Remington Sagebrush Planting

1 STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW) Remington Fire Sagebrush Restoration (Planting) 1.0 BACKGROUND Project Overview The Miles City Field Office of the Montana/Dakotas Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has a requirement to transport and plant approximately 14,000 containerized (0-1 year) Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis) seedlings in fall 2026 on lands burned by the Remington wildfire in southeastern Montana. Manual methods of accomplishing planting will be required. Background The Remington wildfire scorched over 190,000 acres burning private, Forest Service, state, and BLM lands. It burned hot and fast, wiping out stands of ponderosa pine, juniper, and Wyoming big sagebrush. Portions of burned lands managed by BLM in Big Horn and Powder River counties lost many acres of old growth Wyoming big sagebrush stands. Post- fire field visits showed little to no surviving sagebrush and numerous widespread bare ground patches in burned areas where sagebrush once stood. Many sagebrush-obligate species have historically utilized the project area, including BLM Sensitive Status Species such as greater sage-grouse, Brewer’s sparrow, sage thrasher, and sagebrush sparrow. Big game animals such as mule deer and pronghorn also heavily rely on healthy sagebrush ecosystems for food throughout the year. Furthermore, sagebrush communities provide essential ecosystem services. Sagebrush have long taproots that bring water to the soil surface from depths unreachable by other plants, thereby releasing water for shallow-rooted plant species. Sagebrush also help trap and hold snow, increasing water retention. Wyoming big sagebrush are non-sprouting shrubs easily killed by fire and the seedbank is easily damaged by fire as well; thus, natural establishment is typically very poor post-fire and can take over 50 years for sagebrush to regenerate. Restoring sagebrush is challenging, but success can be increased by planting seedlings rather than seeding; planting seedlings can have survival rates of almost double than direct seeding (Herriman et al., 2016). It is a common approach to plant seedlings in groups or islands, as it is expected that sagebrush will expand through self-seeding and is cost effective (Dunwiddie and Camp 2013). 2.0 SCOPE Under this contract, the BLM needs 14,000 container Wyoming big sagebrush seedlings planted in late September through early November 2026. Sagebrush seedlings will be -- 1 of 14 -- 2 furnished by the government; however, contractor-furnished equipment property will be needed to sufficiently meet the specifications of the contract, briefly summarized below for the acreage, location, and rate. Project Areas The planting areas are located in Big Horn and Powder River counties near the Wyoming border within the BLM Miles City Field Office administrative area. A map of the general location can be found in Appendix A. The nearest sizeable town to the project area is Sheridan, Wyoming and is approximately a 1.5-hour drive from the project area. Project 1: “Bales” in Powder River County Approximately 320 acres of burned BLM land was identified to be planted within the Bales area for 2026. The area is characterized by gentle rolling hills vegetated by perennial grasses and forbs. Soils here are clay-heavy, resulting in slow water permeability and experiences high runoff during large rain events. Travelling in wet conditions is difficult and digging may be difficult in very dry conditions. Project 2: “Tidwell Draw” in Big Horn County Approximately 95 acres of burned BLM land was identified to be planted within the Tidwell Draw area for 2026. The area is characterized by eroded terraces with breaks-type topography surrounded by standing-dead trees. Soils in this area are also clay-heavy and may be difficult to dig in dry conditions. Access to Project Areas Access by paved, graveled, and natural surface roads passable with 4-wheel drive vehicles. Foot travel up to ½ mile may be required as designated on individual project unit maps. Access to units will be provided primarily through federal lands and roads with access easements. Project areas that are not publicly accessible will require travel through privately owned lands. Permission to access and cross private landownership will be obtained by the Contractor with provided contact information by the Government. Contractors will give notice to private landowners at least one week in advance prior to accessing the unit. Standard Access Access is defined as (1) passable with a 2-wheel drive vehicle although a 4-wheel drive may sometimes be required or (2) foot travel to the closest project area boundary is up to ½-miles. If an all-terrain vehicle is used, it shall be of such design that it will travel over rough, uneven terrain and not create wheel ruts and channels. Use of 2-wheel and 4-wheel drive vehicles on natural surface roads is permitted only with the Government’s approval. Any ATV(s) or vehicles used will be cleaned of mud, dirt, seeds, sawdust, excess oil and grease, etc. that -- 2 of 14 -- 3 could contain noxious or invasive weed seed prior to entry onto BLM lands. Cleaning includes pressure washing the vehicle and/or ATV undercarriages, tires, wheel wells, grille and inside bumpers to remove materials that could contain weed seed. In wet conditions, if ruts are created greater than 4 inches, work must be stopped until conditions improve and rutting is minimized. Planting Stock The Government will provide approximately 14,000 containerized (year 1-0) Wyoming big sagebrush seedlings for fall planting in 2026. Upon completion of the project, all seedlings should be planted on the two project sites. Transport The Contractor will pick up seedlings at the designated pick-up area, final location will be disclosed in the pre-work meeting. Pick-up area is approximately 10 miles west of Park City, Montana. The Contractor shall transport seedlings from the pick-up area to the project areas. Planting The Contractor will h…