A04_Gila_River_SOW_24_Revised.pdf

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Gila River Tamarisk Mastication Bureau of Land Management

Statement of Work Request for Quote 140L6424Q0044

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

Purpose: The purpose of this order is to secure the services for masticator (grinding) of approximately 310 acres of salt cedar (Tamarisk spp.) within the Gila River Hazardous Fuels Project (see attached maps).

Vegetation: The project area vegetation consists of invasive riparian species of salt cedar. Vegetation in project area is approximately 50% salt cedar, 25% mesquite, and 25% Palo Verde.

Location: Work under contract is in central Maricopa County, State of Arizona, as shown on location map. Project is located approximately 28 miles northwest of Gila Bend, AZ and 9.5 miles north of Sentinel, AZ. Project is on lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management, Phoenix District.

Access to the Work: The Gila River Mastication Project is in Maricopa County, Arizona, approximately 28 miles west of Gila Bend, AZ north of I-8 (see vicinity map). The area that is to be treated under this contract is located along the Gila River Corridor east of Agua Caliente Rd and south of Painted Rock Road. This treatment will target all salt cedar within the unit. Project site is accessible in dry conditions with two-wheel drive vehicle. In wet conditions four-wheel drive, high clearance vehicle may be needed.

Although due to the sandy soils, four-wheel drive vehicles are recommended.

Site Tour: Prospective contractors are encouraged to conduct a site tour prior to submitting a bid.

SPECIFIC WORK REQUIREMENTS

Description of Work: The work shall be the mechanical removal of approximately 310 acres on mostly flat sandy/loam terrain. Contractor will furnish a minimum of one piece of masticating equipment.

Equipment maybe but not limited to tracked excavator type equipment with masticator for grinding or rubber wheeled tractor with mulching head. The treatment shall consist of mechanical grinding of salt cedar within the treatment unit. Specifics area as follows:

• The BLM will mark the treatment area boundary with red flagging and/or provide geo-referenced map of unit;

• The BLM will flag areas within the treatment boundary where mechanized equipment is not allowed with white and blue-ribbon flagging. The contractor will not treat or enter these areas;

• No treatment will occur outside the marked treatment area;

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• Any native riparian vegetation that is encountered will NOT be removed.

• The BLM may temporarily suspend work during periods of high fire danger;

• The BLM may temporarily suspend work to mitigate concerns in regard to migratory birds, T&E Species, etc.;

• The BLM may temporarily suspend work to mitigate concerns in regard to weather;

• The BLM may temporarily suspend work to mitigate concerns in regard to safety;

• Work MUST be completed by March 31, 2025. Physical work cannot start before

September 1, 2024 due to seasonality constraints established to mitigate any adverse effects to Southwestern Willow Flycatcher and Yellow-billed Cuckoo.

Surface Conditions: Equipment will be moved on established two-tracks and roads only and shall not be operated when soil becomes wet and the poses a threat of getting equipment stuck. If such conditions are encountered, the Contractor shall stop work and notify the Contracting Officer or Contracting Officers Representative.

Terrain:

Slope: The project area generally consists of flat terrain in the river corridor. Sand, Silt, and Lome are the primary soils.

Access to Work Site: Public or private access roads damaged by the contractor shall be restored, at the contractors’ expense, to the same condition they were in at the commencement of work.

Project Layout: The Government will flag or otherwise define areas to be treated by this Contract, as identified above. The Contractor is required to protect all section corners, benchmarks, and other markers and stakes as appropriate. The Contractor shall also avoid areas flagged in white and blue-ribbon flagging by the Government to preserve historical, archaeological, paleontological, wilderness, or other resources.

Cultural Considerations: Because cultural resources may be present in the area, project activities and any other action which causes disturbance of the earth’s surface shall be limited to those areas approved by the BLM. Deviations from routes flagged or shown on the drawings are not allowable without prior written approval of the Contracting Officer. The Contractor shall ensure that he/she, employees, or representatives do not collect or disturb historic or prehistoric artifacts in accordance with the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (43 CFR 7). Should the condition of the cultural resources in the area be altered during construction due to unauthorized activity by the Contractor or his employees, the Contractor shall be responsible for all costs of mitigating the cultural resources involved. If deterioration of the archeological sites is found to be occurring during the construction phase, work on the project shall be terminated until a data recovery plan is prepared and completed in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act (36 CFR 800). The Contractor shall immediately bring to the attention of the Contracting Officer any and all cultural resources including, but not limited to, historic and prehistoric sites or artifacts, buried artifacts, and buried features such as fire pits, burials, and house floors discovered as a result of drilling operations. The Contractor shall immediately suspend all

Page | - 3 -activities in the immediate vicinity that might harm the object(s), notify the Contracting Officer, and shall leave such discoveries intact until instructed to proceed by the Contracting Officer.

Work Camps: The location of any work camps established by the contractor must be approved in advance by the Contracting Officer. Contractor shall maintain the camp in a sanitary, orderly manner, and upon vacating the camp, remove refuse and any other signs of occupancy. In the equipment maintenance area, special precaution shall be taken to contain spilled fuel, lubricants, and wash water.

Work Hours: Operations shall be permitted only during daylight hours unless additional working hours are authorized by the Contracting Officer

CONTRACTOR PROVIDED EQUIPMENT

General: Contractor shall furnish at the work site all equipment, labor, supplies, and materials required to complete the work within the specified performance time. The Contractor shall service and maintain such equipment as necessary to maintain satisfactory progress on the work.

Tractor: Rollover protection structures are required on equipment regardless of age, as defined in CFR1920-1000-1002. Operators skilled in the operation of the furnished tractors shall also be supplied by the Contractor. Tractors shall be furnished and maintained in good mechanical conditions throughout the term of the contract. The Contractor shall furnish all required fuel, oil, and lubricants for operation of the tractors and the Government-Furnished equipment.

Motor Vehicles: The Contractor shall finish motor vehicles for hauling equipment and personnel to the worksite. The Contractor shall not load tractor(s) on public highways unless authorized by the Contracting Officer.

Fire Prevention/Suppression: Contractor Shall:

• Operate all internal and external combustion engines on federally managed lands pursuant to 36 CFR 261.52, which requires all such engines to be equipped with a qualified spark arrester that is maintained and not modified.

• Carry shovels, water, and fire extinguishers on all equipment and vehicles. Fire extinguishers shall be that are rated at a minimum as ABC - 10 pound. on all equipment and vehicles.

• Have means of communications with the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) or Project Inspector (PI).

• Initiate fire suppression actions in the work area to prevent fire spread to or on federally administered lands.

• Notify Prescott Interagency Dispatch Center (928-777-5700) immediately of the location and status of any unplanned ignition.

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

• Work will cease one hour before leaving the project site for fire watch.

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Government furnished Property and Service: The BLM will:

• Supply geo-referenced maps depicting project area.

• The Government will flag or otherwise define areas to be treated by this Contract.

• The BLM shall flag in pink and blue ribbon flagging any areas to avoid in order to preserve historical, archaeological, paleontological, wilderness, or other resources.

SEQUENCING AND SCHEDULING:

Work Schedule: The schedule shall be submitted at the pre-work conference. When requested, the Contractor shall submit an updated schedule within three (3) calendar days.

Start Date: Tentative start of work is September 1, 2024.

Performance Period: Complete work by March 30, 2025.

Pre-work Conference: A pre-work conference will be held prior to the start of work. The Contractor will be notified in advance of meeting time, date and place. The purpose will be to review required work, project drawings and specifications, construction schedules, payroll and payments, and administrative provisions of the contract.

The Contractor, subcontractors and the persons responsible for coordination of the work shall be present at the meeting.

The Contractor shall be prepared to summarize and explain procedures planned for the project.

Final Inspection: The meeting shall be held at the project site, or as determined by the Contracting Officer. The Contractor shall require his or her superintendent (if designated) to be present during the inspections. The Contractor shall correct any deficiencies noted and the project will be re-inspected by the Contracting Officer.

The Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer, in writing, at least three (3) working days before the completion date so the Government can schedule a final inspection.

MOBILIZATION, MEASUREMENTS AND PAYMENTS

Mobilization: Includes all preparatory work and operations, including those necessary to the movement of personnel, equipment, supplies and incidentals to the project site; and for other work and operations which must be performed, or cost incurred prior to beginning work on the various items on the project site. All costs associated with mobilization will be incorporated into the cost per acre to be mowed.

Measurement and Payment: Measurement for payment for mastication will be the number of acres satisfactorily completed in accordance with these specifications. Measurements will be made from GPS Survey. Payment will be made at the unit price per acre specified in the Bid Schedule and shall include cost of all work described in these specifications. All measurements will be based on horizontal

Page | - 5 -distances. Re-measurement of the acreage under this Contract will be made upon the written request of the Contractor. Request for re-measurement must be made in writing within 10 calendar days after seeding has been completed. If re-measurement indicates a difference of not more than 5% from the original measurement, the Contractor shall pay the actual cost of the re-measurement. Payments will be based on the second measurement where the difference between measurements is more than 5%. Where the difference is less than 5% the results of the first measurement will be used.