Nanticoke Watershed Alliance
New Revived United Methodist Church
Engineered Designs
DUE: February 14, 2025

Request for Proposals

Background Information
The mission, goals, and objectives of the Nanticoke Watershed Alliance (NWA) are developed by consensus with our partnership. The Alliance includes partners from Maryland and Delaware, including representatives from industry, agriculture, environment, business, community, state, local, and federal governmental organizations.

The Nanticoke River is a 64-mile river that begins in southern Delaware and flows southwest into the Eastern Shore of Maryland, emptying into the Chesapeake Bay. One of the Chesapeake’s healthiest rivers, the Nanticoke’s 725,000-acre watershed provides excellent habitat of significance for many nationally threatened plants and animals. The Nanticoke is the most biologically diverse watershed on Delmarva and supports excellent fisheries. It has a rich history, with many historic buildings and resources, and the northernmost stands of bald cypress on the Atlantic Coast. It also has the highest concentration of Bald Eagles in the northeastern United States.

NWA’s Mission: Fostering partnerships and progress in conserving the natural, cultural, and recreational resources of the Nanticoke River Watershed through dialogue, collaborative outreach and education.

NWA’s Core Values:
▪ Conservation – The health of the Nanticoke River watershed is paramount.
▪ Collaboration – We embody partnership through action.
▪ Communication – We value diverse voices and viewpoints where all have a place at the table. We embrace constructive, open dialog as a means to problem solving.
▪ Scientific integrity – We rely on sound science to assess the health of the watershed and share information with the community.
▪ Education – We are committed to sharing with others the importance of conserving the watershed.

The NWA has five full time employees that coordinate a wide variety of projects and programs. Visit www.NanticokeRiver.org to learn more.

It should be noted that the location of this project is outside the watershed of the Nanticoke River. The church property borders tidal wetlands along a small tributary of the Little Choptank. New Revived United Methodist Church reached out to NWA for help in addressing their flooding problem. NWA is committed to assisting New Revived United Methodist Church and its congregation in developing a design that will provide stormwater management and erosion control functions once implemented, and to engage and educate local stakeholders about climate resiliency and the benefits of nature-based solutions.

Scope of Services
The Nanticoke Watershed Alliance, in partnership with the New Revived United Methodist Church, Dorchester County Soil Conservation District, Preservation Maryland, and Harriet Tubman Museum & Educational Center is requesting proposals to develop engineered designs for the New Revived United Methodist Church Stormwater Management and Erosion Control Design Project. Please see the images and photos at the end of this document for reference. The New Revived United Methodist Church parish was established in 1876 on Taylors Island in the community of Smithville. This traditionally black church, founded right after emancipation, is a stop along the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway. Due to impacts from climate change, the church property has significant flooding, erosion, and invasive species issues. This proposal is to work with the congregation as well as larger community to create engineered designs to address those issues. The engineered designs will then be used to seek funding to use the wetlands and ditch systems to manage stormwater away from the built portions of the property and cemetery while removing invasive plant species and creating enhanced wetland habitat. The church buildings and cemetery, estimated to have been constructed in 1924, are located in a low-lying area and are experiencing flooding due to very high tides and heavy rain events. Invasive wetland plants like Phragmites australis have been encroaching upon these areas as well. Normally, marsh migration would be encouraged, but current members of the church congregation, which dates back to 1876, have indicated that the site is of historic importance to the Underground Railroad and Harriet Tubman Byway, noting that Tubman’s brother had been married at the church in its past original location less than a mile away from the present location, so preservation of the site is a critical part of the overall goal. Currently there are ditches along one side and road front of the property but there is no stormwater management along the back of the property bordering a tidal marsh. We are looking at a holistic project that would closely look at the elevations and create BMP(s) that would convey any tidal or stormwaters away from the historic sites. Engineers will look to enhance and better connect the current ditch system to the new BMPs. We plan to employ BMPs that would also improve water quality and habitat through invasive species removal.

Examples of possible BMPs would include: vegetated swales, step down pools or other enhanced ditch BMPs, created wetlands, and/or a rain garden with overflows in place.

The NWA seeks a dynamic firm to work with the New Revived United Methodist Church, the Nanticoke Watershed Alliance, and other partners and interested parties to the project to develop and finalize engineered designs by June 30, 2025. Services must include:
1. Participation in meetings with partners to educate stakeholders and the community about climate resiliency strategies and nature-based solutions, and to get their input for the development of the designs.
2. Site map that includes:
• Property boundaries;
• Project boundary;
• Field-run topographic survey of existing conditions;
• Drainage area to the practice(s) and impervious cover in the drainage area;
• Mapped utilities and roads;
• Proposed design (grade changes, drainage structures, etc.);
• Landowner signature on the plan, which indicates project endorsement
3. Copy of soil survey mapping and field confirmation of soil drainage class
4. Site details (e.g., topographic lines, land uses, and soils)
5. Planting plan (plant species list with quantities, sizes, and planting locations)
6. Historic preservation practices and protocols specific to this project, Maryland Inventory of Historic Places No. D-597, Jefferson Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church (refer to the Maryland Historical Trust documents at the end of this RFP)
7. Documentation of interfacing designs with implementing regulations (of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, etc.) based on the following relevant preservation resources:
• The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation & Illustrated Guidelines on Sustainability for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings
➢ Web version: https://www.nps.gov/crps/tps/sustainability-guidelines/index.htm
➢ PDF version: https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1739/upload/sustainability-guidelines.pdf
➢ While there may need to be an MHT review of this project, there are no additional preservation regulations required on this project. Here are the most relevant NPS preservation guidelines related to sustainability rehab projects involving site features (pg. 34 in pdf). While the specific guidance and examples might not apply directly, noted is the general concept of installing new features so they do not negatively impact adjacent historic resources.
• The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation & Illustrated Guidelines for the Treatment of Cultural Landscapes
➢ Web version (make sure to click the “Rehabilitating” tab at the top):
https://www.nps.gov/crps/tps/landscape-guidelines/index.htm
• National Register Bulletin #14 – Guidelines for Evaluating and Registering Cemeteries and Burial Places
➢ https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/upload/NRB41-Complete.pdf
• National Register Bulletin #18 – How to Evaluate and Nominate Designated Historic Landmarks
➢ https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/upload/NRB18-Complete.pdf
• National Register Bulletin – Guidelines for Evaluating and Documenting Rural Historic Landscapes
➢ https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/upload/NRB30-Complete.pdf
• Preservation Brief #36 – Protecting Cultural Landscapes: Planning, Treatment and Management of Historic Landscapes
➢ https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1739/upload/preservation-brief-36-cultural-
landscapes.pdf
8. Documentation, as needed, of any Environmental Requirements related to the design and ultimate project implementation as described in the “STATE OF MARYLAND to the use of the DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AGREEMENT FOR CONSERVATION SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES” (JULY 1, 2024)
9. Site photos
10. List/Description of short term (1-10 years) and long term (10+ years) impacts based on the life expectancy of the proposed project based on climate change data.
11. Appendix A in the Guidance for Using Maryland’s 2023 Sea Level Rise Projections report to select a RSLR estimate.
12. Precipitation trends described in the Northeast Chapter of the Fourth National Climate Assessment, local long-term trends and projections, and/or Chesapeake Bay Program IDF curves to be evaluated for integration into the design.
13. Calculations of:
• Total drainage area treated;
• Impervious acres treated;
• Estimated cost per acre treated (at a one-inch runoff level);
• TN, TP and TSS reductions for BMP implementation
14. Cost projections for full implementation, operation and maintenance. Funders consider a truly cost effective project as one that costs less than $100,000 per impervious drainage acre treated (at a one-inch runoff level), not including costs of gray infrastructure elements.
15. Maintenance plan needs of all proposed implementation practices in design are to be identified so they can be documented in the final report.
16. Final design drawings and specifications with proof of permit submission is expected by the end of the grant term.

Evaluation Criteria
A review and selection committee made up of Nanticoke Watershed Alliance and New Revived United Methodist Church will evaluate the consultants based on the proposals submitted. If necessary, an oral interview may be conducted with submitting consultants.

Ranking of the Proposals will be based on the following point system (100 points maximum):
1. Inclusion of all required items and completeness of the Proposal (5 points)
2. Understanding of the work to be done (25 points)
3. Previous experience of similar projects completed on time and within budget (20 points)
4. Qualified and experienced personnel in the project team (15 points)
5. Capability of developing innovative or advanced techniques (10 points)
6. Familiarity with county, state and federal procedures (10 points)
7. Commitment to adhering to the project schedule and budget (5 points)
8. Clear description of the tasks and demonstrated technical ability (10 points)

Application Instructions
Interested firms are invited to submit a proposal by February 14, 2025. The work described in the proposal is expected to be complete by June 30, 2025.

The proposal should include:
• Staff qualifications
• Proposal narrative
• Preliminary work plan and timeline
• Itemized budget

Maximum contractor compensation: $35,000

 

Proposals should be submitted to:
Lisa Wool
Executive Director
Nanticoke Watershed Alliance
LisaWool@NanticokeRiver.org
302-562-9788

New Revived United Methodist Church property
(0106 Cemetery & 0125 Church)
4350 Smithville Road, Smithville, MD

For additional documents and information:

Engineering RFP New Revived UM Church