B08_Solicitation_Attachment_1_-_Project_Manual_for_PERI_Haz_Woody_Fuels.pdf

RFP 140P6218R0018 ATTACHMENT 1 Page 1 of 6

PROJECT DOCUMENT

for

Pea Ridge Mechanized Hazardous Wood Fuels Reduction Tree Thinning Project

1. CONTACT INFORMATION

a. National Park Service – MWR Missouri Major Acquisition Buying Office (MO-MABO)

Kathryn M. Logsdon, Contracting Officer Phone: (217) 391-3225 E-mail: kathryn_logsdon@nps.gov

b. National Park Service – Project Inspector

Nolan Moore Phone: (479) 451-8122, ext. 1225 E-mail: nolan_moore@nps.gov

2. PROJECT LOCATION

a. Pea Ridge National Military Park Garfield, Arkansas 72732

3. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

a. It is anticipated that a contract that may result from this solicitation will be awarded in the late-August / early-September 2018 time frame.

b. All work under a resultant contract shall be completed not later than March 30, 2019.

4. SCOPE OF WORK AND SPECIFICATIONS

a. Scope of Work: The work of the resultant contract will consist of the Contractor providing all labor, qualified supervision, transportation, equipment, materials, tools, supplies, incidentals, and other services and expertise necessary to reduce hazardous wood fuels by thinning approximately 186 acres of forested areas within the boundaries of Pea Ridge National Military Park, Garfield, Arkansas. The Contractor will be responsible for the entire scope of the project.

All work required by the project documents shall be accomplished to the satisfaction of the Government even though incidental items or services that may be needed to complete the work in its entirety may not be specifically mentioned in the project documents.

(1) Total estimated acreage to be thinned is approximately 186 acres, located throughout seven (7) prioritized areas within the boundaries of Pea Ridge National Military Park. All areas are made up of cedar thinning operations.

(2) The seven (7) areas are comprised of eastern red cedar and hardwoods. They are prioritized and numbered, and their locations shown on the Map, included as Attachment 2 – Pea Ridge Aerial Map.

Priority #1 Approximately 55 acres Priority #2 Approximately 29 acres

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Priority #3 Approximately 18 acres Priority #4 Approximately 42 acres Priority #5 Approximately 21 acres Priority #6 Approximately 8 acres Priority #7 Approximately 13 acres

(3) Areas involve the removal of cedar trees only, with exceptions identified in the

“Specifications” section of this Project Document.

(4) The work site areas will be marked and identified within the designated Priority.

(5) The sites are generally flat to steeply sloping, and are made up of eastern hardwood forest and shrubs. Species composition is primarily oak, hickory, locust and cedar. Trees range in height from 5 to 60 feet. Trees are both scattered and also densely grouped throughout the areas. Diameters average from approximately 6 to 22 inches.

b. Specifications: The Contractor shall thin (cut, remove and/or mulch) eastern red cedar trees in

Priorities #1 through #7 as follows:

(1) All cedar trees, regardless of size, unless identified otherwise.

(2) Completely cut and sever from the base of the tree.

(3) Maximum stump height of not more than 3.0 inches.

(4) Minimum stump height of no less than 1.0 inch above ground.

(5) The removal of trees by Contractor, from Park property, will be allowed. (NOTE: The

Government considers trees removed from the Park as marketable.) Trees that aren’t removed will be chipped by Contractor. As such, brush piles are NOT guaranteed but may be established on a case-by-case extremely limited basis and will only occur in approved areas designated by the Park. Authorization will only be given for the construction of brush piles if trees are too big to mulch safely, as determined by the Park Project Inspector. If brush piles are allowed, then they must be piled into tight, burnable piles. The piles should be no larger than 8 feet in diameter, and no taller than 6 feet. Piles are not to be placed near “leave / save” trees (any hardwood or species other than cedar, unless marked) so that when burned, damage will not result to any adjacent standing live trees. When possible, piles shall be placed on open or rocky areas or previous burn areas. Piles are to be placed in locations where they are not visible to the public.

(6) After completion of a project area, Contractor is to pull mulch 4 feet away from around the base of all hardwood, saved, and understory trees, and 4 feet away from fences.

(7) There may be trees in work area locations that may be identified for leave trees. The

Park will clearly mark those trees in those locations. Marked leave trees are to remain untouched and left in place by the Contractor. The Park’s Project Inspector retains the right throughout contract performance to mark additional leave trees or unmark previously marked leave trees.

(8) Non-target trees of any species are to be felled and mulched (or removed from the Park by the Contractor) if they become entangled in cut cedar trees, are identified by the Park to be cut, or the Contractor and Government considers they pose a threat to the Contractor. Diameter at breast height (DBH) must not exceed 12 inches.

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(9) If drainage areas are encountered in the performance of this contract, then the Park’s Project Inspector will provide the contractor with buffer distances around them that are to be avoided by the Contractor regardless of whether or not trees are cedar or fall within the specified ranges for fire line establishment. Buffer distances will differ but no buffer distance shall exceed 10 feet from either side of the drainage.

(10) Damage shall not occur on more than 3% of non-target trees by prioritized area. Should

Contractor cause damage in excess of 3%, the Government and Contractor shall negotiate an equitable reduction to the contract price resulting from the excess damage.

(11) Trees felled on the edge / perimeter of the project area must be relocated and mulched at a safe distance to eliminate the threat of thrown material.

(12) If debris is authorized by the Contracting Officer to be removed from the worksite, impact to soil must be minimal, and disposal of debris is the responsibility of the Contractor.

5. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND REQUIREMENTS

a. It is anticipated that a contract that may result from this solicitation will be awarded in the late-August / early-September 2018 time frame.

b. Within ten (10) calendar days from the date of contract award, the Contracting Officer shall hold a post award conference with the Park and the Contractor to discuss logistics, mobilization, reporting, and other specifics relating to contract performance. Contractor shall be physically present at Pea Ridge National Military Park for the post award conference.

c. After the post award conference has been conducted and all documentation that is required for contract performance has been received from the Contractor, the Contracting Officer will issue a written Notice to Proceed to the Contractor. The Contractor’s crew shall be at the contract site and begin performance within ten (10) calendar days after issuance of the Notice. The contract completion date shall be not later than March 30, 2019.

d. The Contractor’s work hours will be restricted to the normal operating hours of the Park’s staff.

The normal operating hours for Park staff are 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, with the exception of legal federal holidays. No weekend, federal holidays, or work outside the normal operating hours of the Park’s staff will be authorized unless requested in writing in advance by the Contractor, and approved in writing by the Contracting Officer. Such requests will only be approved on a case-by-case basis; a Contractor’s request does not guarantee approval by the Contracting Officer. Any work that may be approved by the Contracting Officer outside the normal operating hours of the Park’s staff will be at no additional expense to the Government.

Legal Federal Holidays

Labor Day Monday, September 3, 2018 Columbus Day Monday, October 8, 2018 Veterans’ Day Monday, November 12, 2018 (observed) Thanksgiving Day Thursday, November 22, 2018 Christmas Day Tuesday, December 25, 2018 New Year’s Day Tuesday, January 1, 2019

Martin Luther King Day Monday, January 21, 2019 Presidents’ Day Monday, February 18, 2019 Memorial Day Monday, May 27, 2019 Independence Day Thursday, July 4, 2019

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e. In addition to the aforementioned federal holidays, Contractor shall not perform work at the contract site during the following periods due to shortage of Park personnel and/or occurrence of Park Special Events:

(1) The week of November 18 through November 24, 2018

(2) The week of December 23, 2018 through December 29, 2018

(3) The week of December 30, 2018 January 5, 2019

f. Contractor shall have a qualified site supervisor at the contract site at all times while work is being performed, to include any work that may be performed by Contractor’s subcontractors. The supervisor shall be familiar with the scope and specifications of the work of the contract, and have a copy of the contract and its attachments on him/her while on site.

g. Contractor shall be on site each day for work performance except for conditions that would prohibit Contractor from safely proceeding with work, which include but are not limited to, inclement weather, ground conditions, fire, acts of God, and contractor’s requests. Such exceptions will require Project Inspector approval in advance, or in the case of unforeseen events such as acts of God, Contractor shall make contact with Project Inspector as soon as practicably possible on the day of for the Project Inspector’s acknowledgement. Other exceptions would also include those which would impede Park operations. In those circumstances, the Contracting Officer or Project Inspector would provide Contractor with a minimum 72-hour notice. In an emergency situation of the Park, a 72-hour notice may not be provided, but as much notice as possible will be given to the Contractor.

h. Contractor must notify the Project Inspector each day when arriving and departing from the contract site. Such notification may be made by phone, text, personal contact, or other form of communication acceptable to the Project Inspector.

i. It is intended that the work by the Contractor is to be completed in the order of priority as stated in the contract and shown on the Project Map, with the exception of the conditions identified below. Should such conditions exist, the Contractor shall deviate from the numbered prioritization or temporarily suspend work, as deemed appropriate for the circumstance and as instructed and/or authorized by the Contracting Officer or Project Inspector.

(1) When adverse weather and/or ground conditions in the particular area are as such that would cause work delay, result in harm or damage to the Park's valuable resources (such as but not limited to soil, tree, roads or other damage to Park assets from Contractor’s equipment/actions), or jeopardize the safety and well-being of Contractor’s and Park’s personnel and properties.

(2) When conditions exist which place the Park in extreme fire danger as determined by the

Park’s Biologist Nolan Moore, or other competent NPS source, when a controlled burn has been prescribed, or a determination is made by the Contracting Officer that continuation of Contractor’s operations creates an unacceptable risk of wildfire ignition.

(3) When Park events exist which would distract from the event or place the safety and well-being of properties and persons in jeopardy.

j. No Government equipment will be made available for the Contractor’s use in the performance of this contract. Should a portable sanitation facility be needed, it shall be the Contractor’s responsibility; however, its placement must be approved by appropriate Park personnel.

k. No activities outside the work zone are permitted.

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l. At no time shall any artifacts or any other material not specifically identified elsewhere in this document or the contract, be removed from the Park.

m. All cultural landscape features including fences and cannon tubes or carriages shall not be damaged during any work performed. If damage occurs, it is the responsibility of the Contractor to repair or replace at the discretion and at the direction of the Contracting Officer.

n. Contractor’s work shall not impede or limit visitors, park employees, and/or traffic in the Park or on state or county roads or highways.

o. Contractor is responsible for clearly marking work areas for safety purposes as it relates to and/or affects visitors, by-standers, passerby vehicles, etc…. Contractor is responsible for implementing and providing crowd control measures such as barriers, cones, crowd control tape, signs, or other means deemed appropriate by the Project Inspector for the work being performed in the particular area.

p. Contractor is responsible for conducting work in a safe manner for his/herself, as well as for any other person that may enter the area by any method. The Contractor shall have a written safety plan and communication plan on site for the type of work, conditions, and hazards expected to be encountered in the performance of this contract. A copy of the Contractor’s Safety/Accident Prevention Plan and Communications Plan for the project are to be submitted with Contractor’s offer.

q. The Contractor is to anticipate that the Park Project Inspector will be physically present at the work site(s) at least once per week to inspect Contractor’s work.

r. The Park Project Inspector will be available for questions by phone, email, or onsite presence at the work sites. In the absence of the Park Project Inspector, Contractor is to direct technical work-related questions to the Contracting Officer.

s. Throughout the duration of the contract, the Contractor shall make him/herself available for progress meetings with the Contracting Officer and the Park. These progress meetings may be conducted at the contract site, the Park offices, or telephonically, as determined by the Contracting Officer.

t. The Contractor shall be fully responsible for contract compliance in an acceptable and timely manner by exhibiting and executing sound and thorough quality control, monitoring and management.

6. ALLOWABLE EQUIPMENT

a. No motor vehicle access is allowed in the forested areas. Parking of Contractor’s motor vehicles at the contract site will be at locations as designated by the Park.

b. Hand felling with chainsaws or similar equipment will be needed. Use of chainsaws in all areas can be expected, with heavier use in some areas than others.

c. Dependent upon terrain and ground moisture content, any low impact rubber tracked skid steer, or similar type of equipment, can be utilized as long as it exerts no more than 11 lbs. per square inch on the ground and has no more impact at the worksite(s), or during ingress or egress than a T300 rubber tracked skid steer loader with a tree cutting/mulching attachment, such as a forester blade. An absence of this type or similar equipment will require the work be restricted to chainsaws or other hand tools.

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d. Ground disturbances shall be kept to a minimum. Ground disturbance deeper than 3 inches anywhere on the Park is not acceptable. Contractor shall be responsible for rehabilitation to National Park Service standards if this occurs. If ground disturbance occurs, work shall be immediately stopped and appropriate NPS personnel shall be notified to assess possible damage to the area.

e. Tractors with chippers will only be allowed in designated areas.

f. The use of bulldozers or similar types of equipment is not allowed.

g. Only that type of heavy equipment which is acceptable to the Park for the Contractor’s use may be utilized.

h. When requested by the Contracting Officer, the Contractor shall provide copies of the maintenance and repair records of the equipment that the Contractor is employing at the contract site and/or requesting to be used at the contract site.

i. Pea Ridge National Military Park reserves the right to suspend Contractor’s use of any equipment or tools, at no cost to the Government, which appear to be causing damage to, or having a negative impact on the Park’s resource or surrounding areas, regardless of its previous acceptance by the Park to be used in the performance of the contract.

7. SECURITY OF EQUIPMENT

a. The Contractor may park/stage equipment only in areas designated by the Project Inspector.

b. The Contractor may leave equipment in the designated areas; however, the Contactor remains solely responsible for its security and safety, as well as safety to others. The Government shall not in any way be liable should Contractor’s equipment and possessions be lost, stolen, damaged, or cause harm to others.

8. DEFECTS - Not precluding the specifications and requirements where otherwise stated in the contract and its attachments, the following defects, as applicable to the pertinent project areas, will NOT be acceptable or allowed by the Government:

a. NO hang-up trees.

b. NO live limbs on stumps.

c. NO partially-cut trees.

d. NO barber-chair trees with uncut bark and wood.

e. NO stumps greater than 3.0 inches in height or less than 1.0 inch in height,

f. NO cedar trees shall remain except those marked as a “leave” tree

g. NO non-target trees are to be damaged or cut except as specified elsewhere in this Project

Document, Paragraph 4.B.(8).

h. NO slash is allowed to be left out on any trail or any road or private property.

i. NO ground disturbances greater than 3 inches in depth.

j. NO mulch in thicknesses of greater than 4 inches.

k. NO damage in excess of 3% by prioritized area to non-target trees.

9. QUALITY CONTROL AND MONITORING - The Contractor shall be soley and fully responsible for compliance to the work to be performed and its specifications, performance timeliness, and the terms and conditions of this contract through Contractor-provided quality control and monitoring.

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