Attachment_8_Site_Visit_Q___A_0003.pdf

RFQ 140L6424Q0041 LCNCA HQ Mesquite Thinning

Site Visit Notes

Q: SOW states some trees per acre ranges, do you have an actual tree per acre count?

A: We do not have an actual count, it is an estimate, we used the industry standard breakdown of 0-100 t/ac, 100-200 t/ac. In the areas where we identify 0-=100 t/ac, most of that is going to be in the 80-100 t/ac range, in the area we identified as 100-200t/ac, most of those areas are going to be in the 150 175 t/ac range.

Q: How many trees are you wanting to be left?

A: We are looking for a scattering of 12 foot or greater mesquite trees, looking for 3-4 trees an acre.

Everything else can be thinned.

Q: Can We camp onsite?

A: No camping at this time for the thinning contractors, hotels accommodations are available in Sierra Vista or Tucson.

Q: Are the unit boundaries physically marked?

A: No, the unit boundaries are not going to be physically marked, we can provide a geo-referenced PDF map for use in Avenza maps. Most of the unit boundaries are fairly evident, ex. Roads, fence lines, hard tree line, two track road. We will mark the leave areas with flagging or lathe and flagging, which will be pink in color.

Q: Are the leave areas included in the 686?

A: Yes but no work will be implemented within the leave areas. Calculate your cost per acre for the whole acreage, but we will not be completing any work in the leave areas.

Q: Any setback areas around the ponds?

A: Yes, we will not thin any trees that are in the bank or immediately adjacent to the bank of the dirt tanks so that the banks are not compromised. The dirt tank in the southern portion has a easily identifiable tree line we will avoid, the tank in the northern unit has a fence line around it as a boundary.

Q: Are there any camping areas and what time of year are they busy?

A: The area around the airstrip (northern unit) is a high visitor use area with multiple large groups events such as bird dog trials, horse back rides, etc. It also receives a lot of day use and overnight dispersed camping during the fall winter and spring months. We will work with the contractor in coordinating when the large, permitted events will occur, which is generally during the weekends. We will also coordinate with the contractor with the day use and camping. Higher visitor use occurs during the weekends, will implement the thinning work during the weekdays. If we have an area that is continually occupied, we will coordinate with the contractor and designate a safety area around the site and exclude it from the project.

Q: If we hit a waterline (underground) is there a contact?

A: Yes, the COR and PI will be identified during contract implementation, notify the COR and/or PI immediately.

Q: Are there any root or root ball grubbing depths requirements?

A: The only requirement is that the root ball be completely removed from the ground and all roots severed from the root ball. There is no need to continue to dig for roots, both tap or lateral, once the root ball is removed.

Q: The SOW mentioned a 12-inch bucket or narrowest based on the equipment size, are you open to alternative buckets?

A: We are open to various bucket styles, example a bucket with an open back or mini root knife style bucket. Use the narrowest bucket that can be utilized on the equipment without exposing the boom/bucket connection point to unnecessary damage. We are looking to move the least amount of dirt possible to remove the mesquite trees.

Q: Do you have a place that we can store equipment?

A: We do have limited space in our BLM wareyard at the Empire Ranch headquarters to store equipment.

We have also had contractors stage equipment within the treatment unit during the week as well.

Q: Are there any Bio-mass remove options, such as chipping, etc.?

A: The only requirement for the slash generated during the thinning process is that it be windrowed.

There are no requirements to manipulate the windrows (ex. condense, compact, compact) once the slash is placed in them. We ask that you not place windrows immediately adjacent to roads or fence lines. We do recommend a hydraulic thumb attachment on the equipment to assist with grubbing and slash windrowing.

Q: Do we have to have a tracked vehicle?

A: We are open to rubber-tired vehicles, but we have found that the tracked equipment works the best in this terrain, particularly when you get onto a slope. We will also be monitoring the ground disturbance of both tracked and rubber tired vehicles, particularly with skid steered equipment. We will need to keep the ground disturbance to a minimum.

Q: What is the period of performance?

A: The period of performance will be Oct 1 through June 30. This allows for enough time to get the project completed even with any potential weather delays, equipment issues, etc. This also keeps us from working during monsoon season and the associated higher rain fall events.

Q: Any safety equipment requirements?

A: We usually ask that you have a 5- or 10-pound ABC fire extinguisher. Particularly if work is occurring during fire season or high fire danger events. If a fire is started during thinning operations and it can quickly and safely be extinguished, that’s great, but the BLM will error on the side of caution and ask that the contractor contact the COR and/or the PI immediately so that we can get the appropriate resource enroute as soon as possible.

Q: What type of trucks, UTVs, and vehicles are acceptable for fueling and equipment maintenance?

A: UTVs, trucks, and trucks with trailers are acceptable for use to service and fuel equipment. We ask that you continually move the staging area or access points where possible, to prevent the development of two tracks off of the main roads. There may be times where fence lines or topography may limit access to some portions of the treatment units. The BLM will monitor these access routes and will work to limit access (signage) and rehab these once the work is completed.

Q: Are we allowed to place a fuel storage tank on site?

A: Yes, we will allow a bulk fuel storage tank to be placed in the BLM wareyard as long as the tank is double walled (built in secondary containment) or single walled and set in a secondary containment unit.

Q: Will there be any visitor or camper notice when the work will be completed?

A: We will coordinate with BLM staff (Recreation Planner, Park Rangers) once work has started to get the dates of the permitted events (horse back rides, dog trials) and the COR/PI will work with the contractor when working around the day use and camp sites.

Q: Is this the only site visit?

A: Yes this is the only scheduled site visit.

Q: What is the award time or when will this be awarded?

A: We generally have these types of contracts awarded within three weeks of close of the RFQ. This allows some processing time, proposal review, and document completion. That is the general time frame, it may be shorter or a bit longer depending on other circumstances. We will work to get this contract awarded as soon as possible following the close of the RFQ.

Q: Will we be notified if we do not get awarded the contract?

Q: Generally, only the awardee is notified. The information will be posted on SAM.gov, and offerors may contact the Contract Specialist for updates.

Q: How do we approach leave trees if we come across a large clump of 12 foot tall trees or greater?

What is the process if we are not sure?

A: Contact the COR or PI if you are not sure if you should leave trees. We will work with the contractor closely during the first week of the contract and will be available for questions or concerns at any time during implementation. If in doubt, leave it until the COR or PI has a chance to come out and scout the situation out.

Q: Would you consider the use of a skid steer with a tree pulling attachment?

A: We can take a look at it, we would be concerned about the skid steer not having enough weight to pluck anything but the smallest trees. We would also be concerned about the back and forth that would be required to get all of the trees in a single swath or grid of the unit, in particular the ground disturbance created with the skid steer for both tracked and rubber tired equipment. Also would be concerned with how the slash would be windrowed once plucked from the ground. We do not want the use of a blade or other fixed attachment pushing the slash into windrows.

Q: Is there any particular way that the slash needs to be windrowed?

A: No, it can be orientated in any direction as long as it is not windrowed along roads or fence lines.

Other general notes:

• The unit is in a high visitor use area and is very visible to the public and BLM, we will be looking for very clean efficient work to be completed during implementation of the contract.

• The west boundary of each of the units is along a buried gas pipeline. The contract will be responsible for blue stake and coordinating with the gas company. The BLM can assist in getting a contact name and number but the coordination and marking of where trees can and con not be grubbed along the pipeline will be the responsibility of the contractor.

• The area is an active grazing allotment and there may be cattle in the unit during thinning operations, please ensure that you leave the gates as you find them.

• A low boy can transport equipment into the southern portion of the unit, but the northern portion of the unit will need to have the equipment walked over. There is a cement low water crossing that can not be driven around due to riparian and T& E habitat, so the contractor will need to be able to cross the cement crossing without damaging the cement. The BLM can coordinate with our resources and attempt to fix potholes on the approach to each side of the crossing.

• The area is south of I10 and considered to be within the border watch out area. We have not had much traffic or problems due to this, but we will check with our law enforcement prior to implementation to get an update of the traffic potential in the area.

• Access will need to be scouted out, look for fence lines, topography, cattle guards and any other items that may limit or change access to the treatment units and plan accordingly.