1240BD24Q0058 Site Visit Notes.docx

Willaby and Falls Creek Hazard Tree Removal/RFQ 1240BD24Q0058

Willaby and Falls Creek Hazard Tree Removal/RFQ 1240BD24Q0058 Site visit March 21,2024

Attendees Mark Senger, Forest Service Josh Rose, Forest Service Kristen Hauge, Forest Service Robert Ontiveros, Forest Service Crystal McLaren, Bonnell Tree Technicians Michael Nelson, Olympic Resources Zack Smith, Coastal Tree Service David Weidman, DW Tree Service Craig Price, Full Circle Tree Service Lia Frenchman, Quinault Indian Nation – Joined the group at the delivery location

The information below is organized by topic. Questions and clarifications that relate to the overall contract or to multiple locations are included under the “General Information” heading and other information is grouped by location.

General Information The project maps show points for 6 trees, but only 4 trees are included in the contract. Trees labelled as Falls 2 and Falls 3 will be felled by the Forest Service. Transport of material from Falls 2 is included in the contract. The Douglas- fir in Willaby Campground (point 3598) is a fall and leave tree, that will not be transported.

Multiple Forest Service personnel and a representative of the Quinault Indian Nation will be on site daily during the work to answer questions and facilitate the work flow of the contractor.

A representative of the Quinault Indian Nation will inspect tree sections following felling and designate usable material for transport.

The contractor should maximize usable material (defined as any section of the Western Red Cedar trees containing sound wood that is at least 17’-40’ long, at least 4-5” thick, and 12” wide), however safety comes first. Where sections of that length cannot be manufactured safely, shorter lengths are permitted.

Contractors expressed the difficulty in working up a bid due to the uncertainty around what volume will be usable material that is hauled and how much will be debris requiring clean up. The Forest Service agreed that this will make pricing the project difficult, and all parties agreed that these factors will be unknown until the project is implemented.

Following felling of trees, safe access must be provided within 24 hours to facilitate gathering of foliage by members of the Quinault Indian Nation.

Following the felling and transport of usable material (Items 1 & 2), there will be a pause of 10 calendar days in the contractors’ work to allow for the gathering of smaller material by members of the Quinault Indian Nation and the public. Following the 10 day pause, the contractor will complete the cleanup of remaining debris (Item 3).

The contractor is permitted to remove smaller trees adjacent to the hazard trees and within the work area to facilitate the safe removal of the hazard trees. This includes trimming branches along the roads within the campground to facilitate equipment access. All debris generated by the contractors’ operations will be included in the clean up under Item 3.

The contractor is responsible for damages to infrastructure. Priority for protection are the buildings, signs and footbridge. Picnic tables and fire rings can be moved by the contractor to facilitate operations and replaced following the debris cleanup. Minor damage to the asphalt from tracked equipment is acceptable, but asphalt that is broken up into pieces will need to be replace by the contractor.

The campgrounds are closed; however, members of the public frequently walk through these areas. The contractor will be responsible for providing personnel and signage to ensure members of the public are excluded from the work area during operations.

Contractors asked if material (shingle blocks) could be salvaged by the contractor to offset costs. The contract does not permit salvage of material by the contractor.

The SOW specifies that debris will be chipped and blown into designated areas or left onsite, scattered and moved at least 5 feet from any piece of infrastructure including but not limited to campsites, bathrooms, roads, and trails. Piles are not permitted, and debris can be spread throughout the campground area as long as it is 5 feet away from any piece of infrastructure. See attached maps for areas that are designated for placement of chips.

The Contractor may not haul the debris offsite.

A wage determination is included in the contract that provides the minimum wages that must be paid for job descriptions under the Service Contract Act.

The contract award will not be based only on price. As shown in the RFQ, the contract will be awarded based on an evaluation of technical proposals, price and representations/certifications.

Falls Creek Campground The tree labelled Falls1 is the only tree to be felled in this campground. The location and surrounding infrastructure generated discussion about the potential use of a crane to get this tree felled safely.

The tree labelled Falls 2 will be felled by the Forest Service but is included in the contract as material to transport (Item 2). Observations at the site indicated that the top half of the tree will likely be in the lake. Material will not be removed from the lake. The area that will be required to access the downed tree is sensitive and the contractor will need to minimize ground disturbance. Discussion included the requirement to operate equipment in this area on a slash mat to minimize ground disturbance.

Willaby Campground The Douglas-fir (point 3598) will likely fall across a trail and into the creek. The contractor will need have personnel guard the tail to ensure members of the public are excluded during felling. A section of the log will need to be bucked out of the trail to allow for foot passage. If the tree blocks or redirects flow of the creek it will be necessary for the contractor to buck a section and use line to turn/move the tree section to remedy the situation.

The tree labelled point 3600 is adjacent to a powerline. It will be the contractor’s responsibility to contact Grays Harbor PUD before operations in this area. Observations indicated that this tree is likely to extend into the creek following felling. If the tree blocks or redirects flow of the creek it will be necessary for the contractor to buck a section and use line to turn/move the tree section to remedy the situation.

The tree labelled point 3599 is near a bathroom structure. Observations indicated that this tree is likely to extend into the creek following felling. If the tree blocks or redirects flow of the creek it will be necessary for the contractor to buck a section and use line to turn/move the tree section to remedy the situation.

Delivery location in Taholah The contractor is responsible for the unloading of material at the canoe shed. A powerline crosses the road that accesses one side of the canoe shed. The exact height is unknown, but log trucks have passed under this in the past. There were questions about the exact location of the water lines in the area, but this is unknown. The area around the canoe shed is roughly a 20 foot wide strip adjacent to the sides of the building, and slightly more space at the ends of the building. There is an open lot adjacent to the property where trucks could pull in to unload logs. There was discussion about whether a piece of equipment could be staged at the site to unload trucks, and if the transported material could be placed in this open area across the property line. Lia felt that staging equipment would be acceptable but will need to verify with leadership and will also determine if the open space on the adjacent property can be used for storage of the transported material. The contractors felt that there may not be enough space for all the transported material, so a secondary location is designated for any overflow material. This site is very open with plenty of space to offload and store the transported material.

Maps of chip dispersal locations Chip dispersal locations are outlined in red.

Topics that require further clarification Several questions raised will require further clarification that will be posted in a future update.

Can the areas across the plot line be used at the canoe shed delivery location?

Can areas across the plot line be used by trucks and/or equipment staging area?

Maps for the location of the overflow location for delivery of material.

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