A04_SOW_-_Mechanical_-_Hazard_Tree_Removal_FY24.docx

Performance Work Statement (PWS)

PROJECT TITLE:

Indian Creek Recreation Area Mechanized Hazard Tree Removal

Carson City District Office Bureau of Land Management Carson City, Nevada

Contents

PWS 6.0 Government Furnished Property…………………..…………………………………….…………………….7

PWS 1.0 Background on the Government’s Requirement

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Sierra Front Field Office (SFFO) is requesting 94 acres hazard tree removal from within the Indian Creek Recreation Area located in Alpine County, Markleeville, California. In 2021, the Tamarack Fire burned through the Indian Creek Recreation Area. Fire damaged trees within the area have resulted in an environment of increased risk to public health and safety. Removal of these fire damaged trees will improve safe usage of the recreational area as well as enable future restoration actions.

PWS 2.0 General Scope of Work

The treatment area consists of approximately 94 acres separated into three (3) units within the Indian Creek Recreation Area. To achieve the desired objectives within the specific project areas mechanized services will be required. Manual services may be required on an as needed basis. Mechanized services include mastication and felling on slopes 0-35%. Manual services include cutting with power saws where slopes are in excess of 35%, mechanized exclusion zones, and as needed.

The Contractor shall accomplish all work within the designated project area(s) in accordance with the specifications as outlined in Section 4.

Project Area Description Site conditions within the project area are typical of the Eastern Sierra. Elevation within the project area ranges between 5,500 and 6,500 feet, and slope ranges between 0 and 45 percent. Understory vegetation is a mix of shrubs and grass with an overstory of Jeffrey pine or pinyon pine, depending on soils and aspect. The number of trees per acre and the type of trees present varies throughout the unit(s) from widely scattered to dense. Trees size also varies throughout from small to large for the species. The timing and extent of snow fall within the project area is highly variable year-to-year, and may result in periods of limited access.

Place of Performance The services under this contract will be performed within the Indian Creek Recreation Area which is located in Alpine County, California. The project area is located approximately 7 miles north of Markleeville, California (see attached maps).

Driving Directions to Project Area From Markleeville, California - drive north on Highway CA-89 for 2.6 miles. Turn right (east) on Airport Road and follow for 3.6 miles. At road junction, turn left and continue 0.7 miles to the Indian Creek Campground. Units are located at the Indian Creek Campground and along Airport Road.

From Alpine Village, California - drive south on Highway CA-89 for 3.6 miles. Turn left (east) on Airport Road and follow for 3.6 miles. At road junction, turn left and continue 0.7 miles to the Indian Creek Campground. Units are located at the Indian Creek Campground and along Airport Road.

For further directions see the attached project site maps.

Access Specifications Access is by all-weather and seasonal roads. Project area access will be achieved by paved and gravel roads (improved), which during periods of inclement weather may require four- wheel drive vehicles. Seasonal roads may be impassable for several days after heavy rains or snow-blocked during the winter months. Cross-country foot travel of one-quarter mile to one-half mile is typical to the unit boundaries.

If an all-terrain vehicle is used, it shall be of such design that it will travel over rough, uneven terrain and not create wheel ruts and channels, or cause significant damage. The vehicle shall be approved by the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) prior to use.

Portions of the project area are beyond locked gates that require a key or lock combination for access. The Contractor will be given access to gate combinations and required agency keys to make access. Gate keys must be returned to the COR at the end of the period of performance. The Contractor shall lock gates with locks immediately after entry or exit. Not all gates are controlled by the BLM and may require additional coordination.

Hours of Operations The Contractor will coordinate their hours of operation with BLM, but the Contractor is not restricted to operating during regular BLM office hours. No operations shall be conducted on Sundays, federally recognized holidays, or between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m., unless otherwise approved by the COR. In addition, work hours shall be limited to the time between one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset each day. Other hours of operation restrictions may be implemented during high fire danger or as revised by the COR.

Security of Equipment and Property The Contractor may leave equipment at the work site with approval from the COR. The Contractor shall be responsible for equipment if it should be lost, stolen or damaged. At the close of each work period, government facilities, equipment, and materials shall be secured. All personnel employed by the Contractor in the performance of this contract, or any representative of the Contractor entering the government worksite, shall abide by all security regulations.

Period of Performance:

The period of performance shall be from September 1, 2024, to December 15, 2024.

PWS 3.0 Overall Objective(s)

The objective of this work is to remove fire damaged hazard trees from within the Indian Creek Recreation Area for the purpose of public health and safety on public land administered by the BLM SFFO. Overall objectives are summarized for each project area as follows.

· Project Area 1 – Mastication of all pinyon pine trees, and felling of all non -pinyon tree species within the project area, as further specified in Section 4.

· Project Area 2 – Mastication of all pinyon pine trees, and felling of all non -pinyon tree species within the project area, as further specified in Section 4.

· Project Area 3 – Felling of four Jeffrey pine trees adjacent to Airport Road, as further specified in Section 4.

A pre-bid site visit is strongly encouraged for this contract. Inquiries regarding a site visit may be directed towards Brian McMillan, Natural Resource Specialist, SFFO, 775-885-6172 (bmcmillan@blm.gov). Final contract may be awarded on a per project area basis depending on available funding.

PWS 4.0 Specific Tasks

Mechanical Mastication Requirements Machines will:

1. Be rubber tired, rubber tracked, or metal tracked.

2. Be equipped with a horizontal or vertical shaft mastication head capable of meeting the treatment specifications below, and have a minimum of 150 horsepower.

3. Be free of fluid leaks.

Mechanical Felling Requirements Machines will:

1. Be rubber tired, rubber tracked, or metal tracked.

2. Be free of fluid leaks.

Project Area 1 – Shore Unit (54.0 Acres) Task 1: Mechanical Mastication (Slopes 0-35%)

Treatment Specification

1. All pinyon pine trees which do not meet the requirement of a Leave Tree within the unit are to be masticated.

2. Jeffrey pine and fir species less than 10” Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) which do not meet the requirement of a Leave Tree are to be masticated.

3. Stump heights will not exceed 6 inches above the ground measured from the uphill side. The height would be increased where obstacles impeding cutting are present (i.e., rocks, down logs, etc.)

4. Mastication heads will be directed away from roads or trails as much as possible to minimize the potential of impacting the public with debris and placing debris on roads.

5. Areas which cannot be masticated (e.g. slope, rocky, etc.) will be hand cut, limbed and bucked. Limbs and slash will be scatter and not exceed 18” in height above the soil surface.

Task 2: Mechanical (Slopes 0-35%) and/or Hand Falling

Treatment Specifications

1. Jeffrey Pine and fir species greater than 10.1” DBH which do not meet the requirement of a Leave Tree are to be felled, limbed, and bucked for maximum ground contact. Felling may be accomplished using power saws or with mechanized equipment, such as a feller.

2. Trees will be directionally felled perpendicular to slope.

3. Limbs and slash will be evenly dispersed adjacent to felled tree(s) and will not exceed 18” in height about the soil surface.

4. Stump heights will not exceed 6 inches above the ground measured from the uphill side. The height would be increased where obstacles impeding cutting are present (i.e., rocks, down logs, etc.)

Project Area 2 – Summit Lake Unit (39.2 Acres) Task 1: Mechanical Mastication (Slopes 0-35%)

Treatment Specification

1. All pinyon pine trees which do not meet the requirement of a Leave Tree within the unit are to be masticated.

2. Jeffrey pine less than 10” Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) which do not meet the requirement of a Leave Tree are to be masticated.

3. Stump heights will not exceed 6 inches above the ground measured from the uphill side. The height would be increased where obstacles impeding cutting are present (i.e., rocks, down logs, etc.)

4. Mastication heads will be directed away from roads or trails as much as possible to minimize the potential of impacting the public with debris and placing debris on roads.

5. Areas which cannot be masticated will (e.g. slope, rocky, etc.) will be hand cut, limbed and bucked. Limbs and slash will be scatter and not exceed 18” in height above the soil surface.

Task 2: Mechanical (Slopes 0-35%) and/or Hand Falling

Treatment Specifications

1. Jeffrey Pine greater than 10.1” DBH which do not meet the requirement of a Leave Tree are to be felled, limbed, and bucked for maximum ground contact. Felling may be accomplished using power saws or with mechanized equipment, such as a feller.

2. Trees will be directionally felled perpendicular to slope.

3. Limbs and slash will be evenly dispersed adjacent to felled tree(s) and will not exceed 18” in height about the soil surface.

4. Stump heights will not exceed 6 inches above the ground measured from the uphill side. The height would be increased where obstacles impeding cutting are present (i.e., rocks, down logs, etc.)

Task 3: Limbing and bucking of existing material

Treatment Specifications

1. Of the 39.2 total acres within the unit, approximately 9.5 acres along the hiking trail within the unit have been previously felled (both Pinyon pine and Jeffrey pine). All existing downed materials are to be limbed and bucked for maximum ground contact. Mastication of this existing material is also acceptable.

2. Limbs and slash will be evenly dispersed adjacent to felled tree(s) and will not exceed 18” in height about the soil surface.

3. Boles may remain in place.

Project Area 3: East Side Pines Task 1: Mechanical (Slopes 0-35%) and/or Hand Falling Adjacent to the Shore Unit (see map) along Airport Road there are four (4) individual Jeffrey Pine trees that are to be felled. These trees are less than 100’ from the road, and vary from 20-40” DBH.

Treatment Specifications

1. Trees are to be felled, limbed, and bucked for maximum ground contact. Felling may be accomplished using power saws or with mechanized equipment, such as a feller.

2. Trees shall be felled away from the road.

3. Limbs and slash will be evenly dispersed adjacent to felled tree(s) and will not exceed 18” in height about the soil surface.

4. Stump heights will not exceed 6 inches above the ground measured from the uphill side. The height would be increased where obstacles impeding cutting are present (i.e., rocks, down logs, etc.)

Leave Trees: All Units All trees, regardless of species, which retain green needles are to be considered Leave Trees and are reserved from cutting or mastication.

PWS 5.0 Delivery / Performance Schedule

Mapping Project Area boundaries will not be marked by the Government. The Government will provide geospatial data and/or georeferenced PDF map(s) of the project for use with a GPS capable device (e.g. Garmin GPS, tablets, Avenza, etc.). The Contractor will be required to accurately work within boundary of units.

Additional Information:

The Contractor is responsible for organizing and directing all the equipment and personnel needed to fully accomplish the work. The Contractor shall develop and submit a Treatment Plan and Schedule to accomplish the project objectives. The Treatment Plan and Schedule will be agreed upon by both parties and incorporated into the contract at the Pre-Work meeting. All changes to the Treatment Plan and Schedule will be agreed to prior to the changes taking effect. The Treatment Plan and Schedule shall include as a minimum the following items:

1. Cutting Plan – Discussed in more detail at Pre-Work meeting.

2. Safety Plan – To include traffic control that is compliant with state and local OSHA and Transportation standards, and identification of operational hazards.

3. Fire Prevention Plan – For prevention and control of fires, with detailed list of personnel and equipment.

Statutory Compliance The Contractor agrees to conduct operations under this contract and other related business activities in compliance with federal, state, and local statutes, standards, orders, permits, or other regulations. Failure to comply will be grounds for default in accordance with the Default clause. The contract shall govern if such laws conflict with or preclude performance of contractual requirements.

Improvements The Contractor shall comply with the rules and regulations governing the operation of premises which are occupied and shall perform the contract in a manner that will not interrupt or interfere with the conduct of BLM business.

Before any camp, storage, or service area other than those identified within the Treatment Plan is opened or operated on lands administered by the BLM, permission shall be obtained through the COR. A camp is interpreted to include the campsite or trailer parking area of any employee working on the project for Contractor. Such permission, if granted, shall be without charge to Contractor. Contractor must remove and dispose of all said improvements when no longer needed.

Protection of Improvements The Contractor shall protect roads and other improvements (such as fences, facilities, trails, telephone lines, ditches, campground infrastructure, etc.) whether designated on the project area map or not. The Contractor will be responsible for damage to paved (bituminous) roads or surfaces that are a result of operations and shall repair damage to pre-treatment physical condition.

Protection of Improvements Not Owned by the BLM The Contractor will notify all utility companies, or other parties affected, and plans for all necessary adjustments of the public utility fixtures, pipelines, and other appurtenances affected by Contractor’s operations.

When Contractor’s operations are adjacent to properties of railway, telegraph, telephone, or power companies, or other property, work shall not begin until all necessary arrangements to prevent damage have been made by the Contractor.

The Contractor will cooperate with all owners of above-mentioned property. In the event of interruption because of accidental breakage, the Contractor shall promptly notify the proper authority, and cooperate with that authority in the restoration of service.

When access through private in-holdings or rights of ways are required, the Contractor will adhere to all stipulations and security requirements of the landowner to maintain project area access. Coordination with private landowners and right of way holders will be done in cooperation with the BLM COR.

Protection of Land Survey Monuments The Contractor shall protect all known survey monuments, witness corners, reference monuments and bearing trees against any damage during Contractor’s operations.

Safety The Contractor will follow all United States Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Standards that pertain to the operations set forth in this contract under Subpart R, Special Industries Standards 1910.266 Logging Operations Standards.

Unless otherwise specified in writing, when operations are in progress adjacent to or on roads and/or trails in the harvest unit area, the Contractor shall furnish, install, and maintain all temporary traffic controls that provide the road or trail user with adequate warning of and protection from hazardous or potentially hazardous conditions associated with its operations. Traffic control devices shall be appropriate to current operating and/or weather conditions and shall be covered or removed when not needed. Flagmen and devices shall be as specified in state OSHA and Transportation standards for logging roads or the “Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways” (MUTCD) published by the U.S. Department of Transportation – Federal Highway Administration. Included in the Traffic Control Plan, the Contractor shall note traffic control device locations on a Contractor produced copy of the attached maps (or similar).

During operations, the Contractor shall keep roads, ditches, and/or culverts within the project area clear of trees, rocks, dirt, and other debris so far as is practical. Roads shall not be blocked by operations for more than thirty (30) minutes unless otherwise approved by the COR.

Sanitation and Servicing If facilities for employees are established within the project area, they shall be operated in a sanitary manner. The Contractor shall remove from BLM lands all refuse resulting from use, servicing, repair, or abandonment of equipment. The Contractor shall take all reasonable precautions to prevent pollution of air, soil, and water by Contractor’s operations. Contractor shall not service tractors, trucks or other equipment on BLM lands where servicing is likely to result in pollution to soil or water. If the contractor’s operations or servicing of equipment result in pollution to soil or water, Contractor shall conduct cleanup to restore the polluted site to the previous observed physical conditions, and approved by the COR.

PWS 6.0 Government-Furnished Property, Materials, Services

Government furnished resources shall be limited to only maps and geospatial data which delineate the project area.

General:

The Contractor shall furnish all personnel, materials, equipment, supplies, facilities, transportation, tools, supervision, and other items and non-personal services necessary to perform the work tasks defined in this Performance Work Statement, except for those items specified as government furnished property and services.

PWS 7.0 Security and Administrative Matters Invasive Species:

The Contractor is required to clean by pressure washing or steam cleaning all equipment prior to operating on Government lands to minimize the likelihood of spreading noxious weeds and non-native plant species. Cleaning shall be defined as the removal of all dirt, grease, and plant parts that carry noxious weed seeds or vegetative parts. In addition, if equipment is found operating in a noxious weed area, the equipment must be cleaned before leaving or moving to another project area location.

Archeological Resources:

If, in connection with operations under this contract, the Contractor discovers, encounters or becomes aware of any possible historical or archeological data, objects or sites of cultural value on the project area, such as historical ruins, graves or grave markers, fossils, or artifacts, the Contractor shall immediately suspend all operations in the vicinity of the cultural value and shall notify the Contracting Officer in writing, giving the location and nature of the findings. No objects of cultural resource value may be removed.

Fire Danger Season:

The Contractor shall take every reasonable precaution to prevent a wildland fire from occurring from his or her actions on this project. The Contractor must provide a fire mitigation and response plan to the BLM COR which outlines the Contractor’s fire prevention equipment at site, fire response/ reporting actions, and evacuation plan in the event of a wildfire start at or adjacent to the project site. The COR may, under certain conditions, require fire prevention and control measures in addition to those required by applicable state laws and regulations. This may include, but is not limited to, changes in daily work schedules or full closure of operations due to extreme fire risk or under fire restrictions. No operations shall occur under Red Flag Warnings.

Federal Holidays:

The following Federal Legal Holidays are observed:

PWS 8.0 Technical Exhibits and Definitions

Standard Definitions:

Physical Condition The Physical appearance of Federal equipment or facilities that considers cracks, chips, dents, abrasions, rust, corrosion, general cleanliness, vibration, operating temperature, and discoloration and other items as identified by the COR. Physical condition may be determined by visual as well as diagnostic means.

Contracting Officer (CO) The Secretary of the Interior or designated authorized representative who is the only agent capable of signing a federal award or obligating funds.

Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) The Contracting Officer’s designated representative as indicated in a delegation of authority letter.

Quality Assurance (QA) Surveillance of Contractor performance to determine performance requirements are met.

Quality Control (QC) Those actions taken by the Contractor to control the production of goods or services so that they meet the requirements of the performance work statement.