A04_PWS.pdf

Cyclic Grounds Maintenance of Bandelier CCC Historic District PWS BAND

Bandelier National Monument

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS):

Cyclic Grounds Maintenance in CCC Historic District

PMIS 322939

DATED:

August 2024

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE INTERMOUNTAIN

REGION

Introduction:

Bandelier National Monument (BAND) is located in Northern New Mexico, within Los Alamos and Sandoval Counties.

BAND comprises over 32,817 acres, including a designated wilderness area of 23,267 acres and an 800-acre detached archeological section. The monument was created to preserve the numerous archeological and natural features that hold ancestral and traditional significance to 23 tribal nations.

The park contains the Bandelier Civilian Conservation Corps Historic District (CCC District), listed on the National Register as a National Historic Landmark. The CCC district includes 31 buildings, a 3-mile road, and associated maintained landscapes within Frijoles Canyon. Annual park visitation exceeds 200,000;

much of this occurs within Frijoles Canyon. The monument is located 45 miles from Santa Fe, 32 miles from Espanola, and 12 miles from Los Alamos. Elevation ranges from 5,300 to 10,199 feet with headquarters in Frijoles Canyon located at 6,000 feet.

Objective:

This PWS is for selected annual grounds maintenance activities within the BAND CCC Historic District, located in Frijoles Canyon (Map 1). The buildings and maintained landscapes of the CCC District, including all vegetation and landscape features, are components of the National Historic Landmark and are afforded the highest level of preservation and protection by the NPS. The overall objective of the project is to maintain the landscape in a way that preserves the historic integrity, promotes a desired aesthetic, and addresses wildland fire safety concerns. Maintenance includes a variety of activities including debris clearing and vegetation removal and trimming, using Mowing, Hand, and Mechanical methods (see definitions below). The work is to be accomplished according to the Work Area Outcomes and Specific Requirements sections below.

Lengths and areas are estimates and actuals shall be confirmed by the contractor- areas depicted in maps and SOW are estimated to be within 80-90% accuracy.

The work of this contract consists of providing all labor, equipment, supervision, and materials to accomplish vegetation treatment and trimming of the five (5) CCC district areas during the base year period of performance at BAND. It shall be solicited as a Base +2 options years for a potential total of 3 years of service. The base service will be funded in FY 2024 and the options years #1-2 may be awarded if funding allows and/or the Park chooses to exercise the option years. Option years may be funded non-sequentially.

BASE YEAR – Debris Removal and Vegetation Removal and Trimming Contractor shall provide all labor, equipment, supervision, and materials to accomplish the tasks listed in the PWS on the five (5) Work Areas listed above. (Also see Specific Requirements).

OPTION YEAR #1 – Debris Removal and Vegetation Removal and Trimming Contractor shall provide all labor, equipment, supervision, and materials to accomplish the tasks listed in the PWS on the four (4) Work Areas listed above. (Also see Specific Requirements).

OPTION YEAR #2 – Debris Removal and Vegetation Removal and Trimming Contractor shall provide all labor, equipment, supervision, and materials to accomplish the tasks listed in the PWS on the four (4) Work Areas listed above. (Also see Specific Requirements).

Definitions:

1. Work Areas: Locations requiring service of this PWS shall include:

• Entrance Road, Main Parking Lot

• Stables and Agoyo Road

• Historic Core – Courtyards, Patios, Walkways, Buildings

• Historic Core Perimeter and Roofs– Defensible Space

• Native Plant Garden at Visitor Center (BASE YEAR ONLY)

2. Mowing Methods- includes removal of grass and vegetation via weed eater, “push style” mower, field/brush mower, or similar CO approved machinery. No machines shall exceed 3’ in overall machine width.

3. Mechanical Methods- includes use of chainsaws, power shovels, compact track and skid-steer-type machinery, and woodchipper. No machines shall exceed 3’ in overall machine width with exception to woodchipper. Woodchipper shall remain on paved surfaces unless prior approval is provided by COR.

4. Manual Methods- includes use of hand saws, shovels, brooms, backpack blowers, and other hand-held compact powered tools.

5. Soil Amendments- Shall be bulk premium garden soil type amendment containing compost, sandy loam, and pumice. Shall be approved by CO through CM-16 Submittal

6. Mulch- The Park has designated areas containing down tree stock that shall be ground and applied to the Work Areas. Trees, and woody shrubs sufficient for grinding, removed from this PWS may also be used as Mulch. It is estimated that sufficient stock is available for Base Year. If stock is limited or exhausted, Mulch shall be acquired from within the Bandelier Mountains NP surrounding area/community. It shall be premium composted mulch or woody mulch, free from plastic, natural color and free of dyes, and sourced from one of these local approved retailers, or similar approved by CO:

a) Reunity Resources

b) Paynes Local Municipality is NOT an authorized source.

General Tasks and Conditions:

This PWS shall include, but is not limited to the following tasks:

1. Perform grounds maintenance to the Work Areas of this PWS per the Outcome Standards detailed for each Work Area.

2. Contractor shall provide all material, utilities, equipment, parts, and labor required to perform all the work of this PWS.

3. All machinery/equipment shall be approved by CO. Any limitations on equipment will be those to ensure that too large of machines, or those that may have unnecessary or unwanted impact on the site’s local environment, are not used- no ground disturbance is authorized in this PWS.

4. Contractor shall verify the linear feet or square footage of Work Areas to complete the task identified in this PWS.

5. Contractor shall provide a work site and environment that is safe for all individuals that may pass through the project areas and shall remain free of obstructions for safe passage. If necessary, Work Areas shall be cordoned off and secure while under performance.

6. Contractor shall provide vehicle traffic control for work on Entrance Road, to ensure visibility of project work, so no collisions, and/or off-asphalt driving occurs. Road must be maintained clear for at least one-way vehicular traffic while performing work that poses above risks.

7. Contractor shall leave the worksite clean and free of project related litter and/or debris. All trash and debris generated by contractor or performance of the PWS shall be packed out daily and disposed of properly; use of Government waste receptacles is not permitted.

8. Contractor parking, dumpster placement, and staging areas shall be designated by Park COR.

9. All work shall be performed Monday through Friday from 8:00 am until 4:00 pm. No work shall be performed on weekends or federal holidays without prior approval from CO.

10. No company signs shall be installed on government property. Smoking and eating shall be performed in areas designated by the Park. Employees shall be dressed in professional work attire, always including appropriate PPE.

11. Contractors shall notify NPS staff of scheduled performance dates at least seven (7) calendar days in advance to ensure access to secure areas.

12. While performing the tasks of this PWS, the Contractor shall be responsible for the protection of the Park’s natural and physical resources including: historical/significant items, grass, trees\shrubs, walkways, and utilities within the work sites.

13. Most areas are not accessible to wheeled or tracked vehicles beyond those with a 3’ overall width.

14. Contractor shall conduct walkthrough with Park for approval upon completion of each identified Work

Areas in the following section.

Work Areas: Outcome Standards and Timeframes:

• Dates listed are the performance dates for each Work Area. The outcomes identified for each Work

Area shall be maintained throughout the performance date range.

• All measurements are estimates and contractor shall be responsible for their confirmation.

• Percentages are used to show the amount of free /clear space in comparison to the space containing debris when the surface area is totaled. Example: “90% free from debris” implies that if the entire Work Area surface was considered only 10% of it could contain debris, when totaled.

1. Entrance Road Gutters and Main Parking Lot: October 15 – First snow fall or December 1, whichever is sooner

a. Maintain Main Parking Lot and Entrance Road Gutters 90% or more free of leaf/needle debris, loose vegetation, and loose rock. Use Manual Methods. Approx. 7100 LF*

b. Retrieve log materials from designated areas (shown in map section as “green crosses” ) and chip to generate Mulch. Apply generated chips to maintain 100% coverage at 1” -3” depth of parking lot island. Approx. 10 CY*.

2. Stables and Agoyo Lane: August 15 – April 1

2. Maintain Work Area road corridors free from herbaceous overgrowth within 6 feet of road edge using Mowing Methods. Approx. 1800 SY*

3. Maintain trees and shrubs along Agoyo Lane to maintain vehicular clearance (i.e., branches don’t touch vehicles). Approx 15 trees and/or shrubs identified by park COR may be removed.

Use Manual and Mechanical Methods.

4. Maintain vehicular clearance at 5 Recreation Vehicle (RV) sites and access lanes (i.e., branches don’t touch vehicles). Shrubs/trees less than 5 feet in height may be removed entirely.

Manual and Mechanical Methods may be used.

5. Remove trees and perennials growing in direct contact with the Stables Building foundation using Manual and Mechanical Methods.

3. Historic Core – Walkways and Courtyards: Seasonal wildlife presence and monsoonal rain influences maintenance

April 15th – October 15th

a. Maintain identified planters free of vegetation and debris. Planters will be identified by COR.

Use Manual Methods. Approx. 625 SF*.

b. Maintain walkways so that they are 33% free of excessive/dirt debris using Manual Methods.

c. Remove perennial shrubs as lifecycle progresses to thin courtyards to result in a naturalistic, open arrangement of shrubs: +/-25% may be removed (approximately 35 shrubs).

Once this density is established in Base Year it shall be maintained, at this density, during Option Years. Use Manual Methods.

d. Prune shrubs and trees away from walkways to maintain walking clearance (i.e. leaves and branches do not touch walkers). Shrubs hindering clearance that are less than 5 feet in height may be removed entirely to create desire walkway clearance. Manual Methods shall be used.

e. Maintain by removal the forbs from walkways to maintain walking clearance (i.e. forbs don’t touch walkers). Manual Methods shall be used.

f. Remove trees marked by park staff (approximately 12 small trees) within the “Cabin” Courtyard with a flush stump cut. Treat stumps with approved herbicide per manufacturer recommendations. Manual and/or Mechanical Methods shall be used. Option Years should not contain tree removals in this specific Work Area.

May 1st-30th

a. During the month of May contractor shall maintain Cheatgrass from reaching full maturity height by removing below the seedhead using Mowing and/or Manual Methods. Rake and dispose of at landfill. Approx. 900 SF*.

August 15 -September 15

a. Maintain courtyard islands grasses and forbs to a height of no less than six (6) inches above the ground surface (approx. 1800 SF*) but less than 12 inches in order to achieve a tidy appearance. Rake and dispose of at landfill. Mowing and Manual Methods shall be used.

4. Historic Core Perimeter and Roofs – Defensible Space April 15 – June 15

a. Maintain forbs and grasses to a height of no less than 6 inches above the ground surface and no greater than 18 inches. Rake and dispose at landfill. Mowing and/or Manual Methods shall be used. Approx 1200 SF*.

b. Remove 50% of perennial shrubs as lifecycle progress to result in a naturalistic, open arrangement of shrubs. Maintain spacing and arrangement through Base and Option Years.

Manual Methods shall be used. Approx 1200 SF*.

c. Maintain all Work Area rooftops and ground gutters 85% free from needles, leaves, and vegetation debris. Manual Methods shall be used.

5. Native Plant Garden at Visitor Center August 15 – Sept 30 (THIS WORK AREA IS BASE YEAR ONLY)

a. Supply Soil Amendments from approved sources (see below) and mix in with existing soil in the surface to 8” layer using Manual Methods (approx. 10 CY*).

b. Following the application of 5a above- Supply and apply Mulch using Manual Methods to maintain 1-3” depth. (approx. 8 CY*).

Native Plant Garden at Visitor Center April 15 – May 15

a. Install ½ inch PVC material-based soaker hose water system (heavy duty, tested at 40psi) (approx. 320 LF*). Product shall comply with Buy American Act. Installation is only required in Base Year. Option Years will have no requirement for service or further installation.

Specific Requirements:

1. Contractor is responsible for understanding the significance of the Park’s natural or cultural resources, their significance and irreplaceable value. Any handling or collection of them is prohibited. All staff performing services on this project, including any subcontractor staff, shall be educated, by the prime contractor of the criminal penalties for illegally handling or collecting cultural artifacts and/or natural products.

2. Contractor and staff performing duties of this project shall not disturb wildlife on or adjacent to Work Areas. This includes but is not limited to nests, burrows, animals, and intersecting game trails.

3. All removed debris and project waste material shall be disposed of off-site using contractor’s waste receptacles.

4. Any mowing in the Historic Core Walkways and Courtyards area will be conducted so that vegetation is cut no less than six (6) inches from ground surface to protect plants (maximum heights differ between areas, see above).

5. In the Historic Core Walkways and Courtyards, only trees marked by park staff, with flagging tape, are to be removed. Contractor will verify effective marking with Park COR prior to the work.

6. Contractor shall use a two-step pruning method for trees: Cut off the main bulk of branch using an undercut/top cut method, about 6-12 inches from the trunk. Make the final cut nearly flush with the main trunk leaving a ½ inch stub. Do not treat wounds with paint.

7. Succulents like cacti and yucca are not amenable to standard pruning techniques and should be severed at the root crown below grade when necessary.

8. For full tree or shrub removal, all stumps should be left flush cut.

9. Treat all stumps created by removal shall be treated with NPS approved herbicide according to manufacturer’s specifications. Additionally, treat any woody perennial removed at ground surface with NPS approved herbicide.

10. Herbicide will be an NPS approved herbicide that is an aquatic-approved imazapyr based product such as Habitat, Polaris, or Ecomazapyr 2SL. Weather shall be within manufacturers application recommendation and avoid any cause for overspray.

11. Contractor shall provide a documentation reporting herbicide application amounts and locations used at to Park after each area is completed.

12. No excavation or ground disturbance is authorized for this contract.

Surface Preparation:

1. Each Work Area shall be litter free before trimming or removal begins.

2. Contractor shall report any bird nests or non-rodent animal burrows encountered during the work and will halt work in the immediate area until Park COR can assess.

Submittals:

Contractor will submit the following documents with a CM-16 to the CO material approval prior to use for the following items:

1. Safety Plan to include

• Public/visitor safety (traffic, signage, etc…)

• PPE to be used

• HAZMAT to be used and handling methods

• Safety Data Sheets

• Emergency response protocols

2. Fire Safety Plan showing the manner to operate equipment that may ignite a fire

3. Equipment Specification (mowers, weed eaters, chainsaws, etc.)

4. Herbicide (SDS, manufacturer)

5. Soil Amendments

6. Mulch not sourced from within Guadalupe Mountains NP

Period of Performance:

Base Contract: Estimated September 2024 to September 2025 Option Year One: Estimated September 2025 to September 2026 Option Year Two: Estimated September 2026 to September 2027 Actual performance dates will be determined at time of award.

Safety:

All work performed on government property shall be accomplished in accordance with OSHA, EPA, Federal, State and local regulations and requirements.

The contractor shall be responsible for the safety and security of the site to ensure unauthorized personnel (park visitors & employees) do not enter the project area.

Security and Work Hours:

Contractor shall only perform this work during normal operating hours (8:00am – 4:00pm) Monday through Friday, unless approval is given by CO.

NPS public restrooms are available at the visitor center. Contractor parking will generally be located in the main parking lot and cottonwood parking lot, or as designated by Park COR.

MAPS:

Buildings are indicated by black polygons.

Overview of Work Areas:

Historic Core Closeup:

Stables and Agoyo Lane