A04_SOW.docx

BATTLE MOUNTAIN EAST MASTICATIONS FY21

MECHANICAL FUELS REDUCTION

STATEMENT OF WORK

1.0 Introduction

1.1 The Bureau of Land Management Battle Mountain District Office is seeking contractor services to conduct a tree thinning (mastication/grinding) treatment on approximately 818 acres of single leaf pinyon pine (Pinus monophylla) and Utah juniper (Juniperus osteosperma) which has established on sagebrush ecological sites along the roadsides of two separate units. The Lower Pete Hansen Unit is 169 acres, the Diamond Valley Unit is 480 acres, and the Mulligan Canyon Unit is 169 acres. The service requested is the mastication or grinding of whole tree biomass. The use of mechanical equipment fitted with tracks or low-pressure tires is permissible. The project units are designed for hazardous fuels reduction and protection of wildlife habitat. The treatments will utilize existing roads and add the additional 300 ft of mastication treatment on each side of the road as fuelbreaks.

Table 1: Summary of Units

2.0 Background

2.1 The purpose of the project is to improve the overall health of sagebrush ecological sites, modify fuel loading to reduce the risk and severity of wildfire, and to improve wildlife habitat and other watershed values.

2.2 Vegetation in both units is typical of the Great Basin and consists of a mixture of pinyon pine, juniper, sagebrush, bitterbrush, and various grasses. Both units have multiple drainages with slopes that exceed 50%, but the overall topography is relatively rolling with slopes ranging from 5% to 40%. Current tree densities vary widely from 50-300 trees per acre. Tree size, determined by DRC (Diameter at Root Collar), range from 6” to 24” within the project area.

3.0 General Information

3.1 Site Tour: Interested parties are urged and expected to inspect the site where services are to be performed and 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 the Battle Mountain District, 50 Bastian Road, Battle Mountain, NV.

3.2 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. Contractor will return sites to pre-use condition.

3.3 Designated area shall be masticated in conformance with these specifications and this Statement of Work. Unless otherwise specified, the Contractor shall furnish at work sites all equipment, labor, supplies, and materials required to complete the job. The Contractor shall be responsible for service and repair of equipment as necessary to continually maintain satisfactory work progress.

3.4 The contractor is responsible for making sure that the correct mastication specifications are followed.

3.5 Work Crew: All Crew for operation of equipment and any additional site needs.

4.0 Scope of Work: Mechanical Woodland Maintenance (Mastication)

4.1 Required specifications for the treatment areas are as follows:

4.1.1 Masticate only single leaf pinyon pines and Utah juniper trees or brush within the project area as identified on the map (which is within 300ft or less from the edge of the road) to create 40 feet of spacing between tree crowns. No other individual tree species are to be treated. Trees larger than 20 feet in height and/or 12 inches diameter at breast height (DBH), trees with nests and nesting cavities, and those that exhibit old-growth characteristics will be retained. Trees left for the above reasons will not be counted against the 40 foot crown spacing but can be used to achieve that goal.

4.1.2 Standing dead pinyon or juniper will be masticated but dead and down material does not need to be treated.

4.1.3 All stumps shall be ground so they are no greater than 6 inches in height on the uphill side or above mineral soil. The stem, branches, or other parts of the severed trees or shrubs shall not be any higher than 12 inches from the ground.

4.1.4 If obstacles are encountered, such as rocks, the mastication attachment may be raised to clear the obstacle.

4.1.5 The by-product of mastication will be a mulch layer less than 5 inches deep.

4.1.6 Any and all skid trails or two-track roads, or any other disturbance created by equipment or vehicles maneuvering the project area, will be reclaimed as a part of the site cleanup requirements.

4.1.7 It is the responsibility of the offered/contractor to consider tree densities and terrain while developing an overall plan as required.

5.0 Other Restrictive Features

5.1 Cultural avoidance areas, survey corner markers, and other special features, if present and known, will be identified on maps, and provided in a shapefile. There may be potential operating restrictions or areas subject to closure from March 15 to July 31 due to the migratory bird season. The potential restrictions or closures would be pending the result of migratory bird surveys.

5.2 If sensitive, endangered, or threatened species (flora or fauna) are discovered within the treatment area, the contractor is to immediately notify the COR. The Government may issue a suspend work and/or partially terminate any portion of the work due to discoveries of sensitive, threatened, endangered species or archeological sites during contract operations.

5.3 The Government may issue a suspend work order and/or partially terminate any portion of the work at any time when application conditions are considered sufficiently unfavorable to warrant stoppage. Stoppage shall continue until application operations are again authorized by the Government. No monetary compensation will be given to the contractor for work suspensions.

5.4 Whenever a specification: Agency, State or Federal law; the most stringent interpretation shall take precedence.

6.0 Location

6.1 These projects are located near Eureka, Nevada in Eureka County.

6.2 The main roads that leads to both units are Highway 278 between Carlin and Eureka, Nevada. The Mulligan Canyon Unit is south of Eureka off of Hwy 50.

6.2.1 Lower Pete Hansen Unit: This Unit is located on the west side of Roberts Spring Mountain, off Alpha and Tonkin Roads. Alpha Road is approximately 55 miles south of Carlin off of Hwy 278. Tonkin Road heads south off of Alpha Rd. The unit extends out 300ft from the edge of the road on either side. All lands within the project area are administered by the Bureau of Land Management’s Battle Mountain District Office. The legal description for the Lower Pete Hansen Unit is:

Township 23 North; Range 50 East; Sections 05 & 06

6.2.2 Diamond Valley Unit: This Unit is located on the west side of the Diamond Mountains. Access to the site is east off of the Highway 278. Out of Eureka, 3rd Street, heading northeast will head to the southern portion of the unit. Saddler Brown Road, off of Hwy 278, will head towards the northern sections of the unit. The roadside unit runs north to south along a two track, minimally improved road at the toe slopes of the Diamonds. This unit will run along the un-named two track and will extend 300 ft from the edge of the road on either side. All lands within the project area are administered by the Bureau of Land Management’s Battle Mountain District Office.

Township 21 North; Range 54 East; Sections 11, 14, and 23 Township 21.5 North; Range 54 East; Section 35 Township 22 North; Range 54 East; Sections 14, 23, and 25

6.2.3 Mulligan Canyon Unit: This unit is located on the northern tip of the Antelope Range, approximately 30 miles southwest of Eureka. Access to the site, head south on Hwy 50 out of Eureka, turn south onto County Road 379. Off of Fish Creek Road head southwest on unnamed 50 approximately 15 miles to project area. The roadside unit runs north to south along a two track and will extend 300ft from the edge of the road on either side. All lands within the project area are administered by the Bureau of Land Management’s Battle Mountain District Office.

7.0 Expected Delivery or Performance Times

7.1 The period of performance is between August 1, 2021 to November 15, 2021. Government preference is to start and complete the project as quickly as possible. The Government acknowledges that weather conditions during this time, may impede this time frame. The contract performance period will not be extended due to misallocation of time or resources by the contractor. Winter weather will most likely impact the project after the end of the period of performance, as such extensions most likely will not be allowed.

7.2 There will be a pre-work conference prior to the start of the project at an agreed upon date between the COR/PI and the Contractor. This may be in person or via video/teleconference. At the pre-work conference, the Contractor shall provide the COR a written “work progress” plan that details the proposed workforce and schedule to provide for orderly completion of the work within the contract performance times. This work schedule must be acceptable to the government. At a minimum, the schedule should reflect a work progress rate capable of completing the project on time while accounting for up to 15 calendar days of delays.

7.3 The Contractor shall begin work within seven calendar days of the start date set/agreed upon at the pre-work conference. The Contractor shall continue performance of the work under the contract without delay or interruption except by causes beyond his/her control as defined by contract clauses, or by the receipt of a “Suspend Work Order” issued by the Government. Failure to do so may be cause for action under the “Default” clause. The Contractor shall complete all work required within the time specified.

8.0 Boundaries

8.1 The project boundaries MAY NOT be marked on the ground with flagging tape. Maps and GIS shapefiles of the unit boundaries will be provided for upload into a GPS unit provided by the selected contractor. The selected contractor will be responsible for navigating with a GPS unit to stay within the project boundaries. The Government will only be on site for periodic work inspection. The Government MAY have flagged avoidance areas regarding cultural and/or wildlife related sites with flagging tape, but maps and shapefiles may also be given to the contractor for these avoidance areas. It is incumbent on the contractor to make sure that they are within the boundary and not within avoidance areas.

8.2 Only BLM land is allowed to be treated with this contract while the Government has removed all non-BLM land from the expected acreage if an area within the Units are not BLM land it is up to the contractor to make sure that they do not cross onto that land.

8.3 Minor boundary adjustments to treatment units, up to 10% of the total project area, may occur for administrative purposes during project implementation that would potentially change the size or shape of treatment units. These adjustments WILL NOT change the total project size.

9.0 Access

9.1 Cross-country travel should be expected to access portions of the project area. Some drainage crossings may have to be traversed within the project area. Access is achievable with a pickup truck, wheeled, or tracked machinery. Portions of the road that the treatment will occur alongside are all dirt. There are no paved roads on either Unit.

9.2 Contractor is responsible for identification and avoidance of any ground and aerial hazards.

10.0 Contractor Furnished Property and Services

10.1 Contractor will be responsible for all labor, transportation, materials, and equipment necessary to perform the work described.

10.2 Any/all flagging used by the contractor is to be removed upon completion of the project.

11.0 Required Equipment

11.1 All equipment must be weed free prior to entering site.

11.1.1 Mastication equipment shall:

11.1.1.1 Be of durable design and construction to withstand the stresses of natural obstructions within pinyon-juniper woodlands such as rocks, stumps, roots, slash, dust, and the general unevenness of the land.

11.1.1.2 Be free of fluid leaks and have hoses in good operating condition.

11.1.1.3 Be either rubber tired, rubber tracked, or metal tracked.

11.1.1.4 Be equipped with a cutting head capable of performing the work described in the contract.

11.1.2 Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment shall:

11.1.2.1 A GPS capable of showing project and avoidance boundaries (boundaries provided by BLM) may be utilized by all personnel masticating. Unit boundaries will not have any visible markings. Any area treated outside of the unit boundaries will be at the contractors’ expense and may include payments of restitution to the BLM if resource damage is the result.

11.1.3 Fire suppression equipment:

11.1.3.1 The Contractor shall furnish and have available for emergency use one fire engine or water tender during mastication/welding operations. This piece of equipment shall remain available adjacent to the mastication/welding operations to extinguish fires on or in the vicinity of the project which are caused directly or indirectly by the Contractor or his employees.

11.1.3.2 Fire suppression Equipment Shall:

11.1.3.2.1 Be staffed at all times at the project location with a minimum of two people. One of these people can be operator of the machine used for mastication, but that machine must be shut down while suppressing the initial start.

11.1.3.2.2 Be four-wheel drive.

11.1.3.2.3 Have a pump capable of delivering a minimum of 50 gallons per minute at 150 psi.

11.1.3.2.4 Contain a minimum of 200 gallons of water.

11.1.3.2.5 Be equipped with a minimum of 500 feet of 1-inch diameter hose, 2 nozzles, 1 shovel, and 1 pulaski which must be able to reach the mastication equipment at any time while actively masticating.

11.1.3.2.6 Be free of fluid leaks and have hoses in good operating condition.

11.1.3.2.7 All tools and equipment above shall be in good workable condition.

11.1.3.3 The Contracting Officer may, by written notice, authorize substitute measures or equipment or may waive specific fire readiness requirements during periods of low fire danger.

11.1.3.4 The Contractor shall, independently and in cooperation with the Government, take all reasonable action to prevent and suppress fires on the project. Independent initial action shall be prompt and shall include the use of all personnel and equipment available in the project area.

11.1.3.5 The Government may require emergency measures, including the necessary shutting down of equipment or portions of operations in the project area during periods of fire emergency created by hazardous climatic conditions. It is the responsibility of the contractor to reach out and find out if those climatic conditions are occurring by contacting either the dispatch center and or the COR.

11.1.3.6 The Contractor shall report all fires on or in the vicinity of the project to the Central Nevada Interagency Dispatch Center at (775) 635-1555 during regular business hours (775) 635-3444 for 24 hour coverage. When reporting a fire, provide the following information: name, call back telephone number, project name, location, and fire description.

12.0 Government Furnished Property and Services

12.1 Government shall provide at least one paper map depicting the project area, any avoidance areas, and other special features, if present. A GIS shapefile, KMZ file, and a geo-referenced PDF can be provided, to the contractor, of the project boundary to be uploaded to a GPS or mobile device. Whatever device is used to track the progress of the project it must be sufficiently sensitive to provide an accuracy of ± 15ft in either the WGS84 or NAD83 datum’s.

13.0 Bid Packets

13.1 Bid submissions should include the following:

13.1.1 Overall cost estimate, with a breakout of itemized price proposal

13.1.2 List personnel numbers and equipment proposed for the project.

13.1.3 Descriptions of similar projects performed.

13.1.4 Estimated timeline to complete the project.

13.1.5 Contractors are to submit a single bid for the mastication treatment on a per acre basis. A pre-bid tour can be set up upon request.

14.0 Measurement and Payment

14.1 Mastication will be measured and paid for by the number of acres treated to the nearest acre.

14.2 Measurement for payment for mechanical treatment will be the actual area, in acres, within the designated boundaries satisfactorily treated in conformance with these specifications. Measurement will be made from either physical surveys of the areas or GPS tracks at the option of the BLM. The shapefile will be used in ARCGIS for final acreage measurement. Acreages will be computed from horizontal distances as shown on maps at the option of the BLM.

14.3 Full payment of the award amount will be authorized for satisfactorily treating the whole project site. Up to a 10% reduction in acreage can receive full payment at the discretion of the BLM to avoid impacts to areas of cultural, historical, or biological significance identified after the contract is awarded. If the actual acreage varies more than 10% below the estimated quantity, an equitable adjustment in the contract price shall be made upon demand of either party, and will be based on the per acre costs in the accepted bid.

15.0 Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) and/or Project Inspector (PI)

15.1 The COR and/or Project Inspector (PI) will be appointed by the Contracting Officer upon award of the contract. Such COR/PI will be responsible for giving the contractor any special instructions or guidance necessary to complete delivery as required by the contract. The COR or PI does not have the authority to modify or in any way amend the terms of this contract.

16.0 Safety

16.1 The contractor is responsible for providing a safety plan that identifies a point of contact in the event of any accident. The plan should include names and emergency phone numbers for personnel and facilities to contact in case an emergency warrants such actions. The plan should also include a description of on-site emergency procedures to follow in case of an accident. The plan should identify the insurance company providing coverage and the pertinent group coverage number.

16.2 In addition to being responsible for the safety of their employees, the contractor is also responsible for providing for the safety of the public during operations. This includes compliance with all OSHA and State of Nevada regulations for the use of equipment.

16.3 Any hazards that would pose a danger to Contractor, Contractor’s personnel, the public or operating equipment should be identified, mitigated and/or avoided by the Contractor and brought to the Government representative’s attention.

17.0 If the IDIQ is used to award this contact, then the below information is specific to those requirements. If there is a discrepancy between the above information and the IDIQ information, then the above information will take precedence.

17.1 Item 1D - Level IV - A specific spacing footage shall be designated by Government, within the range of 10 feet x 10 feet up to 45 feet x 45 feet for conifers and hardwoods in combination. The number of acceptable leave trees shall be determined by the spacing designated (10 feet x 10 feet spacing equals 435 trees/acre, 45 feet x 45 feet spacing equals 22 trees/acre). Unit density is estimated to be greater than 45 percent cover.

17.1.1 Each Task Order shall specify the level of difficulty, the specifications, the ranking of preferred species and the size range limits for treatment, whether hardwoods and/or conifers are included, and if any individual species are reserved from treatment.

17.1.2 Accomplish mastication throughout the entire unit, excluding areas identified by the Task Order or by excessive slope as reserved from treatment.

17.1.3 Mechanically grind all slash and brush as identified in the Task Order. No live limbs shall be left on the stump of any ground stem.

17.1.4 All surplus vegetation and slash shall be ground or cut, such that no woody piece is greater than 3 feet in length.

17.1.5 Chip depth above the normal plane of the ground shall be specified in the Task Order.

17.1.6 Cut trees, hardwoods or brush lodged in or covering a leave tree shall be dislodged or removed before mastication.

17.1.7 Contractor shall furnish two warning signs to be placed on the roadside prior to entrance to the work area. Signs shall be a minimum of 3 feet by 3 feet in dimension and shall warn of possibility of flying debris.

17.1.8 Contractor shall ensure placing fuel containment barrier if storing fuel on project site.