A04_SOW_MillCreekMastication.pdf

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Performance Work Statement

Mill Creek

2021 Mastication

I. General Information and Requirements

A. Description of Work

The Contractor is responsible for furnishing all labor, equipment, supervision, transportation, supplies and materials to masticate pinyon pine and juniper from 310 acres. The service requested is the mastication or grinding of whole tree biomass. Variable spacing of leave trees is to occur within the project area. The project consists of thinning pinyon and juniper trees within a 100-yard buffer around the private property to a density of 30 to 35 trees per acre. Other designated boundaries will be completely thinned. All live and standing skeletons of dead pinyon pine and juniper (regardless of size) will be removed in the designated boundaries outside the private buffer, while leaving and preventing damage to other species including mountain mahogany and aspen. The purpose of the project is to provide a fuel break near private property, improve the overall health of targeted vegetation communities, reduce fuel loading, improve wildlife habitat and other watershed values

(e.g., soil stability and plant diversity).

A minimum of 310 acres of mastication will be conducted under this contract (see Table 1).

Contractors are to submit a bid for each unit in accordance with Table 1. Bids are to be submitted on a cost per acre basis.

Table 1 – Table of treatment units by line item, treatment and size.

Line

Item

Unit Number Treatment

Method

Total

Acres

010 Unit 1 Mastication 92

020 Unit 2 Mastication 103

030 Unit 3 Mastication 115

Leave areas and boundaries may be altered prior to implementation of the project to mitigate sensitive resource concerns. Treatment area boundaries will be outlined on a map provided by the

Government. The Contractor will be responsible for ensuring that they are within treatment boundaries by utilizing a Global Positioning System (GPS) or other applicable navigation system.

The Contractor may flag the boundaries of the unit at their discretion; however, the Contractor would be responsible for removing all flagging when project is complete. Leave areas and boundaries may be altered prior to implementation of the project to mitigate sensitive resource concerns.

B. Work Layout

The Government will provide a map to the Contractor with the treatment area boundaries (outside perimeter, islands, etc.) necessary for the work executed under the Contract. The Government will provide a shapefile (for upload on GPS or other) or georeferenced map of the project area boundary to the Contractor. A map with avoidance areas (cultural resources; springs; structural range improvements; cadastral markers such as sections corners, quarter corners, mining claims, etc.) will

Mill Creek 2021 Mastication Page 2 of 10 be provided to the Contractor. Any range improvements or avoidance structures/resources disturbed or removed during operations shall be reset at the Contractor’s expense.

C. Location and Access to Work Sites

Work under this Contract is located in eastern White Pine County, State of Nevada, approximately

54 miles southeast of Ely, NV, and approximately nine miles northwest of Baker, NV. The project area is located on public lands immediately adjacent to private land, along the east side of the Snake

Range (refer to attached maps). The area is typical of Great Basin sagebrush communities with pinyon, juniper, mountain mahogany and aspen.

To access the treatment area, follow US Highway 50 to Mill Creek Road which is a well-maintained dirt road. Follow the Mill Creek Road for approximately 4 miles. From this road there are a few unimproved roads that intersect the treatment units.

Although Mill Creek Road is in good condition, four-wheel drive vehicles are recommended due to the potential for unexpected inclement weather conditions and for travel along the two-track roads within the project area.

There are private lands adjacent to the treatment units. It is the Contractor’s responsibility to secure permission to cross these lands if they wish to do so.

The following legal land descriptions apply:

• Township 14 North; Range 69 East; Sections 28, 29, 32 and 33; MDM

D. Environmental Considerations

There will be no work allowed March 16 to July 31 due to migratory bird considerations.

There are no seasonal weather restrictions unless heavy rains occur or during periods of snow melt which may result in an intermittent work schedule due to muddy conditions. Work shall not occur if project implementation is creating excessive rutting. Roads will be considered impassable when saturated and access into the project area may be closed by the government during this time.

The project site shall be cleaned up, and all refuse removed to an approved landfill at the

Contractor’s expense. The Contractor shall not disturb lands adjacent to the project site. Existing access roads and trails within the project area that are damaged by the Contractor shall be restored at the Contractor’s expense to the same condition they were in at the commencement of work.

Stream channels, springs and other wet areas will be avoided by vehicles and heavy equipment.

Avoid crossing or leaving mulch/chips/debris in the ditch located at approximately T. 14N, R.

69E, Sec. 32 SWNE, and NWSE (refer to attached maps). Other avoidance areas shown on the map should be avoided by vehicles and machinery unless authorized by the government.

Vehicles and other equipment used for implementation of the project shall be washed to remove any vegetation and potential noxious weed and invasive species parts prior to beginning the work and following completion of the work.

Fueling/equipment maintenance parking areas shall be approved by the government prior to use.

Blading, grading or leveling areas for parking or fueling will not be allowed. All fuel tanks parked

Mill Creek 2021 Mastication Page 3 of 10 onsite must include a containment barrier to prevent spills from entering the soil. The containment barrier must have a wall or side to contain any spills inside (i.e., a regular tarp will not suffice).

E. Work Camp

Camping will be allowed during project implementation only at sites approved by BLM in advance.

All fire regulations and permits shall be followed. All garbage and refuse shall be removed from the camp site by the Contractor within seven days of camp abandonment. Final payment will be reserved subject to inspection of these sites by BLM and approval of site cleanup.

II. PROJECT MEETINGS

A. Pre-Work Conference

A pre-work conference will be held prior to the start of work, and within seven days of Contract award. The Contractor and the Government will coordinate to determine meeting location, date and time. The purpose of the meeting will be to review the required work, the project location, project specifications, work schedule, payroll and payments and administrative provisions of the Contract.

The Contractor and the persons responsible for coordination of the work shall be present at the meeting. The Contractor shall be prepared to summarize and explain procedures planned for the project.

B. Progress Meetings

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

C. Final Inspection

The meeting shall be held at the project site, or as determined by the Contracting Officer. The

Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer at least two (2) working days before the completion date, so the Government can schedule a final inspection. Final payment of the contract will be held pending the completion of a satisfactory final inspection of all associated areas.

III. Government Furnished and Contractor furnished Property

A. Materials Furnished by the Government

The Government will provide a map and shapefile (for GPS upload) with the project area boundaries, and avoidance areas. Maps provided within this statement of work represent a general depiction of the work area boundaries, but some minor changes could occur prior to the initiation of work. Tree densities, terrain and geographic area will be similar to those depicted within the units on the attached maps.

B. Equipment Furnished by the Contractor

The Contractor will at a minimum provide a functioning device (e.g., GPS or tablet) capable of downloading shapefiles or georeferenced maps and displaying them in a manner that can be navigated by the Contractor’s personnel. It is expected that the individual assigned by the

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Contractor who is responsible for using the navigation device to follow and/or mark project area boundaries will be able to operate, and trouble shoot the device.

The Contractor’s equipment shall:

• Be a wheeled or tracked mounted vehicle equipped with either hydraulic or PTO driven cutter head with a minimum head lift height of 12.5’ to alter the vegetation type in accordance with the specified level of work, prescription, or as otherwise as described under specifications.

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

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

• Be equipped with a grinding head capable of performing the work described in this document.

• Be of a quality that guarantees the Contractor’s safety.

• Meet or exceed the requirements listed in Fire Prevention/Suppression Section.

• The Contractor’s navigation device shall be capable of uploading ArcGIS shapefiles or georeferenced PDF maps.

• Contractor shall insure that all equipment moved on to BLM administered land under this contract is free of soil, seeds, vegetative matter or other debris that could contain or hold weeds and weed seeds. For purposes of this provision, equipment shall be considered free of soil, seeds, and other such debris when a visual inspection does not disclose such material. Disassembly of equipment components or specialized inspection tools will not be required. A current list of noxious weeds of concern to the BLM is available at the Ely District Office for this contract. Known noxious weed areas near the project will be discussed with the successful Contractor during the pre-work conference. Areas with known noxious weeds should be avoided if possible. Contractor and CO shall agree on methods of cleaning, locations for the cleaning, and control of off-site impacts, if any. New infestations of noxious weeds of concern to the BLM, identified by either Contractor or the BLM, on public land in the Project Area or on the route to the Project Area shall be promptly reported to the other party.

C. Fire Prevention/Suppression

The Contractor shall:

a) Equip all diesel and/or gasoline operated engines with spark arresters.

b) Equip all machines with one shovel, and one 12 pound (minimum) “ABC” fire extinguisher.

a) Remove all concentrations of wood dust and debris from equipment daily.

IV. Measurement and Payment

A. Measurement of Payment

Work will be measured and paid for by the number of acres within each treatment unit (see Table

1). The total will be rounded up to the nearest whole acre. Billing and payment can occur no more

Mill Creek 2021 Mastication Page 5 of 10 than every two weeks. Area measurements required under this Contract will be measured on a horizontal plane and recorded with a navigation/GPS device.

B. Basis of Payment

Prices and payment will be full compensation for the work described in this section. Payment will be made under the following:

Pay Item Pay Unit

Mastication Acre

The Contracting Officer or representative will make periodic inspections as a basis for progress payments and recommendations for adjustments in work quality. The Contractor or representative is encouraged to observe inspections at the time they are being made. Work performed according to the specifications will be considered acceptable for payment purposes.

V. Specifications

A. Methods

Thin pinyon and juniper trees within the 100-yard buffer around the private property to a density of

30 to 35 trees per acre with a leave tree spacing of approximately 35 to 38 feet. Remove all pinyon and juniper trees within all other designated boundaries outside the private buffer. All other tree species and shrubs will not be removed or excessively damaged.

• The by-product of mastication will be a mulch layer less than 4 inches deep, and slash shall be ground or cut, such that 90 percent of woody pieces less than 12 inches in diameter is no more than 3 feet in length. Large boles and branches that exceed

12 inches in diameter may be longer than 3 feet if they are completely severed from the ground and smaller branches are removed.

• Sever and/or masticate all trees outside the 100-yard private property buffer within the project area.

• All stumps shall be cut so they are no greater than 6 inches in height on the uphill side above mineral soil. If obstacles are encountered, such as rocks, the mastication attachment may be raised to clear the obstacle.

• Contractor may elect to utilize chainsaws to remove trees that are not easily accessible by tracked or wheeled machines. Some areas in the private property buffer unit and pinyon and juniper within aspen stands may not be easily accessible by heavy machinery and may require hand cutting. If this is encountered, Contractor shall hand sever pinyon and juniper trees where necessary.

• The by-product of selective hand thinning (if tracked or wheeled machines cannot access) will be to lop and drop all existing dead or alive pinyon and juniper trees so that all top and side branches are free of the central stem, resulting in slash that is reduced to within the limit of distance to the ground at all points typically ranging from 12-24 inches.

• Work shall not occur if project implementation is creating excessive rutting when the ground is saturated. Work may resume only when the area has sufficiently dried out.

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• Any/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.

• Project and any necessary rehabilitation must be completed within one year of

Contract award.

• Crossing perennial, intermittent, or ephemeral drainage features would be avoided unless deemed absolutely necessary. If it is deemed necessary to cross these features, crossing of drainage features with flowing water would be coordinated with the BLM. Crossing of dry drainage features would be conducted as close to 90 degrees to the long axis of the feature as possible and would minimize disturbance.

Damage to drainage features may require repair at the Contractor’s expense to restore natural water flow.

• Avoid crossing or leaving mulch/chips/debris in the ditch (see Environmental

Considerations above).

• 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.

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

(see Environmental Considerations above).

• All units have young trees (less than 2 feet in height) growing. All of these trees must be removed. A requirement of no more than one live stem per acre remaining after treatment will be adhered to. If inspections indicate the quality of the work does not meet this standard the unit will be reworked. Standard will be randomly sampled during inspections by the government representative and communicated to the Contractor point of contact. The sampled areas may involve portions of a unit and not the entire unit and will be at the discretion of the government representative.

The Contractor may elect to utilize chainsaws to remove trees that are less than 6’ in height or to clear stumps of remaining branches. If a unit is to be reworked, depending upon the number and size of live stems remaining the government representative may request that the area be reworked with the use of chainsaws to minimize soil disturbance.

B. Treatment Acreage and Areas

Up to 310 acres of public lands would be treated within the project area delineated on the attached map.

The attached map delineates the project area boundary with leave tree densities, tentative islands and leave areas. Leave areas and boundaries may be altered prior to implementation of the project to mitigate sensitive resource concerns.

In certain units there may be leave trees designated. These will be trees exhibiting old growth characteristics that are not within sage-grouse habitat. These trees will be marked with flagging and the contractor will be informed about them prior to beginning the treatment unit.

Within the treatment units the density of mountain mahogany and other target species such as aspen, ponderosa pine, white fir and limber pine varies greatly. The southern portion of Unit 2 and the south-west portion of Unit 3 has the most mountain mahogany and other target species. It is the

Mill Creek 2021 Mastication Page 7 of 10 responsibility of the Contractor to properly evaluate these tree densities in order to avoid damage to them during treatment.

Slope within the treatment units is generally hilly to moderate with some slopes exceeding 35% with some rocks. It is the responsibility of the Contractor to properly evaluate these units in order to ensure the equipment is capable of completing the described work.

C. Loading, Unloading and Transporting Property

Loading and unloading equipment shall occur on existing roads. Overland travel is authorized by the BLM to transport fuel with low pressure vehicles within the designated areas.

D. Equipment Maintenance and Repairs

The Contractor is responsible for all maintenance and repairs of Contractor furnished equipment.

The Contractor shall complete sufficient maintenance of the equipment to prevent down-time on the project sites. The Contractor is responsible for all maintenance measures to ensure proper functionality and for safety precautions.

Any fuels or oils stored on site must be stored in an approved container with an approved spill guard with berms.

E. Performance Schedule

Period of performance for this project will start August 1, 2021 and work shall begin as soon as possible following that date. The end of the performance period shall be no later than March 15, 2021.

The Contractor shall be required to start and complete the treatment area within the performance time identified above, provided weather conditions permit. If 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.

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