e.WidowTaskOrder.doc

TASK ORDER NO.

IF THIS ORDER IS GREATER THAN $2,500.00, IT IS

NOT VALID UNTIL SIGNED BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER

Wheeler

Contractor:

Issuing and Billing Office:

Wallowa-Whitman National Forest

1550 Dewey Avenue, Suite A Baker City, OR 97814

Item No.

Subitem No.

Order

Price Amount

1.0

Mechanical Thin with Slashbust/Mastication

Contractor: (Name and Signature)

Requested By: (Name and Signature) COR /s/ Jon Ellis / Jeromy Wilson

Fund Authorization: (Name and Signature)

Line Officer

Ordered By: (Name and Signature) Andrea Pollock, Contracting Officer

Original to CO, CC to Contractor, B&F and COR

1. Location of Work The project is located on the Umatilla National Forest Heppner Ranger District. The treatment is located in Wheeler County, Oregon: T7S R23E section 13 and T7S R24E section 18 along FS Road 2500 and 2500-050. Unit maps are provided for specific locations.

Contractors are encouraged to conduct site visits to the units prior to providing quotes.

Most of the project units can be reached by Forest Service roads that are accessible by standard 2-wheel drive pickup trucks during normal operating season. Forest Service assumes no obligation to plow snow or do special maintenance to keep roads open. Spur roads into areas are not maintained and may be blocked by downfall or washouts. Some roads may be gated and require a special entry permit to enter, and motorized entry may not be allowed during certain periods of the year. Blocked or closed roads are not open to vehicle travel.

2. Post Award Conference (AGAR 452.215-73) (Nov. 1996) A post award conference with the successful offeror is required. It will be scheduled and held as soon as the contractor, CO and COR are available to meet after the date of task order award. The conference will be held at a mutually agreed upon location.

3. Traffic Control All equipment will be contained within the project boundary. Two highly visible (2) hazard signs shall be placed along the 2500 road, and one sign on the 2500-050 road, while work is being completed.

4. Safety

The Government has identified the following hazards when performing complex restoration activities over a large project area. Contractor shall provide a job-specific safety plan at the post award conference addressing these hazards as well as any other hazards the Contractor has encountered in this type of work.

· Job specific PPE, including glasses, hardhats, foot wear, hearing protection, for individuals on the jobsite when outside of the machinery cab.

· Job and equipment specific first-aid kits, spill kits for fuel, hydraulic fluid, etc.

· Evacuation plan in case of injury.

· Work around heavy equipment and trucks, blind spots, backing, visibility, etc.

· Work near Forest Roads and Campground where flying debris can be dangerous.

5. List of Attachments The following attachments are made a part of this solicitation and any resultant contract.

Widow Thin & Mastication 2018

Detailed Unit Information Sheet

Slope

Slash Busting/Mastication - The contractor shall mechanically masticate and scatter both natural fuels and activity generated fuels so that the resulting fuel bed is no greater than 1 foot in depth. Down woody material (logs) greater than 12” in diameter at the small end shall be left untreated. The contractor shall avoid operations that would result in penetration of the duff layer and contributing to exposure of mineral soil. The contractor shall treat 90% of all material within the unit that is within treatment size specifications. End result of treatment should result in the following piece sizes.

Required treated piece size of masticated material

Machine Thinning - The contractor shall mechanically thin/masticate trees that are in excess of Forest Management Plans, utilizing spacing; DBH cut limits, species preference to achieve a desired number of trees per acre. Slash Busting/Masticaton (as defined above) will be performed concurrently with the mechanical thinning and all actions will meet the treatment specifications identified below.

Specific Information Common to All Units

Contractor shall select leave trees based on the following criteria:

1. Select leave trees which have the tallest height, largest crown, and straightest stems and are free of damage or disease.

2. Leave all conifer trees which exceed a maximum DBH cut limit of eight (8) inches DBH. Leave all Pacific yew trees, Mountain Mahogany and other hardwoods. Leave all aspen and other deciduous trees and brush.

3. Select additional leave trees from healthy, undamaged conifers under specified DBH cut limit as necessary to achieve average spacing of twenty (20) by twenty (20) feet. Though spacing may vary between 18x18 and 22x22 to select desirable trees. Spacing may be varied up to twenty-five (25) percent to select the most desirable tree. However, spacing control, using the original guides, shall be maintained whenever possible.

4. If no healthy undamaged tree exists at the required spacing interval, leave a tree relatively free of damage, regardless of species. Exception: Leave no mistletoe infected trees or juniper up to 10” dbh.

5. Selection of leave trees will be made in the following priority order:

· Western Larch,

· Ponderosa pine,

· Douglas-fir,

· Englemann Spruce,

· Grand Fir, and

· Lodgepole Pine

· Remove all Junipers when possible (up to 10 inch DBH).

6. Trees exceeding twenty four (24) inches in height shall be severed below the lowest live limb, except when prevented by natural obstacles; in which case, any live limbs below the cutting point shall be removed. Trees shall be completely severed from the stump. Stump height shall not exceed eight (8) inches above the ground level or four (4) inches above a natural obstacle.

7. Leave untreated patches 1/10 to 1/2 acre in size. 1 to 2 total acres should be left for every 30 acres treated. Clumps and small patches of highly desirable trees (total of 3-10 trees) will occasionally be left untreated. Patches and clumps should be left interior of the units.

8. Leave all snags 10” inches or greater when possible with emphasis on preserving Ponderosa Pine snags. If a snag poses a hazard, it will be pushed over or felled and left in place. Masticate dead standing conifers 9” in DBH or less.

9. Equipment shall not cross or operate in meadows, stream channels, Riparian Habitat Conservation Areas (RHCA’s), or other non-work areas without approval of the COR.

10. Mechanical equipment shall not be operating within 50 feet of Class 4 Streams or seeps. Whenever possible reach into meadows, seeps, or streams to achieve tree spacing.

11. Work along the edges of any Aspen area to masticate conifers within the stand, taking care to avoid damage to large conifers and all aspen.