B08_Attachment_1_Performance_Work_Statement_(PWS).pdf

Performance Work Statement (PWS)

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PROJECT TITLE:

HOGBACK SHADED FUEL BREAK AND FIRE LINE

Contents

1.0 Background on the Government’s Requirement

2.0 General Scope of Work

3.0 Overall Objective(s)

4.0 Specific Tasks

5.0 Delivery / Performance Schedule

6.0 Government-Furnished Property, Materials, Services

7.0 Security and Administrative Matters

8.0 Technical Exhibits and Definitions

Standard Definitions:

Technical Definitions:

Exhibit A - Maps

Exhibit B: Photos

Exhibit C: Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP)

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1.0 Background on the Government’s Requirement

The Hogback Hazardous Fuels Reduction project is located south of Fall River Mills, CA, and consists of multiple treatments over several years to reduce hazardous fuels and project adjacent communities. Past work on the project has included hand and mechanical treatments and prescribed fire. A portion of the project was burned utilizing prescribed fire in 2023, however additional work is needed to enable more safe and efficient prescribed fire operations. This requirement will address that need by providing for the construction of a fuel break and fire line along the central ridge in the project area.

2.0 General Scope of Work

Services include construction of a shaded fuel break and fire line in chaparral and oak/pine woodlands on public lands within the Hogback project area.

The contractor shall construct 16.5 acres of a hand-cut shaded fuel break and construct 7,300 feet of hand-cut fire line, within the designated treatment area in accordance with the specifications listed under Section 4: Tasks.

Place of Performance:

The services under this requirement will be performed at Hogback project area which is in Shasta County, CA on public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Applegate Field Office (see attached map). The project area is located approximately four (4) miles SW of Fall River Mills, CA, within Sections (or parts of Sections) of the following Township (T) and Range (R) identifiers: T36N R4E Section 24 and 25, and T36N R5E Section 18, or GPS coordinates: N 40 57.210, W121 26.450.

Driving Directions to Project Area

Traveling from Fall River Mills, CA Travel south on the Cassel-Fall River Road for 4 miles to project site (check bridge weight limits for equipment).

Period of Performance:

The period of performance shall be from Date of Award to September 30th, 2024.

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3.0 Overall Objective(s)

The objective of this work is to construct a shaded fuel break and fire line to provide for more safe and efficient prescribed fire operations.

4.0 Specific Tasks

Task 1: Construct 8.25 acres of hand-cut shaded fuel break under the specifications listed below. The target area is 50 feet wide along the spine of the ridgeline and across the middle (see attached maps in Section 8: Exhibit A for location).

• Cut all brush vegetation, and down and dead material, to a height of less than six

(6) inches above the ground.

o Retain all live trees and shrubs with a diameter (DBH) over three (3) inches.

• Limb all retained trees and shrubs to a height of at least six (6) feet.

• Scatter all cut vegetation at least 75 feet from the centerline of the fuel break.

o The removed vegetation will be scattered on the ground to avoid large deposits of hazardous fuels and be cut down to not to exceed a height of one (1) foot.

o The removed vegetation maybe stacked in windrows if sufficient space does not exist due to existing vegetation. Windrows will not exceed six

(6) feet x ten (10) feet, with a height of one (1) foot. Individual windrows will be separated by at least six feet.

o The existing vegetation in the scatter-area (beyond the 75 feet from the centerline) may be cut as needed to provide keyholes, or space for windrows, or provide paths for personnel to carry the removed vegetation.

o Logs or cut material over six (6) inches may be left in place if beyond 10’ from the fire line (described in task 3) with the limbs are removed, and it is not suspended off the ground.

Task 2: Construct 8.25 acres of hand-cut shaded fuel break under the specifications listed below. The target area for Task 2 is an additional 25 feet on both sides of the cut listed in Task 1 (see attached maps in Section 8: Exhibit A for location).

• Limb all trees over six (6) inch DBH to a height of at least six (6) feet.

• Cut all brush within, and six (6) feet beyond, the dripline of the limbed up trees.

o Retain all trees and shrubs with a diameter (DBH) over three (3) inches within this zone.

• Scatter all cut limbs to at least 75 feet from the centerline of the fuel break to the same specification listed in bullet point 3 of Task 1.

Task 3: Construct a continuous hand-cut fire line, down to mineral soil, 18-24” wide, along the centerline of the shaded fuel break (see attached maps in Section 8: Exhibit A for location).

• The location of the line may deviate up to 10 feet on either side of the centerline of the referenced map line as needed to utilize natural barriers, provided that the line remains on the general top of the ridge and not on the steep side slope.

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• The fire line location and any deviations will avoid hard corners.

• Any natural barriers utilized will be cleaned where needed to provide a continuous break to mineral soil.

• Water bars will be placed every 50’ along the east and west lines that run perpendicular to the slope.

o Water bars will be four (4) inches deep, placed at a 30-degree angle from horizontal, and be five (5) feet in length.

5.0 Delivery / Performance Schedule

The contractor shall accomplish all the required tasks by September 30, 2024. The work is to be performed on the project site on public land managed by the Applegate Field Office.

6.0 Government-Furnished Property, Materials, Services

The Contractor shall furnish all personnel, materials, equipment, supplies, facilities, transportation, tools, materials, supervision, and other items and non-personal services necessary to perform the work tasks defined in this Performance Work Statement, except for those items specified as government furnished.

1. Unit boundaries are not marked. A GIS file and/or a georeferenced PDF map of the treatment area and avoidance areas for use in a GPS/PDF maps application will be provided by the BLM. The contractor will be required to accurately work within the boundaries provided. The BLM COR can provide a multitude of file types to support the use of the applications.

2. The BLM will provide a pre-work meeting at the project site with the awarded contractor, with the date and time to be determined after award.

7.0 Security and Administrative Matters

Regular Work Hours:

The performance period established based upon all work being conducted during regular working hours between 7:00am and 4:00pm, Monday through Friday, excluding government holidays. If the Contractor desires to carry on work outside regular hours, including Saturdays, Sundays, and government holidays, a request must be submitted to the Contracting Officer in sufficient time to allow satisfactory arrangements to be made for access to the work site.

Communications:

“Time” for communications received after 3:00pm, after 12:00 pm locally on Fridays, or after 12:00 pm locally prior to a holiday will not start until the next business day. All times are local Pacific Standard Time.

Federal Holidays:

The following Federal Legal Holidays are observed:

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New Year’s Day Martin Luther King, Jr. Day President’s Day Memorial Day Juneteenth Independence Day Labor Day Columbus Day Veterans Day Thanksgiving Day Christmas Day

Protection of on-site Improvements The Contractor shall protect roads and other improvements (such as fences, trails, and ditches) whether designated on the project area map or not. Vehicles or off-road equipment may not leave established roads. Access along the work area is by foot only.

Temporary Site Improvements Before any temporary camp, storage or service area is established on lands administered by the BLM, written permission shall be obtained through the BLM. A camp is interpreted to include the campsite or trailer parking area of any employee working on the project for Contractor. Such permission, if granted, shall be without charge to Contractor.

Contractor must remove and dispose of all said improvements when no longer needed.

Sanitation and Servicing The Contractor shall take all reasonable precautions to prevent pollution of air, soil, and water by Contractor’s operations. If facilities for employees are established within the project area, they shall be operated in a sanitary manner. Contractor shall remove from BLM lands all refuse resulting from use, servicing, repair, or abandonment of equipment.

Fire Danger Season:

The Contractor shall take every reasonable precaution to prevent a wildland fire from occurring from their actions on this project and shall comply with all applicable state laws relating to fire prevention. If the BLM Applegate Field Office issues a Fire Prevention Order due to dry conditions and high fire danger, chainsaw operations will be restricted after 1 pm daily.

All chainsaws will have an approved spark arrester.

Fire Watch The Contractor will provide fire watch services for one (1) hour after daily shutdowns in areas of operation, whenever any of the following conditions apply:

1. The National Fire Danger Rating is High or greater.

2. Directed in writing by the Authorized Officer.

3. Required by state law.

The fire watch shall be physically capable, alert and have adequate experience to perform the following duties:

1. Move throughout the operation area constantly on the lookout for fires.

2. Have means of communications with the Contracting Officer Representative

(COR) or Project Inspector (PI), and 911.

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3. Initiate fire suppression actions in the work area to prevent fire spread if it is safe to do so.

4. Notify the appropriate dispatch center or 911 immediately of the location and status of any unplanned ignition.

5. Notify the COR and Contracting Officer immediately of the incident.

Wildlife:

To minimize potential disturbance to nesting migratory birds and/or raptors within the Project Area, seasonal timing restrictions or buffer zones would be applied, as needed, consistent with General Guidelines for Seasonal Restrictions and Distance Buffers in Special Wildlife Habitats (table 2.24-3 of the Alturas BLM Resource Management Plan).

Prior to work starting, the Field Office wildlife biologist will conduct a site visit if necessary to determine appropriate restriction dates and distances. Adjustments to the seasonal timing restrictions may be modified or buffers around sensitive areas applied following the conclusion of the surveys.

Protection of Cultural Resources Contractor shall avoid operating in areas containing sensitive cultural resources within the project area. Avoidance areas within the project boundaries have been identified and these locations will be made known to the Contractor. These areas will be marked by flagging (red and black striped) hanging on vegetation surrounding the avoidance area perimeter. In the event that the flagging has deteriorated over time and may not be visible during project implementation the Contractor is to reference mapped avoidance areas provided via PDF (Avenza) Map. These areas, including the trees and/or vegetation that defines the avoidance area boundary, are to be excluded from project work and pedestrian access. In addition to the designated cultural resource avoidance areas, vegetation immediately outside or adjacent to the avoidance areas that is at risk of falling into the footprint of the avoidance area if cut will either be avoided (not cut) or directionally felled to prevent the disturbance of cultural resources.

Location of known historic or prehistoric sites, buildings, objects and properties related to American history, architecture, archaeology and culture, such as settler or Indian artifacts, protected by American Antiquities Act of 1906 (16 U.S.C. 431-433), National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 470) and the Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979 (16 U.S.C. 470aa-ll) (36 CFR 296.4 and 36 CFR 261.9(g)), shall be identified on the ground by the BLM. The BLM may unilaterally modify or cancel this award/Task order to protect an area, object of antiquity, artifact, or similar object which is or may be entitled to protection under these Acts regardless of when the area, object or artifact is discovered or identified. Discovery of such areas by either party shall be promptly reported to the other party and operations will be suspended at that location until the significance or potential significance of the site is determined.

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, obliteration, removal, or damage during Contractor's Operations. The Contractor shall immediately notify the BLM if disturbance occurs to

PWS Page 7 any known site and shall immediately halt operations in the vicinity of the site until the BLM authorizes the Contractor to proceed. The Contractor shall bear costs of evaluation and restoration in accordance with 36 CFR 296.14(c), provided that such payment shall not relieve the Contractor from civil or criminal remedies otherwise provided by law.

Public Contact Contractor personnel may have a close working relationship with adjacent landowners near the project area. When Contractor personnel are confronted with the news media, they may respond to general questions of the media with common sense approach and will refer all controversial questions to the COR. The Contractor will keep the COR informed of all news media contacts. When Contractor personnel are confronted with emergency personnel, law enforcement in the project area, the Contractor personnel will notify the COR.

Noxious Weeds The contractor shall ensure that any equipment use on the project site is pressure washed to reduce the spread of noxious weeds prior to arriving on the project site.

The contractor will be provided with a noxious weed identification guide for species that are known to occur in the project area. If a noxious weed site is discovered, project activities would cease in that area, and the COR would be notified of the occurrence.

Project activities would not resume in the area until treatments or prevention procedures are in place.

Safety The Contractor is responsible for organizing and directing all the equipment and personnel needed to fully accomplish the work and adhering to standard industry safety practices. The work site contains areas of steep, rocky ground and requires travel on foot, away from established roads. The contractor shall develop a project safety plan, as required in CAL-OSHA Standards SB 198, Chapter 1369, Labor Code 6401.7, that addresses hazard mitigations, and the procedures for treatment and evacuation in the event of a medical emergency. The Department of Labor CFR Title 29 and other Federal, State, and local government safety standards that pertain to the operations set forth in this contract, will apply in its entirety to the Contractor.

The Contractor will not require, or allow any employee, engaged in the performance of this work under conditions which are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to his/her health or safety, as determined under safety and health standards promulgated by the Secretary of Labor under Section 107 of the Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 U.S.C. 327 et seq.) as amended and other Federal, State and applicable local government safety standards. The worker is ultimately responsible for his/her own safety and shall not be required to perform work he/she believes to be unsafe.

The Contractor is responsible for being cognizant of and insuring compliance with the requirements set forth in this requirement. Such responsibility will apply to both the Contractor operations and those of their subcontractors. When violations of the safety and health requirements are called to their attention by the COR or designated representatives, the Contractor will immediately correct the conditions to which attention

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In the event the Contractor fails or refuses to promptly comply with the notification, the Contracting Officer may issue a written order to stop all or any part of the work. When satisfactory corrective action is taken, a written order to resume work will be issued. The Contractor will not be entitled to any extension of time, or to any claim for damage or to additional compensation by reason of either the directive or the stop order. Failure of the COR or designated representative to order discontinuance of any or all the Contractor's operations will not relieve the Contractor of his responsibility for the safety of personnel and property.

8.0 Technical Exhibits and Definitions

Standard Definitions:

Physical Condition The Physical appearance of Federal equipment or facilities that considers cracks, chips, dents, abrasions, rust, corrosion, general cleanliness, vibration, operating temperature, and discoloration and other items as identified by the COR. Physical condition may be determined by visual as well as diagnostic means.

Contracting Officer (CO) The Secretary of the Interior or designated authorized representative who is the only agent capable of signing a federal award or obligating funds.

Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) The Contracting Officer’s designated representative as indicated in a delegation of authority letter.

Quality Assurance (QA) Surveillance of Contractor performance to determine performance requirements are met.

Performance Requirements Summary (PRS) (see Technical Exhibit below) The PRS identifies the key performance indicators of the Contract that will be evaluated by the Government to assure Contract performance standards are met by the Contractor.

Quality Control Those actions taken by the Contractor to control the production of goods or services so that they meet the requirements of the performance work statement.

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Technical Definitions:

Chaparral: Shrubland plant community. Within the project area the chaparral is comprised of mainly of manzanita, wedgeleaf ceanothus, varied oak species and mountain mahogany.

Down and Dead: Dead trees or shrubs that are laying on the ground.

Handline (Hand-cut fireline): Fireline constructed with hand tools.

Keyhole: An area cut out of dense standing vegetation to allows for the placement of additional vegetation that is removed from of fire line construction.

Natural Barrier: Any natural area where lack of flammable material obstructs the spread of wildfires (e.g. rock outcroppings).

Hazardous Fuel: Vegetation within a landscape, such as grasses, shrubs, trees, that have accumulated to level that will support rapid or intense fire behavior in the event of a wildfire.

Mineral Soil: Soil layers below the predominantly organic horizons; soil with little combustible material.

National Fire Danger Rating: An output of The National Fire Danger Rating System (NFDRS) that provides the public information description of the relative severity of the current fire danger situation in a general area. Also know as the Adjective Rating.

Noxious weed: A plant designated by a Federal, State or county government as injurious to public health, agriculture, recreation, wildlife or property.

Shaded fuel break: An area with vegetation modified to reduce fire intensity by reducing understory and ladder fuels while retaining some overstory vegetation.

Snag: A standing dead tree or part of a dead tree from which at least the leaves and smaller branches have fallen.

Waterbar: A shallow channel or raised barrier, e.g., a ridge of packed earth or a thin pole laid diagonally across the surface of a road or trail so as to lead off water, particularly storm water. (Frequently installed in firelines on steep slopes to prevent erosion.)

Windrow: Vegetation slash that has been piled into long continuous rows.

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Technical Exhibit A - Maps

Vicinity Map

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Topo Map

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Imagery – South Half

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Imagery – North Half

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Technical Exhibit B: Photos Photo 1. Typical Fuel Loading on Ridge Line

Photo 2.

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Photo 3.

Photo 4. Approximate line location on ridge. South and west slope aspects.

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Exhibit C: Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP)

Work Tasks to be Performed

Acceptable Quality Level

Method of Surveillance Consequences, Remedies, and/or Deduction(s)

Task(s) 1-3 Construction of fuel break and fire line.

Fuel break and fire line will be constructed in accordance with the specifications listed under Section 4 of this requirement.

The COR and/or Project Inspector (PI) will conduct inspections that consist of:

a. Visual compliance inspections of work tasks will be made on a periodic basis across the project area.

b. Final inspections for payment will be made on the completed project. Contractor shall request a final inspection. Inspection requests may be verbal and documented within the diary and shall include results of Contractor’s quality inspections.

Inspections will be completed within ten (10) calendar days after the notice is received for each item.

For 1 or first deficiency the COR will communicate specific deficiencies and desired improvements to meet acceptable standards, and document communicated deficiency and outcome.

For 2 or second deficiency COR and Contractor will review written standards, briefing materials, and a 72hr timeline will be made to bring deficient activity or deliverable to acceptable standard.

Incentives/Disincentives

a. Contractor will be required to rework the area with deficiencies at no additional cost to the Government.

b. The Government will charge to the Contractor any additional cost of subsequent inspection of reworked area.

Positive or negative Performance rating at the end of the requirement.