BUENA VISTA RANCHERIA OF ME-WUK INDIANS
Request For Proposals (RFP)
To Provide Environmental Resources Consulting Services
NOXIOUS WEEDS ERADICATION PROGRAM
Funded By
Bureau of Indian Affairs Pacific Region Office
Opening date: February 19, 2016
Closing date: March 18, 2016
Location:Buena Vista Rancheria
4650 Coalmine Road
Ione, CA 95640
Contact Person:
Roselynn Lwenya, Ph.D.
Environmental Resources Director
Tribal Historic Preservation Officer
Buena Vista Rancheria 1418 20th Street, Suite 200
Sacramento, CA 95811
Tel: 916.491.0011
Fax: 916.491.0012
Email: /
FEBRUARY 2016
INTRODUCTION
The Buena Vista Rancheria (BVR) is a federally recognized Indian Tribe, possessing sovereign powers by virtue of such recognition. The BVR Tribal land is a 67.5 acre parcel of land located in Amador County on the east side of Coal Mine Road, approximately one mile south of the unincorporated town of Buena Vista, approximately five miles southeast of Ione, approximately 28 miles northeast of Stockton, and approximately 52 miles southeast of Sacramento.
The Buena Vista Rancheria invites proposals for the development of the Tribe’s Noxious Weeds Eradication Program. The selected applicant will be tasked with the responsibility of: 1) undertaking an assessment of the current level of noxious weeds infestation on the Tribal land; 2) development of a comprehensive plan that includes protocols for monitoring, surveillance, and eradication of noxious weeds on the Tribal land and, finally; 3) the control of the identified weeds.
BACKGROUND
The Buena Vista Rancheria recently obtained funding from Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) pursuant to H.R. 3547, P.L. 113-76, consolidated Appropriations Act, to develop the Noxious Weeds Eradication Program. The overall goal of the Noxious Weed Eradication Program is to prevent the introduction and spread of noxious weeds; to monitor for and rapidly respond to the presence of noxious weeds and; to promote the restoration of native species and habitat conditions on the Tribal land.
In 2014, the USDA/NRCS District Conservationist, the Center Director for Lockeford Plant Material Center and; Buena Vista Rancheria Staff jointly undertook the activity of mapping out the noxious weeds on the lower portion of the Tribal land. The results from the mapping indicated the infestation of four major noxious weeds, namely; Yellow star thistle (Centaurea solstitialis), Medusa Head (Taeniatherum caput-medusae); Puncture Vine (Tribulus terrestris) and Blackberry. Other weeds sighted of low priority were purple thistle (at the upper pond) and a few other different types of weeds around the lower pond including rocket (Sisymbrium spp). The infestation ranges from sparse to very heavy.
The Tribe has in the recent years endeavored to eradicate the weeds through mechanical methods of hand removal, mowing and raking. However, these efforts have yielded minimal level of success due to various factors such as; inadequate funding, inadequate knowledge and inadequate manpower. This has led to the widespread of the noxious weeds on the Tribal land.
PROGRAM GOALS
The Buena Vista Rancheria has recently developed the Tribal Environmental Plan, which outlines the Tribe’s environmental priority areas, long term goals and objectives. The following are the overall goals established for the natural resources priority area in as much as it concerns invasive weeds:
1) Prevent, eliminate and control undesired non-native vegetation, invasive species, and noxious plant and animal species from important and sensitive habitat areas using an Integrated Pest Management approach that combines cultural and manual removal to minimize health and environmental risks.
2) Re-introduce, maintain, and increase important and culturally-significant species and habitat throughout the reservation.
3) Protect important, sensitive, and native species and habitat from loss and destruction.
4) Identify and achieve the optimal balance between human impacts and the protection, preservation, and enhancement of natural resources.
5) Reduce hazardous fuels to prevent catastrophic wildfire.
6) Maintain and enhance water quality on Buena Vista Rancheria Tribal properties.
SCOPE OF WORK
The Buena Vista Rancheria is seeking qualified firms interested in supplying Noxious Weeds Eradication services in implementing the following key tasks:
1. Develop a Noxious Weeds Eradication Plan that includes strategies to control and remove non-native, invasive, highly flammable, and/or non-drought tolerant landscaping plants and replace them with native, cultural, fire-resistant, and drought tolerant plants.
2. Conduct assessments and mapping of native and culturally-significant species throughout the reservation including size and density.
3. Conduct assessments and mapping of noxious species throughout the reservation including size and density.
4. Offer anticipated outcomes that are consistent with project area goals.
5. Weed removal from the Tribal land while adhering to all Tribal preferences pertaining to weed control.
6. Produce all the required reports and documentation identified in the RFP.
7. Develop Education and Outreach materials and activities on issues and opportunities pertaining to noxious weeds to be disseminated to Tribal members and adjacent neighboring communities.
START AND COMPLETION DATES
ACTIVITY / DATERelease of RFP / Opening date: February 19 2016
Completed proposals due / Closing date: March 18, 2016
Notification of Award of contract / March 23, 2016
Work to begin / March 28, 2016
Report complete and submitted / May 30, 2016
DELIVERABLES
1. Written report summarizing findings.
2. Maps and photographs related to the services provided.
3. The Buena Vista Rancheria Noxious Weeds Eradication Plan in line with the expectations of the BIA Agriculture and Range Management Handbook.
4. Useable ArcGIS shapefile with associated data.
PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIRED ELEMENTS
Responses to this RFP should contain sufficient information to provide the Tribe with a thorough description of consultant’s qualifications to accomplish the activities described in the Scope of Work. If consultant does not possess the in-house capabilities to perform a particular component of the project, the response should demonstrate consultants’ ability to prepare and administer a subcontract or to work jointly with another firm having the requisite expertise to accomplish that component of the project. You will be required to provide the names, addresses, and descriptions for any planned subcontractors.
At a minimum, responses must include:
1) Applicant Information: Provide company name, address, telephone, email address, along with name and title of contact person.
2) Proposal: Provide a detailed description of implementation process of the Tasks outlined.
3) Fees: Describe how fees will be determined.
4) Timeline: Provide a timeline for task development and implementation for each task- Consultant must address how they will achieve each of the tasks outlined in the scope of work (a table outlining objectives and timeline is encouraged).
5) Experience: Clearly identify project participants and management team. (Specify key employees and describe their experience and capabilities related to this RFP).
6) Brief descriptions of similar projects consultant has performed.
Tribal Member preference and/or Indian preference will apply in compliance with the Buena Vista Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians Personnel Policy, and the Indian Preference Act (Title 25, U.S. Code, Section 472 and 473). However, the Buena Vista Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians is an Equal Opportunity Employer and all, proposals from Indian and Non -Indian owned environmental firms will be considered in accordance with the provisions of Section 703 (1) of Title Vll of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, amended in 1991.
PROPOSAL SUBMISSION DELIVERY REQUIREMENTS
All proposals and supporting documents must be sealed and submitted on or before the end of business day on March 18, 2016 to:
Roselynn Lwenya, Ph.D.
Environmental Resources Director
Tribal Historic Preservation Officer (THPO)
Buena Vista Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians
1418 20th Street, STE 200
Sacramento, CA 95811
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