A04_SOW.doc

9 Mile 2025 Hand Thinning

Statement of Work for Hazardous Fuels Reduction I. General Information and Requirements

A. Description of Work

Work requested is vegetation management activities with an objective of reducing hazardous fuels. Treatments are designed to break up fuel continuity across the landscape to reduce the threat of large, uncharacteristic wildfires that could potentially lead to loss of key ecosystem components.

The contractor is responsible for furnishing all labor, equipment, supervision, transportation, supplies and materials to lop and scatter 3,761 acres (Units 1-15) of pinyon and/or juniper trees. There may be up to an additional 255 acres (Unit 16) indicated as an option item that would be awarded subject to available funding (see attached maps). The option unit would require all live and standing dead skeletons of pinyon pine and juniper trees (less than 16-inch Diameter at Root Collar) to be cut and piled. A maximum of 4,016 acres would be treated under this contract. Trees to be cut are pinyon and juniper. Leave areas and boundaries may be altered prior to implementation of the project to mitigate sensitive resource concerns that may reduce the acreage.

The purpose of the project is to improve the overall health of the targeted vegetation communities, reduce fuel loading, improve wildlife habitat and other watershed values (e.g., soil stability and plant diversity).

Contractors are to submit a bid for each unit in accordance with Table 1. Bids are to be submitted on a cost per acre basis.

Table 1 – Table of treatment units by line item, treatment and size.

Leave areas and boundaries may be altered prior to implementation of the project to mitigate sensitive resource concerns. Treatment area boundaries will be outlined on a map provided by the Government. The Contractor will be responsible for ensuring that they are within treatment boundaries by utilizing a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit. The contractor may flag the boundaries of the unit at their discretion however, the contractor would be responsible for the removal of all flagging. Leave areas and boundaries may be altered prior to implementation of the project to mitigate sensitive resource concerns.

B. Work Layout

The Government will provide a map to the Contractor with the treatment area boundaries (outside perimeter, islands, etc.) necessary for the work executed under the Contract. The Government will provide a pdf map of the project area boundary to the Contractor. A map with avoidance areas (archaeological sites; springs; structural range improvements; survey markers such as sections corners, quarter corners, mining claims, etc.) will be provided to the contractor as needed. Movement between and outside of treatment polygons will be coordinated in advance with the government to determine the need for avoidance maps. Survey markers disturbed or removed during operations shall be reset at the Contractor’s expense. Range improvements or other physical structures damaged or removed during operations shall be repaired or replaced at the Contractor’s expense.

C. Location and Access to Work Sites

Work under this Contract is located in White Pine County, State of Nevada, approximately 60 miles northwest of Ely, NV, approximately five miles southwest of Cherry Creek, NV. The project area is located in Egan Basin and Butte Valley near the Egan Range (refer to attached maps). There are several unimproved roads that intersect the treatment units. It is advised that potential bidders become familiar with the access within the units.

Although the roads are in good condition, four-wheel drive vehicles and ATVs/UTVs are recommended due to the potential for unexpected inclement weather conditions.

Overland travel may be authorized by the BLM to access the units with ATV’s/UTV’s. This will be determined on a unit-by-unit basis, by the BLM. There are private lands adjacent to the treatment units. It is the contractor’s responsibility to secure permission to cross these lands if they wish to do so.

The following legal land descriptions apply:

· T24N R62E Sec. 7, 18, 19, 29, 30 and 32; MDM

· T24N R61E Sec. 13, 24, 25 and 35; MDM

· T23N R62E Sec. 3, 4, 9, 10 and 15; MDM

· T23N R61E Sec. 3, 9, 10, 15, 16 and 22; MDM

· T22N R62E Sec. 22, 23, 26, 27, 29-32, 34 and 35; MDM

· T24N R61E Sec. 36; MDM

· T21N R62E Sec. 28, 29, 31 and 32; MDM D. Environmental Considerations

There are no seasonal weather restrictions unless heavy rains occur or during periods of snow melt which may result in an intermittent work schedule due to muddy conditions. Work shall not occur if project implementation is creating excessive rutting. Roads will be considered impassible when saturated, or when there are deep snow drifts, or during periods of heavy snowfall and access into the project area may be closed by the government during this time. If the Contractor chooses to use a County Road to access the worksite during inclement weather, the Contractor shall establish a maintenance agreement with the County Road Department.

Due to timing restrictions for sensitive resources, work will not occur from March 1st to July 1st. These timing restrictions shall be built into the proposal. No extensions to the performance period will be granted due to these timing restrictions.

The project site shall be cleaned up, and all refuse removed to an approved landfill at the Contractor’s expense. The Contractor shall not disturb lands adjacent to the project site. Existing access roads and trails within the project area that are damaged by the Contractor shall be restored at the Contractor’s expense to the same condition they were in at the commencement of work. Stream channels, springs and other wet areas will be avoided by vehicles and heavy equipment. Other avoidance areas shown on the map should be avoided by vehicles and machinery unless authorized by the government.

Vehicles and other equipment used for implementation of the project shall be washed to remove any vegetation and potential noxious weed and invasive species parts prior to beginning the work and following completion of the work.

Fueling/equipment maintenance parking areas shall be approved by the government prior to use. Blading, grading or leveling areas for parking or fueling will not be allowed. All fuel tanks parked onsite must include a containment barrier to prevent spills from entering the soil. The containment barrier must have a wall or side to contain any spills inside (i.e., a regular tarp will not suffice).

E. Work Camp

Camping will be allowed during project implementation only at sites approved by BLM in advance. All fire regulations and permits shall be followed. All garbage and refuse shall be removed from the camp site by the contractor within seven days of camp abandonment. Final payment will be reserved subject to inspection of these sites by BLM and approval of site cleanup.

II. PROJECT MEETINGS

A. Pre-Work Conference

A pre-work conference will be held prior to the start of work, and within seven days of Contract award. The Contractor will be notified in advance of the meeting location, date and time. The purpose of the meeting will be to review the required work, the project location, project specifications, the work schedule, payroll and payments and administrative provisions of the Contract. The Contractor and the persons responsible for coordination of the work shall be present at the meeting. The Contractor shall be prepared to summarize and explain procedures planned for the project.

B. Progress Meetings

Meetings may be called by either the Contracting Officer or the Contractor. Meetings shall be held at the project site, or as determined by the Contracting Officer.

C. Final Inspection

The meeting shall be held at the project site, or as determined by the Contracting Officer. The Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer at least two (2) working days before the completion date, so the Government can schedule a final inspection. Final payment of the contract will be held pending the completion of a satisfactory final inspection of all associated areas.

III. Government Furnished and contractor furnished Property

A. Materials Furnished by the Government

The Government will provide a map with the project area boundaries, and a shapefile of the project area boundaries (for GPS upload). Maps provided within this statement of work represent a general depiction of the work area boundaries may change prior to the initiation of work. Tree densities, terrain and geographic area will be similar to those depicted within the units on the attached maps.

B. Equipment Furnished by the Contractor

The contractor will at a minimum provide one functioning GPS unit capable of downloading shapefiles and displaying them in a manner that can be followed by the contractor’s personnel. It is expected that the individual assigned by the contractor who is responsible for using the GPS unit to follow and/or mark project area boundaries will be able to operate and trouble shoot the GPS unit.

C. Fire Prevention/Suppression

The contractor shall:

a) Equip all diesel and/or gasoline operated engines with spark arresters.

b) Equip all machines with one shovel, and one 12 pound (minimum) “ABC” fire extinguisher.

c) Remove all concentrations of wood dust and debris from equipment daily.

IV. Measurement and Payment

A. Measurement of Payment

Work will be measured and paid for by the number of acres within each treatment unit (see Table 1) as that unit is completed. The total will be rounded up to the nearest whole acre. Once a treatment unit is complete the acreage completed may be billed for. Area measurements required under this Contract will be measured on a horizontal plane and recorded with a GPS unit.

B. Basis of Payment

Prices and payment will be full compensation for the work described in this section. Payment will be made under the following:

The Contracting Officer or representative will make periodic inspections as a basis for progress payments and recommendations for adjustments in work quality. The Contractor or representative is encouraged to observe inspections at the time they are being made. Work performed according to the specifications will be considered acceptable for payment purposes.

V. Specifications

A. Lop and Scatter

· Lop and scatter treatments will be conducted within the treatment units specified within the shapefile and the attached map (Units 1-15). Boles shall be cut as close to the ground as possible with a target stump height of less than 6 inches (90% or more of stumps cut) and a maximum height of 12 inches (not to exceed 10% of the stumps cut).

· Slash shall be scattered with a maximum height of 24 inches above ground level or the height of the surrounding shrubs (whichever is higher). Stumps will be cut where there are no living branches, bark or other parts of the tree left attached.

· All Pinyon and Juniper within the units will be cut regardless of the height of the tree. Some units are very sparse and have young trees (less than 2 feet in height) growing. All of these trees must be removed.

· Cutting and slashing will occur to trees that are part of a fence line, unless damage to the fence will occur. Slash shall be pulled back at a minimum or 5 feet from the fence line to allow travel for wildlife.

· Any tree that is severed/slashed and blocks any road, two-track, trail, or barrow ditch/road cut shall be moved to allow travel by vehicles or UTV/ATV and upkeep of roads. Contractor shall keep roads clear and free from cut trees.

· In certain units there may be leave trees designated. These will be trees exhibiting old growth characteristics that are not within Greater Sage-Grouse Habitat. These trees will be marked with flagging and the contractor will be informed about them prior to beginning the treatment unit.

B. Cut and Pile

· Cutting and piling will be conducted within the treatment units specified within the shapefile and the attached map. Trees shall be cut as specified within each treatment unit.

· Boles shall be cut as close to the ground as possible with a maximum height of 6 inches. Piles shall be constructed to be between 5 and 9 feet in diameter and 4 to 8 feet in height. See Exhibit A.

· All the laying limbs, stems, cut boles, and other slash resulting from the severing will be piled.

· All piles shall be constructed by laying limbs, stems, cut boles, and other slash in the pile so as to be triangular in shape. Slash that causes large air spaces in piles shall be cut to eliminate air spaces.

· Piles shall be placed as far as practical from other tree species not targeted and pinyon and juniper shall not be piled within 30 feet of live mountain mahogany within the treatment units. Areas where mahogany canopy cover does not permit this spacing and is not practicable, piles will be placed as far as possible from live mahogany.

· No trees or slash may be left on roads or fences.

The contractor may flag the boundaries of the units at their discretion however, the contractor would be responsible for the removal of all flagging before payment.

A requirement of no more than one live stem per acre remaining after treatment will be adhered to. If inspections indicate the quality of the work does not meet this standard the unit will be reworked. The worksite will be randomly sampled during inspections by the government representative via a transect and communicated to the contractor point of contact. The sampled areas may involve portions of a unit and not the entire unit and will be at the discretion of the government representative.

C. Treatment Acreage and Areas

Up to 4,016 acres of public lands would be treated within the project area delineated on the attached map. Work under this Contract is located in White Pine County, State of Nevada.

The attached map delineates the project area boundary with tentative islands and leave areas. Leave areas and boundaries may be altered prior to implementation of the project to mitigate sensitive resource concerns.

Within the treatment units the density of mountain mahogany and other target and leave species varies greatly. It is the responsibility of the contractor to properly evaluate these tree densities in order to avoid damage to them during treatment.

Slope within the treatment units is generally rolling ridges with some several slopes exceeding 20% with some rocks. It is the responsibility of the contractor to properly evaluate these units in order to ensure the equipment is capable of completing the described work.

D. Loading, Unloading and Transporting Property

Overland travel may be authorized by the BLM outside of the treatment units to transport equipment and machines between units. The contractor must coordinate with the BLM prior to traveling outside of the treatment units.

E. Equipment Maintenance and Repairs

The Contractor is responsible for all maintenance and repairs of Contractor furnished equipment. The Contractor shall complete sufficient maintenance of the equipment to prevent down-time on the project sites. The Contractor is responsible for all maintenance measures to ensure proper functionality and for safety precautions.

Any fuels or oils stored on site must be stored in an approved container with an approved spill guard with berms.

F. Performance Schedule

Work shall begin as soon as possible following the initial award of the contract, not to exceed 30 days. A production requirement of 33% of the awarded acres will be completed within the first 3 months of the applicable performance period will be adhered to. Work shall be completed within the appropriate treatment timeframes (see Environmental Considerations). The end of the performance period will be one calendar year from the date of the award.

The Contractor shall be required to start and complete the treatment area within the performance time identified above or as otherwise negotiated during the pre-work conference, provided weather conditions permit. If inclement weather conditions should occur prior to the Contractor completing the project, the Contractor shall be issued a stop work order and the project shall be completed as soon as weather conditions permit.

Exhibit A. Piling diagram specification

9 Mile 2025 Hand Thinning