F--CGB Goat Grazing Vegetation Management

Performance Work Statement Goat Grazing Vegetation Management April 2026 1. SCOPE The United States Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) is seeking to establish a Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) to provide vegetation management in the form of goat and/or sheep grazing for the Bureau of Reclamation’s (Reclamation) Central California Area Office (CCAO) and Northern California Area Office (NCAO) lands. Under this BPA, Reclamation will determine the location and quantity of acres to be grazed each year within the locations specified in Sections 5.1 & 5.2, not to exceed the BPA maximum of $208,597.00 per year. 2. BACKGROUND The wildlands within Reclamation’s NCAO and CCAO are surrounded by dense urban communities. To reduce the spread of wildfires and their intensity, increase the success of fire suppression activities and decrease the potential for wildfire-related damage to these communities, Reclamation regulates the fuel loads around the wildland-urban interface (WUI) using shaded fuel breaks (SFB), among other methods. Regular maintenance of the SFBs is required to preserve previously performed vegetation management work and maintain SFB viability. Goat grazing will be used to maintain SFBs at their prescribed vegetation level by managing regrowth of annual grasses, ladder fuels, and woody understory regrowth. Grazing to reduce flammable vegetation is best used when addressing the smaller diameter vegetation that makes up the 1- and 10-hour fuels. These two fuel classes are important because they can greatly impact the rate of spread of a fire, as well as flame height. Grazing can impact the quantity and arrangement of these fuels by ingestion or trampling, with the objective of changing the fire behavior through modification of the fuel bed, fuel loading, percent cover, and ladder fuels (Nader et al., 2007)1. 3. BPA OBJECTIVE The objective of this BPA is to provide a flexible, rapid ordering mechanism for contractor services to conduct prescribed goat and/or sheep grazing on various fuels reduction sites on Reclamation’s NCAO and CCAO lands to reduce the risk of fire activity within the WUI. BPA calls will be issued as discretionary work requirements arise. This BPA: - Does not obligate funds upon establishment - Is not a contract - Becomes binding only when a BPA Call is issued and accepted (Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) 13.303-3 & 13.303-4). 1 Nader, G., Henkin, Z., Smith, E., Ingram, R., & Narvaez, N. (2007). Planned herbivory in the management of wildfire fuels. Rangelands, 29(5), 18-24. -- 1 of 25 -- 4. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE Goat grazing services will take place on Reclamation lands in the WUIs in Placer, El Dorado, Shasta, Trinity, Tehama and Glen Counties, CA. Refer to Paragraph 6 for specific locations. 5. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE The period of Performance will be for five (5) years following the initial date of contract execution. Task Orders may be placed during the period of performance based on unit prices in the price schedule. 6. PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS • The Contractor shall apply prescribed goat grazing on Reclamation’s Project Lands to reduce the fuel load in the WUI, within pre-defined project boundaries as shown in Appendix A. • As a result of grazing under this contract, the available onsite vegetation should be reduced by 70-80%. • The Contractor will avoid placing animals in previously established buffer zones around environmentally sensitive areas such as riparian zones, sensitive plants, special status species and archaeological resources. o These buffer zones will be provided by the COR to the Contractor prior to the commencement of grazing activities at each grazing site. • The Contractor will not start work without first receiving environmental training provided by Reclamation. • The Contractor shall use the highest appropriate stocking density to achieve uniform utilization of the targeted vegetation. • The Contractor shall post signs warning public of the danger of electric fences and unleashed guard dogs. • Grazing animals will be allowed to move within an electric fenced area while grazing. • No drafting out of natural watercourses shall be allowed. Water tanks could be filled at Reclamation’s administrative facilities where available. • The Contractor could use and re-use existing, former range fencing to the extent practicable. • The Contractor shall remove all temporary fencing upon completion of grazing activities at each site. • Contractor and COR will develop a comprehensive Work Plan that outlines desired worksites over successive 90-day periods. The Work Plan will include maps and dates of specific locations where the Contractor intends to implement Project activities over a 90-day period. Work shall not commence until the contractor and COR have both signed Work Plan. • The Contractor shall suggest optimal times for grazing applications to achieve desired results. • Contractor shall notify the COR in writing no less than two weeks in advance when ready to mobilize the herd to the specified SFB sites, and two business days prior to demobilizing from a Project site. The COR will provide written acceptance or acknowledgement no less than one week after receiving notification from the Contractor. 6.1. Auburn Project Lands: total possible acres 1,224 (Map provided in Appendix A) Shaded Fuel Break Up to Acres Applegate 41 -- 2 of 25 -- Auburn Lake Trails 226 Auburn 552 Cool and Pilot Hill 171 Georgetown and Greenwood 105 Kings Hill 31 Monte Verde 48 Todd Valley and Foresthill 50 6.2. Folsom Lake and Granite Bay: total possible acres 565 (Map provided in Appendix A) Shaded Fuel Break Up to Acres Folsom Lake Shaded 333 Granite Bay Shaded 232 6.3. Trinity County: total possible acres 565 (Map provided in Appendix A) Fuels Reduction Area Up to Acres Trinity Dam Hazardous Fuels Reduction 373 Lewiston Hazardous Fuels Reduction 220 Buckhorn Reservoir Fuels Reduction 77 6.4. Shasta County: total possible acres 565 (…