140P1221Q0065_Att_1_ROMO_BAER_EastTroublesome_HazardTree_SOW_2021.pdf

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STATEMENT OF WORK

Colorado River District Road Corridor Hazard Tree Removal Contract

Rocky Mountain National Park

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Project Overview………………………………………………………………………………………….………..2 General Specifications………………………………………………………………………………….………..3 Operations…………………………………………………………………………………………………….……….4 Mechanized Cutting Buffer Units……………………………………………………………………………4 Hand Cutting Buffer Units………………………………………………………………………………………6 Hand Cutting Individual Tree Units…………………………………………………………………………7 Debris Piling………………………………………………………………………………………………….……….8 Contractor Furnished Property and Services…………………………………………………………..9 Traffic Control…………………………………………………………………………………………………………9 Soil / Site Disturbance…………………………………………………………………………………………….10 Streamside Management Zones / Riparian Areas / Rare Plants………………………………10 Road Protection………………………………………………………………………………………………………10 Resource Protection..……………………………………………………………………………………………...11 Safety………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………11 Fire Precautions………………………………………………………………………………………………………11 Cultural Resources………………………………………………………………………………………………….12 Appendix A: Cutting Unit Photos & Image………………………………………………………………13 Appendix B: Project and Cutting Unit Maps…………………………………………………………….32

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I. Overview

The Colorado River District of the Rocky Mountain National Park has experienced heavy tree mortality due to the East Troublesome Fire. Many of these dead trees are located along road corridors within the Park and pose a potential safety hazard to visitors and employees. Fire killed and weakened trees present the threat of falling and windthrow adjacent to road corridors. Trail Ridge Road (US Highway 34) near and including around Green Mountain Trailhead are the central focus of this contract; included in this contract are options to mitigate smaller and less significant hazard trees along the road corridor near the Grand Lake Entrance Station and Kawuneeche Visitor Center. This project will be funded by the East Troublesome BAER Plan and Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act Hazard Tree Mitigation fund sources.

The intent of this contract is to remove dead and weakened trees, and trees susceptible to windthrow that could fall and hit the road way and parking areas. Except as noted below, contracted work on the Trail Ridge Road (US Highway 34) corridor will not be permitted between Independence Day and Labor Day unless approval is made by the Contracting Officer for reasons beyond the control of the contractor. The project must be completed by October 4, 2021. Contractor may initiate project work on any cutting units as soon as the Notice to Proceed is issued. However, all cutting must be halted, work areas cleaned up, and equipment removed by November 4, 2021.

The cutting units are within Grand County, Colorado and are located between 0.5 and 12.5 miles north of the Town of Grand Lake. Elevation of the project sites range from 8,000 to 9,500 feet. All work will be within Park boundaries. Local tree species include lodgepole pine, Engelmann spruce, blue spruce, subalpine fir, and quaking aspen. Trees designated for removal range from 4 to 24 inches diameter at breast height (DBH) with larger trees possible.

This contract includes approximately 125 acres of cutting units along 12.3 miles of road corridor. Attendance at the site tour for potential bidders is strongly encouraged and will be conducted on Tuesday, May 18, 2010 at 11.00 AM. The tour will begin at the Kawuneeche Visitor Center on US Highway 34 north of the Village of Grand Lake. Refer to the Appendix B for acreage of individual cutting units and maps. Cutting units begin at the Rocky Mountain National Park entrance sign and extend northward into Kawuneeche Valley and beyond Green Mountain Trailhead. Cutting units will be delineated on the ground with painted lines on trees; only the select individual trees to be cut in units designated “hand-cutting only” (Betty Dick region) will be marked. All cutting units are adjacent to a public road which provides good accessibility but creates public safety concerns. Traffic control will be provided by the Contractor as specified.

For individual cutting units, cutting and removal methods may include:

• Tree length buffer utilizing mechanized equipment and piling stem and slash material for future burning.

• Tree length buffer utilizing hand cutting and piling of stem and slash material for future burning.

• Individual tree cutting utilizing hand cutting and scattering of stem and slash material onsite.

Leave tree specifications are included in the descriptions for each cutting method.

Refer to the attached maps and images for preliminary information about each cutting unit. An inventory was NOT conducted; merchantable material may vary greatly at the discretion of the contractor. If an accurate tree count is desired, it is recommended that potential bidders conduct their own surveys. It is highly recommended that the contractor grid each block prior to bidding to understand the highly variable nature of the stand and the volume of work and provide an accurate bid; photos in Appendix A show only the largest timber and the most rugged and steepest slopes of the cutting units. Many miles of the cutting units are small diameter, low density, and include treeless meadows.

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II. General Specifications

• Width of cutting area shall be limited by the height of the tallest tree within falling distance of the road way and no greater than 100 feet from the road edge. Any trees exceeding 100 feet in height and within 1 1/4 tree length of the road way must also be cut after consultation with and marking by the COR. Contractor must notify COR of other trees that may need to be removed as soon as possible. Cutting units on slopes may require a wider cutting area as agreed upon by the Contractor and the COR for each unit.

• Leave live trees 5 inches or less in DBH and/or less than 25 feet in total height. If a live tree is unsound or poses a hazard to the roadway, said live tree must be felled in accordance with cutting unit specifications.

• Live aspen shall not be cut unless the tree could fall into the road way due to windthrow related to greater than 30% basal area reductions in the immediate area.

• Slash is defined as logs, tops, limbs, and other woody material, exclusive of stumps, which is created by the cutting operation and remaining on the ground after cutting. In areas where Contractor-created slash is intermingled and inseparable from pre-existing dead and down woody material, slash disposal requirements shall apply to the pre-existing dead and down woody material as well as the Contractor-created slash.

• All slash material to be left on site (in accordance with disposal requirements) must be lopped to a depth no greater than 1 foot above the ground.

• All slash must be scattered at least 5 feet from (unless otherwise specified for individual cutting units) and without unnecessary damage to residual trees. All scattered logs shall be limbed, placed at least 15 feet from trees and oriented so that material will not roll onto the roadway.

• Trees adjacent to the cutting unit which are damaged during contract operations shall be cut at the Contractors expense when identified by COR (don't leave snags / stobs created during project). Contractor must notify COR as soon as possible of residual tree damage that occurs.

• All roads adjacent to these units shall be kept free of cut material. Cut vegetation shall be felled along the contour as much as possible for water runoff soil movement protection.

• Material must be cleared from trails, wet areas, streamside management zones, and other areas designated on the cutting unit map within 1 day of cutting material. An exemption is granted for the Green Mountain Trailhead which will remain closed during the duration of the contract.

• Material must be cleared from the road way immediately when the road is open for use to allow for passage of vehicular traffic. If a road closure is in effect, the Contractor must clear the road by the end of the day.

• Insofar as practicable, necessary rigging may be slung on stumps or trees designated for cutting.

• Location of landings and paths of equipment travel shall be agreed upon by the Contractor and the COR prior to use. No area shall be excavated or disturbed for the purposes of landing material.

• Unless otherwise specifically provided herein, the Contractor shall fell trees designated for cutting and shall consolidate or remove the material as specified for the contract cutting unit, except for occasional trees not cut or trees or pieces not removed for good reason and with written approval from the COR.

• Stumps shall not exceed 3 inches above bare ground on the uphill side, except that occasional stumps of greater heights may be acceptable when necessary for safe and efficient conduct of tree removal. Except for acceptable high stumps stated above, the Contractor shall re-cut high stumps so they will not exceed 3 inches on the uphill side. Individual cutting unit specifications may allow for higher stump heights during the project operation.

• Stumps shall be cut to required heights as operations progress (except for acceptable high stumps as stated above) to minimize the possibility of snowfall covering stumps.

• Stumps shall not be pulled out of the ground.

• Contractor shall cut exposed limbs from products prior to skidding. Contractor shall leave uncut those limbs that cannot be cut with reasonable safety.

• Digging is not permitted and the Contractor shall ensure that utility transformers, utility lines (buried or otherwise), or pole boxes are not damaged.

• Contractor shall ensure that structures within the contract area are not damaged.

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III. Operations

• Unless written authorization is provided by COR, NO contracted work is permitted along Trail Ridge Road (US

Highway 34) after Thursday, July 1st, 2021.

• Contract operations will not be permitted on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays or on other days as designated by the COR. Contract operations shall not occur before sunrise or after sunset. In the event that the National Park Service determines that the safety of recreation activity is endangered by the Contractor's operations, all or part of the Contractor's operations may be temporarily suspended or in lieu thereof, where agreement can be reached, precautions in addition to those set forth herein may be designated.

• Cutting units allowing the use of mechanized equipment may have additional cutting / operational restrictions.

Refer to individual cutting method specifications.

• No temporary roads shall be created for any reason unless authorized in writing by the COR for this contracted work.

• Sign post installation or other digging activities must be approved by the COR to prevent damage to underground utility lines locations along the road corridor.

• No road way snow removal is permitted by the contractor.

• All equipment to be operated off of the paved road way shall be cleaned of mud, plant materials, and exotic plant seed prior to entering the National Park. Hauling vehicles shall meet the same requirement before their initial entrance into the park; subsequent entries will not require cleaning unless ordered by the COR. Inspection for compliance shall be conducted at the National Park Service Kawuneeche Maintenance Yard at 149 CR 491 Grand Lake, CO 80447

• Turning areas for hauling vehicles shall be approved by the COR.

• Unless specified otherwise in the contract, roads adjacent to the contract work areas will remain open to the public and the Contractor shall provide traffic control equipment and personnel as specified in the Traffic Control section. During periods of operation, traffic must be permitted to pass at least once every 15 minutes.

The NPS shall monitor and administer any road closure activities.

• No ATV usage is permitted inside Park boundaries. UTV may be allowed in mechanized cutting units upon written approval from the COR.

IV. Mechanized and/or Hand-Cutting Buffer Units as appear on maps in Appendix C titled Onahu Ranch / Green Mountain Ranch, Green Mountain Trailhead, Kawuneeche VC Area, and Kawuneeche VC Area South

• Tree felling can be conducted utilizing mechanized equipment (unless in an area designated as hand only) or by hand cutting (if preferred by the Contractor). Material removal specifications in these units are the same regardless of cutting method.

• Minimum requirements as specified in other areas of the contract apply for mechanized felling units unless specifically state otherwise in cutting unit descriptions or with written approval of exceptions by the COR.

• Individual cutting unit information can be referenced in Appendix C.

A. Material Removal

• Width of cutting area shall be limited by the height of the tallest tree within falling distance of the road way and no greater than 100 feet from the road edge. Any trees exceeding 100 feet in height and within 1 1/4 tree length of the road way must also be cut after consultation with and marking by the COR. Contractor must notify the COR of other trees that may need to be removed as soon as possible. Cutting units on slopes may require a wider cutting area as agreed upon by the Contractor and the COR for each unit.

• Contractor shall vary the edge of the cutting unit up to an additional 10% of stems to leave an uneven edge when possible while still removing all trees within one tree length of the road as specified for the cutting unit method. An uneven edge is desired to break up the border of the cutting unit for aesthetic purposes. Variance of the cutting unit edge will be agreed upon for each cutting unit by the Contractor and the COR prior to project initiation.

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• Leave live trees 5 inches or less in DBH and/or less than 25 feet in total height. If a live tree is unsound or poses a hazard to the roadway, said live tree must be felled in accordance with cutting unit specifications.

• Live aspen shall not be cut unless the tree could fall into the roadway due to windthrow related to greater than 30% basal area reductions in the immediate area.

• All woody material greater than 4 inches in diameter must be removed from the site or piled for burning.

B. Stump Heights

• Stump heights may be left up to 3 feet high during project operation (upon agreement by the COR and the

Contractor) if necessary to catch material that could roll into the road way. These stumps must be cut to the stump specifications stated for the cutting unit prior to completion of said cutting unit.

• Prior to completion of the cutting unit, stumps shall not exceed 3 inches above bare ground on the uphill side, except that occasional stumps of greater heights may be acceptable when necessary for safe and efficient conduct of tree removal. Exception to the maximum stump height of 3 inches may be permitted up to 6 inches for other reasons as approved in writing by the COR for an individual cutting unit or area.

C. Material Consolidation

• If decking material for removal, log decks must be removed by the Contractor within 14 days after the beginning of deck construction unless approved in writing by the COR.

• Ensure log decks are stacked and oriented so that material will not roll into the road corridor.

• Log decks must be staged close enough to the road so that hauling equipment can load material while parked entirely on the paved roadway.

• Log decks shall be located no closer than 5 feet from the edge of the road unless approved by the COR. If decked material is located closer than 5 feet from the road, then appropriate traffic control, signage, or barriers must be utilized as required in accordance with traffic control specifications included in the contract.

• A landing is considered a place where any logs or products are gathered for loading. All woody material accumulated at landings shall be dispersed throughout the unit or removed as required in the material disposal specifications for the contract cutting unit.

D. Equipment Limitations

• Methods of skidding for particular areas, if any, are specified for the contract cutting unit. Products shall not be skidded against reserve trees or groups of regeneration and equipment shall be equipped with a winch to facilitate skidding.

• Skidding shall be dispersed to avoid creating a main skid trail except to avoid special areas such as reserve trees, groups of regeneration, wet areas, or as agreed upon by the Contractor and the COR.

• For equipment operating off the paved road, travel shall be dispersed over the site as approved by the COR to minimize soil or site disturbance.

• Rubber tired or rubber tracked vehicles may be used unless specific approval is provided in writing by the COR.

Other equipment may be approved for use, but a description of the equipment and mitigation measures which would be utilized to ensure natural resource protection must be included in the bid proposal. If steel tracked equipment or chains are used, the equipment must not come in direct contact with the paved road surface or shoulder area.

• No equipment shall be operated in culvert areas or wet areas.

• No equipment shall be used when rutting potential could exceed 3 inches. If equipment is operated and ruts in excess of 3 inches occur, the Contractor must suspend equipment operation and rehabilitate damage as soon as conditions permit.

• Areas utilized for parking equipment will be designated and agreed upon prior to project initiation. Parking areas must be located off of the road way or trails and within the designated cutting unit.

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• No skidding will occur on any portion of the road way or in adjacent ditches. Equipment skidding shall take place within the contract work area in accordance with the particular work area specifications.

• No ground disturbance shall be created using a dozer-type blade unless written permission is obtained from the COR for site rehabilitation. Equipment shall not be operated when conditions exceed allowable working conditions as specified for the particular work area.

• Other requirements may apply as specified in Soil / Site Disturbance and Streamside Management Zones / Riparian Areas sections of the contract.

VI. Hand Cutting Buffer Units

• Minimum requirements as specified in other areas of the contract apply for hand cutting buffer units unless specifically stated otherwise in cutting unit descriptions or with written approval of exceptions by the COR.

A. Material Removal

• Width of cutting area shall be limited by the height of the tallest tree within falling distance of the road way and no greater than 100 feet from the road edge. Any trees exceeding 100 feet in height and within 1 tree length of the road way must also be cut after consultation with and marking by the COR. Contractor must notify the COR of other trees that may need to be removed as soon as possible. Cutting units on slopes may require a wider cutting area as agreed upon by the Contractor and the COR for each unit.

• Contractor shall vary the edge of the cutting unit up to an additional 10% of stems to leave an uneven edge when possible while still removing all trees within one tree length of the road as specified for the cutting unit method. An uneven edge is desired to break up the border of the cutting unit for aesthetic purposes. Variance of the cutting unit edge will be agreed upon for each cutting unit by the Contractor and the COR prior to project initiation.

• Leave live trees 5 inches or less in DBH and/or less than 25 feet in total height. If a live tree is unsound or poses a hazard to the roadway, said live tree must be felled in accordance with cutting unit specifications.

• Live aspen shall not be cut unless the tree could fall into the roadway due to windthrow related to greater than 30% basal area reductions in the immediate area.

• Stem and slash material shall be removed as specified in the material consolidation section.

B. Stump Heights

• Stump heights may be left up to 3 feet high during project operation (upon agreement by the COR and the Contractor) if necessary to catch material that could roll into the road way. These stumps must be cut to the stump specifications stated for the cutting unit prior to completion of said cutting unit.

• Prior to completion of the cutting unit, stumps shall not exceed 3 inches above bare ground on the uphill side, except that occasional stumps of greater heights may be acceptable when necessary for safe and efficient conduct of tree removal. Exception to the maximum stump height of 3 inches may be permitted up to 6 inches for other reasons as approved in writing by the COR for an individual cutting unit or area.

• At least 95% of stem and slash material must be removed from the site or piled for burning (according to Hand Piling requirements). Up to 5% can be lopped and scattered to a depth no greater than 1 foot above ground and in a discontinuous layer so that no greater than 50% of the area will be covered with slash.

• Material may be removed for utilization or disposal purposes by the Contractor but wheeled or tracked equipment shall not be used in these cutting units. Other means of material removal may be utilized by the Contractor such that no residual tree, soil, or site disturbance occurs.

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D. Equipment Limitations

• Other requirements may apply as specified in Soil / Site Disturbance and Streamside Management Zones /

Riparian Areas sections of the contract.

• No mechanized equipment is permitted in hand cutting units unless authorized in written approval from the

COR.

• No equipment shall be operated in culvert areas or wet areas.

• Areas utilized for parking equipment will be designated and agreed upon prior to project initiation. Parking areas must be located off of the roadway or trails and within the designated cutting unit.

VII. Hand Cutting Only Individual Tree Units, as appear on map in Appendix B titled Hazard Trees North of Betty Dick Area

• Minimum requirements as specified in other areas of the contract apply for hand cutting individual tree units unless specifically state otherwise in cutting unit descriptions or with written approval of exceptions by the COR.

A. Material Removal

• Trees to be cut are designated by description and may not be individually marked.

• All dead trees and all lodgepole greater than 5 inches and/or greater than 25 feet in total height must be cut by the Contractor within the width of the cutting area.

• Live trees deemed unsound or presenting a hazard to the roadway by the COR shall be felled in accordance with cutting unit specifications.

• Width of cutting area shall be limited by the height of the tallest tree within falling distance of the roadway and no greater than 100 feet from the road edge. Any trees exceeding 100 feet in height and within 1 1/4 tree length of the roadway must also be cut after consultation with and marking by the COR. Contractor must notify the COR of other trees that may need to be removed as soon as possible. Cutting units on slopes may require a wider cutting area as agreed upon by the Contractor and the COR for each unit.

• Trees shall be felled away from the road when possible and stems left in place.

• Trees shall be completely severed from the stump and processed so that the entire stem shall be in contact with the ground.

B. Stump Heights

• Stumps shall not exceed 3 inches above bare ground on the uphill side.

• Stem material may be left in place when possible. Snags or stobs created in felling operations must be cut.

• Slash material shall be lopped and scattered to a depth no greater than 1 foot above the ground.

• All slash must be scattered at least 5 feet from and without unnecessary damage to residual trees. All scattered logs shall be limbed, placed at least 5 feet from trees and positioned so that material will not roll onto the roadway.

D. Equipment Limitations

• Other requirements may apply as specified in Soil / Site Disturbance and Streamside Management Zones / Riparian Areas sections of the contract.

• No mechanized equipment is permitted in hand cutting units unless authorized in written approval from the

COR.

• No equipment shall be operated in culvert areas or wet areas.

• Areas utilized for parking equipment will be designated and agreed upon prior to project initiation. Parking areas must be located off the roadway or trails and within the designated cutting unit.

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VIII. Debris Piling

• Contractor may pile all stems and slash by hand or mechanized equipment. No less than 95% of the material must be totally removed from the site or piled for future burning. Material removal specifications for the individual cutting unit must be followed.

• Logs piled in decks for burning is acceptable; all logs in decks shall run parallel to each other

• Piles of logs shall have a minimum height of 15 feet and a maximum height of 20 feet

• Piles of logs shall not exceed 30 feet wide; a minimum width of 20 feet is preferred but not mandatory

• Piles of logs may be up to 100 feet long; a minimum length of 50 feet is preferred but not mandatory

• Space between log piles shall be 100 feet or greater

• The lower 4 feet of log piles shall have a slope steeper than 70 degrees

• Logs may be left in whole tree lengths, with no material protruding more than 1 foot from the 70 degree slope at the base

• Hand-built Piles of small slash and stems shall be constructed in a teepee shape so they will collapse inward as they burn. Stem wood shall be stacked as vertical as possible to avoid tailed edges that will not burn if covered by snow.

• Piles will be constructed to meet the following requirements to facilitate burning under heavy snow load conditions.

• Pile height will be at least 8 feet high

• Pile width will be at least 10 feet wide

• Pile length will be at least 10 feet long

• The bottom 4 feet of the pile edges need to form a steep wall at least 70 degrees from level

• The branch material, material less than 4 inches diameter and rotten material must be piled first making the interior of the pile easy to ignite. Then the majority of stem wood greater than 4 inches in diameter should be piled around the exterior or on top of the pile. This will facilitate easier ignitions, tighter piles, and allow for fire wood gathering permits.

• All piles shall have a good base to prevent the pile from toppling.

• Hand-built Piles of slash and stems shall be constructed reasonably compact and free of soil to facilitate burning.

Slash shall be piled on the interior and stem wood stacked in a teepee fashion as described above.

• Piles must be stacked tight enough to prevent wind driven snow penetration into the core of the pile. Piles must be constructed with sufficient density to prevent the Contract Inspectors’ fist from penetrating more than 2.5 feet into the pile (this density is desired to prevent wind driven snow from entering the center of the pile). Piles in question of meeting this specification will be probed on all four sides at the most likely location and angel to allow penetration. Should the probe reach more than 2.5 feet in depth in more than 3 locations, the pile must be rebuilt. When stacking dead branch material, a saw is often required to chop up the pile as it is stacked to generate sufficient densities.

• Pile locations must be no less than 10 feet from standing trees or designated underground utility locations.

• Piles edges must be at least 30 feet apart to prevent one pile from igniting the neighboring pile during burn operations.

• Piles shall be constructed 50 feet or further from the fog line on road edges

• Piles shall not be placed in roads, ditches, or wet areas.

• Piles shall not be stacked on slopes such that material may roll during the burning process.

• Contractor shall maintain a description of pile construction specifications onsite for reference by crew members.

• Contractor shall provide the COR with an accurate count of piles upon completion of the cutting unit.

10+’

10+’

8+

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• Contractor is free to remove any merchantable material; all material must be removed from the Park boundary prior to completion of the contract

• Contractor may dispose of material in a location designated by the COR if piling on site of the cutting location is infeasible

IX. Contractor Furnished Property and Services

• No work camps will be allowed within the National Park for these projects unless at a normally operating Park campground.

• The contractor shall provide all labor, transportation, materials, and equipment necessary to perform the work as described herein.

• Security of materials - The contractor may leave its equipment and any Government-furnished property (if provided) at the work site. The contractor shall be responsible for the Contractor's equipment and government-furnished property if it may be lost, stolen, or damaged. If the Contractor is not actively working on the contracted project for any consecutive period longer than 14 calendar days, then the Contractor shall remove all equipment until work on the project will re-commence.

• Exotic Plants - Ensure that all equipment is cleaned off prior to operating on Government lands. Remove all dirt, grease, and plant parts that carry exotic plant seeds and vegetative parts. This shall be accomplished with a pressure hose. In addition, if equipment is found operating in an exotic plant area, the equipment must be cleaned before moving to another area.

• A working (English literate) supervisor, who is knowledgeable and experienced in the required work and supervision, shall be provided for each crew and is required to stay with the crew at all times while work is in progress.

• The Park recommends the use of a bar and chain oil made from natural oils rather than petroleum based products.

X. Traffic Control

• Traffic control must be utilized when the road way is open to vehicular traffic.

• Traffic control personnel must meet minimum Colorado Department of Transportation requirements.

• All flagging of traffic, all furnishing, placing, and maintaining of barricades, danger signs, detour signs, warning signs, and lighting devices shall conform to the requirements in the most recent version of the "Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways," U.S. Department of Commerce, Federal Highway Administration.

• Safety zones shall be established when timber cutting or yarding is in progress. Contractor shall, unless relieved in writing by the COR, provide flagmen, post signs, erect and maintain barricades, guards, construction signs, warning signs, and detour signs as necessary to warn and protect the public at all times from injury or damage as a result of the Contractor's operations. In addition, the Contractor shall provide a watchman for the area whose sole duty shall be to warn and advise the public of any hazards present in the areas as a result of this contract.

• The contractor is responsible for public safety when in their work area and must monitor for and ward away all public to at least a distance of 2 tree heights (in all directions) away from all felling operations (trail or no trail, road or no road). Trees with a cut applied to the stem for falling purposes and the tree in any other position then horizontally laying on the ground constitute felling operations. Any deviation from this observed by the COR or witness by park employees, will automatically generate a stop in felling operations until a satisfactory solution to the problem is discussed with the COR and agreed upon.

• Road striping is scheduled to occur between June 15 and September 30. Contractors will be required to coordinate and accommodate passage of striping equipment through the work zones.

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XI. Soil / Site Disturbance

• Contractor must ensure that proper Erosion and Sedimentation Control Plans are prepared for each work site and that all conditions are followed.

• If soil or site disturbance in excess of contract specification occur, the Contractor will be responsible for restoring site grade to previous conditions as determined by the COR. This may include grading or back blading with mechanized equipment or hand raking of disturbed areas. Method of restoring site grade must be approved in writing by the COR prior to initiation. Tire or track rutting is an example of site disturbance which must be rehabilitated and stabilized prior to completion and payment for the cutting unit.

• Seeding of disturbed areas will NOT be conducted the Contractor.

• Mechanical skidding within 100 feet of live streams shall not be permitted and in no event shall equipment be operated in live or intermittent stream courses. Skidding operations shall be conducted high enough out of draws, swales, and valley bottoms to permit diversion of runoff water to natural undisturbed forest ground cover.

• Prior to periods of accelerated water runoff, especially during the spring runoff and periods of heavy rainfall, the Contractor shall inspect and open culverts and drainage structures located within or adjacent to the cutting unit and take other reasonable measures needed to prevent soil erosion and siltation of streams.

• Unless otherwise agreed in writing, the Contractor shall keep erosion control work current with operations under the contract and in any case not later than 3 days after completion of skidding on each cutting unit.

• Where permitted, equipment must be operated within the boundaries of the cutting unit except when authorized in writing by the COR.

• Temporary erosion control devices or methods shall be utilized to protect designated sensitive areas. Sensitive areas include but are not limited to lakes, stream corridors, drainages, riparian areas, and wetlands.

• Silt fence may be required in periods of high runoff or heavy rainfall as identified by the COR.

XII. Streamside Management Zones / Riparian Areas / Rare Plant Species

• A Streamside Management Zone (SMZ) is a zone that contains riparian vegetation and other special characteristics. Areas identified as Streamside Management Zones (SMZ's) are shown on the cutting unit maps in Appendix C.

• Timber designation, conduct of tree removal, and/or slash treatment may differ in the SMZ from the rest of the unit. Unless otherwise agreed to in writing and notwithstanding the contract requirements applicable to each cutting unit, the Contractor shall not operate any equipment or fell trees into the SMZ. If a tree must be felled into the SMZ or trees designated for felling are located in the SMZ all material must be removed from the SMZ by hand and disposed of in accordance with contract specifications.

• If present, rare or sensitive plant species needing protection will be identified to the Contractor prior to project initiation. If rare or sensitive plant species are discovered, mechanized cutting in the immediate area of the plants may only be conducted during periods of sufficient snow pack (greater than 12 inches) in the designated areas.

XIII. Road Protection

• Hauling equipment must remain on the paved road surface at all times.

• Appropriate actions must be taken to ensure that road surfaces and edges are not damaged when moving cutting, skidding, or processing equipment on and off of the road surface for loading and travel to another site.

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Damage shall be considered any gouges, breaks, or any undesired modification which creates a potential hazard to traffic.

• Cutting, skidding, or processing equipment will not be permitted that will damage the paved road surface unless mitigation steps are taken to protect the road surface from damage. No metal tracked equipment shall be used for this project unless otherwise authorized in writing by the COR.

• Any damage to the road surface must be repaired to its original state as determined by the COR.

XIV. Resource Protection

• Designated woody material cut but not removed - Material shall be removed from contract area to the standard stated in the contract prior to payment upon completion of work. Excess material may be left on site when (a) leaving the incidental material is justified under existing conditions and written approval is received from the COR, or (b) when cut material is left by option or requirement under contract specifications.

• Undesignated woody material removal - damage, cutting, and/or removal of undesignated material will be sufficient reason for termination of contract. For resource protection, if undesignated woody material is damaged or cut unnecessarily, the material shall be identified to the COR upon the next inspection and approval by the COR must be obtained in writing prior to removal of or further handling of material. A damaged tree may be cut and any potential hazard mitigated as soon as possible if the damaged tree poses a threat to injure contract employees, the public, or damage private or public property. Prior to removal of undesignated woody material, written approval must be obtained from the COR upon the next inspection as previously specified.

• Any roadside ditches or culverts which are altered from their original state must be restored immediately.

• Furrows or ruts created in the skidding process shall be hand raked to the original grade as deemed necessary by the COR. Damage to structures, utility transformers, utility lines (buried or otherwise), or pole boxes shall be repaired prior to project completion. The contractor is responsible for any damages they cause to public or private property. Including but not limited to: vehicles, signs, paved roads, infrastructure and buildings.

XV. Safety Measures / Equipment

• Successful bidder must submit a safety plan to the Contracting Officer.

• All employees must have adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – i.e.- chaps, hard hat, hearing protection, eye protection, proper footwear, and leather gloves. Contractor and operators must follow all OSHA regulations which apply to the work activities.

• OSHA Regulations for tree removal operations can be found at http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=9862

• Hazard spill and cleanup kit must be maintained on job site when mechanized equipment is on site.

• All Contractor or employee conduct is subject to park rules and regulations concerning: littering, wildlife harassment, collecting, resource damage and other topics as specified for the NPS in the Code of Federal Regulations title 36 (can be found at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/ecfr/).

• Contractor must visibly post fair wage rules, injury rules, and other applicable rules at the work site.

• Saw gas must be properly stored in an approved “safety can” without damage. Cans should be no more than 5.3 gallons and have a fully functional lid or spout cover that is designed to relieve internal pressures if subjected to fire. Leaky cans, cans without lids, or lids that leak when knocked over must be removed from the project and the park. Fuel and bar oil should not be left on site overnight.

• Contractor must have minor spill protection and spill clean-up equipment on site, a tarp, 5 gallon bucket and shovel should suffice when working on the forest floor.

XVI. Fire Precautions

• No open fires on project site unless written approval is obtained from the COR.

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• Smoking is prohibited except in developed recreation sites, vehicles, or while seated in an area of at least three feet in diameter that is barren of cleared of all flammable materials.

• The building of camp, lunch, warming, and other fires within National Park Service property is prohibited unless authorized in writing by the COR.

• Operating or using any internal combustion engine, on any timber, brush, or grass covered land, including trails and roads traversing such land, without a spark arrester, maintained in working order is prohibited. Passenger carrying vehicles, pickups, medium and large highway trucks (80,000 GVW) will be equipped with a factory designed muffler system which is specified for the make and model of the respective vehicle/truck or with a muffler system that is equivalent or that exceeds factory specifications. Exhaust systems shall be properly installed and continually maintained in serviceable condition.

• Fire Extinguishers and Tools on Equipment - While in use, each internal combustion engine including tractors, trucks, yarders, loaders, welders, generators, stationary engine, or comparable powered equipment shall be provided with at least the following: (a) One fire extinguisher, at least 5#ABC with an Underwriters Laboratory (UL) rating of 3A - 40BC, or greater. (b) One shovel, sharp, size O or larger, round-pointed with an overall length of at least 48 inches. (c) One axe, sharp, double bit 3-1/2#, or one sharp pulaski. Extinguishers, shovels, axes, and pulaskis shall be mounted so as to be readily available from the ground. All tools shall be maintained in a serviceable condition.

• Power Saws - Each gasoline engine power saw shall be provided with one chemical-pressurized fire extinguisher not less than 8-ounce capacity by weight, and one size O or larger, round-pointed shovel with an overall length of at least 48 inches. The extinguisher and shovel shall be maintained in good working order. The extinguisher shall be with the power saw operator and immediately available for use at all times. The extinguisher shall not be affixed to the saw. The shovel shall be readily available to the operator of the saw at all times. Having the shovel with the gas can used to refuel the saw shall be considered "readily available" if not more than 200 feet from the saw. During periods of critical fire danger, National Park Service may prescribe other precautionary measures. Any fueling or refueling of a power saw shall be done in an area which has first been cleared of material which will carry fire. The power saw shall be moved at least 10 feet from the place of fueling or refueling before starting.

• Storage of Flammables - Gasoline, oil, grease, and other highly flammable material shall be stored at a site where all debris is cleared within a radius of 25 feet.

• Vehicle Refueling - All vehicles shall be refueled on an existing roadway or designated parking area which is cleared of any flammable material or debris.

XVII. Cultural Resources

• If any artifacts are exposed during contract operations, they shall be left in place and the Contractor must notify the COR or contact the Park Cultural Resources Specialist immediately.

• No rocks shall be moved during contract operations unless necessary and only after notification of the COR.

• If any burial or human remains are found the Contractor shall cease cutting operations in the vicinity and notify

Park Law Enforcement immediately.

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Appendix A: Cutting Unit Estimated Stand

* The estimated trees per unit varies greatly in both size class and diameter. If a tree count is desired, it is recommended that potential bidders conduct their own surveys. Images are provided as follows to provide contractors with a visual representation of post-fire site conditions; natural tree fall may alter the stand composition prior to contract award and implementation. The Green Mountain Road corridor as appears in the following images represent the most dense, complex, and steepest slopes of all cutting units.

Figure 1 Green Mountain Trailhead North

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Figure 2 Green Mountain Trailhead South

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Figure 3 Green Mountain Road Corridor

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Figure 4 Green Mountain Road Corridor

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Figure 5 Green Mountain Road Corridor

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Figure 6 Green Mountain Road Corridor

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Figure 7 Green Mountain Road Corridor

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Figure 8 Green Mountain Road Corridor

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Figure 9 Green Mountain Road Corridor

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Figure 10 Green Mountain Road Corridor

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Figure 11 Green Mountain Road Corridor

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Figure 12 Green Mountain Road Corridor

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Figure 13 Green Mountain Road Corridor

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Figure 14 Green Mountain Road Corridor

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Figure 15 Green Mountain Road Corridor

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Figure 16 Green Mountain Road Corridor

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Figure 17 Green Mountain Road Corridor

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Figure 18 Green Mountain Road Corridor

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Figure 19 Green Mountain Road Corridor

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Appendix B: Project and Cutting Unit Maps

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