A04_Wheeler_NWR_Mulching_FY26_SOW.pdf

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

Furnish and Deliver Vegetation Mastication

Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, Decatur AL

PART 1

GENERAL INFORMATION

1.0 GENERAL: This is a non-personnel services contract to provide vegetation reduction

(mulching/grinding/shredding/mowing/crushing/chipping) on Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) for the purposes of providing hazard fuel reduction and a functional fuel break. The Government shall not exercise any supervision or control over the contract service providers performing the services herein. Such contract service providers shall be accountable solely to the Contractor who, in turn is responsible to the Government.

1.1 Description of Services/Introduction: The Contractor shall provide all personnel, equipment, supplies, facilities, transportation, tools, materials, fuel, supervision, and other items and non-personal services necessary to perform mechanical vegetation reduction at Wheeler NWR as defined in this Performance Work Statement (PWS) except for those items specified as government furnished property and services. The Contractor shall perform to the standards in this contract and assumes all liability for work operating in an area open to the public and near a public road right of way.

1.2 Background: Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge) plays a critical role in conserving wildlife habitat, supporting biodiversity, and maintaining ecological integrity across a diverse landscape. Over several decades, forest roads, which dually serve as fuel breaks, have experienced overgrowth and encroachment of undesirable woody vegetation with large fuel loads. While Wheeler Refuge has sufficient road access throughout the refuge, providing additional connectivity and breaks in heavy fuels through forested habitats, especially in proximity to increased housing development and high-density public infrastructure such as the I-65 bridge corridor is critically important.

1.3 Objectives: The objective is to clear an access line and fuel break by masticating trees and woody vegetation

(e.g. sweet gum, maple, hackberry, elm, and privet) within the delineated project boundary on Wheeler NWR.

1.4 Scope: The contractor shall mulch all trees, brush and woody vegetation within the project area along the White

Springs drainage ditch. The project area varies in size from a narrow strip of vegetation to 30 feet in width, totaling a linear area of approximately 10 acres. Tree diameters vary in size up to 20 inches and range in stem density to light to moderately dense.

The contractor shall provide a mulch quality of medium-sized to fine residual material. Residue material from the mulching shall remain onsite, evenly distributed across the treatment area. All stems must be completely severed from the stumps and all residues must lie within a depth not greater than 12 inches of the soil surface. Stumps from the treated vegetation will be reduced to no greater than 3 inches in height from the soil surface.

The contractor may choose their preferred machine and cutting attachment only if the type of machine has a minimum of 200 horsepower, and the cutting attachment has a drum-type mulching head. However, a roller-drum implemented track-hoe is recommended for mulching along the ditch bank and for larger trees and skid-steer type mulchers are appropriate for brush and small trees.

PART 2

CONTRACT PERFROMANCE

2.0 CONTRACT PERFORMANCE:

2.1 Period of Performance: The period of performance shall begin September 1, 2026 and shall be completed within 60 days. Work may be postponed due to inclement weather, high water, high wildfire danger or to prevent adverse impacts to the soils and access roads or for the convenience to the government. The government may allow an extension of the contract term if it is determined that the contractor could not complete the contract within the normal contract period due to excessive inclement weather.

2.2 Quality Control: The Contractor shall develop and maintain an effective quality control program to ensure services are performed in accordance with this PWS. The contractor must stay within the treatment area as specified.

2.3 Quality Assurance: The government shall evaluate the Contractor’s performance under this contract in accordance with the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan. This plan is primarily focused on what the Government must do to ensure that the Contractor has performed in accordance with the performance standards. It defines how the performance standards will be applied, the frequency of surveillance, and the minimum acceptable defect rate(s).

2.4 Recognized Holidays: The Contractor may, but is not required to perform services on these holidays:

New Year’s Day, Birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day

2.5 Hours of Operation: Mulching operations should take place during daylight hours and the contractor should make the Contracting Officer Representative aware of times scheduled to work.

2.6 Place of Performance: The project will be on Wheeler NWR near Decatur AL. The project area is located on the north side of Wheeler Lake, between HWY 31 and Interstate 65 (Figure 1).

2.7 Type of Contract: The government will award a Firm Fixed Price.

2.8 Security Requirements: Not applicable.

2.9 Special Qualifications: The Contractor shall, without additional expense to the Service, be responsible for obtaining any licenses and permits, and for complying with any applicable State and Federal laws, codes, and regulations in connection with prosecution of the work.

2.10 Post Award Conference/Periodic Progress Meetings: The Contractor agrees to attend any post award conference convened by the contracting activity or contract administration office in accordance with Federal

Acquisition Regulation Subpart 42.5. The contracting officer, Government Representative (GR), and other

Government personnel, as appropriate, may meet periodically with the Contractor to review the Contractor's performance. At these meetings the contracting officer or GR will apprise the Contractor of how the government views the Contractor's performance and the Contractor will apprise the Government of problems, if any, being experienced. Appropriate action shall be taken to resolve outstanding issues. These meetings shall be at no additional cost to the government.

2.11 Government Representative (GR): The (GR) will be identified by separate letter. The GR monitors all technical aspects of the contract and assists in contract administration. The GR is authorized to perform the following functions: assure that the Contractor performs the technical requirements of the contract: perform inspections necessary in connection with contract performance: maintain written and oral communications with the

Contractor concerning technical aspects of the contract: issue written interpretations of technical requirements, including Government drawings, designs, specifications: monitor Contractor's performance and notifies both the

Contracting Officer and Contractor of any deficiencies; coordinate availability of government furnished property, and provide site entry of Contractor personnel. The GR is not authorized to change any of the terms and conditions of the resulting order.

2.12 Key Personnel: Government Points of Contact will be provided following contract awarding. The

Contractor shall provide a contract manager who shall be responsible for the performance of the work.

PART 3

GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY, EQUIPMENT, AND SERVICES

3. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED ITEMS AND SERVICES:

3.1 Services: The project area is already mapped, using GIS. The Government can provide GIS data of the treatment area or flag boundaries of the treatment area in the field. The government will provide a FWS employee during all periods of implementation.

3.2 Facilities: The Government will allow the contractor to unload and park equipment within the treatment area while the contract work is being performed. Any use of private property adjacent to the refuge for transporting, unloading or staging equipment is the responsibility of the contractor. The Government assumes no liability for any damages to equipment that may occur while parked on the refuge. The contractor will be liable for any damages that occur on the refuge during contract implementation or mobilizing/demobilizing of equipment.

3.3 Utilities: The Government will provide no utilities.

3.4 Equipment: The Government will provide no equipment.

3.5 Materials: The Government will provide maps of the project area. The Government will also provide either spatial data of the treatment boundaries or physically flag the treatment boundaries with pink flagging.

PART 4

CONTRACTOR FURNISHED ITEMS AND SERVICES

4. CONTRACTOR FURNISHED ITEMS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

4.1 General: The Contractor shall furnish all supplies, equipment, facilities, and services required to perform work under this contract that are not listed under Section 3 of this PWS.

4.2 Secret Facility Clearance: Not applicable.

4.3. Materials: The Contractor shall provide all materials required to accomplish these requirements outlined in this

PWS, excluding those outlined in Part 3 as Government Provided Items.

4.4. Equipment: The Contractor shall provide all personnel and equipment necessary to furnish the requirements of this PWS, excluding those outlined in Part 3 as Government Provided Items. Contractor will provide a machine capable of mulching/masticating all shrubs, brush, and trees up to 20 inches DBH. All personnel, fuel, lubricants, consumables, cutting tool, equipment maintenance and repair, lodging, meals, and equipment transportation are the responsibility of the contractor.

PART 5

SPECIFIC TASKS

5. SPECIFIC TASKS:

Mechanically treat (grind, shred, mulch, masticate, mow, crush, etc) all shrubs, brush, and trees up to 20 inches DBH within the project area identified on the attached map (Figure 1). The contractor shall provide a mulch quality of medium-sized to fine residual material. Residue material from the mulching shall remain onsite, evenly distributed across the treatment area. More than one pass with machine may be necessary. All stems must be completely severed from the stumps and all residues must lie within a depth not greater than 12 inches of the soil surface.

Stumps from the treated vegetation will be reduced to no greater than 3 inches in height from the soil surface.

The contractor may choose their preferred machine and cutting attachment only if the type of machine has a minimum of 200 horsepower, and the cutting attachment has a drum type mulching head. However, both a roller-drum implemented track-hoe and skid-steer type mulcher are recommended.

5.1. Basic Services: The contractor shall mulch all trees, brush and woody vegetation within the project area along the White Springs drainage ditch. The project area varies in size from a narrow strip of vegetation to 30 feet in width, totaling a linear area of approximately 10 acres. Tree diameters vary in size up to 20 inches and range in stem density to light to moderately dense. The government reserves the right to designate the exact area to be treated based on the per acre bid price.

5.1.1. Prior to the treatment the FWS will map the treatment area to be treated using GPS and GIS. Paper and digital copies of these maps will be provided to the contractor on or before the application date. Spatial data and/or PDF maps may also be provided.

5.1.2. A FWS employee may be on site during the periods of application to make sure the contractor meets and follows all requirements of the contract.

5.1.3. The Contractor will provide a crew/equipment to:

1. Mechanically treat (grind, shred, mulch, masticate, mow, crush, etc) all shrubs, brush, and trees up to 20 inches DBH within the project area identified on the attached map (Figure 1). The contractor shall provide a mulch quality of medium-sized to fine residual material. Residue material from the mulching shall remain onsite, evenly distributed across the treatment area. More than one pass with machine may be necessary. All stems must be completely severed from the stumps and all residues must lie within a depth not greater than 12 inches of the soil surface. Stumps from the treated vegetation will be reduced to no greater than 3 inches in height from the soil surface.

5.1.4. An assessment of the treatment area will be made immediately upon completion of the mechanical treatment to ensure 100% of the mapped area was treated.

5.2. Task Heading

5.2.1. The Contractor shall have the required licenses and certifications.

5.2.2. The Contractor may recommend adjustments to the treatment process but must be approved in writing by the

Contracting Officer Representative prior to implementation.

5.2.3. The Contractor shall coordinate with the USFWS to determine the date(s) and time(s) of mechanical treatment to minimize impacts on other USFWS and public use activities.

5.2.4. The Contractor is responsible for cleaning up any spills (fluids, oils, fuels, etc) that may occur.

PART 6

APPLICABLE PUBLICATIONS

6. APPLICABLE PUBLICATIONS (CURRENT EDITIONS):

6.1. The Contractor must abide by all applicable regulations, publications, manuals, and local policies and procedures including Alabama Best Management Practices for Forestry Manual available at website:

https://www.forestry.alabama.gov/Pages/Management/BMP_Practices.aspx

PART 7

ATTACHMENT/TECHNICAL EXHIBIT LISTING

7. Attachments:

7.1 Attachment 1 – Treatment Areas

7.2 Attachment 2 – Deliverable Schedule

https://www.forestry.alabama.gov/Pages/Management/BMP_Practices.aspx

Attachment 1- Treatment Areas

Figure 1. Proposed mulch line and project area.

ATTACHMENT 2

DELIVERABLES SCHEDULE

Deliverable Frequency # of Copies Medium/Format Submit To

Key Personnel

Contact Information

Within 30 days of contract award 2 MS Word or PDF

Contracting Officer and Site

Representative

Mulching of specified areas habitat as per this

PWS

Duration of Period of Performance n/a n/a

Site Representative