Updated_SOW_-_19_Dec_18.pdf

SECTION C - DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATION/

WORK STATEMENT

C.1 DESCRIPTION OF WORK

The required services consists of falling dead hazard trees at the North Fork compound on the Bass

Lake Ranger District. The hazard trees are in close proximity to improvements such as buildings, paved parking lots, paved roads, a bridge that crosses Willow Creek and PG&E power lines.

Coodination will be required with PG&E and the project COR so the electrical power lines can be shut down and the power lines dropped before work shall commence on certain trees.. Trees are to be felled, limbed and bucked into 10’ lengths or shorter. Logs shall be decked at a designated location. Limbed branches shall be piled and left for the Forest Service to dispose of. Decked logs and piles are not permited within the riparian zones or near the main office parking lot.

Project objectives shall be completed while, ensuring natural resource protection measures are met, protecting aquatic and riparian habitat, vegetation, snags, down logs for wildlife species, foot trails, Forest improvements and Heritage Areas. All of the marked hazard trees have been identified with a painted number and a painted butt mark.

C.2 PROJECT LOCATION

The project is located on the Sierra National Forest. The project site may be reached from Fresno, CA by traveling north on State Highway 41 for approximately 21 miles. Take a right onto Rd.200 also known as the North Fork Rd. Continue traveling east for 16 miles until you reach the Bass

Lake Ranger District office located at 57003 Road 225, North Fork CA.

C.3 CONTRACT TIME

Estimated date to start work is January 28, 2019.

C.4 PRE-BID CONFERENCE OR TOURS

None Scheduled

C.5 DESCRIPTION, SPECIFICATION AND WORK REQUIREMENTS

Secure services to cut down the concentrations of dead and dying standing conifer trees by utilizing a chainsaw, wedges, jacks, climbing ropes, harness, spurs and or other technical equipment to safely directionally fell the hazard trees.

Oak tree near the District Office parking lot shall have the dead hazardous branches cut and removed and piled with the conifer slash away from the office parking lot.

Utilize track operated equipment that is capable of collecting and lifting down logs, activity generated slash, into teepee shaped piles. These work objectives shall be performed in a manner that protects residual live green trees including oaks and conifers (both mature and saplings), soil conditions, down logs and snags to be used for wildlife habitat, and other vegetation not specified to be treated.

Hand felled trees may need to be bucked with a chainsaw into specific lengths for ease of adding the material to the teepee shaped pile.

The teepee shaped pile can be as tall and wide as the natural openings allow, while providing for distance to protect leave trees, logs and snags from thermal damage in the event that the trees are burned in place.

Soil berms from the equipment tracks shall be smoothed flat as to not redirect the natural flow of water.

Aquatic and Riparian Species and Habitat Design Criteria

Refueling and maintenance of heavy equipment and chainsaws shall occur outside of the

SMZ’s and at least 100 feet from any riparian area.

Any wet meadows, streams, seeps, springs, fens and or wet areas discovered during project implementation, shall have a 100 foot SMZ buffer.

Report to the COR any discovery of amphibians or reptiles (frogs, toads, salamanders and turtles) during implementation so the District aquatic biologist can be contacted immediately.

Riparian vegetation shall not be cut during project implementation, unless coordinated with the

District aquatic biologist.

Below 5,000 feet elevation, for the protection of western pond turtle and foothill yellow-legged frog, no mechanical activities shall occur within 300 feet on either side of perennial streams from October 15th through June 15th.

Protection of Forest Service Sensitive plants and Invasive Weeds

Sensitive plant populations have been flagged for avoidance with lime-glow and white flags together.

Noxious weed areas will be flagged for avoidance with orange flags with black letters spelling

NOXIOUS WEEDS.

Invasive/noxious weed prevention measures shall be followed as listed in the Equipment

Cleaning clause. If avoidance of invasive weed infested areas is not practical, heavy equipment shall be washed after passing through these contaminated areas and before moving to other areas within the project or to other project areas. The COR will work directly with the Forest

Botanist prior to any activities occurring within invasive weed locations.

Cut Tree, Teepee Shaped Pile Construction

Stump Height: Tree stump height shall not exceed 12” above the ground or 6” above natural objects.

Development and placement of cut tree piles/bunches shall consider measures to protect residual leave trees, down logs and snags from thermal damage.

Avoid establishing a teepee shaped pile within 500 feet of a Forest Service Sensitive species nest tree or den tree.

Piles: Hand felled tree debris shall be arranged-stacked to produce a teepee shaped pile which shall include the slash, limbs, boles, branches, tops and bark. The piles shall be created at least

50 feet from draws, meadows, springs and seeps and riparian vegetation. Utilize natural openings for the creation of the teepee shaped burn pile.

Utilize tracked operated equipment that shall be capable of collecting and lifting felled and broken logs, tops and branches, activity generated slash and placing the woody material onto the teepee shaped pile. Equipment operations shall follow all erosion control measures. Deep track berms shall be smoothed.

Hazard trees existing within the Willow Creek stream bank or within the stream management zone shall have the felled material lifted out of the water corridor. If necessary a high stump or short snag may be left, as long as the short snag is not hazardous. These short snags will become suitable wildlife habitat and the undisturbed stump will secure the soil along the riparian bank.

Coordination with the Aquatics Biologist shall determine the area is free of no nesting Western

Pond Turtle and the area is suitable for the cut tree to land in a specific site on the ground.

Coordination with the Wildlife Biologist shall occur for the Hazard trees located in the Skunk

Hallow vicinity of the North Fork compound. These dead standing hazard trees are historic and recent nesting sites for both a Great Horned Owl and a Red tail Hawk. The Wildlife Biologist will provide updated information regarding the nesting status of the nest tree.

C.6 CONTRACTOR FURNISHED PROPERTY, REPORTS AND SERVICES

The Contractor shall furnish all technical expertise, labor, equipment, supervision, transportation, operating supplies, and incidentals necessary to complete the project, except for that which the contract clearly states is to be furnished by the Government.

Contractor shall provide labor, supplies and equipment to complete the project. All equipment used within the Contract area shall be in such mechanical condition and of an appropriate type to meet the requirements of the work. Equipment shall be capable of working on 0-40% slopes with short pitches up to 45%. Track mounted equipment shall be in good running condition with no excess leaks. Track mounted equipment with a boom, adjustable arm and type of attachment that shall be capable of collecting and lifting down logs, existing and generated slash and placing it into a teepee shaped burn pile.

All equipment shall meet or exceed OSHA specifications. Cal-OSHA regulations apply to contracts involving employees.

The Contractor shall provide the following items as part of this contract prior to the start of work;

1. Operations Plan and Schedule of Work

The contractor shall submit an operation plan and schedule of work that clearly demonstrates how the work will be performed and how it will be completed within the time frame allowed in the Contract.

2. Quality Control Plan

A Quality Control Plan shall be prepared that includes how the Contractor will control the work, inspect the daily operations and protect residual leave trees, riparian vegetation and habitat, structural and other improvements from damage, resources such as Heritage Sites, Sensitive Plants, Noxious Weeds and wildlife habitat. This plan and inspection results shall be submitted and discussed on a routine bases with the Contracting Officer’s

Representative prior to invoicing for completed work.

3. Safety Plan

Contractor shall provide a written, job-specific safety plan for the inherently hazardous conditions that exist during operations.

4. Informal Visits

The Contracting Officer and/or their appointed representative may visit the work units to observe the Contractor's work, progress and inspect completed areas of the unit.

C.7 HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES

The contractor shall maintain all equipment operating on the project area in good repair and free of abnormal leakage of lubricants, fuel, coolants and hydraulic fluid.

Contractor shall not service tractors, trucks, or other equipment on National Forest lands where servicing is likely to result in the pollution to soil or water. The contractor shall furnish oil-absorbing mats, approved by the Forest Service, for use under all stationary equipment or equipment being serviced to prevent leaking spilled petroleum- based products from contaminating soil and water resources. Contractor shall remove from National Forest lands all contaminated soil, vegetation, debris, vehicle oil filters (drained of free-flowing oil), batteries, oily rags and waste oil resulting from use, servicing, repair, or abandonment of equipment.

C.8 INSPECTION OF EQUIPMENT

Prior to award, the Government reserves the right to inspect the equipment to be furnished. If the equipment is found to be in such condition to indicate the need for frequent repairs and delays in performance, it shall be rejected. The decision of the Contracting Officer will be final as to whether equipment is in suitable condition for acceptance.

C.9 EQUIPMENT CLEANING

The Contractor shall ensure that prior to moving on to the project area, all off-road equipment is free of soil, seeds, vegetative material, or other debris that could contain or hold seeds of noxious weeds. “Off Road Equipment” includes all logging, construction machinery and brushing equipment (brush hogs, masticators, chippers) except log trucks, chip vans, service vehicles, water trucks, pickup trucks, and similar vehicles not intended for off-road use.

The Contractor shall notify the Forest Service at least 5 working days prior to moving each piece of equipment on to National Forest Land, unless otherwise agreed. Notification will include identifying the location of where the equipment inspection will occur.

The Contractor shall employ whatever cleaning methods are necessary to ensure that off-road equipment is free of noxious weed seeds. Equipment shall be considered clean when a visual inspection by the Contracting Officer Representative verifies that the equipment does not disclose soil, seed, plant material, and other such debris. Disassembly of equipment components or specialized inspection tools is not required. For subsequent moves between project areas, the

Contractor shall be required to use water to wash down and thoroughly clean the equipment.

Contractor may be required to wash equipment for moves between units. Notification to the

Contracting Officer and his representative at least 48 hours prior to a move shall be required to initiate the scheduling of a water source for the wash down.

The Contracting Officer’s Representative [COR], Government Inspector or authorized Forest

Service employee may inspect the equipment after wash down to verity that off-road equipment is free of noxious weeds prior to each start-up of contract project item areas.

C.10 PUBLIC SAFETY

The Contractor shall provide and install large, easily read warning signs along the roads or access trails, warning the public or other visitors of the hazards of the machine during operations. These signs shall state that all persons shall remain at least 200 feet from the machine and or hand tree felling during operations and approach only by permission of the operator.

Contractor's operation shall facilitate Forest Services' safe and practical inspection of Contractor's ongoing operation and be able to conduct other official duties in the contract area.

Contractor shall be responsible to clear overhanging or fallen trees and snags across roads accessing the project area and keep roads free of activity debris.

Unless otherwise agreed in writing, when Contractor's operations are in progress adjacent to or on roads and trails open to public travel, the Contractor shall furnish, install and maintain all temporary traffic controls which provide the forest user with adequate warning of hazardous conditions associated with Contractor's Operations. Contractor and Contracting Officer and/or his

Representative (COR) shall agree to a specific traffic control plan for each individual contract work area prior to commencing operations. Devices shall be appropriate to current conditions and shall be covered or removed when not needed. Except as otherwise agreed, flag persons and devices shall be as specified in the "Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and

Highway" (MUTCD).

C.11 EROSION CONTROL

When determined by the Forest Service, Contractor shall (1) avoid operating equipment when soil conditions are such that excessive damage will result; (2) construct erosion control structures as needed; (3) repair promptly any existing erosion control structures that have been damaged by

Contractor's operations; (4) complete seasonal erosion control work prior to suspending operations; and (5) perform other soil erosion control work as may be required under this contract.

Prior to suspension of operations, seasonal periods of precipitation or runoff; the Contractor shall smooth soil berms, remove ruts from roads, construct cross ditches or water bars on skid trails, fire lines surrounding teepee shaped burn piles and install water-spreading ditches at parking openings used for maintenance. Cross ditches shall be spaced based on percent of slope, maintained in functioning condition and placed in locations where drainage would naturally occur. Slopes 0-15% shall have a maximum spacing of 125 feet. Slopes 15-35% shall have a maximum spacing of 45 feet.

Do not conduct any ground disturbing activity that will adversely affect hydrologic processes that maintain water flow and water quality. Where soil has been disturbed during implementation, maintain a minimum of 50% ground cover consisting of fine fuels, leaves, organic mulch, pieces of broken logs, small diameter branches and or crushed brush in areas not designated as the 10 foot wide fire line.

C.12 ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE

If an archeological site is discovered during operations, the COR shall be notified so consultation with the District Archeologist may occur. As result the site will be flagged and avoided and treated as a non-treatment area.

C.13 FINAL CLEANUP

Before final acceptance, all areas occupied or used by the Contractor in connection with the work shall be cleaned of all contractor’s rubbish, excess materials, temporary structures, and equipment, and all parts of the work area shall be left in a neat and presentable condition.

Material to be removed includes but is not limited to: used engine oil, oil filters, oil cans, grease cartridges, rags, tires, camp refuse, bottles, plastics, etc. Said material shall be removed to a

California State approved disposal site.

C.14 PAYMENTS / PARTIAL PAYMENTS

Payment will be made for completed and accepted units at the unit bid price listed in the Schedule of Items.

Partial payments may be made if requested by the Contractor provided that payment will only be made upon completion, inspection and acceptance of a complete unit.

Partial payment request will be accepted not more often than every 14-calendar days.

Project worked acres shall be paid for using actual GPS mapped acres. For example, if an area was

GPS mapped as 23.4 acres it shall be paid as 23.4 acres.

C.15 INVOICES

The Contractor shall submit an invoice as described in the Prompt Payment Act, incorporated by reference in Section I of this contract.

C.16 MISCELLANEOUS

LANDSCAPE PRESERVATION

The Contractor shall give attention to the effect of contract operation upon the landscape, shall take care to maintain natural surroundings undamaged, and shall conduct the work at all times in compliance with the following requirements:

a. Prevention of the Landscape Defacement. The Contractor shall not remove, deface, injure, or destroy trees, shrubs, lawns, or other natural features or any other improvements in the work area unless specifically authorized by the Contracting Officer. Unless otherwise provided herein, the Contractor shall confine contract operations to within the areas designated in contract documents.

b. Protection of Streams, Lakes, and Reservoirs. The Contractor shall take sufficient precautions to prevent pollution of streams, lakes, small ponds, and reservoirs with fuels, oils, bitumen, calcium chloride, silt, or other harmful materials.

DESIGNATION OF CONTRACTING OFFICER’S REPRESENTATIVE

The Contracting Officer designates the Contracting Officer's Representative(s) (COR). The COR is responsible for administering the performance of work under this contract. In no event, however, will any understanding, agreement, modification, change order, or other matter deviating from the terms of this contract be effective or binding upon the Government unless formalized by proper contractual documents executed by the Contracting Officer prior to completion of the contract.

The Contracting Officer should be informed as soon as possible of any actions or inactions by the

Contractor or the Government, which will change the required delivery or completion times stated in the contract, and the contract will be modified accordingly. (This does not apply to individual task assignments which were issued by the COR, provided that they do not affect the delivery schedule or performance period stated in the contract.)

On all matters that pertain to the contract terms, the Contractor must communicate with the

Contracting Officer. Whenever, in the opinion of the Contractor, the COR requests effort outside the scope of the contract, the Contractor should so advise the COR. If the COR persists and there still exists a disagreement as to proper contractual coverage, the Contracting Officer should be notified immediately, preferably in writing if time permits. Proceeding with work without proper contractual coverage could result in nonpayment or necessitate submittal of a contract claim.

APPROVAL OF SUBCONTRACTING

The Contractor shall request approval from the Contracting Officer prior to entering into any subcontract arrangement. The subcontractor shall have the experience and be equipped for such work. The written notification shall include as a minimum:

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

b. The date upon which the subcontract was entered into and its duration

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

d. Documentation of the subcontractor's representative authority.

Subcontracting any portion of the contract shall not relieve the Prime Contractor of any responsibility under this contract. Any subcontract agreement shall contain all terms and conditions of the prime contract.

CERTIFICATION OF COMPLIANCE

Contractor shall certify compliance with specific fire precautionary measures included in the attached Fire Protection and Suppression Forms. The certification shall be made prior to commencement of work and shall be updated if at any time during performance the conditions change. The Government may conduct verification inspections to ensure Contractor's compliance.

PROJECT ACTIVITY LEVEL [PAL]

Weather stations are utilized to calculate PAL.

For the North Fork Compound Project Area - Weather station to calculate PAL: North Fork.

FAR 52.237-1 SITE VISITS (APR 1984)

Offerors are expected to inspect the site where services are to be performed and to satisfy themselves regarding all general and local conditions that may affect the cost of contract performance (to the extent that the information is reasonably obtainable). In no event shall failure to inspect the site constitute grounds for a claim after contract award.

(End of Clause)