A04_SOW.docx

OWYHEE DESERT FUEL BREAK EXPANSION MOWING 2021

STATEMENT OF WORK

I. GENERAL INFORMATION AND REQUIREMENTS

A. Description of Work

1. Specifications and Limitations:

a. The purpose of this statement of work is to secure the service of mechanical mowing of approximately 8,040 acres of brush and grass from September 15, 2021 – December 15, 2021 in Elko County, Nevada. The work is broken into the following project areas: Star Ridge (3,477 acres), Shallow Lake (1,799 acres), Owyhee (2,243 acres), and Silver Lake (521 acres). The areas are on the attached maps, with the location depicted to be mowed.

b. Each line item will be bid and awarded separately, this may be to the same vendor or different vendors (see Bid Sheet).

c. The Contractor will be responsible for furnishing all labor, equipment, supervision, transportation, supplies, and materials required to mechanically mow brush and grass within the project area(s) and within the specified performance time. The Contractor shall service and maintain such equipment as necessary to maintain satisfactory progress of work.

2. Work Specifications:

a. Fuel breaks will be mowed in the proposed footprint as mapped, in a linear fashion with irregular edges, and off one or both sides of the road.

b. Mowing will be done on shrubs and/or perennial or annual grasses. Beating or chopping is also included on brushy vegetation ½ to 3 inches in diameter at the base and up to 3-5 feet in height. Vegetation will be cut to a height of 4 to 6 inches in designated mowing areas.

c. The tractor(s) will not exceed three miles per hour while mowing.

d. Implementation will desist in the event wet conditions arise (including snow and excessive moisture).

i. This occurs when the ground is saturated where equipment is causing excessive rutting (>3 inches) and disturbance.

ii. When saturated ground conditions are encountered, the Contractor shall stop work and notify the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). Work can resume when the ground is sufficiently dry.

e. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) representative(s) will identify all mowing maintenance areas prior to operations.

f. Operators of equipment will make every attempt to take different paths to and from the base camp to work area to limit the amount of disturbance upon a single path.

g. Active mining claim markers or stakes shall be avoided to the extent practical.

i. Active mining claim markers that are destroyed by operations would be the Contractor’s responsibility to re-stake using a legal mining claim marker.

ii. The re-staking of mining claim markers would occur in coordination with the existing mining claimants to ensure accurate, legal staking procedures that would minimize damage to claims.

h. All Contract equipment will be inspected by the BLM representative prior to equipment being offloaded from its transport.

i. The inspection location needs to be pre-arranged with the Contracting Officer’s Representative to best serve both Contractor and BLM representative(s).

ii. The Contractor shall not load or unload equipment on public highways unless authorized by BLM representative(s).

3. Mechanical Equipment Requirements:

a. Machine(s) will:

i. Include a minimum of one tractor and one rotary mower to complete the specified work.

ii. Include a tractor or tractors of at minimum one (1) four-wheel drive, rubber tired or rubber track type tractor with MINIMUM HORSEPOWER OF 90 rated at power take-off unit.

iii. Include a mower or mowers of at minimum one (1) pull behind rotary style cutter CAPABLE OF CUTTING A MINIMUM SWATH OF THIRTEEN (13) FEET. The tractor will be used to pull the mower.

iv. Be equipped with adequate drawbar horsepower, traction, and weight to accomplish the mowing requirements within the time limits specified by the BLM.

v. Be operated by skilled operators of furnished tractors, supplied by the Contractor.

vi. Be either metal and/or rubber tracked and/or rubber tired.

vii. Be of durable design and construction to withstand the stress of natural obstructions such as rocks, dust, and the general unevenness of land.

viii. Be capable of traversing terrain and mowing vegetation to a height of 4-6 inches.

ix. Be free of fluid leaks.

x. Be furnished and maintained in good mechanical condition throughout the term of the Contract. The Contractor shall furnish all required fuel, oil, and lubricants for operation of the tractors and any Government-furnished equipment.

xi. Be clean and free of soil, seeds, and vegetative matter or other debris that could contain or hold seeds upon arrival at project site.

xii. Be equipped with at least one 10 lb. ABC rated fire extinguisher (minimum) or equivalent and a shovel.

1. Shovel and fire extinguisher must be accessible to the operator.

xiii. Rollover protection structures are required on equipment regardless of age, as defined in 29 CFR 1926.602(a)(1); 1926.602(a)(6); 1926.1000-1926.1003.

4. Unit Boundary/Work Layout:

a. An electronic geo-referenced 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.

b. 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.

c. 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.

d. 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.

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

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

5. Location and Access to Work Sites:

a. Work under this Contract is in northwestern Elko County, Nevada (see attached maps). The center of the project area is located approximately 30 miles south and west of the city of Owyhee, Nevada and 81 miles north and west of the city of Elko, Nevada. Specific locations and descriptions for the treatment units are described below:

i. Star Ridge Fuel Break Expansion Mowing– This is an expansion of an existing fuel break that is approximately 28 miles long and is planned for 3,477 acres.

ii. Shallow Lake Fuel Break Expansion Mowing– This is an expansion of an existing fuel break that is approximately 26 miles long and is planned for 1,799 acres.

iii. Owyhee Fuel Break Expansion Mowing– This is an expansion of an existing fuel break that is approximately 15 miles long and is planned for 2,243 acres.

iv. Silver Lake Fuel Break Expansion Mowing– This is an expansion of an existing fuel break that is approximately 9 miles long and is planned for 521 acres.

b. Treatment areas are generally flat with some rolling hills. Treatment areas generally will consist of slopes less than 5%. Some rock is present and may need to be avoided by mowing equipment to prevent damage. Vegetation in the project area is typical of the Great Basin and consists of primarily sagebrush, other shrubs, and some grasses and forbs.

c. Shrub and grass density varies throughout the treatment area.

d. The nearest full support community to the project is Owyhee, Nevada. Average travel time from Owyhee to the project area is approximately 2 hours. The project site may be reached by two-wheel drive vehicles when the main roads are dry, however access to the project area can be limited during the fall - winter months depending on weather. A high clearance 4 -wheel drive vehicle and UTV are highly recommended for access to project area sites, as road conditions include grown-in vegetation and rocky and uneven tracks. The Government does not assume obligation to plow snow or conduct special maintenance to keep roads open and maintained.

e. Public or private access roads damaged by the Contractor shall be restored, at the Contractor’s expense, to the same condition they were in at the commencement of work.

6. Environmental Considerations:

a. Camping:

i. The Contractor shall obtain authorization from the Government (BLM Elko District Office) prior to camping on BLM administered lands.

ii. Contractor shall maintain the camp in a sanitary, orderly manner, and upon vacating the camp, remove refuse and any other signs of occupancy within one week of project completion.

iii. All fire regulations and permits shall be followed.

iv. In the equipment maintenance area, special precaution shall be taken to contain spilled fuel, lubricants, and wash water.

v. Final payment will be reserved subject to inspection of these sites by the BLM representative and approval of site cleanup.

b. Off-Road Restrictions:

i. Vehicle travel off roads (excluding equipment) is not authorized.

ii. Travel by vehicle is limited to existing roads only.

iii. If off-road travel is needed to service equipment, the Contractor shall obtain permission from the government prior to any travel off-road.

c. Soil Stability/Water Quality Protection:

i. Contractor will cease operation when soil moisture levels result in significant soil compaction and/or rutting (>3 inches).

ii. Contractor's activities will be executed in a manner which avoids large drainages.

iii. Any significant rutting of the soil will be returned to the natural contour by the Contractor as part of the work process.

d. Weed Control:

i. Contractor will ensure all equipment moved onto public land is free of soil, seeds, and vegetative matter or other debris that could contain or hold seeds.

ii. Contractor will employ whatever cleaning methods that are necessary to ensure compliance and will notify the BLM representative(s) prior to moving each piece of equipment onto public land.

iii. Notification will include identifying the location of the equipment’s most recent operations.

e. Cultural Resource Protection:

i. 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 provided maps and/or shapefiles are not allowable without prior written approval of the Contracting Officer.

ii. The Contractor shall ensure that he/she, employees, and representatives do not collect or disturb historic or prehistoric artifacts in accordance with the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (43 CFR 7).

iii. Locations of known historic or prehistoric sites, buildings, objects, and properties related to American history, architecture, archaeology, and culture, such as settler or Indian artifacts that need to be avoided by the Contractor will be identified as avoidance areas by the BLM.

iv. Should the condition of the cultural resources in the area be altered during 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 operations, work on the project shall be terminated until a data recovery play is prepared and completed in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act (36 CFR 800).

v. Discovery of such areas by either party during Contractor’s operations will be promptly reported to the Contracting Officer and operations will be suspended at that location until the significance or potential significance of the resource is determined.

f. Fire Prevention/Suppression:

i. Vegetation occurring on the Elko District is highly flammable. Under dry and windy weather conditions the potential for a fire start is high. The Contractor should take extra caution when working on or around dry grasses and should practice the following safety precautions:

1. Check under vehicles when parking off road.

2. Plan any activity that could cause a spark in the morning when the relative humidity is up and the temperatures are cooler.

3. Be especially vigilant when operating heavy equipment with pivoting metal tracks on rocky ground.

4. When treating an area, work from the outside edge to the center of the day’s treatment area.

ii. The Contractor will:

1. Equip all diesel and/or gasoline operated engines with spark arresters that meet Forest Service standards set forth in the National Coordinating Group publication for Multiposition Small Engines, #430-4 (spark arresters are not required on equipment powered by exhaust driven turbo charged engines).

2. Equip all machines powered by an internal combustion engine with at least one 10 lb. ABC rated fire extinguisher (minimum) or equivalent.

3. Remove all concentrations of wood dust and debris from the equipment daily.

4. Have one 10 lb. ABC rated fire extinguisher, one shovel, and five gallons water readily available (accessible to operator) adjacent to mowing operations.

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

g. Emergency Reporting Requirements:

i. Wildfire Reporting: Elko Interagency Dispatch Center: 775-748-4000 (wildland fire emergency line)

ii. All Other Emergencies: Dial 911(initial call for all emergencies)

iii. Cellular phone service is not consistently available in the treatment area. A satellite phone is suggested for on-site emergencies.

iv. Information needed in reporting a wildland fire should include, Location: Geographical reference and if possible, Latitude/longitude coordinates. Description on what the fire is doing, size, spread, color of smoke, etc.

v. The BLM may require emergency measures, including the necessary shutting down of equipment or portions of operations during periods of high fire danger. This typically only occurs in late July and August; however, this may carry over into September.

h. Fuel Containment Measures:

i. The Contractor will be required to maintain a hazmat barrier for any fuel tanks or trailers staged on federal land.

ii. The Contractor will provide all the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and spill containment tools to workers to contain spilled fuel, lubricants, and wash water.

iii. All spills and major leaks of fuel, lubricants, and wash water need to be contained and reported to the appropriate BLM representative.

1. The Contractor will be responsible for all costs associated with any hazardous material clean up.

7. Work Schedule

a. The work schedule shall be submitted at the pre-work conference and negotiated with BLM representatives.

b. The work schedule may be modified if inclement weather conditions occur. Modifications to the performance period will only occur due to delays caused by abnormal weather conditions. Approved weather delays would have to be conditions that are extraordinary as determined by the BLM representative(s), and the Contractor must take into account normal weather conditions and resultant non-working days into their work schedule.

c. The Contracting Officer shall be notified immediately by the Contractor, in writing, of any changes in the original work schedule.

d. Work within the project area can occur from September 15, 2021 through December 15, 2021.

II. PROJECT MEETINGS

A. Pre-Work Conference

1. A pre-work conference will be held prior to the start of work, and within 15 days of Contract award or as negotiated by the BLM representatives.

2. The Contractor and the appropriate BLM representative will schedule a time for the meeting location, date, and time.

3. 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.

4. The Contractor and the persons responsible for coordination of the work shall be present at the meeting.

5. The Contractor shall be prepared to summarize and explain procedures planned for the project.

B. Progress Meetings

1. Meetings may be called by either the BLM representative(s) or the Contractor.

2. Meetings shall be held at the project site, or as determined by the BLM representatives.

C. Final Inspection

1. The meeting shall be held at the project site, or as determined by the BLM representative(s).

2. The Contractor shall notify the BLM representative(s) at least two (2) working days before the completion date, so the agency representatives can schedule a final inspection.

3. The Contractor shall require his or her superintendent (if designated) to be present during the inspections.

4. The Contractor shall correct any deficiencies noted and the project will be re-inspected by the BLM representative(s).

5. Final payment of the Contract will be held pending the completion of a satisfactory final inspection of the project.

III. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED AND CONTRACTOR FURNISHED PROPERTY

A. Materials Furnished by the Contracting Agency

1. Treatment area boundaries will be provided and outlined on a geo-referenced map, and electronic shapefiles of treatment areas can also be provided by the BLM for GPS upload by the Contractor upon request.

2. The Contractor will be responsible for ensuring that they are within treatment boundaries by utilizing a GPS unit or geo-referencing application.

a. The Contractor may flag the boundaries of the unit at their discretion however, the Contractor will be responsible for the removal of all flagging before final payment is made.

3. A map with any applicable 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.

B. Equipment Furnished by the Contractor

1. The Contractor shall be responsible for providing all labor (Operators skilled in the operation of the furnished equipment.), equipment (See: Mechanical Equipment Requirements), supervision, transportation, supplies and materials (fuel, oil, and lubricants for operation) to complete the work described for the duration of the project.

2. The Contractor shall also have a GPS for each piece of equipment, capable of uploading electronic shapefiles and zooming in to 100 feet of the project boundaries, or a geo-referencing map application approved by the BLM representative.

a. The GPS unit/mobile device must be capable of uploading shapefiles/geo-referenced maps and displaying them in a manner that can be followed by the Contractor’s personnel during operations.

b. It is expected that the individual assigned by the Contractor who is responsible for using the device to follow and/or mark project area boundaries will be able to operate and trouble shoot the unit.

3. The Contractor shall furnish motor vehicles for hauling equipment and personnel to the worksite. The Contractor shall not load tractor(s) or mower(s) on public highways unless authorized by the BLM representative(s).

IV. MEASUREMENT AND PAYMENT

A. Measurement of Payment

1. Work will be measured and paid for by the number of acres that are satisfactorily completed to specifications.

2. Total acres completed will be measured on the planar by a GPS unit.

3. The measurement will be rounded up to the nearest whole acre.

4. Partial payments are allowed for acres treated via invoice submittal.

5. Re-measurement of the acreage under this Contract will be made upon the written request of the Contractor.

a. Request for re-measurement must be made in writing within 10 calendar days after the project has been completed.

b. 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.

c. Payments will be based on the second measurement where the difference between measurements is more than 5%.

d. Where the difference is less than 5% the results from the first measurement will be used.

6. Mobilization includes all preparatory work and operations, including those necessary to the movement of personnel, equipment, supplies, 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.

a. All costs associated with mobilization need to be incorporated into the total cost per acre for mowing and seeding.

B. Basis of Payment

1. Prices and payment will be full compensation for the work described in this section. Payment will be made at the unit price per acre specified in the Bid Sheet, and shall include cost of all work described in these notifications.

2. The BLM project inspector(s) will make periodic inspections as a basis for progress payments and recommendations for adjustments in work quality.

3. The Contractor is responsible for ensure treatment is meeting government specifications.

4. The Contractor or representative is encouraged to observe inspections at the time they are being made.

a. 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.

5. Work performed according to the specifications will be considered acceptable for payment purposes.

V. PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

1. Period of performance for this work shall begin September 15, 2021. The end of the performance period will be December 15, 2021.

2. The Contractor shall be required to start and complete the treatments within the performance time identified above.

3. If abnormal 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 as specified by the BLM.

VI. MAPS

1. See attached maps.

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