Amendment 4 with attachments.pdf

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT

1. CONTRACT ID CODE PAGE OF PAGES

1 6

2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NO. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE 4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NO. 5. PROJECT NO. (If applicable)

4 03/19/2020

6. ISSUED BY CODE 7. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item 6) CODE

USDA Forest Service Central California Acquisition Service Area Tahoe National Forest 631 Coyote Street Nevada City, CA 95959

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR (No., street, county, State, and ZIP Code) (X) 9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NO.

129JGP20Q0024

9B. DATED (SEE ITEM 11)

02/24/2020

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NO.

10B. DATED (SEE ITEM 13)

CODE FACILITY CODE

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers is extended, is not extended.

Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended, by one of the following methods:

(a) By completing Items 8 and 15, and returning copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted;

or (c) By separate letter or telegram which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by telegram or letter, provided each telegram or letter makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA (If required)

13. THIS ITEM APPLIES ONLY TO MODIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS, IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED

IN ITEM 14. (TO BE FILLED OUT BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER)

(X) A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN

THE CONTRACT ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES (such as changes in paying office, appropriation date, etc.) SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b).

C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER (Specify type of modification and authority)

E. IMPORTANT: Contractor is not, is required to sign this document and return copies to the issuing office.

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.

Amendment 4 Provide information from the Site visit and questions asked. The Sign in sheet and questions and answers are provided at Attachment 1.

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect.

15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print) 16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)

OLAINE MARTINEZ

15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR 15C. DATE SIGNED 16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 16C. DATE SIGNED

03/19/2020 (Signature of person authorized to sign) (Signature of Contracting Officer)

NSN 7540-01-152-8070

Previous edition unusable

30-105 STANDARD FORM 30 (REV. 10-83)

Prescribed by GSA

FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

2020 HUD Mechanical Site Prep– Questions and Answers

Notes: At the beginning of the pre-bid tour, Kim informed the bidders that Amendment #3 was going to be released in the next few days. She told them that this amendment altered some of the units (some were dropped, others were added), provided estimated acreage within LOPs, updated the Fire Plan, and changed some language in the contract. Bidders were then given updated maps and data tables that reflected the changes from Amendment #3. Lastly, Kim reminded bidders this is a HUD-funded contract so bidders need to be sure to carefully read and follow the HUD Addendum.

Questions and Answers (Q&A) from the pre-bid tour:

Q1. Will the closing date for the solicitation be extended because of Amendment #3?

A. No, the closing date will still remain March 24th.

Q2. There is a lot of work to be done in such a short time frame. This probably couldn’t be completed by one operator, right?

A. This contract is designed to give you a lot of flexibility. We give you the desired outcome and different limitations and acceptable measures of the contract, it is then up to you to figure out how much equipment and operators you will need to get the job done by October 31st.

Q3. Will this project be awarded to only one contractor?

A. It could if the contractor has the ability to complete this contract on time. It also may be awarded to multiple contractors.

Q4. There are a lot of acres in the LOPs. Will the completion date be extended if none of the LOPs are dropped/reduced?

A. No, October 31, 2020 is still a hard target for the contract end date. We are currently talking with our wildlife biologist who is making determinations on the LOPs. We will update everyone when/if LOP conditions change.

Q5. Can LOPs be negotiated?

A. The wildlife biologist will determine that. At this point in time, we cannot guarantee that because the biologist is just now beginning his assessment of the LOPs for this contract. As the data comes out, we will make it available for you guys. At this point in time, all the LOPs are active (except for the one that was dropped with Amendment #2). You need to prepare to work around all these LOPs.

Q6. Can the LOPs be reduced?

A. If the wildlife biologist can pinpoint where an active nest is, the LOP is reduced to 0.25 miles within the nest. If the nest cannot be located and there is an active pair in the area, the LOP stays.

Q7. We will no longer use the PAL table?

A. No. We have updated the Fire Plan and removed the PAL table with Amendment #3. This data is out-of-date and misleading.

Q8. Does bear clover need to be treated?

A. No, only brush 12” or taller needs to be treated.

Q9. Can large trees be left for wildlife?

A. Yes. You only fell trees up to 29.9” dbh so any standing snags with a dbh of 30” and greater will be left.

Q10. If you only have a few 30+” dbh trees in a unit, then you won’t have enough to fulfill the snag retention requirement in the contract. Do you not need to fulfill the snag requirement then under those circumstances?

A. No, you still have to fulfill the snag requirement. We want you to leave the largest trees to fulfill the snag requirement. If you don’t have any 30+” dbh trees in an area, then you’ll just have smaller snags to fulfill the requirement.

Q11. Do we have to fulfill the snag requirement for oak snags in addition to the snag requirements for conifers?

A. Yes, you will have to retain 6 oak snags 15” dbh or greater and 4-6 conifer snags, a total of 10-12 snags per acre. Remember, you only have to retain the oak snags if they are 15” dbh or greater.

Q12. What about work in drainages?

A. Follow the RCA guidelines for exclusion zones with different equipment. You will still have to do hand work in the drainages.

Q13. How large can the piles be?

A. The size requirements for piles is written in the contract. Overall, we allow the piles to get pretty big so that way we end up with less piles in the end. It is much easier to burn the piles when we have less of them.

Q14. Do we need to water the roads?

A. Yes, for dust abatement as needed.

Q15. What do we need to do when working in/near noxious weeds?

A. If noxious weeds are scattered throughout the whole unit, just be sure to wash off your equipment before moving to a different area. If the noxious weeds are only in one isolated area of the unit, work the rest of unit first and then work in the isolated area of weeds. Again, make sure to wash your equipment before moving to another area. Also, when I say “wash” your equipment, be sure that it is free of dirt.

Q16. Will we need to stop/delay work for the public for holidays and weekends?

A. No, there are no campgrounds or private residences near this contract so there should be no need for delays due to the public.

Q17. When the unit boundary is along roads, does the boundary go all the way to the edge of the road?

A. Yes, so you will need to treat all the way to the road or cut bank.

Q18. How many fire trailers do you need to have?

A. Fire trailers with water tanks should be placed within a reasonable distance from where you are working. Generally, one per unit is acceptable but it must be reasonable.

Q19. What are the H2B licenses for?

A. Those are only needed if you plan to hire migrant workers.

Q20. What do we need to do in areas with 45+%?

A. Hand work. You don’t need to treat the brush in these areas but you need to fall and pile by hand.

Q21. Will trenching be required on piles?

A. Trenching requirements will be situational. If there’s no brush/woody material and little-to-no potential for fire (if a log rolls), then trenching might not be required.

Q22. Is merchantable material available for removal?

A. No, there is no product removal allowed with this contract.

Q23 Is there a bid sheet?

A. The first page of the synopsis solicitation.

Q24 Is this a lump sum bid or per acre?

A. This will be awarded by line item in lump sum. See first page of combined synopsis solicitation.

Q25. Is a contactor required to bid on all Items or can they bid on “just” one of the four items?

A. Yes the contractor shall bid on all items.

Q26. Per the Maps for Item 1,2,3,4 NOT all of the acres in the individual units are in the LOP area. Yet on the data table, it lists most if not all the acres as LOP acres. This needs clarification. Thus- Please clarify the quantity of acres within LOP or outside LOP areas for each unit and item separately?

A. See amendment #3 for updated data table with updated LOP acres.

Q27. The Fire Season is at its height in Aug to Oct. NOTE- Please refer to fire plan, per the chart on page 6, the historical average shutdown days are as follows:

Aug-12 EV, 2 E= Total of 12 non-work/shutdown days Sept – 10 EV, # E = Total of 13 non-work/shutdown days.

Oct- 5 EV days+ Total of 5 non-work/shutdown days.

Due to the LOPs, a large amount of the work will need to be done from Aug to Oct which is also when there is historically a higher number of shutdown days. Therefore, will there be accommodation for the end completion date of Oct 30, 2020, if contractor has shut down days or the forest is closed due to Fire Danger?

A. No, this contract is scheduled to end October 30, 2020 regardless of shut down days. Since every fire season is unique, Contractors should plan for the equipment needed to complete LOP areas within Contract end date.

A. See amendment #3 for updated Fire Plan – Updated Fire Plan has the Fire Plan Project Activity Level Climatology 2003-2014 has been removed. This data is no longer valid and should not be used for planning.

Q28. Why does the project have to be completed by Oct 30, 2020?

A. To avoid delays or conflicts with tight timeframes with scheduled future reforestation treatments.

Q29. The ground over 45% is not to be treated mechanically, thus will the area (over 45%) be considered a non-work area (see definition page 6) or will it need to be hand treated/piled?

A. See amendment #3 - The definition of Non-work Area (page 6) has been amended and “slopes exceeding 45%” has been removed for this contract. Slopes over 45% will have hand work.

Q30. Can a contractor just perform mechanical mastication to accomplish the scope of work?

A. Contractors have a variety of equipment acceptable to use on this contract within the slope limits of the contract specifications. See Specifications General (pages 8 & 9). All contract specifications would still need to be met. No, each item has areas that are beyond the 45% slope and Hand work is necessary.

Q31. Can the FS please clarify the scope and/or objectives of the project?

A. See contract amendment 3 – The Scope of Work description has been changed to the following:

Scope of Work (Page 2) Description of Work: The intent of this contract is to secure services for thinning plantations, site preparation, fuels reduction prior to planting, and increasing safety by mechanical equipment, hand treatment, or a combination of both. Each unit may require multiple types of equipment and /or treatments to achieve desired reduction of fuels, including, but not limited to, dozer piling, grapple piling, mastication, feller buncher, hand felling and hand piling. Slope, vegetation amounts, vegetation types, and vegetation heights will be deciding factors. Unless direct treatments are listed by Contracting Officer, it will be the Contractor’s responsibility to determine which methods/equipment shall be used to meet treatment requirement for each unit.