02. Statement of Work.pdf

STATEMENT OF WORK

Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Bureau of Forestry Susquehannock State Forest - Forest District 15

FOREST FERTILIZATION PROJECT GROUND APPLICATION

Project No. 23F-D15-1 376 Acres

Potter County

I. SCOPE OF WORK:

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), Bureau of Forestry, Susquehannock State Forest, requires the services of a contractor, at specifically designated locations, to provide uniform ground application of fertilizer to an estimated total of 376 acres of State Forest land in Pennsylvania on eight (8) blocks. The treatment areas consist of cut forest stands. Projects: 152344, 152345, 152262, 152263, 152264, 152265, 152266 and 152267.

This contract requires the contractor to provide the fertilizer and its cost must be included in the per-acre bid.

Any questions concerning the technical aspects of this bid should be directed to Marc Popchak at (814)274-3600 or mpopchak@pa.gov. Questions concerning the contracting or bidding procedures should be directed to Jenna English at (717)787-3278 or Jenenglish@pa.gov.

II. CONTRACTOR QUALIFICATIONS:

A. This invitation for bid (IFB) is reserved for the Small Business Procurement Initiative as designated in Executive Order 211-09 dated November 21, 2011. Only Self Certified Small Businesses which have been certified by the Department of General Services prior to the bid opening date and time may submit a response to this IFB.

Your self-certification form from the Department of General Services should be submitted along with your IFB response. Failure to produce a valid Self Certified Small Business certificate (which must be dated prior to the opening date of this IFB) shall render your submission non-responsive.

For more information on the Department of General Services Small Business Self Certification process please visit: Small Business Program.

B. Contractor must be an individual or firm that has maintenance facilities, equipment, and qualified equipment operators and mechanics and other necessary employees and have tools, equipment, and spare parts to operate and maintain equipment indicated in these specifications.

The Department reserves the right to evaluate the proposed treatment operation, including but not limited to equipment operators, equipment and operating plan, and reject any part of the operation that in the Department’s said opinion will result in unsatisfactory performance. The Department reserves the right to reject any or all bids.

III. CONTRACT TERM AND DELIVERY TIME FRAME:

A. The contract shall commence upon execution and receipt of Purchase Order and terminate June 30, 2024.

B. Work must begin as soon as possible, but no later than May 1, 2024, to adequately complete the required services by the contract end date of June 30, 2024.

IV. SITE INFORMATION:

PROJECT ACREAGE ROAD ACCESS

OVERSTORY

REMOVAL

UREA

APPLICATION

RATE lb/ac

UREA

TONS

DAP

APPLICATION

RATE lb/ac

DAP

TONS

152344 81 Rauch Road Yes 400 16.2 100 4.05

152345 61 Ellis Hollow Yes 400 12.2 100 3.05

152262 23 Nelson Run 400 4.6 100 1.15

152263 70 Nelson Run 400 14 100 3.5

152264 41 Sunken Branch 400 8.2 100 2.05

152265 46 400 9.2 100 2.3

152266 35 Rt 44 Yes 400 7 100 1.75

152267 19 Rt 44 Yes 400 3.8 100 .95

TOTALS 376 75.2 18.8

V. FERTILIZER:

All application will be conducted with the types of fertilizers as identified below. Details on the acres to be treated and the rates to be used are indicated in Section IV.

FERTILIZER TYPE CLASS

Urea (46-0-0) with retarder added I, solid form 2, granular or pellets

Diammonium phosphate (18-46-0) I, solid form 2, granular or pellets

Materials to be used on this project will be solid form granular or pelleted Urea (46-0-0), and Diammonium Phosphate (18-46-0).

Urea fertilizer is very corrosive. Precautions should be made to protect against possible corrosion to application and support equipment. A blended mixture of the two fertilizers must be compatible in particle size and weight so that settling and/or separation will not occur during transportation and handling.

A. PURCHASING, STORAGE, AND TRANSPORTATION - The Contractor must purchase the fertilizer used on this project, pay all applicable sales and use taxes, and arrange for delivery of the product to a suitable site where it will be secure and protected from damage. The Contractor must assure that adequate supplies of fertilizer are strategically located in the contract area prior to the start of application in order to assure an efficient operation. The Contractor must also assure that its personnel and DCNR Department personnel are aware of the locations of these supplies.

The Contractor is also responsible for handling and transporting the fertilizer from the storage site to the loading zone.

B. MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET (MSDS) - The Contractor must keep a copy of the MSDS available on-site throughout the course of the project for any fertilizer or other materials requiring an MSDS which are supplied by the Contractor for the project.

VI. SITE INSPECTION

A site inspection is optional. Prospective bidders may contact the District 15 office at (814) 274-3600 ext.104 to speak with Forest Assistant Manager Marc Popchak to set up a time to tour the blocks or to discuss the contract and answer any questions.

VII. PROJECT MAP REVIEW

Prospective bidders desiring the opportunity to inspect forest district maps showing the general distribution of treatment blocks within Susquehannock State Forest may do so during regular workdays Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. To make arrangements to view maps or for photocopies of forest district maps call the Forest District Office at 814-274- 3600.

VIII. EQUIPMENT:

Equipment to be used is a sling-dry-fertilizer system, using a spinning disk(s) to spread the fertilizer, of sufficient size and structure to meet the specified application rates.

Contractor shall avoid damaging saw timber and pole timber crop trees with the application equipment.

IX. APPLICATION:

A. APPLICATION RATES - Application rates per acre are as follows for all routine applications.

Urea – 400 pounds per acre, and, Diammonium phosphate – 100 pounds per acre, or, Blended mixture (A + B) – 500 pounds per acre equal to the preceding individual rates.

Agrotain G nitrogen stabilizer or similar compatible stabilizer will be used at rate indicated on the product label to reduce nitrogen loss.

B. Application of specified fertilizer shall be uniform over the entire surface of each unit.

C. Application will not begin until the district field coordinator is on the site. The district field coordinator will identify wet areas, streams or other non-treatment areas where the application equipment is not permitted to traverse prior to treating a unit.

D. Fertilizer shall not be applied when weather conditions preclude uniform application to the selected areas, nor when conditions such as wind velocity would lead to contamination of areas which are not designated to be fertilized.

E. If burning of the vegetation occurs from fertilizer fines sticking to the leaves then application will only occur when the leaves are dry.

F. Application areas are marked on the ground by a bright orange band or orange flagging.

X. OBLIGATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT

A. DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL - The Department will furnish personnel to supervise and direct the fertilizer operation in the following capacities:

PROGRAM SPECIALIST - The program specialist of the Silviculture Section is responsible for the overall operation of the treatment program and represents the Department in settling minor contractual matters.

Robert Beleski DCNR - Bureau of Forestry, Silviculture Section P.O. Box 8552 Harrisburg, PA 17105 Phone: (717)783-7932

MONITORING SPECIALISTS – This person is responsible for specifying and approving application systems, troubleshooting problems with application systems, monitoring calibration and characterization procedures, analyzing quality control checks, and enforcing safety requirements.

Joseph Tate DCNR - Bureau of Forestry, Silviculture Section 2 P.O. Box 8552 Harrisburg, PA 17105 Phone: (717)783-7990

DISTRICT FIELD CONTRACT COORDINATOR - This person is responsible for coordinating the activities of all people working on the program within a forest district and communicating with the Contractor's Project Supervisor and the Program Specialist concerning any operational problems or changes in plans and enforces safety requirements. The Field Contract Coordinator also provides daily reports of the operation to the Program Specialist.

Marc Popchak Forest District 15 Phone: (814)274-3600 Email: Mpopchak@pa.gov

B. PRE-WORK BRIEFING – No prework briefing will be held. Contractors should contact the State Forest District office with questions concerning specifications, deadlines, payments etc.

C. PERIODIC MEETINGS - The field contract coordinator will hold periodic meetings, as necessary, to review safety requirements and to verify equipment calibration, check Contractor's contract compliance, and examine Contractor's equipment.

D. MAPS - The Department will supply, for use by the Contractor, original copies of 7 1/2- minute USGS topographic quadrangle maps, aerial photographs, or other suitable images on which the areas to be treated have been delineated.

E. DAILY RECORD - The Department will keep, as the basis for Contractor payment, an accurate record of the fertilizer metered into the application equipment and the acreage treated.

The Contractor will not be paid for any fertilizer that is applied in unauthorized areas or is jettisoned accidentally or in emergencies. Payment is based upon agreed acreage treated, not pounds applied.

XI. OBLIGATIONS OF THE CONTRACTOR

A. GENERAL - The Contractor is obligated to furnish treatment equipment, auxiliary equipment, support equipment, and personnel necessary to produce a fertilizer application in accordance with the Invitation for Bids form, the Contract Specifications, and the Contract Agreement. Other sections in these Contract Specifications give more specific information on the equipment and personnel required. The Contractor maintains responsibility for an entire contract even if another organization is providing part of the equipment and personnel.

B. CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL - The Contractor must designate one of its personnel to serve as the on-site Project Supervisor and to represent the company in all contractual matters that require prompt attention. This person must be familiar with all equipment being used. The Contractor must have at least one qualified fertilizer application Equipment Operator on site at all times. The contractor must supply at least one properly qualified and trained Ground Support Person. This person will drive necessary support vehicles, operate and maintain equipment used to transfer fertilizer from the supply truck to the application machine and properly fuel and service all equipment.

If the Contractor does not have a GPS navigation system on board the fertilizer application equipment, the Ground Support Person will serve as a flagman to assist the Equipment Operator in ensuring that uniform application of fertilizer is made on all treatment blocks. The Project Supervisor may be one of the two required personnel.

C. FERTILIZER - The Contractor is responsible for the purchase of the fertilizer used in this project. The Contractor must present to the Department’s field contract coordinator weight scale receipts for fertilizer purchased. Each weight scale receipt will show individual weight and types of fertilizer purchased and place, date and time the fertilizer was purchased. Presentation of these scale receipts must precede the application of fertilizer on block or blocks scheduled for treatment.

D. MAINTENANCE - The Contractor must maintain a readily available on-site inventory of commonly needed spare parts and spare equipment to provide current maintenance on, but not limited to, the application system and the support trucks, and to provide for immediate replacement of critically needed parts and equipment.

Routine maintenance must be conducted only at times that will not interfere with the application operation. Only emergency repairs are permitted during scheduled treatment hours. Care must be taken to prevent spillage of fertilizer at all times.

E. SECURITY - If guard service for support equipment is required, the Contractor must provide the necessary personnel.

F. PERSONNEL AND EQUIPMENT REPORT - A report on the Contractor’s designated personnel and equipment to be used on the project must be submitted to the Program Specialist upon request. The report must include all information as out lined on Attachment B “Report on Personnel and Equipment”.

G. CONTAINER DISPOSAL - The Contractor is responsible for the proper disposal of all fertilizer containers as specified on the product label.

H. EQUIPMENT CLEANING PROVISIONS – NON-NATIVE INVASIVE WEED

CONTROL

Contractor shall ensure that prior to moving any equipment to the DCNR State Forest Lands, all equipment such as but not limited to: Mechanized spreaders, augers, shovels, and any other project related equipment are free of soil, seeds, vegetative matter or other debris that could contain or hold seeds.

Off-road equipment used for transport of materials such as ATVs and trailers shall also be free of soil, seeds, vegetative matter or other debris that could contain or hold seeds. Equipment shall be considered free of soil, seeds, and other such debris when a visual inspection does not disclose such material.

Disassembly of equipment components, or specialized inspection tools are not required. Cleaning of equipment may entail brushing or hosing off. The use of detergents or other cleaning agents are not to be used unless they are used at car wash or other facility equipped for water catchment and treatment. Equipment is not to be cleaned in streams, ditches or other waterways.

XII. GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS, CONDITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS:

A. SAFETY PLAN - The Contractor is required to conduct all operations in a safe manner and to have a well-defined, written safety plan. The Contractor must provide essential safety equipment including, but not limited to, properly sized and coded fire extinguishers and spill-containment materials and supplies.

All Contractor and Department personnel must be briefed by the Contractor in their use. The Contractor must supply the program supervisor with a copy of the Contractor's safety plan along with a written narrative explaining how the Contractor will deal with a major fuel or fertilizer spill no later than two (2) weeks prior to the Contractor’s anticipated start date.

B. EQUIPMENT RECALL - The Contractor may be recalled to treat any areas that were missed or to retreat areas because of faulty treatment. The Program Specialist will resolve any disputes between the Contractor and the Field Contract Coordinator.

Retreatment resulting from misses and faulty application will be at the Contractor’s expense. In this regard, the Contractor will be required to treat any area which did not actually receive any application of fertilizer at all during the first attempted application or any area which did receive some amount of fertilizer but which, in the program supervisor’s estimation, did not receive an adequate or effective application. The Field Contract Coordinator will make this decision within three (3) weeks of the initial treatment and will transmit a final written decision to the Contractor with the exact locations and timeframes these areas must be retreated.

Thereafter, the Contractor will be required to complete the retreatment by the date specified in the Field Contract Coordinator’s letter.

The retreatment percentage will be determined by running transect lines through the vegetative control block perpendicular to the treatment pattern sampling an area thirty- three (33) feet wide on both sides of the transect line. The area of transect lines that are unacceptable will be determined as a percentage of the total area of transect lines on a per block basis. The length and orientation of the transect lines will be determined by the hand compass and pacing method of surveying. Any block with more than thirty (30) percent of the area rated as unacceptable must be retreated at the Contractor’s expense.

C. SPILL CLEANUP EXPENSES - The Contractor is responsible for all cleanup activity and costs resulting from any contamination caused by the accidental or intentional spilling, leakage, or dumping of fertilizer, fuel, oil, or any other contaminant from Contractor-supplied equipment.

D. DAMAGE TO COMMONWEALTH PROPERTY - The Contractor shall be responsible for any damage to Commonwealth property resulting from their use for this ground fertilizer application.

1. TIMBER DAMAGES - When, in the opinion of the Field Contract Coordinator, damage to the residual stand becomes excessive, the Contractor shall pay the Department a fair base current value determined by the Field Contract Coordinator per unit of volume. If this value for damage due to Contractor’s carelessness or negligence is less than $10.00 per tree, then a minimum charge of $10.00 per tree will be made whether the tree is commercial, non-commercial, merchantable or non- merchantable.

2. STATE FOREST FACILITIES - Contractor shall repair immediately, in a manner which meets with the approval of the Field Contract Coordinator, any damage to State Forest roads and other facilities, including camp access roads, resulting from their use for this ground fertilizer application, general wear and tear accepted.

Field Contract Coordinator may notify the Contractor in writing to temporarily discontinue use of any of the above whenever, in their opinion, such action is necessary to prevent serious damage.

E. FIELD EXPENSES AND TRANSPORTATION - Costs incurred in the operation and maintenance of all contractor equipment is the responsibility of the Contractor.

Expenses incurred by all Contractor personnel including arrangements for food, lodging, and transportation are the responsibility of the Contractor. The Contractor is responsible for providing a means of ground transportation for Contractor personnel.

F. OPERATIONAL PROBLEMS - The Contractor must determine what, if any, operational problems exist with any product. These problems may include handling, storage, transportation, and application difficulties. It is the Contractor's responsibility to ensure a trouble-free operation with the material purchased. If a delivered product presents operational problems, it must be immediately replaced.

G. FAILURE TO PERFORM - The Contractor will be required to successfully treat all acreage specified in the contract. Successfully treated means that the fertilizer has been spread evenly across the project area and at the rate prescribed. Successfully treated is determined by the District Field Contract Coordinator no more than 48 hours after the contractor signs and dates the field block application record for each project number.

Failure to successfully treat any area will result in damages of fifty dollars ($50.00) per acre unless otherwise authorized in writing by the Program Specialist.

Treatment applied off designated sites, or to any sensitive areas by the Contractor, will result in as separate damages from the failure to successfully treatment damages of fifty dollars ($50.00) per acre per incident.

XIII. CONTRACTOR REFERENCES:

After the bid opening, and prior to awarding of the contract, the Department has the right to request three (3) references (name, addresses and telephone numbers) of similar work performed in the previous two (2) years as proof of qualifications to perform the work involved in this contract. Similar work is defined as ground application of fertilizer in forested area land of a similar acreage (+/- 20 acres of the total project acreage in a single season) as required here.

References are an optional tool available to the Department to help determine bidder capabilities. If any of these references are requested and the bidder cannot supply the necessary documentation and proof of compliance, the Department reserves the right to reject the bidder. The decision to both request references or reject bidders based on inadequate reference will be made solely at the discretion of the Department.

XIV. INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS:

The contractor shall purchase and maintain, at its expense, the following types of insurance, issued by companies acceptable to the Commonwealth.

A. Workmen’s Compensation Insurance for all the Contractor’s employees and those of any subcontractor, engaged in work at the site of the project as required by law.

B. Public Liability and Property Damage Insurance to protect the Commonwealth, the Contractor, and any and all subcontractors from claims for damages for personal injury (including bodily injury), sickness or disease, accidental death and damage to property including the loss of use resulting from any property damage, which may arise from the activities performed under the Contract, or the failure to perform under the Contract, whether such performance or non-performance be by the Contractor, by any subcontractor, or by anyone directly or indirectly employed by either. The minimum amounts of coverage shall be $250,000 per person and $1,000,000 per occurrence for bodily injury, including death, and $250,000 per person and $1,000,000 per occurrence for property damage. Such policies shall be occurrence rather than claims-made policies and shall not contain any endorsements or any other form designated to limit and restrict any action by the Commonwealth, as an additional insured, against the insurance coverage in regard to work performed for the Commonwealth.

Prior to commencement of the work under the Contract and at each insurance renewal date during the term of the Contract, the Contractor shall provide the Commonwealth with current certificates of insurance. These certificates or policies shall name “The Commonwealth of PA- DCNR” as an additional insured and shall contain a provision that the coverage’s afforded under the policies will not be cancelled or changed until at least thirty (30) days written notice has been given to the Commonwealth. These certificates shall include the location and a brief description of the work to be performed under the contract.

The Commonwealth shall be under no obligation to obtain such certificates from the Contractor(s). Failure by the Commonwealth to obtain the certificates shall not be deemed a waiver of the Contractor’s obligation to obtain and furnish certificates. The Commonwealth shall have the right to inspect the original insurance policies.

A copy of the insurance certificates must be emailed to the Procurement Contact at Jenenglish@pa.gov.

XV. BID AWARD:

Bidder must complete and include the following with the bid response:

1. The electronic Invitation for Bid to be found at www.pasupplierportal.state.pa.us,

2. A valid copy of your self-certification form from the Department of General Services and the Small Business Procurement Initiative. Failure to produce a valid Self- Certified Small Business certificate will render your submission non-responsive.

3. A properly executed Reciprocal Limitations Act Requirements form that lists the state of manufacture for any supplies procured.

4. A properly executed Worker Protection and Investment Certification Form.

The bid will be awarded based on lowest total sum.

The contract quantities herein are estimated only and may increase or decrease depending on the needs of the Department. Please note that the Department will only accept out to two (2) decimal points when entering your pricing.

XVI. PAYMENT TERMS:

Payment shall be made upon satisfactory completion of the block or authorized partial block. A block will be deemed complete when the Monitoring Specialist and/or Field Contract Coordinator are in agreement that all contract tasks are completed as required.

This contract will be paid by Automated Clearing House (ACH), commonly referred to as direct deposit. Contractor should review Section V.20 CONTRACT-016.2 Payment – Electronic Funds Transfer of the Commonwealth’s Terms and Conditions for complete details and contractor’s responsibilities.

XVII. INVOICES:

Invoice format shall be in accordance with the IFB – Invitation for Bid.

All invoices for this contract MUST either be:

1. Emailed to the following for a Paperless Email Invoice Option: 69180@pa.gov.

For information on the Commonwealth’s E-Invoicing Program, visit:

http://www.budget.pa.gov/Programs/Pages/E-Invoicing.aspx.

2. Or, mailed to the following address:

Commonwealth of PA – PO Invoice P.O. Box 69180 Harrisburg, PA 17106

A copy of the invoice(s) MUST also be sent to:

Joe Tate 400 Market Street 6th floor Harrisburg Pa 17101

Or Jotate@pa.gov

All invoices MUST have the purchase order number, project number, as well as your SAP Contractor Number on the invoice. The name and address listed on the purchase order must also be listed on each invoice. Failure to provide this information will result in a delay of payment.

Please Note: Contractors are reminded to NOT include employer identification numbers, Social Security Numbers, bank account information, or other personally identifiable information on their invoices. That information is uniquely tied to your SAP Contractor Number and, for security purposes, should not be explicitly stated on an invoice.

XVIII. RECEIPT AND OPENING OF BIDS:

Bids must be submitted via the PA Supplier Portal, to be found at www.pasupplierportal.state.pa.us. Faxed, emailed, or mailed bids will not be accepted.

No responsibility will be attached to any employee of the Department for the premature opening of, or the failure to open, a bid not properly addressed and identified, or for any reason whatsoever.

XIX. BID RESULTS:

Bidder can obtain bid results by accessing www.emarketplace.state.pa.us/bidtabs.aspx.

The bid results will be posted as soon as practicable. The results are the apparent bidders and all bids are under review until final award of the purchase order.

Attachments:

Attachment A- Project Block Information/Map Attachment B- Report on Personnel and Equipment DCNR Reciprocal Limitations Act Form BOP-2201 Worker Protection Form