Wildlife Resources, Botanical Resources, and Special Status Amphibians and Aquatic Reptiles Studies

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)
for the Wildlife Resources Study,
Botanical Resources Study, and
Special Status Amphibians and
Aquatic Reptiles Study RFP Number
F&W-2026-01
ADDENDA
Prospective bidders are responsible for reviewing any
published addenda regarding this bid at
ebmud.com/business-center
CONTACT
Casey Del Real
Supervising Fisheries and Wildlife Biologist
(209) 263-6362
casey.delreal@ebmud.com
RESPONSE DUE
August 6, 2026
4:00 p.m. PST
SUBMIT ELECTRONICALLY TO*
Terry Cummings, EBMUD
terry.cummings@ebmud.com
*Hardcopy proposals will not be accepted
375 ELEVENTH STREET . OAKLAND . CA 94607-4240 . WWW.EBMUD.COM/BUSINESS-CENTER/

EAST BAY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT
RFP for the Wildlife Resources Study, Botanical Resources Study, and Special Status Amphibians and
Aquatic Reptiles Study RFP Number F&W-2026-01
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. STATEMENT OF WORK ........................................................................................................... 2
A. SCOPE................................................................................................................................... 2
B. PROPOSER MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS ............................................................................. 2
C. SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS .................................................................................................... 3
D. DELIVERABLES/REPORTS ................................................................................................... 34
II. CALENDAR OF EVENTS ......................................................................................................... 37
III. DISTRICT PROCEDURES, TERMS, AND CONDITIONS .............................................................. 37
A. RFP ACCEPTANCE AND AWARD......................................................................................... 37
B. EVALUATION CRITERIA/SELECTION COMMITTEE ............................................................. 38
C. PRICING .............................................................................................................................. 42
D. NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD AND PROTESTS ................................................................ 43
E. INVOICING ......................................................................................................................... 45
IV. RFP RESPONSE SUBMITTAL INSTRUCTIONS AND INFORMATION .......................................... 46
A. DISTRICT CONTACTS .......................................................................................................... 46
B. SUBMITTAL OF RFP RESPONSE .......................................................................................... 46
C. RESPONSE FORMAT ........................................................................................................... 47
ATTACHMENTS
EXHIBIT A - RFP RESPONSE PACKET
EXHIBIT B - INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS
EXHIBIT C - CONSULTING AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT
EXHIBIT D - IRAN CONTRACTING ACT CERTIFICATION
EXHIBIT E - INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SECURITY INFORMATION TO BE EXCLUDED FROM
PUBLIC RECORDS ACT REQUESTS
EXHIBIT F - INVASIVE SPECIES CONTROL PROCEDURES FOR DIVE GEAR EQUIPMENT, ROVS,
VESSELS, AND OTHER AQUATIC DEVICES

I. STATEMENT OF WORK
A. SCOPE
It is the intent of these specifications, terms, and conditions to describe
the performance of technical studies related to the Wildlife Resources
Study, Botanical Resources Study, and Special Status Amphibians and
Aquatic Reptiles Study to support the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission (FERC) Project 2916 - Lower Mokelumne River (Project)
relicensing effort.
East Bay Municipal Utility District (District) intends to award a three-year
contract to the Proposer who best meets the District's requirements.
Perform the studies according to the standards and objectives in the
Wildlife Resources Study Plan (TERR-1), Botanical Resources Study Plan
(TERR-2), and Special Status Amphibians and Aquatic Reptiles Study Plan
(FA-4), which supports the FERC Project 2916 relicensing effort. Review
existing management plans and District data from the Project area to
develop a baseline with an understanding of the current management
goals and objectives in the Project vicinity. Review the study plan to
implement a program to gather pertinent data, such as measurements and
sampling, and prepare a report. Document study methods, data, and
results in a Technical Study Report (TSR) for the District. Evaluate study
results to develop recommendations and mitigations for potential license
requirements. Although the study plan proposals included in this RFP are
anticipated to be completed within a single year, the associated data
analysis, final TSR preparation, and Draft License Application (DLA) support
may extend through 2029.
B. PROPOSER MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
1. Proposer, Proposer's principal, or Proposer's staff shall have been
regularly engaged in the business of managing multidisciplinary
biological resource projects of similar scope and complexity that
demonstrate the ability to provide qualified technical staff with
expertise in wildlife biology, botany, herpetology, and Geographic
Information System (GIS) analysis relevant to the studies identified
in this RFP. The Proposer shall have a minimum of five (5) years of
experience conducting biological resource studies for hydroelectric,
water resources, or other large-scale infrastructure projects in
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California. In addition, the Proposer, Proposer's principal, or
Proposer's staff shall demonstrate familiarity with FERC Integrated
Licensing Process requirements, Endangered Species Act (ESA) and
California Endangered Species Act (CESA) consultation processes,
US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and California Department of
Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) survey protocols, California Natural
Diversity Database (CNDDB) reporting requirements, and biological
studies commonly conducted in support of hydroelectric relicensing
efforts in California.
2. Proposer shall possess and maintain all permits, authorizations,
licenses, certifications, and professional qualifications necessary to
perform services as specified under this RFP.
C. SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS
1. Purpose of the RFP
The Project's current FERC license expires in March 2031, and the District
is now undertaking the relicensing process under FERC's Integrated
Licensing Process. The studies outlined in this RFP will support the effort
by documenting existing biological conditions, characterizing special-status
species and habitats, informing resource agency consultation, and
assessing how Project facilities and operations interact with biological
resources.
2. Project Site Information
The FERC Project boundary encompasses approximately 19,022 acres and
includes a broad range of aquatic, riparian, upland, and wetland habitats
that support numerous special-status species and sensitive natural
communities (Figure 1).
The study areas for the TERR-1, TERR-2, and FA-4 studies include lands
within the FERC Project boundary, Project reservoirs, Project-affected
stream reaches, Project recreation facilities, Project operation and
maintenance areas, Project roads and utility corridors, and select areas
extending beyond the FERC boundary depending on the specific study
component.
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Figure 1: Project location.
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3. Project Description
The selected consultant shall coordinate closely with the District
throughout study implementation to ensure consistency with relicensing
objectives, existing monitoring programs, ongoing agency consultation,
operational constraints, and applicable resource management
agreements. Work performed under this contract shall be suitable for
inclusion within FERC relicensing filings, including Initial Study Reports
(ISR), Updated Study Reports (USR), Draft License Application (DLA), and
Final License Application (FLA).
a. Project Management and Study Coordination
The consultant shall provide overall project management and
coordination for all study components included within this RFP. A
Project Manager shall serve as the primary point of contact for the
District and shall be responsible for coordinating technical staff,
subcontractors (if applicable), scheduling, budget tracking, field
implementation, reporting, and quality assurance activities.
The consultant shall prepare a detailed study implementation
schedule identifying field survey windows, staffing assumptions,
data management milestones, global positioning system (GPS)
deliverables, draft reporting schedules, and final reporting
milestones. The consultant shall coordinate regularly with District
staff regarding field access, operational considerations, survey
timing constraints, and safety requirements.
The consultant shall participate in technical coordination meetings,
agency consultation support meetings, and periodic progress
meetings as requested by the District.
1) Data Ownership and Transfer Requirements
All data, field forms, photographs, laboratory results, maps,
figures, databases, technical memoranda, and other
materials developed under this contract shall become the
property of the District.
The consultant shall provide all spatial, tabular, and field-
collected data generated during implementation of TERR-1,
TERR-2, and FA-4 to the District. Deliverables shall include
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both raw data and quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC)
datasets, along with associated metadata, data dictionaries,
field forms, photographs, laboratory results, and other
supporting documentation.
Data shall be provided in formats acceptable to the District
and on a schedule mutually agreed upon by the consultant
and the District to support ongoing study review, reporting,
and relicensing activities.
2) Permits, Authorizations, and Qualifications
The consultant shall be responsible for obtaining and
maintaining all permits, authorizations, certifications, and
approvals necessary to perform the work described in this
RFP, unless otherwise specified by the District.
The consultant shall ensure that all personnel conducting
field surveys possess the appropriate qualifications, training,
and permit authorizations required to perform work
involving special-status species and sensitive biological
resources. The consultant shall comply with all applicable
federal, state, and local permit conditions and shall be
responsible for coordinating permit requirements with the
District prior to initiating field activities.
The District may provide access to existing permits,
authorizations, or agreements, where appropriate. However,
the consultant shall remain responsible for ensuring that all
work is conducted in accordance with applicable permit
requirements and conditions.
Copies of all applicable permits and authorizations shall be
provided to the District prior to commencement of field
activities.
b. GIS, Database, and Data Management
The consultant shall develop and maintain an integrated project
geodatabase containing all spatial and tabular data generated
during implementation of TERR-1, TERR-2, and FA-4.
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The District will provide baseline GIS data (i.e., Project boundary,
facilities locations, and land ownership). Additional GIS datasets will
be provided according to a mutually agreed upon schedule between
the consultant and the District.
The following specifications ensure that all spatial, field collected
data, and GIS work products produced for this technical study
remain fully compatible with the District's subsequent needs, such
as generating figures for the relicensing application and integrating
products into the District's central GIS database.
For each figure image (jpg/png) produced, the required GIS work
product deliverable will include:
1) An ArcGIS Pro map package containing the map and
layout, and
2) A geodatabase containing the data displayed in the
map or layout.
3) GIS data will be transferred via the District's Project
SharePoint site or a secured website provided by the
consultant. Physical media such as disks or flash drives
will not be accepted, as they do not comply with
District security requirements.
The consultant shall participate in a project kickoff meeting with
EBMUD Fisheries & Wildlife staff and GIS staff to establish
geodatabase requirements, data management protocols, GIS
standards (State Plane, NAD83, feet), metadata requirements, data
transfer procedures, figure development expectations, and final
deliverable formats. The consultant shall incorporate agreed-upon
standards into project implementation to ensure all spatial and
tabular data, maps, figures, and associated deliverables are
compatible with EBMUD systems and can be readily integrated into
District databases and relicensing documents.
c. Wildlife Resources Study Plan (TERR-1)
The purpose of the study is to document special-status wildlife
species, monarch butterfly habitat, special-status bats and their
roosting habitat, wildlife mortality, and deer migration.
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1) General Wildlife Surveys
The consultant shall conduct focused wildlife surveys for
special-status wildlife species, in addition to reconnaissance-
level wildlife surveys, to identify species potentially occurring
within the study area.
Survey methods shall be tailored to target taxa and habitat
conditions and shall be conducted in accordance with
accepted agency guidance and professional standards.
During all field efforts conducted, the consultant shall
document incidental observations of special-status wildlife
species and associated habitat conditions.
Wildlife survey data shall include species observed, number
of individuals, behavior, habitat association, observation
location, date, time, weather conditions, and observer
information. The consultant shall prepare California Natural
Diversity Database (CNDDB) field forms for qualifying
observations and shall coordinate submittal of those records
with EBMUD.
(a) Identify and map known occurrences of
special-status wildlife species within 0.25 mile
of the FERC Project boundary (Figure 2).
Preliminary information is presented in the
Lower Mokelumne River Project (FERC No.
2916) Pre-Application Document (EBMUD
2025).
(b) Identify special-status wildlife species
potentially occurring within California Wildlife
Habitat Relationships (CWHR) designations.
CWHR wildlife habitats and sensitive natural
communities shall be documented as part of
the Botanical Resources Study Plan. For
identification of special-status species
potentially occurring within CWHR habitat
designations, the study area shall include the
FERC Project boundary and areas extending up
to 1 mile outside the boundary (Figure 3).
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(c) Conduct wildlife reconnaissance surveys in
conjunction with special-status plant surveys.
The study area is the area where operations
and/or maintenance occurs around Project
facilities, plus a protective buffer (Table1).
Species shall be recorded as present if
observed directly, identified through species-
specific vocalizations, or detected through
diagnostic field signs such as scat, tracks, or
pellets. Special attention shall be given to
identifying and mapping potential mule deer
fawning habitat.
For each special-status species observed, a
CNDDB field survey form shall be completed
and submitted to CDFW. An electronic
database of special-status wildlife observations
shall also be developed for distribution to the
District, resource agencies, and interested
relicensing participants.
(d) Record incidental observations of any special-
status species during all field surveys
completed in support of the relicensing of the
Project.
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