A04_SOW_South_Simpson_Mowing_FY26.pdf

South Simpson Mowing FY26 Statement of Work

1.0 Introduction

1.1 The Bureau of Land Management, Battle Mountain District Office is seeking contractor services to conduct a mechanical mowing treatment on approximately 1,978 acres of vegetation, including shrubs and herbaceous materials. The service requested is the mowing of roadside vegetation. Selected contractors will be required provide fire suppression equipment for fires ignited directly or indirectly as a result of work on the project.

Table 1: Summary of Units Unit Acres Horse Canyon Road Unit 339 acres Santa Fe-Ferguson Road Unit 1,463 acres South Simpson Unit 176 acres Total 1,978 acres

2.0 Background

2.1 The purpose of the project is to reduce hazardous fuel loading, prevent spread of wildfire through the grassy understory in future wildfire events, to create a safer environment for fire personnel during an incident response, and to improve the success of fire suppression activities within the project area. This project is also intended to improve the overall health of sagebrush and woodland ecological sites in order to promote more fire resistance and resilient communities. Decreasing the fine fuel loading will assist in reducing the risk and severity of wildfire and improve other resource values within the treatment area.

2.2 Vegetation in these units is typical for the Great Basin and consists of a mixture of pinyon pine, juniper, sagebrush, bitterbrush, and various grasses. The treatment units may have areas with slopes that exceed 30%, but the overall topography is relatively average for these sites, with slopes mostly ranging from 5% to 20%.

3.0 General Information

3.1 Site Tour: Interested parties are urged and expected to inspect the site where services are to be performed 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.

The BLM will not be conducting a pre-bid tour of the project area. 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 Office, 50 Bastian Road, Battle Mountain, NV 89820.

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 during operations of contract performance. Contractor will return sites and any roads utilized for operations of contract performance to pre-use condition.

3.3 Designated area shall be mowed 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 as specified in this contract. 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 mowing specifications are followed.

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

4.0 Scope of Work: Mechanical Mowing Treatment

4.1 Treatment Acreage and Areas:

4.1.1 Shrubs and grasses will be cut less than 6 inches off the ground in strips on both sides of identified roads in accordance with Table 1 below. All buffers specified within this section are contained within the government-furnished project maps and accounted for within the specified acreage of each project unit.

4.1.1.1 Horse Canyon Road Unit includes a buffer of 100 feet to either side of the road, or 200 feet total.

4.1.1.2 Santa Fe-Ferguson Road Unit includes a buffer of 200 feet to either side of the road, or 400 feet total. However, this buffer decreases in size in select tracts, usually near private property.

4.1.1.3 South Simpson Unit includes dispersed tracts, situated according to terrain, up to 2,120 feet from the roadside. The width of individual tracts varies according to terrain, with most tracts between 200 – 300 feet in width.

4.1.2 Required specifications for the treatment areas are as follows:

Table 2: Treatment Unit Buffers and Acreage Unit Mowing Buffer (Total Width) Total Acres Horse Canyon Road Unit 200 feet 339 acres Santa Fe-Ferguson Road Unit 400 feet, except near private property 1,463 acres South Simpson Unit 200 – 300 feet, varies along terrain 176 acres

4.1.3 If obstacles are encountered, such as rocks or drainages, the Contractor may raise the mower height to clear the obstacle.

4.1.4 The Contractor will not be required to operate equipment on slopes greater than 40%.

4.1.5 Mowing shall occur as close to the roadway and project boundaries as possible.

However, the Contractor may move lines up to 50 feet if and only if either of the following two conditions apply:

4.1.5.1 If necessary to accommodate any natural or man-made features that may damage or obstruct equipment, or

4.1.5.2 If necessary to access better terrain because of any restrictions explained within this contract.

4.2 Loading, Unloading, and Transporting Equipment:

4.2.1 Loading and unloading of equipment shall occur on established roads or within the treatment units.

4.3 Equipment Maintenance and Repairs:

4.3.1 The Contractor shall complete sufficient maintenance of the equipment to prevent down-time on the project sites.

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

4.3.3 The Contractor is responsible for all maintenance measures to ensure proper functionality and for safety precautions.

4.4 Environmental Considerations:

4.4.1 Work Period

4.4.1.1 Mowing Operations will be permitted only during daylight hours.

4.4.2 Weed Wash

4.4.2.1 The Contractor shall wash the undercarriage and deck cover of any vehicles and all other equipment used for implementation of the project. The Contractor shall completely remove all vegetation and potential noxious weed and invasive species parts.

4.4.2.2 First, the Contractor shall conduct the Weed Wash described above prior to moving any vehicles and other equipment onto the work site.

4.4.2.3 In addition, the Contractor shall conduct the Weed Wash described above prior to removing any vehicles and other equipment from the work site.

4.4.3 Worksite Clean Up

4.4.3.1 The project site shall be cleaned up and all refuse removed from the worksite.

4.4.4 Spillover of Treatment:

4.4.4.1 The Contractor shall not disturb lands adjacent to the project unit boundaries.

4.4.4.2 The Contractor shall keep any vehicles and other equipment away from stream channels, springs, and all other wet areas.

4.4.4.3 The Contractor shall restore all roads and trails (public and private) damaged or opened by the Contractor to their condition prior to commencement of work, at no additional cost to the BLM.

4.5 Contractor will protect and shall not disturb any improvements (such as roads, trails, telephone lines, ditches, and fences) that existed in the operating area prior to commencement of work under this contract. These improvements shall be left in the original condition existing prior to the commencement of work on this contract.

4.6 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.

4.7 Contractor shall ensure a fuel containment barrier is used if storing fuel on project site.

4.8 It is the responsibility of the contractor to consider shrub 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.

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

5.3 The Government may issue a Suspend Work Order for work within any portion of the project area at any time if the following conditions exist:

5.3.1 When the Contracting Officer (or designated representative) determines that adverse weather has made access too dangerous or that continued vehicular travel would cause unacceptable road damage.

5.3.2 When ground conditions are too wet to continue operations without sustaining resource damage to soils. The Contracting Officer or Contracting Officer’s Representative will make this determination.

5.4 No monetary compensation will be given to the contractor for work suspensions.

5.5 Servicing and refueling of equipment areas shall be located outside of riparian buffer or 100 feet from other wet areas. In case of a HAZMAT spill, the material shall be immediately contained, and the Bureau of Land Management shall be immediately notified.

5.6 Within the unit boundaries, the Government may exclude non-work areas, such as rocky areas, wildlife areas, and other special areas. The Contracting Officer’s Representative will designate non-work areas. Such areas, exceeding 1/2 acre in size per unit, will be excluded from payment.

6.0 Location

6.1 These projects units are located north of Hwy 50 near Eureka, Nevada in Eureka County.

The project area is found within the following legal land description (Mount Diablo Base & Meridian):

Township 23N, Range 48E; Sections 13, 24, 25, and 36 Township 22N, Range 49E; Sections 19, 20, 28, 29, 30, 31, and 32 Township 22N, Range 49E; Sections 4, 5, 8, 9, 17, 19, 20, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, and 33 Township 21N, Range 48E; Sections 1, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 23, 24, 25, 26, 35, and 36 Township 21N, Range 49E; Sections 5, 6, 8, 9, 16, 18, 19, 20, and 21 Township 20N, Range 48E; Sections 1 and 12

6.1.1 Directions:

6.1.1.1 To access “Horse Canyon Road Unit,” take Hwy 50 west from Eureka, Nevada for approximately 25 miles and turn right onto 3 Bars Road. Continue northward for approximately 22.1 miles and turn left onto the project unit.

6.1.1.2 To access “Santa Fe-Ferguson Road Unit” and “South Simpson Unit,” take Hwy 50 west from Eureka, Nevada for approximately 25 miles and turn right onto 3 Bars Road. Continue northward for approximately 11.1 miles and turn left onto the project unit.

7.0 Expected Delivery or Performance Times

7.1 The period of performance is between October 1, 2026 to February 28th, 2027.

7.2 The work for this contract shall start within 15 days after the Period of Performance Start Date of October 1, 2026, unless otherwise approved in writing by the CO/COR with a sufficient work plan schedule to ensure the work is completed in a timely manner.

7.3 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 toward the end of the period of performance, so extensions will most likely not be allowed due to weather affecting completion of the project.

7.4 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.

7.5 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 work is performed within the boundary and not within avoidance areas.

8.2 Only BLM land is allowed to be treated under this contract. The Contractor is responsible for determining that the treated area is within the correct area and on BLM-administered land only. The Contractor should not treat any areas on private land under this contract.

8.3 Minor boundary adjustments to treatment units, up to 20% 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. Some portions of the treatment areas may require high clearance vehicles and/or off-highway vehicles for access.

There are no paved roads within any of the units.

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 shall be free or seed or other vegetative material prior to engaging in work activities in order to prevent the spread of noxious and invasive species.

11.2 Mowing equipment shall:

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

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

11.2.3 Be rubber tired.

11.2.3.1 No metal tracked vehicles will be allowed to be used for this contract.

11.2.4 Be equipped with a mower capable of performing the work described in the contract.

11.3 Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment shall:

11.3.1 A GPS capable of showing project and avoidance boundaries (boundaries provided by BLM) in a manner that can be followed by the contractor’s personnel. Unit boundaries may not have any visible markings. It is expected that the individual assigned by the contractor who is responsible for using the GPS unit or handheld device to follow and/or mark project area boundaries will be able to operate this device. 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.

11.4 Work Camp

11.4.1 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 campsite by the Contractor within five (5) days of camp abandonment. Final payment will be reserved subject to inspection of these sites by BLM and approval of site cleanup.

11.5 Fire suppression equipment:

11.5.1 The Contractor shall furnish and have available for emergency use a minimum of one independent, mobile piece of fire suppression equipment during mowing operations.

The fire suppression equipment shall remain available adjacent to the mowing operations to extinguish fires on or in the vicinity of the project which are caused directly or indirectly by the Contractor or his/her employees.

11.5.1.1 If multiple mowers are to be utilized and will work more than one mile apart, a staffed piece of suppression equipment will be required for each separate work party.

11.5.2 Fire suppression Equipment Shall:

11.5.2.1 Be staffed at all times at the project location with a minimum of two people.

One of these people can be operator of the mower, but the mower must be shut down while suppressing the initial start.

11.5.2.2 Be four-wheel drive.

11.5.2.3 Have a pump capable of delivering a minimum of 25 gallons per minute at 50 psi.

11.5.2.4 Contain a minimum of 50 gallons of water.

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

11.5.3 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.

11.5.4 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.

11.5.5 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.

11.5.6 The Contractor shall report all fires on or in the vicinity of the project to the Central Nevada Interagency Dispatch Center at (775) 623-1555 during regular business hours

(775) 623-3444 for 24-hour coverage. When reporting a fire, provide the following information: name, call back telephone number, project name, location, and fire description.

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

11.6.1 All motorized equipment shall have spark arrestors in serviceable condition.

11.6.1.1 Any fire started by a faulty spark arrestor will be considered a trespass fire, and subject to the penalties associated with such a fire.

12.0 Government Furnished Property and Services

12.1 Government shall provide maps depicting the project area and may include avoidance areas or 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.

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 of 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 mowing treatment on a per acre basis.

14.0 Measurement and Payment

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

14.2 Measurement for payment for mechanical mowing 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 survey of the areas or GPS tracks at the option of the BLM. The shapefile will be used in ARCGIS for final acreage measurement, which will be computed along the horizontal plane within the area.

14.3 Full payment of the award amount will be authorized for satisfactorily treating the whole project site, except for any avoidance areas identified within the project area that will not be mowed.

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

15.1 The COR will be appointed by the Contracting Officer upon award of the contract. The 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 and/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.