Vendor Question and Answer 1240BE26Q0030 Middle Fork Snag Creation.pdf

1. Question: Do you have a vicinity map available? and is the unit map georeferenced that is provided in the solicitation to download in Avenza?

Answer: At this time the only map that is available is the one included with the posted solicitation, but I am told that map will work with Avenza.

2. Question Will the contractor have the opportunity to invoice for units completed during the period of performance?

Answer: The awardee will invoice monthly. They need to submit completed units as they are done and the COR will need at least a week to inspect after receiving completed unit data.

3. Question: Are there any Limited Operating Periods (LOPs) associated with any of the planned units to be treated during the period of performance?

Answer: The DUIS shows that units 22, 22A, 22B, 22C, and 22D have seasonal restrictions with an Implementation Period of July 16-Dec 31. The rest of the units are May 1- Dec 31st.

4. Question: I am interested in bidding on this contract. I am a little concerned about the provision that would seem to require me to talk to competitors and enter into subcontract agreements with potential subcontractors who may also likely be bidding on this as well.

Answer: The provision does not require you enter into a subcontract. The subcontracting clauses are provisions are giving interested parties that intend to submit an offer, instructions regarding subcontracting and what is expected from the principle contractor and subcontractor(s).

5. Question: I have never entered into a subcontract before winning a job before. How should I deal with this? I could say that we are likely to subcontract 300-500 trees to someone we have worked with in the past, subject to government approval.

Answer: Key would is intend. The instructions do not say that must have a subcontractor already signed and ready to go. If you intend to subcontract you must notify the Contracting Officer when you submit your offer.

Offeror must notify the Contracting officer at the time of offer submission if they intend to a subcontract arrangement. Offeror must include at a minimum:

1. The name, address, and telephone number of the subcontractor.

2. The date upon which the subcontract was entered into and its duration. (For an example: after award, show I be awarded the contract)

3. A detailed description of the work being subcontracted including a listing of contract items, units, etc., as appropriate.

The Government reserves the right to approve or disapprove any subcontractors selected.

Question 6: 1.1.6 What would approved software be considered? Is there more to this than collecting UTM coordinates and associated documentation for each tree?

Answer: A waypoint with the tree number is taken at each treated tree, compiled into a .gpx file and emailed to me along with a tree register (example register was included in the solicitation) for each unit. Contractors generally write the snag # on the wildlife tree tag nailed to the created snag.

Question 7: 1.3.6 Are the road closures noted on the project map (5840 before the 539 spur, 540 spur, 551 spur) locked gates that can be opened by the contractor, or are walk-in distances measured from these points?

Answer: The closed roads are bermed and are not drivable. The distances are straight line distances. There are no locked gates in this project area.

Question 8: 5.1.6 I believe (for base girdling) this means the height of the tree + 40' away from any open road or trail, but the way it is written is a little confusing to me. Is this correct?

Answer: The goal is that if a treated tree falls it won’t hit a road or trail. So yes, the height of the tree +40’.

Question 9: 5.4.1: For base girdling under item 0003 I take this to mean varying the DBH of selected treatment trees within the given spec of 20-28" DBH so you don't end up with all 20" or all 28" snags. Is this correct?

Answer: Yes

Question 10: 5.5: I don't see notes regarding "clumps" on the DUIS. Is this something the COR is going to want to see?

Answer: The GPX files with labeled treated trees fulfills this requirement.

Question 11: Would the FS permit me to camp on-site?

Answer: Yes there is a form I can submit to the District Rangers for approval.

Question 12: I have an ongoing federal contract in Idaho that is higher in elevation so I won't be starting work on that one until July. My proposal would be to get the girdling units laid out starting May 1, then begin girdling and continue until access to my other work site opens up. At that point I would leave to finish my work in Idaho and then return mid October to early November to finish girdling. This is more of a question of whether this would be an acceptable schedule on the FS end. I Understand working this late in the year invites the possibility of being weathered out at some point. Is there potential for the PoP to be modified to allow time in 27' in the case of weather shutting the work down before the end of the initial PoP?

Answer: We do have the ability to extend the PoP due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances. Units 4 and possibly 7 could get persisting snow of an unknown length of time depending on the year (or no snow at all!). It’s getting harder to predict as I am sure you know.

Question 13: The 0001 item of high girdle, it states 0 live limbs below girdle. Why not just base girdle all the trees as leaving no live limbs is on par with a base girdle. Will some live limbs be allowed?

Answer: The specifications listed are to meet our objectives. The Schedule of Items specifies no live limbs below a high girdle.

Question 14: “if there was a GIS Avenza ready map of work areas?”

Answer: The map provided is georeferenced for Avenza

Question 15: Please clarify the accepted standards for the actual height of high girdling. The DBH range for Line Item 0001 is 10-19”. On trees at the lower half of that range, it may not be feasible or safe to climb the tree to 60’. Are any other metrics of measurement acceptable to meet the objectives for creating those types of snags?

i.e., upper 2/3rd of the tree, or girdling at the bole diameter of 6”

Answer: We haven’t had an issue so far with doing a high girdle at 60’ for a lower DBH tree. If that were to be an issue when the contractor is doing the work, the contractor notifies the

COR.

Question 16: Have the units been previously inventoried to verify that the target number of trees within the treatment specifications are pres

Answer: Yes

Question 17: Please clarify the language used for live limb removal. Is it appropriate to assume that all live limbs are to be removed from ground level to the girdling height from the bole on each high girdle tree?

Answer: Yes

Question 18: The Detailed Unit Information Sheet does not specify the standard for retention of live limbs, yet the Statement of Work requests that the number of live limbs left below treatment height be measured and documented. Is it appropriate to assume that if the work was performed to specification, that number documented would always be 0. (“5.2.4 Treatment height and limb retention below girdle will be designated on the Schedule of Items and Detailed Unit Information Sheet.”

“5.7.1 Measurement shall be taken of: a. DBH; b. Treatment height; Number of live limbs left below the treatment heigh

Answer: The Schedule of Items specifies 0 live limbs below a high girdle. Yes, the number documented would always be 0.

Question 19: Is it appropriate to assume that since no tree will be treated within 100’ of a road or trail, the specifications around slash management are not applicable?

(“5.10.1 Slash created by this project that falls within 50 feet of an open road shall be pulled back and scattered so that the slash depth does not exceed 3 feet.

5.10.2 Treetops shall be removed from fire lines, trails, roads (not specified for pullback) and landings.”

Answer: Yes

Question 20: Have any trees already been designated for treatment by the government, and if so, how man

Answer: I don’t understand the question. The number of trees listed on the DUIS and Schedule of items are the number of trees to be treated in the units.

Question 21: The Detailed Unit Information Sheet “Distribution of Snags” column only specifies “even” distribution and makes no mention of “clumps”. Is there a minimum distance between treated trees?

(“5.5 The number of clumps, size, and treatment distribution will be indicated on the Detailed Unit Information Sheet.

a. Scattered trees shall be uniformly or randomly dispersed throughout the project area.

b. The number of trees per clump, the distribution of the treatments per clump, and the distribution of the clumps throughout the unit will be indicated.

c. Clumped trees are considered to be within the distance of the tree spacing within the treatment area as a minimum and double the spacing as a maxim

Answer: No clumps of snags in these units. I’m looking for a fairly even distribution. There is no minimum or maximum.

Question 22: Are there inspection criteria that may be applicable that are not listed in the Statement of Work document? What are the tolerances for the specifications in each Line Item?

(“Section 1.7: “Each task order may include special inspection criteria, and tolerances for error

Answer: Inspection criteria is based on the Statement of Work, there are so special inspection criteria, tolerances or errors. If a contractor finds something in a unit that will make it impossible to meet the SOW criteria, they contact the COR.

Question 23: Will there be a need for measuring aspects of dowels, cavities and direction?

(“5.7.3 Accurate measuring tools shall be used by the Contractor including: … c. A compass with azimuth to measure aspects of dowels, cavities and direction.” )

Answer: No

Question 24: What is approved software? What is the requested format for electronic tree registers?

(“1.1.6 Documentation and digital mapping using approved software shall be submitted to COR for inspection and approval.”

“5.8.1 The Contractor shall submit tree registers as established on the task order.

Legible and complete tree register forms shall be completed by the Contractor and accompany project maps when turned in to the COR. Some task orders may require electronic tree registers be submitted, in the format reques

Answer: Contractors take GPS waypoints at each treated tree specifying the tree number.

Each unit’s waypoints are compiled into a .gpx file which is submitted to the COR via email.

Contractors can use any of the sample tree registers attached to the solicitation, or an electronic format that has the same information, also submitted to the COR via email. The map in the solicitation is georeferenced and works in Avenza.