Statement_of_Work_.docx

Statement of Work Lucky Mullan Hazardous Fuels Reduction Slashing, Pruning, Handpile and Cover

1. Introduction: The Coeur d’Alene Field Office, Coeur d’Alene District, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is soliciting fuels management services to treat vegetation to reduce the risk of wildland fires and improve forest health.

2. Location of Project Area: The unit to be bid on and treated is within the Mullan Forest Health Collaborative project area. The project area is located in Shoshone County, within an hour’s drive from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. The project area can be accessed by traveling east on Interstate 90 from Coeur d’Alene to Mullan, Idaho. Take Exit 68 you will be on River St. / I-90 business route. To access Lucky Mullan Units 1 and 2 drive north out of Mullan, up 2nd St. approximately ½ mile. To access Unit 3 continue East on River St. / I-90 business route approximately 3 miles. See attached maps for more details.

3. Purpose: This contract is for the purposes of reducing the risk of wildfire to firefighters, and the public. These activities are in response to the Shoshone County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP). The hazardous fuels reduction work is identified as a high priority by the Shoshone County Commissioners.

4. Scope of Work: This Task Order is for approximately 36 acres of slashing, hand piling, cover and pruning activities in the Lucky Mullan Units.

The specifications for the units are the following:

· Line Item 1: #0007AH- Level VIII. Slashing, Hand piling and Cover (36 acres).

· Line Item 2: #0008AC-Level III- Fuel Modification Zone - Timber Stands- Pruning (36 acres).

The specifications for the Units are the following:

Lucky Mullan Units #1(16 acres), Unit #2(14 acres) and Unit #3(6 acres) for 36 acres total: Slashing, Pruning, Handpiling and Cover (crown closure of material to be hand severed and piled and covered is estimated to be from 31 to 60 percent total cover. Slope is 31- 55%).

Leave all aspen, birch, and cottonwood species regardless of size class.

Cut all understory vegetation (alive or dead) up to 7” Diameter at Breast Height (DBH); stumps and stobs created from severing will be less than 6 inches in height. In areas where trees greater than 7” DBH do not exist, favor the best leave tree using 20 X 20 foot spacing. Favor ponderosa pine, western larch, western white pine, western red cedar, Douglas fir and then Grand fir tree species respectively.

Pile all slash between 0.25 and 7 inches in diameter. Slash less than 0.25 inch in diameter or greater than 8 inches in diameter shall be left on the ground to decompose. Slash and pile any blown-down material less than 7” DBH. Any blown-down material greater than 7” DBH can be bucked into 6’ lengths in order to orient the material on the surface of the ground. Ensure that no vegetation (limbs or bole) persists above 1.5’ in height.

Orient the piles in an area free of trees that are to remain on site. Build the piles in a conical shape without significant gaps in the center, composed of a compliment of fine fuel to initiate the burning of the pile when operations are planned. Avoid stacking slash in horizontal rows that simulate a firewood stack, they do not burn. Piles built as specified above will be a minimum of 3.5 feet in height and a maximum of 8 feet in diameter. Material to cover the piles shall be provided by the contractor. Cover material shall be thick craft paper such that at least 50% of the pile’s surface area shall be covered. Favor the downhill side of the pile for covering.

Unit #1 (16 acres) and Unit #2 (14 acres) and Unit #3(6 acres) for 36 acres total: Fuel Modification Zone - Timber Stands- Pruning.

All leave trees shall be pruned of live and dead limbs and branches to 8 feet above ground level. Live and dead limbs and branches shall be cut cleanly and as close to the bole of the tree as possible. Tree limbs and branches that attach to the bole above the designated pruning height, but have limbs or branches extending into the pruning height area, shall be pruned so they do not extend below the designated height. Limbs and branches severed will be placed in constructed handpiles from slashing activities.

All pruning shall be done using non-mechanized hand saws and or pruning shears.

5. Project Boundary Marking: The location and access to the areas are shown on the vicinity map and project location map (attachments 1 - 4). The project unit boundaries will be identified by pink flagging along boundary perimeters. Prior to implementing, a pre-work meeting will be held on the project area with the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) and Project Inspector (PI). The intent is to ensure the contractor understands markings, unit locations and specifications of the contract, and review the contractor’s plan of operations. It is encouraged that all potential contractors complete a thorough site visit before bidding on the contract.

6. Access: Access roads to the project area are identified on the map. If roads or any type of access become subject to damage, because of adverse weather conditions or other natural causes, the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) will relay that information to the contractor by phone, email, or in person and the contract could be delayed.

7. Notification of Cessation or Restart of work: The Contractor will notify the COR prior to ceasing operations for three or more days, and will notify the COR before re-starting operations after a shutdown of three or more days. This can be done by phone, E- mail, or in person.

8. Personnel Requirements: The Contractor must maintain an adequate work force at all times to ensure timely completion of the work and is responsible for the crew knowing the requirements of the contract. The crew is also responsible for maintaining a safe working environment. The Contractor or designated representative (Crew Leader) must attend the pre-work meeting and inform the COR of the crew size and identified Crew Leader.

9. Crew Leader: The Crew Leader shall have the ability to implement this project with crewmembers in a safe and efficient manner. Safety to personnel and general public is the number one priority. All crew members will wear the appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) while working on site. PPE includes wearing 8 inch high leather boots, long sleeved shirts, hardhat, eye protection, leather gloves, hearing protection, and chainsaw chaps. A Crew Leader must be on-site directing work at all times. Failure to produce a qualified on-the-ground Crew Leader will result in the Contracting Officer (CO) issuing a Suspend Work Order. Prior to any work starting, the Crew Leader will have a documented safety briefing with all crewmembers. The documentation will be passed on to the Project Inspector (PI) or COR.

10. Detailed Unit Information: It shall be the responsibility of the Contractor (i.e. knowledge and experience of the project leader) to determine the quantity of work contained within the established boundaries of the project. Acreage of the units was determined by calculations based on a horizontal plane using GPS technology.

11. Work Camps: Camping will not be permitted on federal lands.

12. Lodging: Meals and lodging can be found in many communities throughout the Silver Valley.

Inside the flagged or painted boundaries:

A. Protection of Improvements: All vehicles shall stay on roadways unless specific authorization is given by the COR for off-road travel. All garbage will be removed from the work area. Saws will be fueled and oiled at least 50’ from any water source.

B. All trees to be cut shall be completely severed below the lowest live limb, and the resultant stump shall be no taller than six (6) inches measured from the ground on the uphill side. The cut surface of stumps should be horizontal (level) when finished. Angle cuts are not acceptable.

C. There should be no cut aspen, birch, and cottonwood species. Evidence of such found in any piles on walk through inspection will result in “unacceptable cutting” designation and will be included in determination of work quality percentage.

D. Cut trees or parts of cut trees shall not be left hanging up in leave trees. This is extremely dangerous!

E. For specifications of slashing, handpiling, and cover see number 4 above, SCOPE OF WORK.

F.

14. Work hours: under this contract shall be limited to the time between one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset each day.

If the contractor observes general public within the work area during operation, the contractor will stop work and ask the individuals to please vacate the unit. If the individuals will not leave, the contractor will move his crew to a different location; continue to work and document that the individual would not vacate the area. The documentation will be passed on to the COR.

INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

1. Inspection:

A. The Government will make periodic inspections as a basis for acceptance and payment and recommendations for adjustments in work quality while work is in progress. The Contractor is encouraged to observe inspections while they are being made.

B. As the basis for payment, inspections for compliance with specifications will be made for work units reported as completed by the contractor. All plots will be averaged together to determine payment.

C. Inspections will be made on a series of 1/20th acre plots (26.3 foot radius) located randomly across each work unit. A sufficient number of plots will be taken to obtain at least one percent sample of the work unit. For example, on a 100 ac unit a contractor should expect a minimum of 20 plots randomly distributed throughout the unit.

D. Inspections will be made on the piles constructed throughout the unit. Piles will be evaluated by the COR or PI to be in compliance with the specifications in this contract. A pile that does not comply with specification is equivalent to 1 percentage point that goes into determination of work quality.

E. The following information will be recorded for each plot inspected:

2. Determination of Work Quality Percentage:

Work quality percentages are derived from data developed from inspection plots. The final work quality percentage times the bid price determines the pay. A work quality percentage of 90 percent or higher will result in full payment. If high stumps or uncut surplus trees are the primary reason for unsatisfactory work, the Contractor shall rework areas designated by the Government until satisfactory work quality is obtained.

3. Acceptance:

A. Satisfactory Work Quality: A minimum work quality standard of 90 percent is required.

B. Unsatisfactory Work Quality: Based on inspection results, if the work quality percentage falls below 90 percent, the Contracting Officer will immediately notify the Contractor in writing and instruct the Contractor to improve the quality of the work. If the quality of the work is not raised to an acceptable level within two consecutive workdays after written notification, the Contracting Officer may issue a stop work order.

GOVERNMENT-FURNISHED PROPERTY

The Government will provide the following items to the Contractor:

A. Various USGS 7.5 minute quadrangles (1:24,000 scales) of the project area (if requested).

B. There will be a BLM representative present (COR or PI) on the project for guidance and inspection.

C. Pre flagged or painted project boundary areas.

PERFORMANCE PERIOD

The estimated dates for this project:

Start Date: 7/16/18

End Date: 10/5/18

0 0.2 0.4 Miles

No warranty is made by the Bureau of Land Management. The accuracy, reliability, or completeness of these data for individual use or aggregate use with other data is not guaranteed. Map F - Logging cannot be made Section 508 compliant. For help with its data or information, please contact the BLM Idaho State Office Webmaster at 208-373-4000.

The su rface management statu s (“land ow nership”) shou ld be used as a general guide only. Official land records, located at the Bu reau of Land Management (BLM) and other offices, shou ld be checked for up-to-date information concerning any specific tract of land.

Map Scale 1:12,000

Legend

BLM Ow nership Roads Slashing/Handpile image4.emf

Mullan

Tract 1

Tract 2

Wallace Mullan

T48N R5E

T47N R5E

R4E

T49N

R5ET49N

R6E

020405 0103

11 11

02 06

32 35

29 28

23 24

35 36

3231 3533

22 19

Map A - Vicinity

Map Created: 3/16/2012 by Larry Kaiser

No warranty is made by the Bureau of Land Management. The accuracy, reliability, or completeness of these data for individual use or aggregate use with other data is not guaranteed. Map A - Vicinity cannot be made Section 508 compliant.

For help with its data or information, please contact the BLM Idaho State Office Webmaster at 208-373-4000.

The surface management status (“land ownership”) should be used as a general guide only. Official land records, located at the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and other offices, should be

1:75,000

Data displayed in UTM Zone 11N, NAD83

BLM

STATE

USFS

Proposed Project Area

Northern Idaho Vicinity Map

0 1 2 image1.emf

0 0.4 0.8 completeness of these data for individual use or aggregate use with other data is not guaranteed. Map F - Logging cannot be made Section 508 compliant. For help with its data

The su rface management statu s (“land ow nership”) shou ld be used as a general guide only. Official land records, located at the Bu reau of Land Management (BLM) and other offices, shou ld be

1:24,000 image2.emf

0 0.2 0.4 completeness of these data for individual use or aggregate use with other data is not guaranteed. Map F - Logging cannot be made Section 508 compliant. For help with its data

The surface m anagem ent status (“land ow nership”) should be used as a general guide only. Official land records, located at the Bureau of Land Managem ent (BLM) and other offices, should be checked for up-to-date inform ation concerning any

1:12,000 image3.emf