A04_Long_Gulch_McCabe_JuniperRemoval_SOW.pdf

Statement of Work

Project Name

Long Gulch & McCabe Lane Juniper Removal

Location of Project

Juniper removal will be focused in two areas: (1) two sites are in the vicinity of Long Gulch near County

Road 42 and (2) in a drainage along BLM Road 3054b, accessed via McCabe Lane/County Road 32

(Appendix, Figure 1). Between these three sites, juniper treatments will total 110 acres.

The McCabe Lane site is located in Section 31, T. 049N, R.001W and Section 36, T. 049N, R.002W T.

050N, R. 001W (Appendix, Figure 2). The McCabe Lane site is 8.3 miles from downtown Gunnison and is accessed by traveling west on Highway 50 from Gunnison and turning south onto CR 32. The McCabe lane site is approximately 50 acres and treatments will be delineated within this area and may be smaller but will be no larger than 50 acres. The McCabe Lane site is along an open BLM road so there is access directly adjacent to the treatment site.

The three Long Gulch sites are located in Sections 23, 24, and 25, T.049N, R.001E; Sections 25 and 36, T.049N, R.001E; and Sections 6 and 7, T. 048N, R. 002E (Appendix, Figure 3). Long Gulch sites are accessed by traveling approximately 6-miles east of the town of Gunnison and turning south onto Six-

Mile Lane/County Road 42 and traveling approximately 2.8 miles on CR 42/BLM 3072. The first site

(Murphy Gulch) is west of CR 42 and can be accessed by CR 42 or the drainages on the southwest side can be accessed via BLM 3158. The second site (Long Gulch North) is west of CR 42 and south of the

Powerline Rd (BLM 3158) and best accessed from BLM 3158a or BLM 3158b. The third site (Long Gulch

South) is reached by going east off CR 42 on BLM 3073 and is between BLM 3073a and BLM 3073b. The currently delineated sites in Long Gulch total 580 acres but treatments will be selected within the these sites once road conditions have dried sufficiently to allow BLM staff to conduct field visits. Between the three sites, treatment areas will be no more than 250 acres total.

Contract Period

No cutting or vegetation removal should occur from Jan. 1 – March 15 to protect wintering big game.

No juniper removal will be allowed during the breeding season of Gunnison sage-grouse (15 March – 15

May) or during the nesting and brood-rearing period from 16 May – 15 July. The best time to conduct juniper removal work without causing disturbance to Gunnison sage-grouse and wintering big game is after 15 July – 30 December.

The work can start as early August 2021 and will be completed by November 2021.

Description of Work

Purpose

A healthy sagebrush ecosystem in the Gunnison Basin is critical for the conservation of the Gunnison sage-grouse (Centrocercus minimus), a federally listed threatened species because 87% of the known population is found in the Gunnison Basin. The BLM Gunnison Field Office has a long-standing commitment to the implementation of Gunnison sage-grouse conservation. Reduction of encroaching juniper would improve nesting, brood-rearing, and winter habitats for these sage-grouse by maintaining big sagebrush stands with intact native understory grasses and by maintaining habitats around riparian areas and meadows. Reduction of encroaching juniper will reduce perch sites and habitat for avian predators and nest predators.

Project Scope

The proposed work is to cut encroaching juniper, including all seedlings, out of the designated treatment area. Treatments are limited to hand-felling of individual juniper trees. Hand-cutting is a desirable method for the selective removal of juniper with minimal impact to existing brush, grasses, and forbs.

Felled trees are to be lopped and scattered. Mechanized equipment would not be used in the project area and vehicles traveling to the work site will have to remain on existing roads.

Lop and Scatter: Lopping of larger trees will be cut below the last live branch and leave a stump of no more than 8 inches above ground level. Branches of less than tree inches in diameter may be left at any length, as long as they lay horizontal on the ground and do not exceed the height of the surrounding sagebrush. Branches or trunk sections larger than 3” in diameter must be sawn into lengths of no more than 30 inches. When scattered on the ground, branches of felled trees or stem sections may not exceed a height over 24 inches above ground level in order to avoid so they don’t provide structure or perch sites for potential predators.

Mechanized equipment would not be used in the project area and vehicles traveling to the work site will have to remain on existing roads.

Old Growth Trees: Older trees will not be removed as they can be trees of historical significance and important to native tribes and they maintain genetic diversity. No old growth trees and/or trees having cavities shall be cut. All trees should be examined prior to cutting to determine whether they meet the

“relatively old growth” characteristics. These characteristics as described and depicted in Tausch et al.

(USGS Circular 1335, 2009; available online at URL: https://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/1335/) include: crown shapes with flattened, rounded or uneven tops; branch structure having large branches near the base;

dead branches with bark missing and/or covered by a light green lichen; bark thick, fibrous with well-developed vertical furrows; and leader growth in the upper quarter of the tree usually greater than one

(1) inch. Often trees exhibiting these growth forms and bark characteristics are larger than 20 feet in height and 12 inches in diameter breast height (DBH) should not be cut down.

Younger trees that should be targeted for removal tend to be shorter in height, exhibit conical shape that is regular, the crown is not rounded or irregular, and the tree will not have dead branches with missing bark.

The photos below provide examples of tree characteristics and other cues to insure that no older trees are cut down.

https://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/1335/

Photo 1: Older juniper showing asymmetrical top with dead branches.

Photo 2: Mixed-age stand of trees that are post-settlement and not old growth. Note the conical shape, regular and not rounded crown, and longer branches in the lower portion of the tree compared to the upper portion of the tree. For scale, the 42-year old tree is 2.3 m (7.5 ft) tall. Trees with these characteristics should be targeted for removal.

Photo 3: Long leader growth (4-6 inches) in both the terminal and the lateral branches, particularly for trees less than 10 ft. tall, is an indicator of junipers that are younger and should be selected for removal.

Photo 3: Leader growth in older trees tends to be shorter and has a more ‘bunched’ appearance and can be an indicator to look for in trees that exhibit old characteristics.

Photo 4: The contractors should be aware, however, that trees with long leaders in the top 25% of the canopy can be old growth juniper. This photo shows the top of one of the areas of the same juniper in photo 1. One long leader in the tops of trees aren’t always an indicator of a young tree. Contractors should look for old growth characteristics and preserve those trees.

BLM Shall Furnish or Provide

The BLM will provide additional maps, contract inspection, and will be available for a site visit if requested.

Contractor Shall Furnish

The contractor will provide all equipment and certified/qualified operator to complete the work.

Inspection/Acceptance

Inspection/Acceptance of all service performed in accordance with this contract for purpose of initiating contractor payment shall be by the Contracting Officer Representative (COR).

The BLM COR or Project Inspector (PI) designated by the Contracting Officer (CO) shall make periodic inspections of the project as a basis for payment and recommendations for adjustments in work quality while work is in progress. The Contractor is encouraged to observe inspections while they are being made.

As the basis for payment, inspections for compliance with contract specifications will be made for work units or areas reported as completed by the Contractor

Project Site Visit – If Requested

Summer 2021, prior to work. Date of visit to be scheduled with Kathy Brodhead, Wildlife

Biologist or Brian Stevens, Fire Management Specialist at the Gunnison Field Office. Contact:

kbrodhead@blm.gov or bwstevens@blm.gov or 970-492-4940 (Field Office). If there is a site visit, all participants will comply with the latest CDC guidance related to COVID-19.

Stipulations

Damage to Existing

Damage to fences, culverts, cattle guards, gates and other improvements will be repaired by the contractor immediately and at the Contractor’s expense. Repairs shall be made to the previous conditions as determined by the COR or the BLM will hire the work done at the

Contractor’s expense.

Administration

Operations will proceed in a systematic manner through the project area as determined by the

COR. The Contractor shall insure best management practices are utilized.

Weeds

To prevent the introduction of seeds of noxious and invasive weeds, the contractor will clean all equipment and vehicles before entering the project area. Equipment and vehicles traveling to the site shall be free of soil, seeds, vegetation, and other such debris that could contain or hold seeds. Power-washing is the most effective method of cleaning. Prior to moving to the site, operator shall employ whatever cleaning methods necessary to ensure compliance the the terms of the contract. Equipment shall be considered clean when a visual inspection does not disclose such material. Disassembly of equipment components or specialized inspection tools is not required. Cleaning shall not take place on BLM land.

Public Access

The project area will not be closed to the public during the contract period. BLM may post signs at the entrance to the area to notify the public of the activity. The Contractor must be aware of the presence of people in the work area and adjust activities to account for their presence.

Archeological or Cultural Discoveries

This contract area has been reviewed for archeological sites. The road log is designed to ensure that work is only performed in the prescribed areas to avoid possible disturbance to sites. The

Contractor shall avoid disturbing all cultural sites. If in connection with operations under this contract the Contractor, his subcontractors, or the employees of any of them, discovers, encounters, or becomes aware of any objects or sites of cultural value on the contract area such as historical or prehistorical ruins, human remains, graves or grave markers, fossils, or artifacts; the Contractor shall immediately suspend all operations in the vicinity of the cultural value and shall notify the COR of the findings. Operations may resume at the discovery site upon receipt of written instructions and authorization by the COR.

Wet Period Restrictions

Designated Surface Conditions - All roads entering and within the treatment area are native surface. Travel on native surface roads and off-road with equipment is restricted when the soil is saturated. If the soils are saturated such that ruts 3 inches or deeper and 10 feet long or longer, are created by vehicles, the Contractor shall cease operations in that area and immediately notify the BLM Contracting Officer or CPW representative. If conditions persist, the contract may be suspended until the soils dry out or freeze. If the Contract is suspended due to wet conditions, the BLM will not be responsible for any additional mobilization costs.

Fire Restrictions

Dry conditions may require the imposition of fire restrictions within the project area.

Depending on the situation, there may be restrictions imposed on the hours of operation and the contractor could be required to keep a 300-gallon tanker of water and 20lb fire extinguishers on site. If moisture conditions are deemed extreme, the contractor may be forced to cease all operations until conditions improve.

Littering

No littering is permitted and the contractor shall be responsible for hauling all trash accumulated out of the area.

Work Camps

The Contractor or his employees, upon written authorization from the COR, may establish a temporary work camp on the contract area or on adjacent public lands administered by the

BLM. The camp may consist of mobile trailers, pickup campers, tent trailers or tents. The

Contractor will be required to: 1. Provide adequate sanitary facilities; 2. Provide metal garbage collection cans with lids; 3. Keep the camp in a clean and orderly condition and; 4. Rehabilitate the area to the satisfaction of the COR.

Injuries and Damage

Contractors are expected to know and strictly adhere to all OSHA laws and regulations regarding the work being conducted under this contract. The Contractor, in their operations under this contract, shall not perform in a negligent manner causing any person or property to be injured or damaged.

Other Resource Protection

All of the activities associated with this project shall be conducted in such a manner that there shall not be any adverse impact to the following resources listed.

Protection of Improvements and Survey Monuments- The Contractor shall avoid any damage to improvements such as, but not limited to, fences, gates, utility poles, survey markers or monuments, claim stakes, survey witness trees and cultural sites. The Contractor will be required to repair or pay fair market value to replace any damaged improvements.

Hazardous Materials

Use of hazardous materials requires that all appropriate State and Federal Regulations be complied with including, but not limited to, Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) on hand and use of necessary Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

On-site disposal of hazardous materials or waste is not authorized. On-site disposal will subject the Contractor to at least the cost of reclamation and the appropriate disposal of contaminated soil.

Appendix: Map Figures

1. Overview Map of the four juniper treatment areas in relation to Gunnison, CO.

2. McCabe Lane juniper treatment site.

3. Long Gulch juniper treatment sites.

Figure 1: Map of the three juniper treatment areas in relation to Gunnison, CO. Inset shows Gunnison, Gunnison County, and Saguache Counties in the state of Colorado.

Figure 2: McCabe Lane juniper treatment map.

Figure 3: Long Gulch juniper treatments map.