Initial Draft Visitor Use/Experience Sections of the Draft EIS3.1 Chapter 1 - Purpose and Need - the contractor shall review public, agency, and stakeholder input obtained from public scoping to fully understand the scope of the project and purpose and need for the actions. The contractor shall contribute to and review various sections of Chapter 1 relevant to their technical discipline of visitor use and visitor experience. This shall include contributing to and reviewing the project background, planning issues, relationship to other plans, NPS policies, description of impact topics, and park base maps. Deliverables: Visitor use and experience contributions to Chapter 1: and review of other sections of Chapter 1.Target Deadline: July 5, 2010 3.2 Chapter 2 - Alternatives - The contractor shall contribute to and review various sections of Chapter 2 relevant to their technical discipline of visitor use and visitor experience. This shall include contributing to and reviewing the description of the planning process, narratives of the alternatives, summary table of the alternatives, summary table of key impacts, and a description of mitigative measures. The contractor shall also be responsible for taking the lead in preparing the section of Chapter 2 that relates to visitor use indicators and standards of quality. The contractor shall need to incorporate by reference park studies and data that support the indicators and standards, along with other outside literature sources that document the validity of the indicator measures and related standards and to prepare a bibliography.Deliverables: Visitor use and experience contributions to Chapter 2: and review of other sections of Chapter 2. Target Deadline: July 5, 2010 3.3 Chapter 3 - Affected Environment - The contractor shall prepare the visitor use and experience section of Chapter 3 of the draft EIS. It shall contain required information describing the affected environment and discuss topics necessary to evaluate environmental consequences of actions described in the EIS alternatives. This chapter should present a concise and focused description of the human environment for the project area. Information presented should particularly focus on the issues and impact topics identified in Chapter 1. Detailed background or support material should be incorporated by reference or placed in an appendix. All information presented shall be adequately referenced and in a style readily comprehended by the public. The contractor shall include supporting charts and tables as needed.Deliverables: Draft visitor use/experience section of affected environment. Target Deadline: August 30, 2010 3.4 Chapter 4 - Environmental Consequences - The contractor shall prepare the visitor use and experience section of Chapter 4 of the draft EIS per DO-12 guidelines and DSC Editing Reference Manual. The contractor shall develop the methodologies and assumptions for analyzing impacts for NPS review and approval. Chapter 4, Environmental Consequences, provides the reader with an analytic evaluation of the potential effects or impacts of each of the alternatives on the resources described in the affected environment section. The objective analysis and disclosure of potential environmental impacts of alternatives facilitates informed decision making. This analysis and disclosure of impacts shall be provided in this section, with the contractor presenting the effects of each alternative on the visitor use and experience components of the affected environment. The contractor shall include supporting charts and tables as necessary to illustrate findings and conclusions.Council on Environmental Quality regulations require that impact analyses include discussions of adverse and beneficial effects, short- and long-term effects, direct and indirect effects, and cumulative effects. The contractor shall identify and characterize all such effects of each alternative. The characterization of impacts shall include descriptions of impact duration, intensity (or magnitude), and context (site-specific, local, regional, or national effects, etc.). Conclusions on impacts should not be presented without supporting analysis; the rationale for the conclusion must be provided. The contractor, through the course of the analysis, may suggest revisions to the methodologies and impact criteria if warranted; however, these elements may not be changed without consent of the NPS. The contractor shall consult with the lead NPS specialists as needed to obtain more detailed technical and support information pertaining to impact topic thresholds and definitions. The contractor shall use the impact analysis to help NPS to determine the potential for impairment to park resources from each of the alternatives on each relevant resource (see NPS Management Policies 2006). Impairment and non-impairment findings shall be included in the conclusion statements for each impact topic.Also included in Chapter 4 is an assessment of cumulative impacts. In collaboration with NPS and other sources, the contractor shall first identify those "other past, present, and reasonably foreseeable actions" comprising the cumulative impact scenario. For example, these actions may include projects within the park but outside the scope of the project and/or projects or activities on adjacent lands by other entities. Then for each impact topic/resource affected under each alternative that is analyzed in detail, the contractor shall analyze cumulative effects by adding the incremental impact of the alternative actions to impacts resulting from "other past, present, and reasonably foreseeable" actions. "Other past, present and reasonably foreseeable" actions should be identified and approved by NPS prior to engaging in cumulative effect analysis. The resulting cumulative impacts shall be identified and characterized. The preparation of legally defensible cumulative impact analyses is a key element of the environmental consequences chapter. Recent case law has demonstrated its importance.Deliverables: Draft visitor use/experience sections of impact analysis. Target Deadline: September 20, 2010 3.5 References, Glossary, Acronyms, Abbreviations, and Appendices - The contractor shall develop a reference list, glossary, acronyms and abbreviations, and appendices that relate to the visitor use and visitor experience sections of the document. All appendices shall be approved by DSC for inclusion into the draft EIS. Deliverables: Draft references, glossary, acronyms, abbreviations and appendices pertaining to visitor use/experience. Target Deadline: September 20, 2010 3.6 DSC Team Review - The contractor shall provide one representative to participate in a review of the entire draft document and shall submit written review comments to the DSC project manager. The contractor may participate in person at DSC or by phone, as determined between the project managers and contractor.Deliverables: Visitor use/experience review comments. Target Deadline: October 8, 2010 3.7 Response to Team Review - The contractor shall update their respective sections of the draft document based on the team review comments. Deliverables: Revised visitor use/experience affected environment and impact analysis and other relevant sections. Target Deadline: October 22, 2010 3.8 Participate in Park Roundtable Review - The contractor shall provide one representative to participate in a roundtable review by phone of the Draft EIS as it relates to their respective sections of the document.Deliverables: Participation in roundtable review. Target Deadline: November/December 2010 - exact date TBD 3.9 Incorporate Comments from Park Roundtable Review - The contractor shall incorporate comments received from the park on their respective sections of the draft EIS. In addition, the contractor shall maintain a tracking document of agency comments. This document shall be set up in a tabular format and shall include a column displaying agency comment and a corresponding column showing if the agency comment was incorporated, and if not, a description of why the comment was not incorporated. Deliverables: Revised affected environment and impact analysis and other relevant sections. Target Deadline: January 14, 2011. Task 4 Prepare Final Draft Visitor Use/Experience Sections of the EIS4.1 Participate in Region/WASO Roundtable Review - The contractor shall provide one representative to participate in a roundtable review by phone of the Draft EIS as it relates to their respective sections of the document.Deliverables: Roundtable review participation. Target Deadlines: February/March 2011 - exact date TBD 4.2 Incorporate Comments from Region/WASO Roundtable Review - The contractor shall incorporate comments received from the NPS on their respective sections of the draft EIS. In addition, the contractor shall maintain a tracking document of agency comments. This document shall be set up in a tabular format and shall include a column displaying agency comment and a corresponding column showing if the agency comment was incorporated, and if not, a description of why the comment was not incorporated. Deliverables: Revised affected environment and impact analysis and other relevant sections. Target Deadline: April 15, 2011 4.3 Support Preparation of the Briefing Statement - The contractor shall contribute visitor use/experience content to and review the project briefing statement for the regional director. Deliverables: Contributions to and review of briefing. Target Deadline: June/July 2011 - exact date TBD Task 5 Review and Analysis of Public Comments on the Draft EIS5.1 Analysis of Public Comments Related to Visitor Use and Visitor Experiences - The contractor shall review and analyze public comments related to visitor use and visitor experiences and contribute to preparation of a public comment summary report. In addition, the contractor shall participate in DSC/park discussions about substantive comments received on the draft EIS. Deliverables: Review of public comment summary report. Visitor Use/experience contributions. Target Deadline: September/October 2011 - exact date TBD. 5.2. Response to Comments - The contractor shall create an initial draft of responses to substantive comments (related to visitor use and visitor experience) to DSC. The DSC shall then work with the park staff to finalize the response to substantive comments and the potential changes to the alternatives for incorporation into the final EIS.Deliverables: Visitor use/experience-related responses to public. Target Deadline: October/November 2011 Task 6 Prepare Final Visitor Use/Experience Sections of the EIS6.1 Incorporate Appropriate Public and NPS [DSC?] Comments - The contractor shall incorporate appropriate public comments and NPS/agency responses on their respective sections into the draft final EIS. In addition, the contractor shall maintain a tracking document of NPS comments. This document shall be set up in a tabular format and shall include a column displaying agency comment and a corresponding column showing if the agency comment was incorporated, and if not, a description of why the comment was not incorporated. Deliverables: Revised affected environment and impact analysis and other relevant sections. Target Deadline: December2011/January 2012 6.2 Incorporate Comments from Park Review - The contractor shall incorporate comments on their respective sections received from the park through the DSC on the Draft Final EIS. The contractor shall maintain a tracking document of agency comments. This document shall be set up in a tabular format and shall include a column displaying agency comment and a corresponding column showing if the agency comment was incorporated, and if not, a description of why the comment was not incorporated. Deliverables: Revised visitor use/experience affected environment and impact analysis and other relevant sections. Target Deadline: February 17, 2012 6.3 Incorporate Comments from WASO/Region Review - The contractor shall incorporate comments on their respective sections received from the NPS through the DSC on the draft final EIS. The contractor shall maintain a tracking document of agency comments. This document shall be set up in a tabular format and shall include a column displaying agency comment and a corresponding column showing if the agency comment was incorporated, and if not, a description of why the comment was not incorporated. Deliverables: Revised visitor use/experience affected environment and impact analysis and other relevant sections. Target Deadline: April 13, 2012 Task 7 Administrative Record - The contractor shall compile and make available to the DSC all documents they produce for the administrative record (AR). DSC, in coordination with the Park, shall prepare and maintain an AR for all work, correspondence, and decisions related to the EIS. These include such things as all formal published agency notices and documents and comments, meeting notes, original copies of field notes, reference documents, studies, model runs, supporting analyses, photographs, graphics, maps used in the preparation of the EIS, communications related to process and agency or tribal consultation, and materials which reflect significant changes in thinking on the project, that is, memoranda that raise important issues or criticize the assumptions or approaches or conclusions. Documents should include paper correspondence, emails, web postings, and computer disks. The contractor shall support this effort through following the administrative record protocol developed by DSC.The DSC will keep the AR current during the development of the EIS. The AR for the EIS is the property of the NPS. The DSC may direct the contractor to transfer any items gathered within the AR protocol to the NPS at any time during the EIS preparation process and the contractor shall comply within five days of notification. Upon completion of the EIS, a CD-Rom version of the AR shall be delivered to the NPS by the DSC (The DSC-TIC is the archival center for NPS). The Administrative Record shall be compiled in accordance with the Project Protocol to meet NPS guidelines in compliance with NEPA. Deliverable: Administrative records pertaining to visitor use/experience delivered via email, CD/DVD, or FTP to the Visitor Use Technical Specialist or Project Manager, as determined. Target Deadline: May 30, 2012 FEE AND PAYMENTFees and payment shall comply with the terms as stated herein. The Government obligation for performance of this purchase order beyond this price is contingent upon the availability of funds from which payment for contract purposes can be made. No legal liability on the part of the Government for any payment may arise for performance under this contract beyond the amount that has been authorized through the issuance of written purchase orders. After completion of work and as a prerequisite to the final payment on each call order, the Contractor shall furnish to the Contracting Officer a Release of Claims. Such claims are asserted by the Contractor and excepted from operation of the Release shall be listed in spaces provided after the word "except" and shall be referenced to correspondence or other identifying data, together with monetary amount for each major claim item. Original invoices shall be mailed directly to the National Park Service, Denver Service Center, Attn: Procurement Technician, Contracting Services, 12795 West Alameda Parkway, P.O. Box 25287, Denver, CO 80225-0287. For furnishing of all supplies and services required to accomplish the services required under the preceding scope of services, the Contractor shall be paid the firm-fixed price amount of $___________.