B08_Attach_1_PWS_Keswick_Basin_Fuels_Reduction.pdf

Keswick Basin Hazardous Fuels Project

Performance Work Statement (PWS)

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

EXHIBIT X: QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN (QASP)

1.0 Background on the Government’s Requirement

Bureau of Land Management Redding Field Office is requesting 265 acres of equipment mastication of hazard fuels in fire prone areas on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) administered public lands within the Keswick Basin area in the Redding area of Shasta

County, CA. Heavy accumulations of hazardous fuels on public lands within and adjacent to the community of Buckeye have created elevated wildfire threat to infrastructure and resources. Established fuel breaks adjacent to infrastructure will improve access for first responders, evacuation of the public, and create tactically viable control features for use in fire suppression or prescribed burning.

2.0 General Scope of Work

Mechanized services include approx. 265 acres of mastication of live vegetation as well as downed and standing dead material. Leave tree species and trees greater than 8 inches diameter breast height (DBH) as well as selective large woody shrubs specimens will be retained for wildlife habitat and forest health. The project area consists of 265 acres of public land referred to as the Keswick Basin area in the Redding area of Shasta County, CA. Some manual cutting may be required in mechanized treatment areas to meet specifications. One base year and one option year will be offered to complete the total

265 acres regardless of methods utilized, no additional option years are identified. The

Contractor shall accomplish all mastication and grinding within the designated treatment area in accordance with the specifications.

Place of Performance

The services under this contract will be performed at Keswick Basin Hazard Fuels project area located in Shasta County, CA and contains approximately 265 acres of mechanical fuels reduction treatments on public lands administered by the Burau of Land

Management (BLM) Redding Field Office (REFO) (see attached map). The project area is located approximately 3 miles Northwest of Redding, CA, within Sections (or parts of

Sections) of the following Township (T) and Range (R) identifiers: T32N R5W Sections:

9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 21, & 22.

Driving Directions to Project Area

Keswick Basin Hazard Fuels Project: From Redding, California drive North on I-5

Interstate Highway. Take exit 682 for Oasis Rd. Turn left on Oasis RD. Turn left onto

Lake Blvd. Then turn left onto Quartz Hill Rd. Hornbeck Trailhead access point will be on The right-hand side (North side) of the of the road. Note: vehicle access to project area requires gate access provided by BLM.

Access Specifications

Access will be by both gravel roads (improved) and dirt roads (unimproved), which may require four-wheel drive vehicles. Access is by all-weather and seasonal roads. Seasonal roads may be impassable for several days after heavy rains or snow-blocked during the winter months. Cross-country foot travel of one-half mile to one mile is typical to the unit boundaries.

If an all-terrain vehicle is used, it shall be of such design that it will travel over rough, uneven terrain and not create wheel ruts and channels, or cause significant damage to existing trails or riparian areas. The vehicle shall be approved by the Contracting Officer

Representative (COR) prior to use.

Portions of the project area are beyond locked gates that require a key or lock combination for access. The Contractor will be given access to gate combinations and required agency keys to make access. Gate keys must be returned to the COR at the end of the period of performance. The Contractor shall lock gates with locks immediately after entry or exit.

Hours of Operations

The Contractor will coordinate their hours of operation with BLM, but the Contractor is not restricted to operating during regular BLM office hours. Equipment operations may not begin until ½ hour after sunrise and must end ½ hour after sunset on any given working day. Other hours of operation restrictions may be implemented during high fire danger or during previously scheduled events.

Security of Equipment and Property

The Contractor may leave equipment at the work site with approval from the COR. The

Contractor shall be responsible for equipment if it should be lost, stolen, or damaged. At the close of each work period, government facilities, equipment, and materials shall be secured. All personnel employed by the Contractor in the performance of this contract, or any representative of the Contractor entering the government worksite, shall abide by all security regulations.

Period of Performance

The period of performance shall be for one (1) Base Year and (1) option year. The Period of Performance reads as follows:

Base Year: October 1st, 2024, through September 30th, 2025 – 180ac

Option Year 1: October 1st, 2025, through September 30th, 2026 – 85ac

3.0 Overall Objective(s)

The objective of this work is to reduce wildfire threat by constructing hazardous fuel breaks near high-use existing infrastructure adjacent to private infrastructure on public land administered by the Bureau of Land Management Redding Field Office.

• Hazardous fuels will be reduced by masticating and grinding using equipment on slopes from 0-35%.

• Fuels reduction work will masticate, and grind standing or fallen dead and live vegetation to reduce future wildfire threat and improve overall stand health.

• Desired post-treatment state will result in 30-foot stem spacing tree-to-tree and

30-foot stem spacing shrub-to-shrub. Since trees and shrubs are considered separately in their thinning classes, overall stem spacing of shrub-to-tree will likely be less than 30 feet in many cases.

o Cut/grind non-leave live trees up to 8 inches Diameter at Breast Height

(DBH) to achieve 30-foot stem spacing between live trees.

o Cut/grind live shrub vegetation to achieve 30-foot stem spacing between leave shrubs, considering trees and shrubs separately.

• Specifications for leave trees will be followed, including where desired leave tree species, such as oaks, are present in denser than 30-foot stem spacing. This could result in some post-treatment stem spacings less than 30 feet.

• Minimize average residual slash or chip bed depth.

• Retain selective snags (>12 inches) for wildlife habitat.

4.0 Specific Tasks

Task 1: Masticate/grind, using tracked or wheeled equipment, live or dead, standing and fallen vegetation on slopes from 0-35%. Cut material will remain on-site.

Mechanized specifications:

• Cut/grind dead fuels (standing and fallen) up to 12inches diameter.

o Standing snags greater than 12 inches diameter may be left standing if they do not pose an immediate risk to operators, equipment, and ground personnel.

o Felled or downed material greater than 12 inches diameter may be limbed and left to lay on site.

o Where 18-inch DBH or greater standing dead snags are not present, retain a minimum of 1-3 snags greater than 12 inches DBH per acre.

• All live trees greater than 8-inch DBH will not be cut and will not be used in creating post-treatment 30-foot stem spacing profile.

• Live trees reduction operations will thin live standing trees less than 8-inch DBH to achieve 30-ft. stem spacing profile post-treatment.

• Scarring of leave trees will be avoided.

bbayze Cross-Out

• Shrub reduction operations will thin shrubs to achieve 30-foot stem spacing shrub-to-shrub post-treatment. (Consider trees and shrubs separately, so stem spacing from shrub-to-tree could be less than 30 feet in many cases.)

• Remaining stumps will be no taller than 6 inches above ground level, measured from the uphill side.

• No mastication of fuels will occur in exclusion areas.

• The average residual slash or chip bed depth should be 4 to 6 inches but no more than 12 inches deep per acre.

• Equipment operation is excluded within riparian buffers.

o Riparian buffers include 100-foot riparian buffers of ephemeral streams, 100-foot riparian buffers around intermittent streams, and 150-foot riparian buffers around perennial streams.

o Perennial stream riparian buffers will be marked in blue riparian flagging.

The Contractor will be responsible for identifying and excluding ephemeral and intermittent streams.

o Intermittent and ephemeral stream crossing sites that are allowable for equipment transportation during the dry season (May 15 through October

15).

Criteria for Selection of Leave Trees & Shrubs:

Considerations on the selection of leave trees shall be based:

- first on the species listed on the prioritized preference list (below)

- second on achieving the 30-foot post-treatment stem spacing profile for live standing trees less than 8-inch DBH and live standing shrubs.

- and third based on tree characteristics (listed below).

• Order of leave species preference:

1. Blue Oak (Quercus douglasii)

2. Black Oak (Quercus velutina)

3. Gray Pine (Pinus sabiniana), Coffeeberry (Frangula californica)

4. Interior Live Oak (Quercus wislizeni), Knob Cone (Pinus attenuate), Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia).

• Characteristics used in the selection of leave trees include the following:

o Has no apparent damage to the main bole.

o Is not visibly dead/dying.

o Demonstrates good vigor and is disease/bug free.

o Has at least 40 percent crown ratio or largest crown ratio if none greater than 40 percent are present.

5.0 Delivery / Performance Schedule

Prework Meeting

At the Prework Meeting the BLM COR and/or BLM resource specialists will provide an initial briefing on cultural resource sensitivity, critical plant species identification, and recreation concern.

Sensitive resource areas will be flagged and/or identified on maps provided at the pre-work meeting. However, if this protection measure proves inadequate to protect the sensitive resource areas or if new concerns are identified, discovery of such areas by either party shall be promptly reported to the other party. Operations shall not resume at that location until the significance or potential significance of the area is determined and BLM has approved to start work again under the appropriate mitigations. Updated maps will be provided to the Contractor after each change.

Mapping

Unit boundaries are not marked. A shapefile and PDF Map of the treatment area, including exclusion areas and riparian buffers (for perennial streams only), for GPS/ Avenza will be provided at pre-work meeting and updated maps provided as changes are made, and contractor will be required to accurately work within boundary of unit. Trailheads, intersections, and trail spurs are identified with recreation signage.

Additional Information

The Contractor is responsible for organizing and directing all the equipment and personnel needed to fully accomplish the work. The Contractor shall develop and submit a Treatment Plan and Schedule to accomplish the project objectives. The

Treatment Plan and Schedule will be agreed upon by both parties and incorporated into the contract at the Prework Meeting. The Contractor shall notify the BLM COR a minimum of 2 weeks prior to initiating work. All changes to the Treatment Plan and

Schedule will be agreed to prior to the changes taking effect. The Treatment Plan and

Schedule shall include as a minimum the following items:

1. Cutting Plan – Discussed in more detail at Prework Meeting.

2. Safety Plan – To include traffic control, identification of hazards, and trail closures if applicable.

3. Fire Prevention Plan – For prevention and control of fires, with detailed list of personnel and equipment.

Statutory Compliance

The Contractor agrees to conduct operations under this contract and other related business activities in compliance with federal, state, and local statutes, standards, orders, permits or other regulations. Failure to comply will be grounds for default in accordance with the default clause. The contract shall govern if such laws conflict with or preclude performance of contractual requirements.

Improvements

The Contractor shall comply with the rules and regulations governing the operation of premises which are occupied and shall perform the contract in a manner that will not interrupt or interfere with the conduct of BLM business.

Before any camp, quarry, borrow pit, storage, or service area other than shown on drawings is opened or operated lands administered by the BLM, written permission shall be obtained through the BLM and COR. 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 the Contractor. The Contractor must remove and dispose of all said improvements when no longer needed.

Recreation Resources

The Contractor will repair recreation trails to pre-treatment conditions where damage has been done to trail tread or trail drainage, and where user access is blocked or compromised. BLM recreation planners will be consulted for proposed treatments effecting recreation sites or along trails and roads to ensure recreation management objective. A trail system may be closed by the BLM during fuels reduction operations when heavy machinery is used on trails or trailheads. The Contractor will coordinate with the BLM on timing and duration of closures to public access. The closing of trails or trailheads on weekend should avoid if possible. As fuels reduction operations allow, trails will be reopened to continue public use. The contractor will notify BLM if a treated areas result in the public illegally driving off road or onto trails in the project area.

Wildlife Resources

The Contractor shall comply with seasonal restrictions administered by the Bureau of

Land Management project design features. The project area contains suitable nesting habitat for a multitude of species protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.

The regional nesting season for raptors protected under the act with the potential to occur within the project area runs from January 1 through August 31; for non-raptors, nesting season in the region occurs from mid-February through August 15.

Project activities that involve tree removal, vegetation disturbance, or other activities likely to cause disturbance to nesting birds within either of these timeframes will require the following design features:

A. Pre-project surveys

Project activities conducted during either nesting season will require surveys to determine the presence of active nests within or adjacent to project areas, no more than 7 days prior to commencing work. Surveys will be conducted by a qualified biologist and should begin as early as possible within the nesting season, when visibility due to lack of foliage is highest.

B. Implementation of Avoidance Measures

Where nests are found, a buffer of 250 feet should be established around the nest and maintained until birds have fledged or breeding activities have ceased.

If it is determined that a smaller buffer would be sufficient to prevent impacts to nesting birds, buffer size may be adjusted by a qualified biologist, in coordination with USFWS. The buffer would be monitored by a biological observer until project work has ceased, or the nest is no longer active. Any incidental take of a migratory bird will be reported to USFWS. No treatments and no on-site work will be permitted without a survey for active nests/nesting by a qualified biologist prior to project implementation during the reginal nesting season.

Any active raptor nest found will be reported to the Wildlife Biologist and project activities ceased within a 0.5-mile buffer until surveys indicate that project activities would not disturb nesting and/or breeding activities.

Sensitive Vegetation and Riparian Areas

Identified perennial streams require a riparian buffer of 150 feet within the project area.

Intermittent and ephemeral streams within the project area will require a buffer of 100 feet.. Perennial stream riparian buffers will be identified on the project map. Intermittent and ephemeral streams however will not be identified on the project map. The Contractor will be responsible for identifying intermittent and ephemeral streams within the project area and adjusting treatment specifications accordingly. Intermittent and ephemeral streams are streams that cease to flow in very dry periods.

Archeological Resource Protection

No fuels reduction operations will occur within flagged exclusion areas. Archeological features are protected by federal law and are prohibited from excavation, disturbance, damage, or collecting. Should previously unidentified archeological resources be found or uncovered, the Contractor must make immediate contact with COR and stop all fuels reduction operations in the immediate area of discovery.

Protection of Improvements

The Contractor shall protect roads and other improvements (such as fences, roads, trails, telephone lines, and ditches) whether designated on the project area map or not.

Protection of Improvements Not Owned by the BLM

The Contractor will notify all utility companies, or other parties affected, and plans for all necessary adjustments of the public utility fixtures, pipelines, and other appurtenances affected by Contractor’s operations.

When Contractor’s operations are adjacent to properties of railway, telegraph, telephone, or power companies, or other property, work shall not begin until all necessary arrangements to prevent damage have been made by the Contractor.

The Contractor will cooperate with all owners of above-mentioned property. In the event of interruption because of accidental breakage, the Contractor shall promptly notify the proper authority, and cooperate with that authority in the restoration of service.

When access through private inholdings or rights of ways are required, the Contractor will adhere to all stipulations and security requirements of the landowner to maintain project area access. Coordination with private landowners and right of way holders will be done through or in cooperation with the BLM COR.

Protection of Land Survey Monuments

The Contractor shall protect all known survey monuments, witness corners, reference monuments and bearing trees against any damage during Contractor’s operations.

Safety

The Contractor will follow all United States Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Standards that pertain to the operations set forth in this contract under Subpart

R, Special Industries Standards 1910.266 Logging Operations Standards.

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 not service tractors, trucks, or other equipment on BLM lands where servicing is likely to result in pollution to soil or water.

Contractor shall remove from BLM lands all refuse resulting from use, servicing, repair, or abandonment of equipment. If the contractor’s operations or servicing of equipment result in pollution to soil or water, Contractor shall conduct cleanup to restore the polluted site to the previous observed conditions, and approved by the COR.

6.0 Government-Furnished Property, Materials, Services

General

The Contractor shall furnish all personnel, materials, equipment, supplies, facilities, transportation, tools, 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 property and services.

Materials

The Contractor shall furnish all materials necessary to meet the requirement of this contract except for those items specified as government-furnished property and services.

Equipment

The Contractor shall furnish equipment necessary to meet the requirement of this contract except for those items specified as government-furnished property and services.

7.0 Security and Administrative Matters

Regular Work Hours

Unless otherwise specified, work hours under this task order shall be limited to the time between one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset each day.

Work being done on Saturday, Sunday, or Federal holidays must be coordinated with and authorized by the BLM COR.

Federal Holidays

The following Federal Legal Holidays are observed:

New Year’s Day Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

President’s Day Memorial Day

Independence Day Labor Day

Columbus Day Veterans Day

Thanksgiving Day Christmas Day

Juneteenth National Independence Day

Fire Danger Season

The Contractor shall take every reasonable precaution to prevent a wildland fire from occurring from his or her actions on this project. The Contractor must provide a fire mitigation and response plan to the BLM COR which outlines the Contractor’s fire prevention equipment at site, fire response/reporting actions, and evacuation plan in the event of a Wildfire start at or adjacent to the project site. The Authorized Officer may, under certain conditions, require fire prevention and control measures in addition to those required by applicable state laws and regulations. This may include but will not be limited to changes in daily work schedules or full closure of operations due to extreme fire risk.

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.

EXHIBIT X: 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: Mastication

All trees and brush growing between leave trees less than 8” DBH.

Where tree species are not present, large woody shrub specimens may be selected for retention.

Residual slash or chip bed depth should be no more than 12” deep.

Mastication will also include treatment of dead and downed woody material present prior to treatment. All woody debris that is not in contact with the ground

(e.g. suspended/ propped up by limbs) should be masticated up to the woody material diameter that the machine allows.

Fuel breaks will be cut to build a 30’ stem spacing profile.

The COR and/or Project Inspector (PI) will conduct government inspections. The Contractor (or designated representative) is encouraged to be present to observe inspections. Summary results will be made available on request. Government inspections will consist of:

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

Such inspections are not final and do not constitute acceptance by the Government.

b. Final Inspections

Final inspections for payment will be made on the completed project unit unless otherwise agreed upon in writing. Contractor shall request a final inspection.

Inspection requests shall be verbal and documented within the diary or in writing and pursuant to FAR 52.246-4, 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. If a formal request for an item inspection is within the ten (10) working days since the previous request, the time will not start until the time for the previous inspection expires.

The Contractor will be responsible for ensuring his or her crew can identify leave trees and cut to desired spacing distances.

The contractor will be made aware of the deficiencies and documented in the

COR’s diary. Deficiencies will need to be corrected within 48 hours unless the

BLM representative states otherwise.

Incentives/Disincentives

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

Government.

b. The Government will charge to the

Contractor any additional cost of subsequent inspection of reworked area.

c. Positive or negative Performance rating at the end of the contract (this will have definitive impacts on the resulting

CPARS).