A04_SOW.docx

Statement of Work for Rocky Mountain National Park’s Allenspark to Sand Beach Fuels Reduction Project

The primary goal of this project is to reduce the fuel load and change fuels arrangement inside the park boundary to reduce the threat of wildland fire to the adjacent communities and municipal water sheds. Work includes felling standing trees, pruning remaining trees, removing ladder fuels, bucking dead and down material, and piling all resulting material on site for future pile burning in deep snow conditions. All of this work must be conducted in a manner that protects park visitors, protects rare plants, preserves sensitive wildlife habitat, and minimizes the aesthetic impacts of the work onto the park. The intent is to complete this contract with hand crews using hand carried chainsaws and/or non-motorized tools, off road vehicles are not permitted. Future pile burning will be conducted by Rocky Mountain National Park personnel and is not part of this contract.

The Allenspark to Sand Beach Fuels Reduction Project is 573 acres broken up into 7 blocks.

The intent is to award the contract to one contractor based on: production capacity, knowledge and experience with this type of work, past performance, and price.

Portions of the project are located on steep terrain with all aspects represented. The forest inside this project is generally mixed conifer with a heavy presence of lodgepole. There are a few large pockets of ponderosa and aspen dominant overstory. Douglas fir, spruce, and limber pine can be found as individual trees throughout the project area. Pockets of understory aspen are present throughout the project and can be extensive in pocket size and distribution. Elevation of the project sites ranges from 8200ft to 9800ft. Weather at this elevation can include rain, lightning, sun, snow, and occasional high winds (30-60 mph). All work will be conducted within Park boundaries. Between 2005 and present, pine beetles and other bugs have been very active, this has generated a mosaic of mortality in all of the conifer species.

In the spring of 2020 forest measurements were taken at 16 circular plots (plot radius was 37 feet) within the project. The results are listed in the table on the next page and plot locations are roughly depicted on attached maps. The forest measurements (avg DBH, tree height, tree species, BA, % mortality) are all highly variable due to a mosaic of forest age, stand density, mortality, tree sizes, and dominant tree species. Despite efforts to make these measured sites representative the number of plots and the size of the plots are not statistically significant (less than 0.3% of the total area was measured) and plot locations were not randomly selected. If statistically accurate forest measurements are desired or required by the contractor for accurate bidding it is the responsibility of the potential contractor to obtain their own forest measurements. The Allenspark to Sand Beach Fuels Reduction Project is open to potential contractors at any time in the same manner as it is to the public. It is highly recommended that the contractor grid each block prior to bidding to understand the highly variable nature of the stand and the volume of work. Block boundaries are marked with blue tree paint when not delineated by a trail.

Dominate Species % of Stems

· PICO = Pinus Contorta = Lodgepole pine

· PSME = dougfir

Please take special note of the following:

A) Parking for vehicles is available in parking lots in Wild Basin but are on a first come first serve basis (see map). Parking off road on the vegetation inside Rocky Mountain National Park is not allowed. Any parking on adjacent private property must be arranged by the contractor with the property owner and may not in any way include or involve the Rocky Mountain National Park.

B) Please note the desired pile volume can be up to 2000 cubic feet far greater than typical pile sizes (see pile specifications for minimum pile sizes). These larger pile sizes may require slash to be dragged further distances than other contracts with smaller.

C) Please note that piles must be stacked a minimum distance from remaining trees; such natural openings or areas where enough trees can be removed to make a sufficiently large hole in the canopy may be some distance from the material to be stacked requiring extensive dragging.

D) Please note that the prohibition to cut live aspen combined with the requirement to keep pile edges at least 15 feet from remaining tree stems may require dragging slash significant distances (out of the aspen stands) in some places.

E) Please note the minimum distance requirement between piles and other features (park boundary, streams, above ground pipes, ditches, and trails). These requirements will involve additional dragging/moving of slash in some places; especially when two such features occur near each other.

F) Please note there are many beetle killed trees to be felled, bucked, and piled from the dominant over-story; some have a maximum diameter greater than 20 inches.

G) Please note the trail guard requirements are very specific and important to successful operations when running saws near trails (see attached specifications).

H) Please note that the trees to be removed have not been marked and that the work of selecting pile openings and trees to be removed per the specifications rests upon the contractor.

Work Specifications for the Wind E Portal Fuel Reduction Project

1) Work on the Allenspark to Sand Beach Fuels Reduction Project is intended to be conducted in the late summer or fall after sensitive bird nesting is completed and prior to significant snow fall. See the contract / task order solicitation for specific dates. Before work may proceed contractor must have permission to do so from the contract officer and scheduled an arrival date and time with the COR.

2) Due to adjacent occupied homes, no chainsaw work may be conducted before 8 am and after 6 pm. Stacking and other quite operations may occur any time after sunrise and before sunset.

3) Do not fell live limber pine or live aspen. This specification supersedes all other specifications.

4) Do not fell trees (live or dead) with cavity nesting holes, large stick nests or other evidence of significant wildlife use. This specification supersedes all other specifications.

5) Do not cut trees flagged with candy striped flagging and do not work in areas flagged off with candy striped flagging. This specification supersedes all other specifications.

6) Cutting and building piles should not be conducted within 30 feet of streams or inside the cut banks of the stream. This specification supersedes all other specifications.

7) Clean out the aspen stands. Fell all (live and dead) lodgepole, ponderosa, Douglas fir, fir and spruce with less than 14-inch diameter when within 30 feet of an aspen taller than 3 feet or within a live aspen stand. With exceptions for specifications #4, #5 and #6

8) Remove all trees that are broken, severed at the base, got stuck on other trees during the felling process (remove all “hung up” trees), have failing root balls, are leaning onto other trees, and all trees with natural leans greater than 25 degrees from vertical. With exceptions for specifications #3, #4, #5, and #6. A winch, pullies and ropes or other conveyance may be required to remove some of these trees. If a tree that meets this specification cannot be felled with a reasonable degree of safety inform the COR for exemption.

9) Establish openings for piles to be stacked in. Openings should be at least 45 feet in diameter with at least 5 openings per acre. These pile openings should be located in natural openings whenever possible, when not posable tree removal is required. When not in natural openings they should be located were resulting tree removals will be limited in number and size. If additional openings (more than 9 per acre) are needed or desired by the contractor to accommodate slash they may be approved on a case-by-case basis by the COR. Pile opening locations must meet specification 29h, 29i, 29j and 29k.

10) In addition to removing conifers from aspen stands (#7 above) and in addition to felling trees to establish openings (#9 above) fell 80% of all remaining dead trees throughout the block. With exceptions for specifications #4, #5 and #6. Inspectors will look for 4 dead stumps for every remaining dead tree when outside pile openings and aspen stands. Stumps from dead trees that were removed to clean out aspen stands (spec #7) and generate pile openings (spec #9) will not be counted when comparing standing dead trees to dead stumps ratios.

11) In addition to removing conifers from aspen stands (#7 above) and felling trees to establish openings (#9 above). Fell (thin) 10% of the remaining live stems. Stems should be removed in the following priority order until the 10% reduction in stems is meet: #1 pine beetle infested trees (fresh hit not dead yet), #2 trees of poor health or form, #3 Douglas fir less than 14 inches DBH. Wind-throw problems may occur if too much of the overstory is removed. Inspectors will count fresh stumps and remaining live trees looking for a ratio of roughly 1 green stump for every 9 adjacent remaining live trees in thinned areas between pile openings and outside of aspen stands.

12) Within 20 feet of any trail remove live trees with a DBH less than 7 inches and trees less than 25 feet tall, with exceptions for specifications #3, #4, #5, and #6. This includes seedlings and saplings as great emphasis is placed on removing regen from these areas before they grow into potential hazard trees.

13) Remove all dead trees within 100 feet of any trail and all the block boundaries with exceptions for specifications #4, #5 and #6.

14) Remove all Junipers trees within 100 feet of trails, and all the block boundary with exceptions for specifications #4, #5 and #6.

15) Remove all brush taller than 1 foot from within 10 feet of trails. Ground juniper may be pruned to keep it shorter that 1 foot rather then removed.

16) All stumps (including all stumps from other felling operations prior to this contract) must be cut less than 2 inches above the ground on all sides. Multi-faceted stumps are acceptable and may reduce stumping efforts.

17) Prune all remaining trees taller than 12 feet in height 7 feet up from the ground. Limbs that exit the bole of the tree above 7 feet and droop below the 7 foot level may be cut where the branch crosses into the 7 foot level.

18) All pruning stobs will be less than 1/2 inch in length on all sides.

19) Pruning activities should not damage the bole of the tree

20) Construct Experimental Slash Barrier- In every block except for Block G there is one experimental slash barrier that has been constructed. The intent was to arrange the slash in a continuous circle with sufficient height and width to prevent or discourage moose, elk and deer from getting inside the barrier and eating all the young aspen shoots. Once the aspen shoots get well above browse height (8-15 years later) the barrier will be restacked outside the new aspen stand and burned. (This contract does not include the restacking later or pile burning) The location for the slash barriers is marked with orange vertical paint marks and are depicted on the maps of each block. The slash barrier construction replaces the piling specifications for the area within 100 feet of the orange vertical paint marks. No piles should be constructed within 100 feet of the barrier.

a) Relocate all the slash from within 100 feet of the orange painted perimeter (both sides) to within 10 feet of the orange painted perimeter (both sides).

b) Slash should be stacked in a manner that best prevents Moose, Elk, and Deer from crossing it. Likely this would be a very loose jumble that can’t be climbed or jumped rather than a tight pile.

c) Ideally the barrier would be at least 15 feet wide and at least 10 feet tall so it could not be jumped.

d) Portions of trees that lie or are felled within 10 feet of the orange perimeter may be left whole and uncut if it forms a better barrier.

e) Trees not removed by other specifications may be incorporated into the barrier. There are no set back requirements for the barriers.

f) A barrier was built in Block B that extended into Block F. The portion of the barrier in Block F should be added to rather than building new piles adjacent to the barrier that would potentially cause fire to spread into the barrier when the piles are burned.

g) No barrier is to be constructed in Block G.

21) Cut and pile all “ladder” fuels within the drip line, and 7 feet beyond the drip line of all the remaining trees. Ladder fuels include brush greater than 1 foot tall and small trees (1 – 12 feet tall). Trees taller than 12 feet do not need to be removed as ladder fuels. Aspen, birch, or willow of any size do not need to be removed as ladder fuels.

22) Cut and pile all dead and down material (without saw cuts) greater than 2.5 inches in diameter regardless of length. In addition, cut and pile all dead and down longer than 3 feet in length regardless of diameter. A branch or log that is less than 2.5 inches in diameter, AND shorter than 3 feet, AND does not bear a saw cut does not need to be piled. Dead and down includes all rotten logs. The contractor may break down rotten logs to sizes smaller than the 2.5 inches and 3 foot in length rather than piling the rotten material provided it does not leave saw cuts.

23) All trees felled and all cut material must be piled. All material bearing saw cuts greater than half inch in diameter must be piled regardless of length. This includes small branches, “cookies” and “pie cuts”. However, it does not include the portion of the stump stuck in the ground. Stumps from wind throw that are easily moved (loose, not stuck in the ground) and bear saw cuts must be piled.

24) Felling and piling activities will damage no more than 30% of the retained trees.

25) Chainsaws may not be run within 200 yards of horseback riders as this can startle the horses and potentially cause harm to the riders. To prevent this from happening guards must be posted on all trails leading into cutting areas at a distance greater than 200 yards from the saws. Two-way communications between the sawyers and all the guards must be maintained during the felling operation. Radios are strongly recommended as shouting and hand signals are insufficient at that distance in the timber. Trail guards must speak English, additional languages may be helpful. Should trail rides or lone horse riders approach the cutting operations they should be temporarily delayed at 200 yards from the sawyers until chainsaws are shut off (at the soonest and safest available point) to prevent spooking the horses and tossing riders. Delays to horse riders should not extend past the time it takes to get partially cut trees onto the ground and the slash cleared from the trail (generally no more than a 10-minute delay).

26) Lots of hikers will also be using the trail and they must be kept at least two tree heights away from all felling operations. The trail guards must be present on all sides of felling operations and should delay hikers until all felling is completed and sawyers are on hold from dropping any more trees. Note bucking and pruning operations may continue with chainsaws as hikers pass.

27) The contractor is responsible for public safety when in their work area and must monitor for and keep all public to at least a distance of 2 tree heights (in all directions) away from all felling operations (trail or no trail, road or no road). Trees with a cut applied to the stem for falling purposes and the tree in any other position then horizontally laying on the ground constitute felling operations. Any deviation from this observed by the COR or witness by park employees, will automatically generate a stop in felling operations until a satisfactory solution to the problem is discussed with the COR and agreed upon.

28) Due to the heavy traffic; trees, slash and other cut material should be cleared from trails and roads as soon as possible. An individual tree or individual piece of slash should not remain on trails or roads more than 10 minutes from the time it is cut.

29) The contractor is responsible for any damages they cause to public or private property. Including but not limited to vehicles, signs, paved roads, infrastructure and buildings.

30) Piles will be constructed to meet the following requirements to facilitate burning under heavy snow load conditions.70 ⁰ 10+’ 10+’ 4’ 8+’

a) Pile height will be at least 8 feet high

b) Pile width will be at least 10 feet wide

c) Pile length will be at least 10 feet long

d) The bottom 4 feet of the pile edges need to form a steep wall at least 70 degrees from level

e) Material must not stick out more than 1 foot from the bottom 4 feet of the pile edge. 30d and 30e are often accomplished by shaving the pile edges with a saw after the piles are constructed and resulting cut material is tossed on to the top of the pile OR stacking stem wood side by side in a vertical arrangement.

f) The branch material, material less than 4 inches diameter and rotten material must be piled first making the interior of the pile easy to ignite. Then, the majority of stem wood greater than 4 inches in diameter should be piled around the exterior or on top of the pile. This will help facilitate ignitions when snow is deep.

g) Piles must be constructed with sufficient density to prevent the CORS fist from penetrating more than 2.5 feet into the pile (this density is desired to prevent wind driven snow from entering the center of the pile). Piles in question of meeting this specification will be probed on all four sides at the most likely location and angel to allow penetration. Should the probe reach more than 2.5 feet in depth in more than 3 locations, the pile must be rebuilt. When stacking dead branch material, a saw is often required to chop up the pile as it is stacked to generate sufficient densities.

h) The closest pile edge will be more than 10 feet from trails, more than 15 feet from a ditch and a black plastic pipeline located in Block F, and more than 50 feet away from stream beds. All piles must be inside the project area.

i) Piles will not be constructed in wet or marshy areas.

j) The closest pile edge will be constructed at least 15 feet from any residual tree stems. If residual live tree spacing is tight and the contractor desires to remove additional live trees to meet this specification rather than move material to a more open location further away, they may request permission from the COR to remove additional trees. Additional trees should be less than 14 inches in diameter and not in violation of specification #3, #4, & #5.

k) Piles edges must be at least 30 feet apart to prevent one pile from igniting the neighboring pile during burn operations.

31) To ensure field crews understand and remember all the specifications, the contractor will keep a copy of this statement of work on site during operations.

32) To ensure all specifications are well understood, the COR will be on site for a minimum of 4 hours on the first day and 2 hours on the second day of work. Actual start date should be scheduled in advance with the COR and after a “notice to proceed” has been released by the Contract Officer to ensure availability.

33) It is recommended, but not required, that the first 5 acres be finished and pass inspection by the COR for all specifications prior to any additional work occurring. In this way deficiencies in meeting the specifications can be determined early and thus costly rework can be avoided. The COR will strive to provide the inspection results on the first 5 acres within 3 business days of notification of their completion.

34) The contractor is responsible for inspecting and ensuring all work meets or exceeds the specifications prior to COR inspection to avoid costly rework.

35) The contractor is responsible for removing and properly disposing of all trash and litter they encounter.

36) Storage of gas and fuel on the project is not allowed overnight.

Quality Acceptance Level and Government Inspection Method

The quality acceptance level is set at 96% to maintain an ascetically acceptable appearance for our high visitation. Obviously, we expect the contractor to strive for 100% compliance with every specification listed as “all” but recognize that due to human error and other complications this may not be possible every time. For the work to be accepted in any block ALL the specifications must be met to the 96% acceptance level or to the satisfaction of the COR when there are extenuating circumstances. Each block must pass independently, a quality level of 99% in Block A does not allow for acceptance of a quality level of 94% in another block. Each specification will be measured separately, and all applicable specifications must be met in each block for it to be accepted. Measurements will be taken on multiple transects and along the perimeter of each block as well as along all the trails (sampling at least 10% of the area in each block).

Examples of sampling method:

When sampling a transect to see if a specification is meet. If an item that does not meet a required work specification is found the next 24 surrounding items applicable to that specification must be correctly completed. If while sampling the next/surrounding 24 items if another is found that does not meet the same specification another additional 24 items that do meet it must be found. This would continue until the percentage of error can be estimated or until enough correctly worked items are found to determine that the specification is being met at least 96% of the time.

Examples by Specification:

#3 For every aspen or limber pine found cut then another 24 must be found standing #4 For every cavity or stick nest tree found felled then another 24 must be located standing #7 If a tree with DBH less than 16 inches is found within 25 feet of an aspen another 24 stumps within 25 feet of aspen must be found #12 For every live tree with DBH less than 14 inches found within 30 feet of a trail or road then another 24 live stumps must be found #13 For every dead tree within 100 feet of roads and trails 24 dead stumps must be found #16 For every stump with an edge more than 2 inches above ground 24 stumps with all edges below 2 inches must be found #17 For every tree with limbs below 7 feet 24 more trees correctly limbed must be found.

#18 For every pruning stob longer than ½ inch 24 must be found that are less than ½ inch long #19 For every tree with damage to the stem due to limbing/pruning 24 trees must be found without damage #20 For every tree with ladder fuel under it 24 must be found without #21 & #22 For every 25 square feet of forest floor (5ft by 5Ft) with material left in it that was supposed to be stacked 600 square feet (24 5ft x 5ft) must be found free of material that requires stacking.

#31 For every pile that does not meet all pile requirements of specification (30A – 30K) 24 piles must be found that do meet all the requirements.

Minimum Safety Requirements The COR will check for ALL these minimum safety requirements prior to work starting and frequently throughout the project. Any violation of these requirements will require the associated work to stop until these requirements are met. Historically contractors have shown up to start work and failed to meet some of these specifications resulting in delays prior to work starting.

1. All employees must have and use adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) including, but not limited to; hard hat, hearing protection, eye protection, sturdy footwear, and gloves. When running a chainsaw, or within 10 feet of a running saw, chaps must be worn. Chaps must be free of saw cuts and other significant damage. Any cuts, abrasions, or blown out stitching, longer than 1 inch and penetrating the outer layer constitutes significant damage. Any damage or loss of Kevlar inside the chaps, no matter how small, constitutes significant damage. Both sides of the chaps will be inspected on day one before cutting starts and periodically throughout the contract.

1. Contractor and operators must follow all OSHA regulations which apply to the work activities. OSHA Regulations for tree removal operations can be found at http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=9862

1. The contractor must keep a first aid kit that meets the OSHA requirements on site when cutting (see appendix A of the OSHA logging requirements).

1. The contractor must have at least one First Aid certified employee on site during cutting operations. Employee must carry written certification showing currency.

1. The contractor must maintain the ability to contact 911 or Rocky Mountain National Park dispatch within 15 minutes in case of emergency. Cell phone coverage is limited in the work area. Radio frequencies for Rocky Mountain National Park dispatch will be provided upon request. Government radios will NOT be provided.

1. The nearest known emergency medical facility is Estes Park Medical Center at 555 Prospect Avenue, Estes Park, CO (970) 586-2317 (in an emergency call 911). The contractor should become familiar with this facility’s location and capacity and make this information known to all employees working on the project prior to starting work.

1. Saw gas must be properly stored in an approved “safety can” without damage. Cans should be no more than 5.3 gallons and have a fully functional lid or spout cover that is designed to relieve internal pressures if subjected to fire. Leaky cans, cans without lids, or lids that leak when knocked over must be removed from the project and the park. Fuel and bar oil should not be left on site overnight.

1. Contractor must have minor spill protection and spill clean-up equipment on site, a tarp, 5 gallon bucket and shovel should suffice when working on the forest floor.

The COR will check for ALL these minimum safety requirements prior to work starting and frequently throughout the project. Any violation of these requirements will require the associated work to stop until these requirements are met. Historically contractors have shown up to start work and failed to meet some of these specifications resulting in delays prior to work starting.

Additional Limitations and Requirements for All Cutting Blocks

· No off-road vehicle use. Vehicle use is limited to the same roads as the public

· Motorized equipment is limited to what can be hand-held and hand carried

· To prevent accidental fire starts, saws must be equipped with spark arrestors. In addition, the following equipment must be within 200 yards of cutting operations when the fire danger is moderate or greater: 1 round point shovel greater than 48” long, 1 Pulaski (or 1 hoe and 1 axe), 5 gallons of water or a small fire extinguisher. Any accidental fire starts should be reported immediately. Should the fire exceed the size of a campfire and threaten workers safety they should depart the area and call 911 or Rocky Mountain National Park Dispatch.

· No activities will be conducted within wetland areas.

· Slash will not be moved from surrounding sites into wetland areas.

· Equipment maintenance and fueling will not occur in wetland areas.

· Contractor must visibly post fair wage rules, injury rules, and other applicable rules/rights at the work site or in work vehicles. Given the outdoor work environment it is acceptable to hand out this information to each employee.

· Smoking is prohibited except in developed campgrounds, vehicles, or while seated in an area of at least three feet in diameter that is barren of all flammable materials.

· The building of camp, lunch, warming, and other fires within National Park Service property is prohibited outside of established fire grates (located in picnic areas and campgrounds).

· If any artifacts or human remains are exposed during contract operations, they shall be left in place and the Contractor must immediately notify the COTR or contact the Park Cultural Resources Specialist.

· No cutting of live Aspen and live Limber Pine.

· No cutting trees live or dead trees with cavity nests or other signs of significant wildlife use.

· No activities will be conducted within areas flagged for closure (blue and white striped flagging or red and white striped flagging).

· No provisions for camping in the park will be made to the contractor.

· All food must be stored in locked vehicles when workers are not present to avoid feeding the bears All conduct outside of the specified work is subject to park rules and regulations concerning littering, wildlife harassment, collecting, resource damage and other topics as specified for the NPS in the Code of Federal Regulations title 36 (can be found At) http://www.gpoaccess.gov/ecfr/

This contract is located on the east side of Rocky Mountain National Park 16 miles south of downtown Estes Park Colorado and 1 mile west of Allenspark. To access the northern blocks head 2 miles north on Hwy 7 from Allenspark, CO. then turn left on County Road 84 W (aka Wild Basin Road) and travel 0.3 miles west to the Wild Basin Entrance station of the park. To access the southern blocks from private property head west on county road 90 from downtown Allenspark post office then head north or south on Skinner Road to areas close to Blocks A and B. The contractor must get permission from private property owners to park on and cross private property. To get to Allenspark from Denver it’s approximately 30 miles north to Longmont on I-25 then another 16 miles west on Hwy 66 to Lyons then another 19 miles west on US Hwy 7. During the summer when Trail Ridge Road is open the project area can be accessed from the west. From Granby on Hwy 40 head north and east 51 miles on Hwy 34, passing Grand Lake and traveling over the continental divide and through Rocky Mountain National Park. Once in Estes Park head south on Hwy 7 for 16 miles toward Allenspark, CO. See attached maps and photos for contract location and individual block descriptions.

Greater Vicinity Map

Project Map Block F-119 acres (northern unit) Block G-83 acres (southern unit)

Block F

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