Seeking Fieldwork Contractors

Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation of Canada

Request for Qualifications

Field Work and Project Management Contractors

April 2021

 

The Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation of Canada (WPEFC) is devoted to the conservation and stewardship of whitebark and limber pine ecosystems through partnerships, science-based active management, restoration, research, and education. WPEFC is establishing a list of qualified contractors to bid on project opportunities that may be available in British Columbia and Alberta, subject to funding confirmation and detailed project plan approval. Project logistics and planning may begin as early as May. Field-based work may occur between June and October 2021. The qualified contractor list may be used for opportunities from 2021 to 2025.

Qualified Contractor lists will be developed for:

• Whitebark and limber pine cone collection, which must include detailed health assessments of trees and stands, and associated data collection and handling and transport of cones
• General whitebark and limber pine field work in British Columbia and Alberta, including, but not limited to:

ACTIVITIES

• Relocation of tagged plus trees using GPS
• Identification, tagging, evaluation and selection of new plus trees
• Health assessments and spatial delineation of stands
• Semiochemical application for mountain pine beetle protection
• Cone crop assessments of plus trees for current and following year
• Cruise prism (variable radius) plots to measure basal area
• Cone and / or scion collection, documentation, handling and transport
• Digital data collection and management including measurements, health data, notes, photos, points and polygons
• Establish, supervise, work on restoration projects including site assessment, mapping, planting, project-specific treatments, monitoring, survival assesssment

Bids

Submit your bid as a per-day all-inclusive rate including any travel, accommodations, per diems, vehicle, insurance, incidentals, survey and data collection materials and supplies based on a 10 hour day. Specify the rate for any field assistants if anticipated. Field sites may be accessible by vehicle, foot, and may include helicopter and/or OHV access, subject to funding. In your  bid, please advise your province of preference (if applicable), and whether you can supply an OHV or Side-by-Side with appropriate insurance and certification if required. Contractors shall undertake field work in shifts of minimum 7 days for maximum efficiency of work relative to travel.

Administration

Contracts would be administered by WPEFC and paid within 30 days of billing, subject to confirmation of project deliverables and quality specifications for the contract.

WPEFC will provide: OHS policy and procedures as required, project and safety orientation, detailed information including locations and coordinates of work areas, access information, plus tree locations, prior data, in digital and/or hard copy format as requested. WPEFC can coordinate project safety(e.g. COVID-19 protocols), or will review the contractor’s protocols for compliance with provincial Standars and Code.

The contractor will provide: a field safety plan that complies with the BC OHS Regulations and/or the Alberta OHS Act, Regulation, and Code, as appropriate for the work area; proof of insurance covering $2 – $5 million liability, errors and omissions, (in some cases fire-fighting), vehicle insurance; suitable vehicle, and all required equipment and supplies. The contractor may hire subcontractor(s), provided the subcontractor(s) also meets the qualifications and is covered under OHS and insurance.

Deliverables: Progress updates may be required. Raw data to be submitted after each of the first three days for quality assurance, and then biweekly. Final cleaned data and accompanying photos and notes must be submitted by the end of the project, or October 29 2021, whichever is latest.

 

Please send bids and enquiries to: hr@whitebarkpine.ca  by 4:30 pm Mountain Time, May 7, 2021. This is a rolling deadline; we will accept and process bids subsequent to the deadline in the order they are received.

Qualified bidders will be notified following evaluation, and contacted for applicable opportunities to bid on a project.

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Qualifications & Capacity for Field Work

Preferred qualifications

1. Formal training in whitebark limber pine identification and health assessment as delivered by Province of Alberta, Province of British Columbia, WPEFC, Parks Canada, or US agency working with these species – briefly describe training and state delivery date(s) and provider
2. 30 working days of field experience applying this training in the field. Briefly list past whitebark and limber experience, including species, activities, and locations
3. 1 season of independent field work in remote areas including planning, logistics, and data collection
4. $2-$5 million insurance coverage pertinent to provision of professional services

Beneficial qualifications

1. Over 30 days of field experience working with 5NP after receiving the training
2. Over 1 season of independent field work in remote areas
3. Compiling, synthesizing, and/or evaluating collected data – briefly list past experience, including types of data, data issues addressed, and methods

Mandatory capacity

1. Suitable vehicle and insurance to access remote sites as delineated in project description
2. Equipment and supplies to collect all necessary information in the required format (field mensuration equipment, good quality and power binoculars, GPS, tablet/phone, etc.)
3. Emergency communications device(s) for safety.

Beneficial capacity

1. Timely access to hire or subcontract competent field staff to support where necessary. The primary applicant must be at all sites and be responsible for all deliverables and data collected.

 

Qualifications & Capacity for Cone Collections

Cone collection: Preferred qualifications

1. As above for Preferred Fieldwork qualifications; plus
2. Arborist training and/or climbing expertise (e.g., ACMG) and/or demonstrated familiarity with safe methods and appropriate equipment use and maintenance
3. A demonstrated understanding and plan for proper handling and interim storage and transportation of cones
4. 5 days tree climbing experience with associated safety and access equipment. Briefly list past experience

Cone collection: Beneficial qualifications

1. Attended training session with field component delivered by ArborCanada/Parks Canada or USDA Forest Service related to whitebark / limber pine tree access and cone collection
2. 1 season of field experience collecting whitebark and/or limber pine cones
3. Cone collection and handling knowledge, training, and experience. Briefly list experience and relevant factors for this competency

Cone collection: Mandatory capacity

1. As above for Preferred Qualifications, and
2. ­­Equipment and supplies to safely access cones – cone cages and sacks will be supplied, some additional equipment may be available

Cone collection: Beneficial capacity

1. Timely access to hire or subcontract field staff with climbing expertise to support where necessary
2. Timely access to hire or subcontract field staff with whitebark and/or limber pine cone collection expertise to support where necessary