127EAS24Q0058 Attachment 1 Groveland Boulders SOW STF.docx

US Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Statement of Work

Contents

Project Groveland Boulder Installation Restoration Project

General Information

1.0 Scope of Work

Provide a brief statement of the overall project, including goals and objectives.

The purpose of this contract is to provide for all labor, materials, transport, tools, and equipment necessary for the installation of physical barriers at 6 sites on the Groveland Ranger District. The project consists of delivering 91- 4’X4’ boulders. Physical barriers consist of the strategic placement 124 barricade boulders and the opportunistic use of natural barriers. Other projects include removing/installing 48”X48” one panel kiosk and removing 5 metal barriers. Work shall be done in a manner that does not cause damage to adjacent sensitive resources. Work shall be performed on the Groveland Ranger District, Stanislaus National Forest.

2.0 Background

The proposed project is to block user created routes and meadows; with 4’X4’ boulders. The barriers would support the protection of resources to include red legged/western pond turtle habitat at site 1 – 6.

Contractor Requirements

3.0 Technical Requirements / Tasks

LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION.

Location: The project is located on the Stanislaus National Forest, Groveland Ranger District, Tuolumne County, California. See the Vicinity and General Site Location Maps in Section J. The maps are intended to show only the general size, shape, and location of the areas. If the maps and field boundaries conflict, the field boundaries shall govern. Positions of the features shown on the maps are approximate.

Directions:

The work is located on the Stanislaus National Forest, Groveland Ranger District.

From the Groveland Ranger District office, drive east on Highway 120 for approximately 2.0 mile to Buck Meadows. Turn right on Hamilton Loop and proceed for 0.2 miles. Turn right on Buck Meadow Road, head south for approximately 1.1 miles to 1S29. Turn right on 1S29, project 6 starts at the closed bridge on both sides of the road. Project 5, from 1S29 intersection and Buck Meadows Road, head south for approximately 1.2 miles. Turn right into the Moore Creek Dispersed site. From Project 5 to Project 4 continue down Buck Meadow Road just pass FS Road 2S09. Project 4 is located 100 feet on the right from 2S09. From Project 4 to Project 3 continue down Buck Meadows Road 0.6 miles crossing the bridge. Project 3 is located on left side 100 feet from the bridge.

From Project 3 continue down Buck Meadow Road to Greenly Hill Road. Turn left on Greenly Hill Road travel 0.7 miles to a fork in the road. Take right fork Bull Creek Road to 2S02. At 2S02 travel 0.6 miles to Project 2. From Project 2 to Project 1- 0.2 miles on right side 2S02 before crossing the creek.

Accessibility: Access instructions as given here are for information only. It shall be the responsibility of the Contractor to determine the most suitable route to the project area. The Government will not provide special maintenance or snow plowing to open roads or keep roads open. All transportation of equipment, personnel, and supplies shall be the responsibility of the Contractor. See the Vicinity and General Site Location Maps in Section J.

Under normal condition, the Groveland Restoration project sites can be accessible with a 2-wheel drive vehicle. The Groveland Restoration project is located within the Buck Meadow/Anderson Valley area and can be accessed on local county roads.

Description: Access will be through mountainous terrain which can have varying ground conditions, soil types, vegetation types, and overhead utility lines. Work will be undertaken within relatively level ground along secondary roads. Ground conditions can contain surface and below surface rock, stumps, and other debris that will vary in size, density, and depth. Vegetation types at the sites may vary in size and density and include conifers, hardwoods, brush, and historic black locust trees. The mixed conifer stands comprise mostly of ponderosa pine, sugar pine, incense cedar, and black oak. Manzanita and ceanothus are the dominant understory species.

Except for any known or discovered archaeological or sensitive plant sites, non-work areas that are not identified on the map or the ground, identified by the Contractor on the ground, shall be excluded from treatment. These areas include, but are not limited to, areas with springs or marshes and patches of elderberry plants.

Engineer wheel was used to estimate the amount of linear feet needed for treatment of the project sites. Payment will be based on completion of prescribed treatment at project sites.

INSPECTION OF EQUIPMENT.

Prior to award, the Government reserves the right to inspect the equipment to be furnished by the Contractor. If the equipment is found to be in such condition as to indicate the need for frequent repairs and delays in performance, it shall be rejected.

CLEANING OF EQUIPMENT

The Contractor shall ensure that equipment (as described below) moved on to Stanislaus National Forest Land is free of soil, vegetative matter or other debris that could contain or hold seeds. The Contractor shall employ whatever cleaning methods necessary to ensure compliance with the terms of this provision and shall notify Forest Service prior to moving each piece of equipment onto National Forest Land. Notification will include identifying the location of the equipment’s most recent operations. Upon request of Forest Service, arrangements will be made for the Forest Service to inspect each piece of equipment prior to it being placed into service. This will prevent the introduction of the seeds of noxious weeds onto National Forest Land. Contractor shall certify in writing, compliance with the terms of this provision prior to each start-up of Contractor operations. Measures taken to ensure compliance for equipment present at start-up and planned to be taken for equipment to be moved in later, will be identified in the certification. For the purposes of this provision, “equipment” includes all heavy machinery (such as back hoes and excavators) and their attachments, transports used for hauling machinery and boulders, pickup trucks, cars, or other vehicles used to daily transport personnel and/or materials.

Sources for boulders imported from outside of the project area should be inspected for weed contamination to ensure that weeds are not introduced into the project area. If sources are contaminated with weeds, then the boulder material needs to be either cleaned of weeds and seeds, or other weed-free sources for these materials need to be utilized. Consult with the District Botanist for assistance if needed.

WORK SPECIFICATIONS.

General

A. Boulder delivery/Placement:

· The Contractor shall manage the delivery 91 boulders and stockpiling of rock at the site to assure that adequate supply of rock meeting the specification is available for installation when required. Stockpile locations shall be arranged to avoid interference with other project operations. Rock which does not meet specifications or is not installed shall be removed from the site.

· Machine place 124 boulders into position using a backhoe or suitable equipment for digging and handling individual boulders. See Data Table in Section J for site specific treatments. Rock placement shall meet the following specifications:

· Horizontal placement. Boulders shall be arranged in a linear fashion to function as barricade boulders. Boulders shall be placed no closer than 12 feet from any roadside. The Contractor, in consultation with the Contracting Officer or representative, shall seek opportunities for the integration of natural barriers.

Spacing between boulders will vary according to its location within a site (see Site Specific Treatment Maps in Section J). For work to be considered complete, the Contractor shall ensure that areas identified as “priority” contain barricade boulders as specified. Boulders in “priority placement areas” shall be set six inches from each other. See Section J for a Boulder Placement Diagram. If necessary, individual boulders shall be picked and repositioned. If primary placement areas have been treated there are boulders left over, these shall be placed at as determined on the ground by the Contracting Officer or representative.

· Vertical placement. All boulders shall be placed to have a 2.5-foot minimum height above ground and a 1-foot minimum depth below ground. See Section J for a Boulder Placement Diagram.

· Equipment shall be operated such that work material stays within the treatment site and is not distributed on roads, structures, private property, protected sites, improvements, telephone lines, established trails, stock driveways, fence lines, established land corners, or other improvements.

· The contractor shall remove all debris resulting from contract operations that is distributed outside of treatment site or on roads, structures, private property, protected sites, improvements, telephone lines, established trails, stock driveways, fence lines, established land corners, or other improvements. Any trees falling on or into such areas shall be removed if possible, and any resulting damage shall be immediately reported to the Contracting Officer.

· Contractor shall restore topsoil, curbing, and any other items disturbed during operations, to a condition equal to that before work began, furnishing all labor, material, and equipment necessary for this work.

PROTECTION OF IMPROVEMENTS

· Use of Improvements. The Contractor shall comply with the rules and regulations governing the operation on premises, which are occupied, and shall perform the contract in a manner that shall not interrupt or interfere with the conduct of Forest Service business.

· Before any quarry, borrow pit, storage, or service area is constructed, opened, or operated on National Forest land or lands administered by Forest Service, written permission shall be obtained through the Contracting Officer.

· Protection of Improvements. The Contractor shall be responsible for determining the location of and shall protect National Forest System Roads and other improvements, such as trails, telephone lines, buried utilities, quail guzzlers, water troughs, ditches, and fences, existing in the operating area and determined to have a continuing need or use. Roads and trails needed for fire protection or other purposes shall be kept reasonably free of equipment and products, slash, and debris caused by The Contractor’s operations. All slash and debris shall be removed from roadside ditches and culverts. The Contractor shall make timely restoration of any such improvements damaged by the Contractor’s operations.

· Protection of Land Survey Monuments. The Contractor shall protect all known survey monuments, witness corners, reference monuments and bearing trees against avoidable destruction, obliteration, or damage during The Contractor’s operations. If any known monuments, corners, or accessories are destroyed, obliterated, or damaged by the Contractor’s operations, the Contractor shall hire the appropriate county surveyor or registered land surveyor to establish or restore at the same location the monuments, corners, or accessories. Such surveyors shall use procedures in accordance with the Bureau of Land Management of Instructions for the Survey of the Public Lands of the United States for the General Land Office surveys, and in accordance with the State law for others. The Contractor shall record such survey in the appropriate county records.

PROTECTION OF RESOURCES.

· Protection of Cultural Resources. Discovery of new sites or objects by either party shall be promptly reported to the other party and may result in contract modification. The Contractor shall protect all known and identified historic or prehistoric sites, buildings, objects, and properties related to American history, architecture, archaeology and culture against destruction, removal, or damage during the Contractor’s operations. If such damage is negligently or willfully caused by the Contractor’s operations, the Contractor shall be required to bear costs of restoration, provided that such payment shall not relieve the Contractor from civil or criminal remedies otherwise provided by law. In such a case, the Contractor shall cease operations immediately and notify the Contracting Officer.

· The Contractor shall protect non-work cultural areas by AVOIDANCE and shall protect all known and identified or discovered historic or prehistoric sites, buildings, objects, and properties related to American history, architecture, archaeology and culture against destruction, obliteration, removal, or damage during the Contractor’s operations. The Contractor shall immediately halt and notify the Contract Officer if damage occurs to any cultural resources and immediately halt operations in the vicinity of the Resource where damage occurred until the Contract Officer authorizes the Contractor to proceed. If such damages are negligently or willfully caused by the Contractor’s operations, the Contractor shall bear the costs of investigation and restoration in accordance with 36 CFR 296.14©, provided that such payment shall not relieve the Contractor from civil or criminal remedies otherwise provided by law.

· All cultural resource non-work areas are identified on the ground with blue/black and orange/white candy-stripe flagging. All non-work areas shall be avoided unless agreed in writing by the Contracting Officer.

· Sensitive Plants. There are no known populations of sensitive plants occurring within or adjacent to the project sites. Should any populations of sensitive plants be discovered within the contract area, these populations will be flagged off and all disturbance of the area avoided until further evaluation can occur. All new observations of any sensitive plants shall be immediately reported to the Contracting Officer.

· Wildlife. There is a no known populations of threatened or sensitive wildlife species occur within or adjacent to the project sites. Should any populations of threatened or sensitive wildlife species be discovered within the contract area there may be a limited operating period for affected units. All new observations of any threatened or sensitive wildlife species shall be immediately reported to the Contracting Officer.

Fisheries. There is known populations of threatened or sensitive wildlife species occur within or adjacent to the project site. To minimize the impact to the species, I recommend the following measures:

Biological Monitor: A forest aquatic biologist or qualified technician will be present for all construction activities. Every potential location for the placement of rocks will be checked for WPT and FYLF by the biological monitor prior to rock placement. The biological monitor will also check the potential path and locations of heavy machinery for species as well. If a WPT or FYLF is detected and is in danger, construction activities will halt until the biological monitor finishes moving the animal to a safe location. Only the biological monitor will be allowed to handle animals.

Pre-construction Surveys: A forest aquatic biologist or qualified technician will conduct one daytime survey in the vicinity of the project location within a 48-hour period prior to the start of construction activities. If either WPT or FYLF is found during the survey, pre-construction surveys will be conducted each morning prior to the beginning of work.

Personnel Training: Prior start of construction activities, a forest aquatic biologist or qualified technician will conduct a training session for FYLF and WPT for construction personnel.

· Erosion Prevention and Control. The Contractor’s operations shall be conducted to minimize soil erosion. Equipment shall not be operated when ground conditions are such that excessive damage will occur. The kinds and intensity of erosion control work done by the Contractor shall be adjusted to ground and weather conditions and the need for controlling runoff. Erosion control work shall be kept current immediately preceding expected seasonal periods of precipitation or runoff.

· If the Contractor fails to do seasonal erosion control work prior to any seasonal period of precipitation or runoff, the Contracting Officer may temporarily assume responsibility for the work, at the Contractor’s expense. Damage resulting from the failure to perform required work will be repaired by the Contractor at the Contractor’s expense.

· Service and Repairs. The Contractor shall take all reasonable precautions to prevent air, soil, and water pollution from the Contractor’s operations. When service and repairs are required, it will be the contractor’s responsibility to place all fluids into closed containers that will prevent any contamination of ground soils. No fluids that originate from contractors’ activities will be allowed to be drained onto soils. Soil contaminated by the Contractor’s operations shall be removed from National Forest System land and disposed of properly. Contractor shall make every effort to protect all resources from contamination and damage as result of his activities.

· Sanitation. It shall be the contractor’s responsibility to properly dispose of all fluids and other trash created because of operations. All waste and refuse from the Contractor’s use, servicing, repair, or abandonment of equipment shall be continuously removed from National Forest lands and placed in an approved disposal site.

· Prevention of Oil Spills. If the Contractor maintains storage facilities for oil or oil products in the contract area, the Contractor shall take appropriate preventive measures to ensure that any spill of such oil or oil products does not enter any stream or other waters of the United States or any of the individual states. If the total oil or oil products storage exceeds 4996 liters (1320 gallons) or if any single container exceeds a capacity of 2498 liters (660 gallons), the Contractor shall prepare a Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures (SPCC) Plan. The plan shall meet applicable EPA requirements (40 CFR 112) including certification by a Registered Professional Engineer.

4.0 Government Furnished

N/A

Boulders

· The Contractor can utilize boulders located at Site 1and 4. (see map). Approximately, 28 boulders are present at Site 1 which 14 boulders can be used at Site 2. Site 4 has 3 boulders on-site.

· Boulder sources to be used on this project are subject to written approval from the Project Contracting Officer. Contractor shall use quarry rock that is sound and durable against disintegration under conditions to be met in handling and placing and is hard and tenacious and otherwise of a suitable quality to ensure permanency in the specified kind of work. There is no specific color requirement for rock, but Contractor shall use quarry rock that is typical of the project area.

· Once approved, the rock shall be kept consistent through the project. No change may be made to the rock source unless specifically approved by the Project Contracting Officer.

Equipment

· The Contractor shall provide all tools and equipment for self and employees that are necessary for accomplishing the job as specified. Primary work shall be accomplished using a backhoe or suitable equipment capable of digging, lifting, and handling individual boulders which meet project specifications.

· Equipment shall be furnished on a fully operational basis, of modern design, and in good operating condition, with a competent, fully qualified operator. The required primary equipment is expected to be used on secondary roads in areas of low to moderate concentrations of conifers and hardwoods.

· All equipment must be in good running condition with no excessive fluid leaks or overheating. The Contractor shall be responsible for all fuel, lubrication, repair, and replacement for equipment. All equipment shall be equipped with the tools and supplies necessary for making emergency and routine repairs and servicing.

All equipment and service/transport vehicles shall be equipped with the required fire tools. See Section H.

· All chainsaws or other motorized equipment shall be equipped with Forest Service approved spark arresters. Spark arresters are not required on equipment powered by exhaust-driven turbo-charged engines or motor vehicles equipped with a maintained muffler as defined in California Public Resources Code, Section 4442 and 4443.

5.0 Deliverables / Schedule

All written deliverables shall be phrased in layperson language.

Contract Time Key Deliverables

Contract time shall begin on the date stipulated on the Notice to Proceed, or 10 calendar days after the Notice to proceed is mailed, whichever is later. Work shall progress at a rate which will ensure job completion within the calendar time specified above.

6.0 Travel

N/A

7.0 Contractor’s Key Personnel

N/A

8.0 Security Requirements

N/A

9.0 Data Rights

N/A

10.0 Section 508 – Electronic and Information Technology Standards

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