A04_SOW.docx

RANGELAND DRILL SEEDING

SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF WORK

General Information and Requirements

Description of Work

Work shall include using Contractor furnished equipment, supplies, and materials (except for specified Government furnished property), to drill seed 3,170 acres (1,170 acres Horseshoe seeding and 2,000 acres Black Point seeding) of designated areas with BLM provided seed at the rates specified. Contractor will be responsible for transporting seed from the Elko BLM Seed Warehouse to the project site/base of operations. Maps are attached that show the vicinity of the project locations in relation to major cities and routes.

Specifications

Seeding Operation Unless otherwise directed by the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), all seeding shall be done on the contour. Seed shall be applied at the rates designated in the Work Data Sheet or as directed by the COR. Average depth of cover over seed shall be as designated in the Work Data Sheet or as directed by the COR. Any areas missed by the Contractor or seeded to less than the concentration specified shall be reapplied and brought up to standard, or by suitable deduction from contract price, at the option of the Government.

The Contractor shall calibrate seeding equipment prior to application on the project. The Government will supply seed for calibration. Seed not used for calibration shall be recovered for use on the project.

The Contractor shall be required to drill close to the rock outcroppings, drainages, swales, and other typical terrain found within the Great Basin.

Contractor will be responsible for all fence repairs when moving between sites when Contractor must remove or take down the fences to move tractors and drills. Repairs must be made immediately after transportation of equipment has been completed. Contractor must notify the COR when and where fences are being cut and will be properly inspected by a BLM official after repairs are made.

Contractor shall keep a written log with daily entries indicating the date, time, and number of bags utilized in each set of drills. This log shall always be kept current and shall be available for inspection by the Government at the work site during all working hours.

Feeder openings of seeding equipment shall always be checked at sufficient intervals to ensure proper operation and even distribution of seed. If at any time inspections of equipment reveals that feeder openings or seed tubes are plugged or other mechanisms of the seeding equipment are not operating properly, the COR may require reseeding of that portion of the area at no additional cost to the Government.

Unless otherwise directed by the COR, seeding shall not commence under conditions when the seed cannot be properly covered with soil, such as snow, when ground is frozen, or when soil contains excessive moisture. In cases such conditions are encountered in the seeding operation, the Contractor shall notify the COR immediately. The Contractor shall be available to begin work immediately when conditions are favorable. It is the responsibility of the Contractor to account for such delays when scheduling work and bidding on this Contract.

Government-Furnished rangeland drills shall not be drawn at a speed greater than three (3) miles per hour during seeding operation, unless authorized by the COR. Rangeland drills being towed (roaded) between work sites shall be taken out of gear or shall have drive chains or gears removed to prevent seed feeders and agitators from operating. Rangeland drills shall not be towed (roaded) at speeds greater than twenty-five (25) miles per hour.

Seeding operations will be permitted only during daylight hours, ½ hour before sunrise to ½ hour after sunset.

Upon completion of the contract, Government-Furnished rangeland drills shall be returned to a specified location in good working condition. Spare parts shall be delivered to the BLM warehouse office as directed by the COR upon completion of the work or termination of the contract. Upon completion of drilling operations, Contractor must clean the BLM furnished drill seed boxes and seed tubes thoroughly, scoop out and re-sack seed left in boxes, and set the feed adjustments wide open and pull the drills until empty of seed.

Once the Contractor has been issued the seed, the contractor has accepted possession and shall be responsible for the transportation and protection of seed from loss or damage due to weather, rodents, insects, theft, or any other hazards. All seed shall be kept covered and off the ground to prevent seed bags from getting wet. Any seed damaged or lost while in the custody of the Contractor will be replaced by the Government and actual cost to the Government for replacement will be deducted from payments due to the Contractor. All unused seed shall be returned to the Elko BLM Seed Warehouse (at a day/time coordinated with the COR) by the Contractor upon completion of work or termination of the contract.

Contractor shall properly dispose of all empty seed bags, tags, strings, pallets, or any other associated trash.

The Government will provide a Project Inspector to monitor conditions and progress of the Contract. The PI may conduct tests as operations progress to determine uniformity of seeding. Standards of performance will be determined by adequate weight records of seed applied on each individual seeding trip covered, and ground recovery of samples of seed distributed. All work of weight recording, and ground recovery will be done by the Government at no cost to the Contractor. Should the Contractor wish to object in any way to the weight recording and/or ground recovery sampling done at any particular time by the Government, the Contractor shall be present in person or by authorized representative to voice said objections when said weight recording and/or ground recovery samplings are done, and to agree upon new records and/or samples at the time, where after the weight recording and ground recovery sampling done by the Government shall be final and binding in the settlement of contract.

The Government reserves the right to stop seeding operations at any time when seeding conditions are considered sufficiently unfavorable to warrant stoppage. Stoppage shall continue until seeding operations are again authorized by the Government. No monetary compensation will be given to the Contractor for work suspensions.

Environmental Considerations

The project site shall be cleaned up, and all refuse shall be removed and disposed of properly throughout the length of the contract and immediately following the conclusion of the contract.

Base of Operation: The Contractor shall provide such operation facilities as may be required for competent performance of contract. Use of any operation area shall be arranged by and at the discretion and risk of the Contractor, and the Government shall not be held responsible for any loss, mishap, or accident due to conditions of any operating facility used. The Contractor shall provide appropriate warning signs for traffic if roads are used as operating sites.

Vehicles and Equipment: All vehicles and equipment used for implementation of the project shall be washed prior to accessing the project area to remove any vegetation and potential noxious weed and invasive species parts prior to beginning the work as well as following completion of the work.

Spills and Accidents: The Contractor shall be responsible if accidents and fuel spills occur. The Contractor shall report immediately spills and accidents to the BLM authorized officers and appropriate local authorities. The Contractor shall provide immediate treatment of contaminated or injured persons and seek professional medical attention when necessary. The Contractor shall control fuel spills quickly and shall secure additional help when the Contractor cannot effectively or safely handle the spill cleanup. Spills will be the responsibility of the Contractor and shall be cleaned up to the satisfaction of the local authorities.

Work Camp: Due to the remote location of project sites, the Contractor may choose to camp in the area. Sites shall be approved in advance by the BLM. This area can also be used as a staging area for equipment and any need equipment maintenance. All fire regulations and permits shall be followed. All garbage and refuse shall be removed from the camp site by the Contractor within one week of project completion. In the equipment maintenance area, special precaution shall be taken to contain spilled fuel, lubricants, and wash water. Final payment will be reserved subject to inspection of these sites by the BLM and approval of site cleanup. Staging/Storage area for equipment and materials should be located outside of streams or any wetland/riparian habitat areas. Any equipment or vehicles driven and/or operated within, or adjacent to streams or other water should be checked and maintained daily to prevent leaks.

Hazardous Materials: No hazardous materials shall be stored or disposed of on-site. Fuel, oil, and grease needed for equipment maintenance during the working period may be stored on site where no leakage or spillage will contaminate the ground, preferably in spill containment barriers. No equipment maintenance will be performed within, or near, any stream channel or waters where petroleum products or other pollutants from equipment may enter these waters.

Wilderness and Wilderness Study Areas: No overland travel in any Wilderness or Wilderness Study Areas is allowed.

Cultural: Because cultural resources may be present in the area, project activities and any other action which causes disturbance of the earth’s surface shall be limited to those areas approved by the BLM. Deviations from shapefiles and maps are not allowable without prior written approval of the Contracting Officer. The Contractor shall insure that he, his employees, or his representatives do not collect or disturb historic or prehistoric artifacts in accordance with the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (43 CFR 7). Should the condition of the cultural resources in the area be altered during seeding operations due to unauthorized activity by the Contractor or his employees, the Contractor shall be responsible for all costs of mitigating the cultural resources involved. If deterioration of the archeological sites is found to be occurring during seeding activities, work on the project shall be terminated until a data recovery plan is prepared and completed in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act (36 CFR 800). The Contractor shall immediately bring to the attention of the Contracting Officer all cultural resources found including, but not limited to, historic and prehistoric sites or artifacts, buried artifacts, and buried features such as fire pits, burials, and house floors discovered because of drilling operations. The Contractor shall immediately suspend all activities in the immediate vicinity that might harm the object(s), notify the Contracting Officer, and shall leave such discoveries intact until instructed to proceed by the Contracting Officer.

Equipment

The Contractor shall seed designated areas in conformance with the specifications and the Work Data Sheet. Contractor shall furnish at the worksite all equipment, labor, supplies, and materials required to complete the work within the specified performance time. The Contractor shall service and maintain equipment, including Government-Furnished equipment, as necessary to maintain satisfactory progress on the work. The Contractor shall be responsible for all the Government-Furnished equipment as long as it is in his/her custody and shall protect equipment and spare parts from loss or damage due to theft or any other cause. Worn or broken parts that are replaced by the Contractor shall be presented for inspection by the Project Inspector.

Contractor-Furnished Equipment

The Contractor shall furnish a minimum of 1 tractor with adequate drawbar horsepower, traction, and weight to pull the specified seeding equipment in rough, rocky terrain and adverse weather conditions. Tractors shall be furnished and maintained in good mechanical condition throughout the term of the contract.

All crew for operation of equipment and seed handling and loading shall be furnished by the Contractor. Operators shall be skilled in the operation of tractors pulling rangeland drills.

The Contractor shall furnish equipment to monitor and insure evenly spaced, straight, regular, and complete coverage of all areas included in the seeding job.

The Contractor shall furnish all required fuel, oil, and lubricants for the operation, maintenance, and repair of the tractors and the Government-Furnished equipment.

Government-Furnished Equipment

The Government will furnish up to 6 rangeland drills and associated drill carts to be used as two three-drill set-ups. Government will deliver drills and carts to pre-determined location established between the contractor and COR.

· Maintenance: The Contractor shall lubricate and rangeland drills daily. The Contractor shall furnish necessary lubricating equipment and proper lubricants. The Contractor shall check all bolts and nuts on the drills daily to ensure tightness and tighten them as necessary for proper operation. Contractor shall lubricate with proper lubricant at regular intervals. A good practice is to lubricate at noon and upon quitting when everything is warm, rather than prior to starting work in the morning. During longer days (12-14 hours), three lubes may be necessary.

· Repair: The Contractor shall be equipped to make necessary field repairs to the rangeland drills. A welding outfit and miscellaneous iron shall be included in the Contractor's repair equipment. The Government will furnish repair parts necessitated by normal wear or breakage not due to the fault or negligence of the Contractor. The Contractor shall install repair parts furnished by the Government. The Contractor is responsible for promptly repairing all flat tires. Except for those repairs resulting from or negligence of the Contractor, major repairs not repairable in the field, will be made by the Government. No alterations or modifications in seeding equipment shall be made without approval of the COR. However, occasional adjustments in component parts of rangeland drills may be made by the Contractor as necessary to maintain proper operation.

All seed required for the contract will be issued by the Government to the Contractor. The seed will be furnished at the Elko BLM Seed Warehouse located in Elko, Nevada, Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and require 24-hour advanced notice. Alternate hours of pickup may be arranged with COR but cannot be guaranteed. Pickup times shall be coordinated between the COR and Contractor. Seed will be issued to the Contractor, or their authorized representative, and signed for on DI-105 (receipt of property) form.

Unit Boundary/Work Layout

0. An electronic geo-referenced PDF map will be provided to the Contractor with the treatment area boundaries (outside perimeter, etc.) necessary for the work executed under the Contract. The unit boundaries will not be marked on the ground.

0. A shapefile (for upload on Global Positioning System (GPS) unit) of the project area boundaries may also be provided to the Contractor upon their request.

0. The Contractor will be responsible for navigating within treatment unit boundaries using a GPS unit or other geo-referencing mapping tools as approved by BLM personnel.

0. A map with any applicable avoidance areas (archaeological sites; structural range improvements; survey markers such as sections corners, quarter corners, etc.) is to be provided to the Contractor.

0. Survey markers disturbed or removed during operations shall be reset at the Contractor’s expense.

0. Range improvements (fences, troughs, etc.) or other physical structures damaged or removed during operations shall be repaired or replaced at the Contractor’s expense.

0. A track log shall be provided to the Government either through GPS Logs, or through track logs on geo-referenced map products (i.e. Avenza). This data shall be provided to the government and verified before any payment is made to the contractor.

Project Meetings

Pre-Work Conference

A pre-work conference will be held prior to the start of work, and within 15 days of Contract award. The Contractor and the Contracting Officer’s Representative will schedule a time for the meeting location, date, and time. The purpose of the meeting will be to review the required work, project locations, project specifications, work schedule, payroll, progress 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.

Progress Meetings

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

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’s Representative at least two (2) working days in advance of the completion date, as to allow the Government to schedule a final inspection of the project. The Contractor shall require his or her superintendent (if designated) to be present during the inspections. The Contractor shall correct any deficiencies noted and the project will be re-inspected by the Contracting Officer. Final payment of the contract will be held pending the completion of a satisfactory final inspection of the project.

SUBMITTALS

Scope: Submittals include work schedules, landing facilities, equipment to be used, and safety plan.

I. Work Schedule: The schedule shall include the starting date and duration of the project, the order in which the contractor proposes to carry out the work, type of equipment to be used, names and titles of personnel, including the Contractor’s superintendent. The schedule shall also indicate the dates of important milestones, i.e., the sequence of the sites to be completed. The schedule shall be submitted to the COR at the pre-work conference. When requested by the CO/COR, the Contractor shall submit an updated schedule within 1 calendar day to the CO, with a copy to the COR.

Requirements: Refer to specifications for submittals required. Allow at least 3 working days for review, unless specified otherwise. Submittals shall be delivered to the Pre-work Conference.

Identification of Submittal: Completely identify each submittal by showing at a minimum, the following information: Name and address of submittal, plus name and telephone number of the individual to contact for further information.

Measure and Payment

Work will be measured and paid for by the number of acres that are satisfactorily completed in accordance with specifications. Measurement will be made from computer generated shape file created in a GPS Differential Guidance System at the option of Government. The shape file will be used in ArcView for final acreage measurement. Payment will be made at the unit price per acre specified in the Bid Schedule and shall include cost of all work described in these specifications. Islands of brush, rock, or other unseeded areas within the perimeter of the work site will be excluded from the total acres measured.

All measurements will be based on a horizontal plane. Re-measurement of the acreage under this Contract will be made upon the written request of the Contractor. Request for re-measurement must be made in writing within 10 calendar days after the project has been completed. If re-measurement indicates a difference of not more than 5% from the original measurement, the Contractor shall pay the actual cost of the re-measurement. Payments will be based on the second measurement where the difference between measurements is more than 5%. Where the difference is less than 5% the results from the first measurement will be used.

Mobilization: Mobilization includes all preparatory work and operations, including those necessary to the movement of personnel, equipment, supplies, required seed, maintenance, and incidentals to the project site; and for other work and operations which must be performed, or cost incurred prior to beginning work and after completion on the various items on the project site. All costs associated with mobilization and transportation need to be incorporated into the total cost per acre for seeding.

Basis of Payment: The Contracting Officer’s Representative or PI 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. However, the Contractor bears the responsibility to make sure that they are completing work according to the specifications of the Contract through quality assurance checks of their own. Work performed according to the specifications will be considered acceptable for payment progress.

WORK DATA SHEET

Offerors or quoters are urged and expected to inspect the site where services are to be performed to satisfy themselves regarding all general and local conditions that may affect the cost of contract performance, to the extent that the information is reasonably obtainable. In no event shall failure to inspect the site constitute grounds for a claim after contract award. Inquiries about project location are welcome, and maps to assist in site visits are available at request.

PROJECT NAME: Horseshoe Seeding ACRES: 1,170 acres DISTRICT OFFICE: Elko District, Tuscarora Field Office COUNTY: Eureka APPROXIMATE PERFORMANCE PERIOD: September 30, 2023 through November 30, 2023 Average Depth to Drill Seed: ½ to ¾ inch

SEED MIX (Pre-mixed):

PROJECT NAME: Black Point Drill Seeding, 2,000 acres DISTRICT OFFICE: Elko District, Tuscarora Field Office COUNTY: Elko APPROXIMATE PERFORMANCE PERIOD: September 30, 2023 through November 30, 2023 Average Depth to Drill Seed: ½ to ¾ inch

SEED MIX (Pre-mixed):