12443926Q0011 Schedule of Items and SOW.pdf

12443926Q0011 Crop Tree Release

PART 1 – THE SCHEDULE

SECTION B – SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS

SCHEDULE OF ITEMS

FY26 Crop Tree Release

BID PRICE

ITEM NO. SUPPLIES/SERVICES QTY. UNIT EACH TOTAL

01 FY26 Crop Tree Release 3,680 Trees _______ _____ (smaller diameter trees)

02 FY24 Crop Tree Release 4,080 Trees _______ _____ (larger diameter trees)

Contractor MUST bid on each item. Contract Bid Items can be awarded to separate bidders dependent upon contractor capacity, price and contract deadline objectives.

Contractors MUST complete all work by April, 15, 2026.

ALL RESPONSIBLE SOURCES MAY SUBMIT A QUOTATION WHICH, IF TIMELY

RECEIVED, SHALL BE CONSIDERED BY THE AGENCY.

CONTRACTOR MUST HAVE PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE/EXPERIENCE IN THESE

SERVICES AND MUST HAVE EQUIPMENT NEEDED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THIS

CONTRACT.

EXPERIENCE QUESTIONNAIRE (ATTACHMENT E) IS REQUIRED. PLEASE

RETURN WITH PACKAGE.

SECTION C – DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF WORK

DESCRIPTION AND LOCATION

Contractor shall furnish all labor, materials, equipment, tools, trasnportation, supervision and supplies required to perform crop tree release on the George Washington & Jefferson National Forests, Eastern Divide Ranger District in Craig & Giles counties, Virginia

SITE VISIT

There is no scheduled site visit at this time. Special arrangements may be made to provide access for inspection prior to the opening date by contacting Mark D. Miller at the Eastern Divide District Office at 540/239-3520.

Gates will be open for some of the work areas during the pre-bid time period (January 2026) to provide access for inspection of areas. A few of the areas will have locked gates and inspection of these units will be scheduled by appointment only.

For further information you may call Mark Miller at 540/239-3520. You may also call the Eastern Divide Ranger District office at 540/552-4641 and ask for Mark.

Offerors are urged to inspect the contract areas to view current conditions.

SITE CONDITIONS

The stands to be treated are designated in 2 groups:

1. Bid Item #1- Smaller Diameter stands (stand ages range from 15 to 18 years)

• 3,680 trees in 150 acres

• Trees to be cut in the “smaller diamter” group average from 1 to 4 inches

Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) in most stands depending on the age and site index of the stand.

• Maximum DBH limit to cut in this “smaller diameter” group = 8 inches

2. Bid Item #2- Larger Diameter stands (stand ages range from 31 to 42 years)

• 4,080 trees in 218 acres

• Trees to be cut in the “larger diamter” group average from 3 to 8 inches DBH in most stands depending on the age and site index of the stand.

• Maximum DBH limit to cut in this “smaller diameter” group = 12 inches

They are mostly made up of hardwoods with a small component of pine interspersed throughout some of the stands. Site indexes range from 50 to 80, but the majority fall between 60 to 70.

There are a total of 368 acres in the 23 stands designated for treatment.

The terrain is mostly gentle to moderate with a few steep inclusion areas. Understories are generally easy to moderate to travel through with some scattered patches of thick mountain laurel in some units.

DIVISION 100 - GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS

110 - Scope of Contract

Contractor shall furnish all labor, materials, equipment, tools, transportation, supervision and supplies necessary to perform crop tree release. Contractor shall fell designated trees by use of power chainsaws or axes, in accordance with specifications, maps, and provisions of the contract.

No materials or labor will be furnished by the Government unless specifically identified in the "Government - Furnished Property Clause."

Contractors MUST complete all work by April, 15, 2026.

120 - Description and Location

Crop Tree Release The contract areas are located on the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, Eastern Divide Ranger District, in Craig and Giles Counties, Virginia. See attached maps for location and other information. These maps are geo-referenced and can be uploaded into Avenza for use in the field. All the areas are in mountainous terrain that can be steep and rocky. Caution should be exercised while operating power saws in these and all the areas to be treated in this contract.

Kelly Flats unit: From Pearisburg: located east of Pearisburg, VA

Big Mountain units: From Pearisburg: located east of Pearisburg, VA

Interior units: From Pearisburg: located east of Pearisburg, VA

Hog Rock units: From New Castle: located northwest of New Castle, VA

Barbours Creek units: From New Castle: located northeast of New Castle, VA

Wildlife Road units: From New Castle: located south of New Castle, VA

Hatcher Road units: From New Castle: located north of New Castle, VA

Flat Top units: From Pearisburg: located west of Pearsiburg, VA & east of Bland, VA

Kelly Flats Area

UNIT APPROXIMATE

ACRES

NUMBER OF DESIGNATED

CROP TREES

BOUNDARY COLOR

1* 9 171 2 BLUE SLASHES

*Designates unit that has “walk-in” access only- No vehicle access directly to unit.

Big Mountain Road Area

ACRES

1 1 53

2 BLUE SLASHES

2* 5 109 3* 32 511

Total 39 673

Interior Road Area

UNIT APPROXIMA

TE

ACRES

(A, B & C)

13 286

2 BLUE SLASHES

3 (A & B)* 33 934 4 21 630 5 17 247

6 (A & B)* 29 749 Total 113 2,846

Hog Rock Road Area

ACRES

1* 19 335

2 BLUE SLASHES

2** 19 291 3** 7 144

Total 45 770

** Indicates a longer walk-in

Barbours Creek Area

ACRES

2 11 260

2 BLUE SLASHES

3 12 324 4* 14 360

Total 37 944

Wildlife Road Area

ACRES

1** 13 371

2 BLUE SLASHES

2** 19 445 3* 29 232 4 23 277 5* 29 504

Total 113 1,829

** Indicates a longer walk-in

Hatcher Road Area

ACRES

1 19 420 2 BLUE SLASHES

Flat Top Road Area

ACRES

1* 3 61

2 BLUE SLASHES 2* 7 56

Total 10 117

130 - Crew Organization The contractor shall work during normal working hours of the week, Monday through Friday. Weekend and holiday work is allowed but must be coordinated and approved by the COR or the Field Inspector to ensure timely inspections of completed work.

All temporary roads that have been closed, tank trapped, and/or seeded will remain closed to vehicular access unless opened under prior written agreement.

DIVISION 200 - TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

210- Selection of Crop (leave) Trees Trained forest service personnel have identified and designated crop trees to be treated for the purpose of this contract. These identified crop trees are designated on the ground by wide ORANGE-painted bands at eye level or higher. The crop trees were selected based on species considerations, crown class, health and vigor, species diverstity and with some consideration given to the partial release of other desirable species that were not designated as crop trees.

211-Spacing- Spacing is not critical for the crop tree release The goal for marking is to successfully release 15 to 25 trees per acre in crop tree release units. If the stand is very uniform (ie. There are good crop trees distributed evenly over the entire unit) the spacing would be approximately 50 feet in the CTR units.

Crop trees were chosen based on species preference, the quality of the tree and its potential to produce hard mast and cover for wildlife in the future as well as for quality forest products. Some crop trees might be located close to one another.

212-Trees to favor Our selections are generally high quality choices and meet many management considerations. For this reason, there will be NO substitutions of crop tree selection and release by the contractor or subcontractor. Deliberate cutting of trees to release other undesginated crop trees will be considered resource damage and appropriate steps will be taken to remedy the damage.

Contractor and employees must know Southern Applachian Hardwood tree species.

The following trees were generally not selected as crop trees and SHOULD NOT BE CUT at any time: Dogwood, Eastern Hemlock, Shagbark Hickory, Serviceberry and American Chestnut.

Trees to be Cut – A four-sided crown-touching crop tree release will be applied (see figure 1). Selected crop trees should have a ‘free to grow rating’ of 4. This means that a crown is free to grow on ALL four sides. If a crop tree has less than 5 feet (with leaves on) between the upper one-half of the crown and a neighboring crown (non-crop tree) then it is not free to grow in that quadrant. The competing tree should be removed (see figure 1).

One exception to this rule is when two crop trees have adjoining crowns (see figure 2).

The two adjoining crop trees will be treated as a single crop tree and all trees surrounding the two crowns shall be removed until the dual crown has a ‘free to grow’ rating of 4.

Cutting of larger trees to release a smaller Forest Service selected crop tree will be required, unless the interfering tree is an oak species that has a DBH 3 inches or larger than the DBH of the selected crop tree. If this does occur, then the contractor can leave the “interfereing tree” and only release the selected crop tree on 3 sides instead of all 4 sides. Occasionaly, trees to be cut will exceed the size of the designated crop tree. In most cases, the Forest Service has identified these trees and painted an ORANGE dot on the tree facing toward the designated crop tree. This indicates that although the tree is “interfering” with the crown of the desiganted crop tree, it should not be cut. Only the other 3 sides should be released in these situations.

If trees are connected by grapevines, cut only those which do not pose a safety risk. Trees that pose a safety risk shall be girdled if possible. The contractor shall provide hazard ribbon and tie on all trees inside the scope of the contract that are unsafe to cut. All grapevines in crop trees shall be severed. However, due to past practices and future safety concerns, the contractor will not be allowed to girdle trees that do not pose a safety hazard to achieve the objectives of the contract.

213- Cutting Methods Trees shall be severed by chainsaw at a height not to exceed 12 inches from the ground.

Ground level is considered from the uphill side of the stump. High stumps will only be allowed in designated units. Visual objectives and safety considerations will drive where this is allowed. Those units will be determined solely by the COR and communicated to the contractor in the Pre Work meeting. Trees to be cut shall be felled all the way to the ground and not left leaning against other trees.

Smaller trees (adjacent to or near the selected crop trees) whose crowns are not competing with the upper ½ of the crown of the “crop tree” should not be cut or felled. It is important that these trees remain to shade the bole of the “crop tree” after it has been released. The shading of the bole will inhibit ‘epicormic branching’ which sends energy and resources to these “bole sprouts” instead of to the released crown, essentially robbing the crown of the full benefit of the release.

The designated Contracting Officer Representative (COR) or designated Field Inspector will determine on a tree by tree basis whether or not to leave a “hung” tree because of potential hazard to the contractor.

When Contractors encounter a selected crop tree (or more than one) that is a part a multi stem “stump sprout”, they are to proceed with proper release of those stems that are interfering with the crown development of the crop tree. However, they have the option of felling the competing stem or sprout at a height not to exceed 3 feet in height-leaving a “high stump”. Further, they are to leave a slanted cut if they choose the higher than 12 inches stump height. This high stump will slow the pace of any stump rot into the selected crop trees that will develop over the subsequent years.

214 - Disposition of Felled Trees

Felled trees shall not be piled or windrowed, but shall be left scattered on the ground throughout the area. Felled trees shall not be left lodged in standing trees unless they are hung up by grapevines and briars. If trees are hung up they should be bucked up if it does not pose a safety hazard to try and get the tree to lie on the ground. Felled trees shall be kept out of all open and closed Forest Service roads, which can be used for access through the areas. Contractor does not have salvage rights unless coordinated with the COR.

220 - Resource Protection

NA

221 - Stream, Lake and Reservoir Pollution Prevention

The contractor shall take sufficient precautions to prevent pollution of lakes and streams by fuels, oils and other harmful materials. All streams will be kept free of all contractor generated debris.

230 - Access

• The contractor will protect all trails, roads, ditches, fences and other improvements in the project area.

• Trails shall be kept free of logs, slash and debris, including any felled trees overhanging the trail way prism.

• Roadways (includes closed or “tank-trapped” roads), ditches and road banks shall be free of all contractor-created slash and limbs. The road area prism to be kept free of slash is defined as the top of the cut bank on the uphill side of the road to the bottom of the road bank below the road.

• Any road or trail used by the contractor that is damaged by his operation will be promptly repaired by him.

• Access guidelines will be provided by the COR. Access into some areas requires some walking. (See maps for location of designated “walk-in” units)

• Gates that are locked and not open to the general public will remain closed and locked whenever the contractor is working in units located behind the gate.

240 - Protection of Trees

• The contractor will use every precaution necessary to prevent damage to trees not selected for release.

• The contractor will NOT have the option of girdling trees to release the designated crop trees.

250 - Final Cleanup

Before final acceptance, all trash, rubbish, and debris generated by the contractor's operation will be removed from National Forest land.

260 - Protection of Archeological /Historical Resources

The contractor, upon discovery of suspected archeological or historical materials, will cease work in the vicinity of such material and immediately notify the COR or designated field inspector.

DIVISION 300 - INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

320 – Inspection

Inspection of the work performed under this contract shall be made by the COR or the designated Field Inspector. The inspections shall be made as the work progresses, at such intervals as necessary to insure compliance with the contract specifications and provisions.

Upon completion of work in an area, the contractor shall notify the COR that work in the area is completed. If the completed work is acceptable under the terms of the contract, the contractor shall be allowed to proceed with work in the next area. If the work is not acceptable under the terms of the contract, the contractor shall complete any corrective work and gain the COR’s acceptance prior to commencing work in the next area.

311 – Acceptance As the basis for payment, the COR will inspect for compliance with specifications on areas reported as completed by the Contractor. Each work unit, as designated on the attached maps and described in the Schedule of Items, will be inspected as a separate unit and will not be averaged with any other area for acceptance or payment.

Acceptable work in a unit will be defined by the contractor adequately releasing 95% or more of the target number crop trees on four sides without unnecessary damage to the crop tree or the surrounding residual trees in the stand. Adequate release is defined in Section 210, Trees to be Cut. However, it is important to note that ALL designated crop trees must show an attempt at release- contractor CAN NOT just choose to ignore 5% of the crop trees. In addition, any roads or trails in the work area must be free of contractor created slash and any materials used by the contractor must be cleaned up and removed from National Forest land.

Roads and trails are defined above in Section 230 – Access.

DIVISION 400 - MEASUREMENT AND PAYMENT

410 - Method of Measurement

The acres traversed for each unit were completed using a Garmin GPS unit. The data were downloaded into GIS map where acres were recalculated (corrected) to account for slope and landform convexity.

420 - Basis of Payment

Payment will be made at the unit bid price for the trees treated to standard.

Attachment A

How should crop trees be released?

Apply a crown-touching crop tree release by cutting all trees except other crop trees, whose crowns touch the crop tree crown. Normally, it is not necessary to cut overtopped trees (See Figure 2).

Figure 1. Crop tree guidance. A crop tree crown is free to grow if no other crowns from adjacent trees (with leaves on) are within 5 feet of the crop tree crown.

Figure 2. Exception to the 4-sided release. Two crop trees crowns with adjoining crowns may be considered as one crop tree and a 4-sided release will be completed around both crowns.