Delivery order INPT1241101025NFIRMC JOINT VENTURE

Description of requirement

RECOVERY CORO 151085; GRCA 148322L GLAC 150720; ORPI 152534 ABANDONED MINERAL LANDS (AML) ARE TYPICALLY DEFINED AS ANY PHYSICAL FEATURE PREVIOUSLY USED FOR THE EXTRACTION OF MINERALS FOR WHICH NO RESPONSIBLE PARTY CAN PRESENTLY BE IDENTIFIED. FOR PURPOSES HERE, THE MOST IMPORTANT OF THESE ARE HARDROCK MINING FEATURES THAT INCLUDE SHAFTS, ADITS, TUNNELS, AND OTHER ASSOCIATED OPENINGS. DURING THE MID- TO LATE- 19TH CENTURY, REGIONS OF THE AMERICAN WEST WAS PROSPECTED FOR GOLD, SILVER, COPPER, AND LEAD ORES. MINING DISTRICTS WERE ESTABLISHED, AND INNUMERABLE PROSPECT PITS, ADITS, AND SHAFTS WERE OPENED TO TEST OR MINE THE MARGINAL DEPOSITS. SOME MINE FEATURES ARE LOCATED IN AREAS THAT HAVE WILDERNESS CHARACTER, SOME PROVIDE IMPORTANT WILDLIFE HABITAT (PARTICULARLY FOR BATS), AND SOME ARE IMPORTANT CULTURAL SITES THAT ARE LISTED OR ELIGIBLE, OR CONTRIBUTING ELEMENTS FOR LISTING IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES. AS THE RESULT OF FUNDING MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE 2009 ENACTMENT OF THE AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT (ARRA), THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE (NPS) IS UNDERTAKING A SERIES OF AML CLOSURE PROJECTS AIMED AT IMPROVING HUMAN HEALTH AND SAFETY WHILE PROTECTING NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES AT AML SITES SERVICEWIDE. THE NEED FOR CLOSING ABANDONED MINES STEMS FROM THE PRESENCE OF UNSAFE CONDITIONS AT ABANDONED MINE FEATURES, INCLUDING FALLING INTO SHAFTS, LOOSE ROCK FALLING FROM THE ROOFS OF ADITS, ROTTING WOOD, BAD AIR, AND POOLING WATER. THERE IS ALSO A NEED TO PROTECT THE CULTURAL RESOURCES AND BATS AND OTHER WILDLIFE THAT USE THESE FEATURES AS HABITAT. IN THE INTERMOUNTAIN REGION (IMR), AS ELSEWHERE IN THE NPS, MINE HAZARDS ARE BEING MITIGATED THROUGH MINE CLOSURES, ENTRANCE/PORTAL RECONSTRUCTION, EXCLUSIONARY GATES, FENCES, AND OTHER MEASURES. THE PURPOSE OF THIS REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL IS TO DESCRIBE THE NATURE OF CLOSURES TO BE UNDERTAKEN AT ABANDONED MINE FEATURES IN THREE UNITS OF THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM IN THE STATE OF ARIZONA, AND ONE UNIT IN THE STATE OF MONTANA.