S01 Attachment 1 ARPMC Wildlife Fence SOW - Revised 7.11.23.pdf

Statement of Work Installation of Wildlife Fencing

Booneville Plant Materials Center

The site is located at the Booneville Plant Materials Center located approximately 6.5 miles South of Booneville AR. The physical address is 6883 South State Highway 23, Booneville, AR 72927.

1. Scope:

The work consists of the mobilization and demobilization of the contractor’s forces and equipment necessary to perform the work required under the contract. The contract is for construction of a wildlife fence around approximately 40 acres at the Booneville Plant Materials Center. The purpose of the fence is to prevent deer and hogs from getting into research plots.

Work will consist of the following items:

1. Installation of approximately 5280 feet of no less than 8 feet tall wildlife fence around the perimeter of the research fields at the Booneville Arkansas Plant Materials Center.

2. Installation of 20 feet wide inset gate.

3. Installation of a cattle guard where fencing crosses the road.

2. Equipment and Material Mobilization shall include all activities and associated costs for transportation of contractor’s personnel, equipment, and operating supplies to the site; establishment of offices, buildings, and other necessary general facilities for the contractor’s operations at the site; premiums paid for performance and payment bond including coinsurance and reinsurance agreements as applicable; and other items not specified in section 4 of this specification.

Demobilization shall include all activities and costs for transportation of personnel, equipment, and supplies not required or included in the contract from the site; including the disassembly, removal, and site cleanup of offices, buildings, and other facilities assembled on the site specifically for this contract.

This work includes mobilization and demobilization required by the contract at the time of award. If additional mobilization and demobilization activities and costs are required during the performance of the contract as a result of changed, deleted, or added items of work for which the contractor is entitled to an adjustment in contract price, compensation for such costs will be included in the price adjustment for the item or items of work changed or added.

3. Payment Performance time for this project is to be 60 days and may begin as soon as the contract is awarded.

Payment will be made as the proceeds, after presentation of paid invoices or documentation of direct costs by the contractor showing specific mobilization and demobilization costs and supporting evidence of the charges of suppliers, subcontractors, and others. When the total of such payment is less than the lump sum contract price, the balance remaining will be included in the final contract payment. Payment of the lump sum contract price for mobilization and demobilization will constitute full compensation for completion of the work.

Payment will not be made under this item for purchase costs of materials having residual value, the purchase costs of materials to be incorporated in the project, or the purchase costs of operating supplies.

4. Items for work and construction details:

1. Contractor shall have a Project Manager available to the COTR during normal work hours

Monday through Friday 8am to 4:30pm CST, excluding federal holidays, on site at all times when work is in progress. The Project Manager must be able to bind the company. The Project Manager shall be the central point of contact with the NRCS for performance of all work under this contract. Project Manager shall be responsible for overall management and coordination of matters pertaining to this contract. Project Manager shall have a cell phone and be accessible to NRCS at all time during business hours.

2. A site visit will be scheduled prior to the bidding.

3. Construction site: Prior to the start of work, submit a site plan showing the locations and dimensions of the temporary facilities including layouts and details, equipment and material storage area, and access and haul routes, avenues of ingress/egress to the work area. Indicate if the use of supplemental or other staging area is desired. Show locations, construction entrances, trash dumpsters, and work parking areas.

4. Bulletin board: Immediately upon beginning of work, provide a weatherproof covered bulletin board not less than 36 by 48 inches in size for displaying the Equal Employment Opportunity poster, a copy of the wage decision contained in the contract, Wage Rate Information poster (if applicable), and other information approved by the Contracting Officer. Locate the bulletin board, at the project site, in a conspicuous place easily accessible to employees, as approved by the Contracting Officer. Erect signs within 15 days after receipt of the notice to proceed.

Correct the data required by the safety sign daily, with light colored metallic or non-metallic numerals.

5. Contractor is expected to maintain set production goals and complete the job site no later than required Performance Time. Contractor will provide NRCS a construction schedule.

6. Contractor is responsible for their equipment on the PMC grounds. The Government is not liable for damages or losses of equipment due to theft or vandalism.

7. Contractor shall furnish all materials, equipment, tools and labor to accomplish the fence construction.

8. Any damage to property or equipment will be repaired or replaced at the contractor’s expense.

All farm roads or paths traversed during construction shall be remediated to pre-construction conditions prior to demobilization.

9. Work schedule shall be in accordance with contractor’s submission.

10. Contractor is responsible for locating any underground utilities and will repair any damage done to any underground utilities or surrounding buildings.

11. Contractor shall allow access to work area by PMC staff for purpose of inspection and ongoing research.

12. Invoices shall be submitted to the COTR for certification no more than once per month, unless payment is the final invoice. Invoice will then be forwarded to CO for payment.

13. Each job site shall be considered a hardhat area. All persons, including operators, are required to wear hardhats while operations are in progress.

Construction Specification:

1. Wildlife Fence installation

• Fence must meet or exceed NRCS fencing standards as outlined in Natural Resources Conservation Service Conservation Practice General Specifications Fence for high tensile, permanent fencing.

• Fencing must exclude deer and hogs from research fields at the ARPMC.

i. Fence must prevent deer jumping in and out of the field

ii. Fence must be anchored or pulled under sufficient tension to eliminate hogs from lifting the bottom of the fence and pushing under

1. It is understood that hogs might still root or dig under, but they should not be able to lift the fencing and get in without digging or rooting

iii. Wire must have Class III galvanization to meet minimum requirements.

• No wood shall be used in this project.

• Wildlife fence shall be constructed so that the wire is on the side of the post facing the animals to be controlled.

• Gates: shall be made of the same materials of the same kind, grade, and size specified for the field fence.

i. A double gate will be constructed for entry of equipment. Total width of gate shall be 20 feet and inset off the road enough to allow large trailers to enter and exit.

• Steel line posts are to be studded, embossed or punched for the attachment of wire and have an anchor plate near the bottom of the post. Steel line posts shall be rolled from high carbon steel and have a protective coating. The coating may be either galvanizing by the hot dip process, or painted using one or more coats of high quality, weather resistant, paint or baked enamel. Minimum lengths will allow for required buried depth and fence height plus at least 2 inches of post above top wire.

• All posts or poles shall be driven into the ground at a minimum of 3 feet.

• Line posts shall be no more than 10 feet apart with a heavier 2-7/8-inch line posts every 4th post and set in a straight line as possible between corners or turns.

• Fence must have a minimum 20-year warranty.

• Corner and gate posts must be a minimum of 2-7/8-inch diameter with at least 3-1/16-inch pipe wall thickness and be anchored securely and have sufficient bracing to eliminate post lean when under tension.

• Tension post will be added at each point where the fence is terminated to ensure optimum tautness.

• Unless otherwise specified, corner assemblies shall be installed at all points where the fence alignment changes 15 degrees or more, at any section end including at gates, at stretches over 660 feet, and where the vertical angle change exceeds 15 percent or as otherwise specified.

• All pipe used in fencing construction will have domed and or capped ends to prevent wasp from nesting, internal corrosion, and freeze cracking from pooled water.

• All fencing must be kept at least 20 feet away from creeks, ditches, water sources, or obstructions to allow adequate space for mowing.

• Crossing at depressions or watercourses

i. If the fence wire or netting is installed parallel to the ground surface, the line posts subject to uplift shall be anchored by means of extra embedment or by special anchors.

ii. If the fence wire is installed with the top wire straight and parallel to the ground on either side of the depression, extra length posts shall be used to allow normal post embedment. Unless otherwise specified, excess space between the bottom of the fence and the ground shall be closed with extra strands of netting.

• Woven wire shall be at least top and bottom wires 11 gauge; Intermediate and stay wires

14½ gauge

• Fencing must be weather proof to prevent rusting and must meet or exceed industry standard for corrosion resistance, thickness, and quality.

i. This includes poles, fasteners and accessories

• All pipe shall be painted hunter green.

• Any dead standing trees within range of the fence will be cut down

• Any trees leaning toward the fence will be cut down

i. Lumber is not to be removed

ii. Any timber, dead or alive, may be felled into to forest and left to be consumed during controlled burns.

iii. An area of no less than 5 feet in width is necessary as a border between the fence and wood lines. All brush is to be removed to accommodate the buffer area to maintain fence.

2. Cattle guard installation

• Cattle guard will have a minimum length of 20 feet

i. Distance should be sufficient to eliminate deer jumping across the gap

• Cattle guard will have a minimum width of 16 feet

i. Width must facilitate large tractors, implements, and combine

• Cattle guard will be rated to withstand heavy vehicles such as logging trucks

i. USDA/ARS does harvest timber and roads could be used by logging trucks

ii. USDA/ARS routinely uses pumper fire engines during control burns and bulldozers

iii. Combine and large tractors will routinely cross the cattle guard

• Cattle guard will have an expanded metal foot path 2 feet in width to accommodate human foot traffic.

i. Expanded metal used should be open enough to deter deer or hogs from walking across

• Cattle guard that does not alter existing road is preferred

i. If road is removed to insert guard, it must be protected such that water from storms does not erode the road and create cuts.

ii. Cattle guard should be painted hunter green.

3. Contractor shall clean the work area and ensure no wire, staples, or other objects that might damage equipment of vehicle tires remains upon completion of the project.

Fence Layout & Design.

Wildlife Fence:

Orange represents the perimeter of the fence.

Right arrow indicates approximate location of double gate.

Left arrow indicates approximate location of cattle guard.

Approximately 5,280 linear feet of fence (Google Earth used for measurement). Contractor should measure sight for more accurate measurement before bidding.

The work area consists of open field area utilized by the PMC for the purpose of research plots. The attached location map shows the general area of fence line construction.

Double gate

Cattle Guard

Samples of fence construction.

Sample of Cattle Guard Construction