A04_Statement_of_Work.pdf

Bureau of Land Management, Rawlins Field Office Statement of Work

Shirley Mtn 1 Pre-commercial Thinning Project

1. Scope of Work

The contractor shall provide any and all labor, equipment, supplies, services, permits, supervision, workman’s compensation, unemployment, and transportation to accomplish the Shirley Mtn 1 Pre-commercial thinning project.

2. Location of Work

The project is located near Medicine Bow, Wyoming, on lands administered by the BLM (Bureau of Land

Management), Rawlins Field Office, in T25N, R82W, Section 1, T25N, R81W, Section 4,6,7,8, T26N, R81W, Section 30. See attached project map.

3. Access to Units

The project area may be accessed from Wyoming State Highway 72 via county road 102 (Leo-Shirley

Basin Rd) to Prior flats campground. Then take the Shirley Mountain Loop road to project area. Some units will be accessible by road, others will need to be hiked to.

4. Description of Units

A. Boundaries of the units are designated by three horizontal stripes of blue paint, painted on trees approximately 4 to 5 feet above the ground, with the stripes facing into the unit, as well as a vertical stump mark facing into the unit. Also surrounded by standing large diameter timber.

B. The project total is 124 acres (see Table below). Acreage has been computed by using GPS

(Global Position System) traverse methods.

Table 1.

Stand Number & Payment Unit Acres

1 18

2 12

3 9.5

4 13

5 2

6 13

7 6

8 1

9 3

10 3

11 5.5

12 27.5

13 4

14 6.5

Total: 124

C. The average slope of the units ranges between 0 to 20 percent, with an occasional slope up to 30 percent. Current stocking is approximately 2,000 to 4,000 stems/acre on the high end with an average tree diameter of two-three inches. Some areas have a lower/higher stocking level in some units.

5. Pre-bid Site Visit

A pre-bid site visit is scheduled on 08/03/21. Meet at the Prior Flat Campground at 10:00 AM MDT.

6. Conditions Affecting the Work

The contractor shall be responsible for having taken steps reasonably necessary to ascertain the nature and location of the work, and the general and local conditions which can affect the work or the cost thereof.

Local conditions potentially affecting work could include, but are not limited to, area closures due to wildland fire or fire restrictions, inclement weather, wet soil conditions, etc.

7. Government-Furnished Property

There is no Government-furnished property under this contract.

8. Definition of Terms

These definitions are provided for clarification.

• Acceptable Tree – Any tree which meets contract specifications.

• Crown – that portion of the tree bole that supports green, live, healthy foliage that is effectively contributing to tree growth.

• Crown Ratio – the ratio of the green portion of the tree expressed as a percentage of the total tree height.

• Cut Trees – All surplus trees not needed to meet spacing requirements and trees which are obvious culls.

• Cull Trees – Trees possessing undesirable characteristics include:

• Crooked Trees – Sharp crook of the main stem which is less than 10 feet from the ground and offset more than three inches from the longitudinal axis.

• Diseased Trees – Visible galls and/or cankers on the stem of the tree or those with visible mistletoe or broom rust infections.

• Insect Infested Trees – Trees with visible signs of insects such as bark beetles or defoliators.

• Forked Trees – A tree in which the main stem is divided into two or more segments.

• Dead Top Trees – Trees which have a dead terminal leader or broken top.

• Leaning Trees – Trees which lean more than 10 degrees from vertical.

• Suppressed Trees – Normally understory trees that are being out-competed by more dominate trees.

• Poor coloration – fading needle color.

• D.B.H. – (Diameter at Breast Height) Diameter of the tree measured at a point 4-1/2 feet above the ground on the uphill side of the tree.

• Designated Leave Trees – Leave trees that are marked by BLM personnel to be left.

• Hang-up Tree – Any cut tree suspended above ground level.

• Leave Trees – Leave trees are those trees which are left because they possess the most desirable characteristics and/or those trees which are not required to be cut under the terms of the contract, except when not needed to meet spacing requirements.

o Indicators of desirable leave trees are:

o Straight stem o Small branch diameter o Good coloration o Well-formed crown o Branches horizontal or slightly angled to bole.

o Free of insect and disease damage and/or symptoms o Vigorous annual terminal growth

• Permanent Road – Roads which are shown on the map with a road number.

• Standing Dead Tree – Standing dead refers to any tree which has no green foliage, or in the case of aspen, had dried and peeling bark.

• Unit – An area in which the work will be performed as shown on the maps or as stated in the specifications.

• Lopping & Scattering – A technique applied to cut/felled trees where the limbs are cut off the bole and the bole is cut into pieces, and the limbs and bole pieces manually scattered, such that maximum slash heights in the contract are met.

• Green/Live Tree – Any standing tree which has green foliage.

9. Description of Work

Pre-commercial thinning of trees to a predetermined spacing and stocking level which includes lopping and scattering the slash. The thinning and lopping work are to be completed by hand using chainsaws and/or hand held brush cutters.

10. Technical Requirements

A. Thinning Specifications:

Live lodgepole pine and aspen, one foot in height or taller, shall be cut unless they qualify as a desirable leave tree and/or they are needed to maintain the specified average spacing intervals.

Live/green lodgepole pine and aspen trees over one foot in height and less than 5” DBH, will be thinned to a residual stocking of 302 trees per acre (generally a 12’ x 12’) spacing.

All subalpine fir <7” DBH, over one foot in height, will be cut regardless of spacing.

Trees with a five inch DBH are not required to be cut and do contribute to residual stocking or spacing requirements where possible.

Leave only trees with the best crown ratios, straight boles, healthy appearing terminal leaders, that are insect and disease free. Favor lodgepole pine over aspen as a leave tree. Any aspen over-topping or directly competing with a lodgepole pine will be cut.

In some cases, healthy, well-formed, dominant or co-dominant trees may be left closer than 12 feet to each other. This is acceptable as long as the average stocking in the unit averages out to be 302 trees per acre.

B. Stump Height

The height of a stump is on the uphill side. Stumps are cut to an angle of less than 30 degrees from horizontal. Under this contract, stump height shall not exceed 6 inches above the ground or 4 inches above an obstruction.

C. Damage to Leave Trees

The contractor shall prevent damage to leave trees during cutting operations. Trees shall be felled so they lie on the ground; no hang-ups will be permitted.

D. Slash Height

All slash resulting from the tree thinning operations shall be lopped and scattered to a height of not more than 24 inches above the ground. Slash also includes damaged green trees over one foot in height. A damaged tree leans more than 10 degrees, or has less than one-half of its original limbs, or has approximately 50 percent of bark removed from the circumference of the bole.

E Slash Length

Slash longer than 8 feet in length will be bucked to < 8 foot pieces.

F. Slash Disposal

Slash or fallen trees resulting from work on this contract shall be removed from roads, cut or fill banks of roads, streams, fences, private property, lands under jurisdiction of the State of Wyoming, or

US Forest Service administered lands.

G. Use of Roads by Contractor

If the Contractor damages any rolling dips, water bars, cut/fill slopes, ditches, road surface and/or culverts on existing roads, the Contractor shall immediately repair the damage at the Contractor’s expense.

In addition to wet weather operating restrictions, it is the intent of this contract that the work be performed using the present system of existing roads. An existing road is one with a distinguishable roadbed that permits vehicle travel without major improvements to the road. Distinguishable roadbeds that are currently reforested with trees or that would require earth work to permit vehicle travel are not considered existing roads for the purpose of this contract. New roads shall not be cleared/constructed to access work areas without written approval of the Contracting Officer prior to clearing/construction.

H. Protection of Improvements

Any Contractor-caused damage to improvements (i.e. fences, cattle guards, survey monuments, etc.)

within or adjacent to the contract area shall be repaired immediately by the Contractor at the

Contractor’s expense.

I. Salvage Material

There is no designated salvageable material.

J. Project stipulations

Wildlife timing stipulation: No operations between April 15th and June 30th.

11. Inspection and Acceptance

A. Inspection

Inspection and acceptance will be on a payment unit basis (i.e. there are 2 payment units).

Inspection for payment will be made within ten calendar days after the date on which the Contracting

Officer’s Representative receives the Contractor’s written request for inspection.

Inspections of stocking level will use fixed plots (1/20th of an acre), randomly located in the unit, at a sampling intensity of at least one plot for every 5 acres (or at least one plot in units smaller than 5 acres), to estimate residual stocking in the unit. The number of acceptable leave trees will be counted and the desired number of trees per plot is 15, which equates to a stocking level of 302 trees per acre.

It is recognized that situations may occur where minimum stocking levels cannot be achieved due to insufficient tree stocking, although these situations are rare. In these plots the work will not be considered to be deficient unless acceptable leave trees were cut.

A visual walk-through of the units will also be completed to assess the acceptance of other non-stocking related requirements (i.e. slash height, stump height, etc.).

Inspections will include:

1. Spacing estimate of 12 feet by 12 feet and subsequent stocking of 302 trees per acre.

2. All subalpine fir < 7” DBH, over one foot in height are cut.

3. All aspen in competition with a lodgepole pine leave trees are cut.

4. Stumps are cut no more the 30 degrees from the horizontal and maximum stump height is 6 inches above the ground surface or 4 inches above an obstruction (i.e. rock) when present.

5. No damaged trees or hung-up trees are left.

6. Slash is lopped and scattered to a maximum of 24 inches above the ground and roads, cut or fill banks of roads, streams, fences, private property, lands under jurisdiction of the State of

Wyoming, or US Forest Service administered lands are free of slash.

7. Slash Length is < 8 foot

8. No new roads were created, and no off-road vehicle use occurred.

9. No damage to improvements.

10. Any approved camps and camp sanitation.

B. Acceptance

1. Acceptance will be made on those acres meeting contract requirements as determined by the

Contracting Officer’s Representative and/or Contract Inspector.

2. Acceptance for thinning in respect to spacing/trees per acre is as follows:

a) Percent Acceptable Trees: A unit will be considered satisfactorily thinned when the number of acceptable trees left is within plus or minus 10 percent of the desired number of acceptable trees to be left.

b) Rework: If the number of trees left per acre is greater than 110 percent of the desired number of acceptable trees to be left, the Contractor shall rework the area to reduce the number of trees per acre to the allowable limit.

c) Percent Unacceptable Trees: A unit will be considered unsatisfactorily thinned when the number of acceptable trees left is less than 80 percent of the number of acceptable trees desired to be left.

d) Deficiencies: Specific deficiencies detected as a result of Government inspections shall be corrected so that the work complies with the contract specifications.

12. Pre-Work Meeting

A. Prior to commencement of work, the Contractor shall meet with the Contracting Officer’s

Representative to discuss contract terms, work performance requirements and work progress schedule.

The meeting will be conducted at the BLM office in Rawlins, Wyoming.

13. Performance Period

A. Work shall be completed within the contract time specified below. The Contractor shall begin work no later than 5 calendar days after the effective date. The contractor shall maintain progress rate at which will assure completion within contract time. The minimum acceptable rate of progress will be calculated by dividing the total number of acres by the contract time. Failure to comply with the minimum acceptable progress rate after written notice from the Contracting Officer may result in partial or complete termination of the Contractor’s right to proceed.

B. The count of contract time will start on the effective date specified on the Notice to Proceed if hand delivered, or the third day after the Post Office has issued a notice of certified mail to the

Contractor, or when work commences, whichever is sooner. Failure of the Contractor to pick up certified mail will not be considered an excusable delay.

C. The estimated start work date is 08/17/21 unless otherwise specified. Total contract time is 45 calendar days unless otherwise agreed upon by contracting officer.

D. The contractor will be assessed actual damages, per day, for any work not completed within the contract time, unless a contract time extension has been approved by the Contracting Officer. Actual damages include, but are not limited to, time and travel spent on the project by Government officials.

14. Suspension of Work Due to Weather

A. The Contracting Officer may authorize a total suspension of work if, as determined by the Contracting

Officer, the Contractor is working during weather conditions which may result with any of the following:

i. Potential damage to soils or roads.

ii. The work environment is hazardous to persons working on the project.

iii. Conditions exist which prohibit the Contractor from performing the work in accordance with the contract specifications.

B. The Contracting Officer may authorize a total suspension of work until such weather conditions have passed and work can proceed. A total suspension of work may last only one calendar day or a long as several consecutive months, depending on conditions.

C. A total suspension of work may also be authorized by the Contracting Officer, upon written notice from the Contractor requesting a suspension because of one or more conditions listed under paragraph A.

above.

D. While contract time is suspended, the calendar days elapsed will not be charged against contract time.

E. The Contractor will not be eligible for any monetary compensation as a result of the implementation of this clause.

15. Measurement

A. Acreages

i. Acreages have been computed by the BLM using GPS (Global Position System) traverse methods.

B. Re-measurement of Acres.

i. The Contractor may, prior to the completion of work, request in writing re-measurement of the project if the Contractor believes that the acreage as measured is incorrect.

ii. If re-measurement indicates that a variance of 5 percent or less exists, the Contractor shall pay for the actual costs of re-measurement. Under this condition, payment will be based on the acreage from the original traverse.

iii. If the re-measurement indicates the actual acreage varies by more than 5 percent, payment to the contractor will be based on the re-measured acreage and the Government will pay for the costs of re-measurement.

16. Payment Procedures

A. Payment

1. Payment will be made by payment unit, at the unit price per acre listed in the contract for each acre completed and accepted in accordance with the specifications. Deductions will be made on a per acre basis, for the entire unit, for uncompleted work.

2. Deductions will also be made on a per unit basis for deficiencies (i.e. not meeting minimum stocking levels as described below).

It is recognized that situations may occur where minimum residual stocking levels cannot be achieved due to insufficient tree stocking, although these situations are rare. In these plots the work will not be considered to be deficient unless acceptable leave trees were cut.

3. Payments be made only on a per unit (i.e. there are 11 payment units) basis.

4. Payment for the thinning of will be based on the stocking in each unit, independent of the other units. (see following example):

a. Full Payment: Full payment will be made when the number of acceptable trees left is between 90 and 110 percent of the desired number of acceptable trees to be left.

b. Reduced Payment: If the number of acceptable trees left is between 80 and 90 percent of the desired number of acceptable trees to be left, a reduction in the contract unit price will be calculated according to the following example.

i. Desired number of acceptable trees to be left = 436 trees per acre.

ii. Number of acceptable trees actually left = 350 trees per acre.

iii. Bid price per acre = $50.00

iv. (350 – 436) / 436 x 100 = 19.7 percent deficiency.

v. 100 percent – 19.7 percent deficiency = 80.3 percent satisfactory (if 90 percent or higher, the full contract rate will be used). If between 80 percent and 90 percent then payment for the unit will be as follows:

vi. Number of acres x contract price/acre x percent satisfactory = amount to be paid for the entire unit.

vii. Example for a 60 acre unit:

60 acres x $50.00/acre x 0.803 (80.3 % satisfactory) = $2,409 to be paid for the unit.

c. No Payment: If the number of acceptable trees actually left in a unit is less than 80 percent of the desired number of acceptable trees to be left, no payment will be made for that unit.

17. Use of Premises

A. The Contractor shall comply with the regulations governing the operations of premises which are occupied and shall perform the contract in such a manner as not to interrupt or interfere with the conduct of Government business.

B. Before any camp is opened or operated on lands administered by the BLM, written permission shall be obtained through the CO or COR. A camp is interpreted to include the camp site or trailer parking area of any employee working on the project for the Contractor. Such permission, if granted, will be without charge to the Contractor.

C. Area Maintenance: The Contractor shall maintain the camp site to present a clean, neat, and orderly appearance. Trash, debris, unusable machinery, improvements, etc., shall be disposed of or removed immediately. Building materials, firewood, etc., shall be neatly stacked

D. Refuse Disposal: The Contractor shall dispose of refuse, including waste materials, garbage, and rubbish of all kinds, by hauling to a sanitary land fill off of BLM or other public lands.

18. Final Cleanup

Before final acceptance of work by the Government, all areas occupied by the Contractor in connection with the work shall be cleaned of all Contractor’s rubbish, excess materials, temporary structures, and equipment, and all parts of the work area shall be left in a neat and presentable condition.

19. Work Procedures

All work related to this project shall be performed in accordance with all applicable OSHA and State of

Wyoming Safety Regulations.

OSHA internet link: https://www.osha.gov/law-regs.html

OSHA Wyoming State Plan: https://www.osha.gov/dcsp/osp/stateprogs/wyoming.html https://www.osha.gov/law-regs.html https://www.osha.gov/dcsp/osp/stateprogs/wyoming.html

20. Fire Protection

In case of fire, the Purchaser shall immediately notify the Rawlins Dispatch Center at (800) 295-9953 or call 911 and the BLM’s Authorized Officer (307) 328-4200.

All active fire restrictions will be followed on BLM lands within this sale.

Primarily for purposes of fire prevention and control, the purchaser shall comply with the following provisions:

A chemical fire extinguisher of at least eight (8) ounces minimum capacity and a size 0 or larger shovel shall be carried during periods high, very high, or extreme fire danger, by each falling crew and/or bucker using a power saw on the contract area.

Such fire extinguisher shall be in good operating condition and shall be immediately available to the operator when the saw is being fueled or the motor of the saw is running. Any fueling of a power saw shall be done in an area that has first been cleared of all flammable material. Each power saw shall be equipped with an exhaust system and a spark arresting device meeting State and Federal requirements.

Logging equipment, including tractors, trucks, yarders, loaders, skidders, welders, generators, stationary engines, or comparable powered equipment shall be provided with at least one (1) fire extinguisher, at least 5#ABC with an Underwriters Laboratory (UL) rating of 3A - 40BC, or greater and one (1) shovel, mounted so as to be readily available from the ground (where possible). All non-turbo charged logging equipment shall be equipped with an approved spark arrestor.

21. Anti-Discrimination

Equal Opportunity -The Purchaser will comply with all provisions of Executive Order No. 11246 of

September 24, 1965, as amended, and of the rules, regulations, and relevant orders of the Secretary of

Labor.

22. INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS

TECHNICAL PROPOSAL CONTENTS

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE OF KEY PERSONNEL: Offerors shall submit a one-page resume of all key personnel who shall be onsite proposed for this contract.

PAST PERFORMANCE: Offerors shall submit a list of clients for past and present similar projects covering the past three (3) years. Provide: contact name, address, phone number, fax number, e-mail address. Please do not provide more than 10 contacts. The Government will survey these clients to obtain past performance information (quality, timeliness, cost control, business relationships) related to

Offeror’s current and past work.

QUALITY CONTROL PLAN: Offerors shall submit their Quality Control Plan showing how they intend to meet Government performance standards for each task and subtask associated with this contract.

PRICE

23. EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

TECHNICAL EVALUATION FACTORS

Qualifications and Experience of Key Personnel

Past performance

Quality Control Plan

Price/Cost

ORDER OF IMPORTANCE

Technical factors, when combined, are considered:

Significantly more important than price

X Approximately equal to price

Significantly less important than price

Co tto nw ood

Cree k

North Fork Quealy Creek

So uth

Fo rk

Qu eal y C ree k

Tro ubl eso me

Cr eek

Austin Creek

South Fork Sage Creek

Ca ve

Cr eek

Lis enb y C ree k

T25N

T26N

R81W

R81WR82W

R82W

NO WARRANTY IS MADE BY THE BLM FOR USE OF

THE DATA FOR PURPOSES NOT INTENDED BY BLM.

Shirley Mtn 1 Pre-Commercial

Thinning

§̈¦25

§̈¦80

Baggs CheyenneEncampment

Laramie

Medicine Bow Rawlins

0 50 100 Miles

0 0.7 Miles $

Private Access Road BLM Roads Unimproved Roads/Trails-may not be accessible PCT1_SHirley_Mtn2021 Bureau of Land Management U.S. Forest Service State Private