A04_Willow_Creek_Fuels_Reduction_PWS.pdf

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT – Challis Field Office Performance Work Statement

Willow Creek Summit Fuels Reduction

F-1

1. General: This is a non-personal services contract to provide for tree thinning services. The Government shall not exercise any supervision or control over the providers performing these services. 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 Challis Field Office (CFO), Bureau of Land Management

(BLM) is acquiring services for tree thinning. The Contractor shall furnish all personnel, tools, labor, supervision, equipment, materials, supplies, transportation, training, and incidentals necessary to perform tree thinning services in accordance with the specifications provided.

1.2. Background: The Willow Creek Summit Fuel Reduction project area is characterized by dense Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) stands surrounded by sagebrush and mountain mahogany ecosystems. The exclusion of fire from this area during the last century has resulted in significant departure from historical conditions. Forest health has declined, with high tree density that exceeds silvicultural recommendations.

Wildlife habitat and forage quality has decreased, and the risk of severe wildfire has increased. Important communications infrastructure and Highway 93 are adjacent to the treatment areas. If left untreated, forest health conditions will continue to decline and the risk of wildfire to nearby infrastructure and private property will persist. The project area totals approximately 402 acres. The understory of the stand will be treated, leaving overstory trees in place.

1.3. Objectives: The objective of this service is to thin conifer trees in order to improve forest health, improve wildlife habitat, and reduce severe wildfire risk by decreasing surface and ladder fuels.

1.4. Scope: The work under this contract is to thin conifer stands by cutting and piling or scattering the treatment slash per contract specifications. Piled slash will be burned at a later date.

1.5. Period of Performance: Treatment operations will begin on or after September 01, 2026, as soon as weather and ground conditions are favorable to maximize the effects of the treatment. The Contracting Officer’s representative will notify the contractor that favorable conditions have been met and the contractor shall be prepared to operations within 3 calendar days of notification. All operations shall be completed no later than November 30, 2026.

Estimated Start Date: September 01, 2026 Required End Date: November 30, 2026

1.6. General Information

1.6.1. Hours of Operation: Work hours for this contract shall be limited to the time between one-half hours before sunrise to one-half hours after the sunset each day. No work shall be done on Saturdays, Sundays, or legal National Holidays unless authorized by the COR.

1.6.2. Federal Observed Holidays: In addition to any holidays declared by Executive Orders, the following Federal Legal Holidays are observed: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President’s Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day.

1.6.3. Place of Performance: The proposed project area is located within the Bureau of Land Management Challis Field Office, approximately 22 miles southeast of Challis, Idaho. The project area encompasses approximately 402 acres forested area in the central Idaho mountains, near Idaho State Highway 93. The legal location of the project site is T11N R21E Sections 27, 28, 33, 34, and 35.

1.6.4. Pre-work Conference: Prior to commencement of work, a meeting may be requested by the

Contracting Officer to be attended by the Contractor, the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR), and the Project Inspector(s). The meeting will be held at the Challis Field Office at a time mutually agreeable to the Contractor and the Contracting Officer to discuss the work schedule and to familiarize both parties with the responsibilities of each under this contract. At this time the Contractor shall provide to the COR a written "work progress plan" that details dates, locations, equipment, and employees to provide for orderly completion of the work within the contract performance time. This work schedule must be acceptable to the Government. At a minimum, the schedule must reflect a work progress rate equal to the available amount of contract performance time.

1.6.5. Invoicing: Invoices shall be submitted through IPP for payment, after services have been performed with supporting invoice on company letterhead and referenced purchase order number.

Unit Costs offered must be “All-Inclusive” for materials, labor, transportation, surcharges, fees and services necessary and incidental to tree thinning services. Invoices shall reflect only those costs indicated in the Price Schedule. All expenses relating to maintenance and operation of equipment shall be considered in the all – inclusive pricing. The Contract will be considered completed and payment due when all areas furnished to the Contractor by the Government have been treated to the standards specified.

1.6.6. Project Boundary Marking: The location and access to the unit(s) are shown on the vicinity and unit map(s). The unit boundaries will not be identified by flagging, it will be up to the contractor to identify and verify boundaries in the field using maps and electronic devices to stay within the unit(s).

1.6.7. Access: Legal public access to the project areas will be identified on the maps prior to the contractor starting the implementation phase. Seasonal road closers may exist (contractor will be notified of closers upon award). Contractor will assume responsibility for any additional access if desired. If roads or any type of access becomes subject to damage, because of adverse weather conditions or other natural and or political reasons, the COR/PI will relay information to the contractor, and a Stop Work Order may be implemented by the Contacting Officer (CO) until other access can be decided.

1.6.8. Notification of Cessation or Restart of Work: The Contractor will have personnel on project site prior to commencing treatment, during treatment, and will notify COR or Project Inspector of changing weather conditions. The COR or Project Inspector will allow the Contractor to continue or stop application if weather factors dictate. The Contractor shall stop operation if inclement weather conditions (wind or rain) exceed label recommendations during herbicide application.

1.6.9. Personnel Requirements: The Contractor must always maintain an adequate work force to ensure timely completion of the work and is responsible for the crew knowing the requirements of the contract. The crew is also responsible for maintaining a safe working environment following OSHA standards. The Contractor must attend the pre-work meeting and provide a written performance plan including crew size prior to beginning work.

1.6.9.1. Key Personnel: The following personnel are considered key personnel by the Government.

The contractor will furnish a legible list of all contract employees (last name, first name) to the assigned COR. If there are any changes to the list of contract employees during the life of the contract a new list will be provided to the COR.

1.6.9.1.1. Work Crew: Shall be furnished by the Contractor for performing thinning treatment. The Contractor shall furnish the necessary qualified mechanics for maintenance of equipment and shall furnish all fuel, oil, and service required for operation of equipment and vehicles.

1.6.9.1.2. Crew Foreman: A Contractor Representative must be on-site always directing work. This person must be fluent in English and will also serve as an on the ground contact person for the COR/PI. Failure to maintain a Contractor Representative will result in suspension of work until an acceptable on-the-ground Contractor Representative is provided. A maximum of five (5) days will be allowed to produce a qualified Contractor Representative. Failure to do so within five days may result in the Contracting Officer (CO) issuing a Suspend Work Order. CO and COR must be informed of any changes of Contractor Representative.

1.6.10. Camping: Camping on agency-administered lands will only be allowed on site(s) pre-approved by an authorized officer. Camping areas for crews will be identified and surveyed for cultural resources prior to use of that camp location. Some camp sites including designated camp sites have been identified and cleared for use, ask the COR for details. The Contractor shall maintain all camping areas in an orderly and sanitary manner. The ordering and maintenance of portable toilets and dumpsters is the responsibility of the contractor. All fire regulations and restrictions shall be followed. All garbage and refuse shall be removed from the camp site(s) by the Contractor and disposed of offsite before final payment is made.

1.6.11. Detailed Unit Information: The Willow Creek Summit Fuels Reduction project area consists of dense conifer stands that are dominated by Douglas-fir. The total acreage for the project units is approximately 402 acres. The dense understory within these units will be treated. Because of the varying density of the vegetation, not all acres within the boundaries of the unit will require the same amount of labor to achieve the specifications outlined below. It shall be the responsibility of the Contractor (i.e., knowledge and experience of the crew leader) to determine the quantity of work needed to meet specification identified in this PWS. A road guard may be necessary to direct or delay traffic while working near access roads.

1.6.12. Risk and Damages: The Contractor shall assume all risks in connection with performance of the contract and shall be liable for any damages to persons or property in connection with the prosecution of the work, including the applicator or other employees of the Contractor.

1.6.13. Protection of Improvements: The COR may order a cessation of work if vehicles are operated on roads within the work area when ground or weather conditions cause or lead to loss of traction. Such conditions usually develop where frozen ground is thawing, when snow is melting, and during or immediately following rainstorms. Any soil and ground disturbance caused by equipment during and after operations will be rehabilitated.

1.6.14. Salvage Rights: No salvage will be allowed.

1.6.15. Designation of Contracting Officer’s Representative: The CO shall designate the COR and PI. The COR is responsible for administering the performance of work under this contract. In no event, however, will any understanding, agreement, modification, change order, or other matter deviating from the terms of this contract be effective or binding upon the Government unless formalized by proper contractual documentation executed by the CO prior to completion of the contract.

F-2

2. Definitions

2.1. Contractor: A supplier or vendor awarded a contract to provide specific supplies or service to the government. The term used in this contract refers to the prime.

2.2. Contracting Officer (CO): A person with authority to enter into, administer, and or terminate contracts, and make related determinations and findings on behalf of the government. Note: The only individual who can legally bind the government.

2.3. Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR): An employee of the U.S. Government appointed by the contracting officer to administer the contract. Such appointment shall be in writing and shall state the scope of authority and limitations. This individual has authority to provide technical direction to the Contractor as long as that direction is within the scope of the contract, does not constitute a change, and has no funding implications. This individual does NOT have authority to change the terms and conditions of the contract.

2.4. Deliverable: Anything that can be physically delivered but may include non-manufactured things such as meeting minutes or reports.

2.5. Equipment: A tangible item that is functionally complete for its intended purpose, durable, nonexpendable, and needed for the performance of a contract. Equipment is not intended for sale and does not ordinarily lose its identity or become a component part of another article when put into use.

Equipment does not include material, real property, special test equipment or special tooling.

2.6. Key Personnel: Contractor personnel that are evaluated in a source selection process and that may be required to be used in the performance of a contract. When key personnel are used as an evaluation factor in best value procurement, an offer can be rejected if it does not have a firm commitment from the persons that are listed in the proposal. The prime contractor is responsible for performance of all subcontractors.

2.7. Quality Control: All necessary measures taken by the Contractor to assure that the quality of an end product or service shall meet contract requirements.

2.8. Subcontractor: One that enters into a contract with a prime contractor. The Government does not have privity of contract with the subcontractor.

F-3

3. Government Furnished Property and Services

3.1. The Government will provide the following:

3.1.1. The Government will provide a georeferenced PDF map showing the project area and treatment boundaries.

F-4

4. Contractor -Furnished Items and Services

4.1. Equipment Requirements:

4.1.1. Unless otherwise specified herein, the Contractor shall provide all labor, transportation, materials, and equipment necessary to perform the work as described herein.

4.1.2. Ensure that all equipment is cleaned off prior to operating on Government lands. Remove all dirt, grease, and plant parts that carry noxious weed seeds or vegetative parts. This may be accomplished with a pressure hose. In addition, if equipment is found operating in a noxious weed area, the equipment must be cleaned before leaving project or moving to another area.

4.1.3. GPS equipment must have an accuracy of +/- 10 meters and be capable of accepting/uploading shape files or track logs.

4.2. Service Requirements:

4.2.1. Tree Tinning

4.2.1.1. Thin live and dead Douglas-fir and lodgepole pine trees that are less than 6 inches DBH and greater than 4.5 ft tall.

4.2.1.1.1. Cut trees to 20 ft bole spacing.

4.2.1.1.2. Vary spacing up to 50% to select the most healthy, desirable leave trees.

4.2.1.1.2.1. Healthy trees are described as trees displaying minimal signs of disease or damage, with good form and a crown ratio of 50% or greater in Douglas-fir and 30% or greater in Lodgepole pine.

4.2.1.2. No Mountain mahogany, Quaking aspen, or Limber pine trees shall be cut.

4.2.1.3. All conifer trees below 6 inches DBH shall be removed from within 50ft of any existing Aspen patches, except non-cut trees.

4.2.1.4. Cut trees shall be completely severed with the stump height not to exceed 4 inches. All stump cuts shall be flat.

4.2.1.5. Very small branches (diameter of less than 0.50 inches) may be scattered to a depth of less than 6 inches. If there is too much slash or the slash is too big, build piles for future burning.

4.2.1.5.1. All slash shall be scattered away from existing roads, fences, and the boles of leave trees.

4.2.1.6. All cut tree boles shall be bucked into 4 feet lengths and limbed.

4.2.1.7. No live limbs shall be left on the stumps of cut trees.

4.2.1.8. All work shall be completed using hand tools, including chainsaws, hand saws, loppers, etc.

4.2.2. Pile Specifications

4.2.2.1. Piles shall be constructed so they are tightly woven together, free of air pockets and dirt.

The piles shall consist of a mixture of small diameter and large diameter material (i.e., needles, stems, and boles).

4.2.2.2. Buck tree boles into 4 ft lengths for piling. All slash shall be scattered away from existing roads, fences, and the boles of leave trees.

4.2.2.3. All piles shall be constructed by laying limbs, stems, boles, and other slash in the pile to make a triangular shape. Slash that causes large air spaces in piles shall be cut to eliminate the air spaces. Each pile shall include an area of small sized slash (small branches less than ¼ to ½ inch in diameter and/or small branches with needles attached) to provide “kindling” for ignition and to aid in combustion of larger slash. These smaller fuels shall be placed in the center of the pile.

4.2.2.4. Pile size shall be between 6 feet in diameter by 6 feet in height and 8 feet in diameter by 8 feet in height.

4.2.2.5. Piles shall not be within the drip line of leave trees, closer than 10 feet to leave tree boles, or 25 feet to a unit boundary, unless approved by the COR. Slash shall not be piled or placed on logs or stumps, in roadways or drainage ditches, or within channel bottoms or streams.

F-5

5. Specific Tasks

5.1. Tree Thinning: The Contractor shall furnish all personnel, tools, labor, supervision, equipment, materials, supplies, transportation, training, and incidentals necessary to perform the thinning services in accordance with the specifications provided. Services shall be billed in accordance with pricing schedule (See PWS 4.2.1).

5.2. Hand Piling: The Contractor shall furnish all personnel, tools, labor, supervision, equipment, materials, supplies, transportation, training, and incidentals necessary to perform the hand piling in accordance with the specifications provided. Services shall be billed in accordance with pricing schedule (See PWS 4.2.2).

F-6

6. Applicable Technical Orders, Specifications, Regulations, Manuals

6.1. Fire Prevention: Primarily for purposes of fire prevention and control, the Contractor shall comply with the following provisions:

6.1.1. The Contractor shall comply with all the applicable Idaho State Fire Prevention Laws, Rules, Regulations, and Standards.

6.1.2. Prior to starting operations during a closed fire season or periods of high fire danger, the Contractor shall prepare a fire prevention and fire control plan to the satisfaction of the COR.

6.1.3. Provide and maintain in good repair on the contract area the following equipment for use during a closed fire season or periods of high fire danger:

6.1.3.1. Firefighting tools shall be kept at vehicle staging areas or at such other place(s) as the COR shall designate whenever employees of the Contractor are working on the contract area. All firefighting tools shall be identified, organized, and easily accessible to all Contractor employees. The fire tools shall be in good condition, be tight on strong handles, and have sharp cutting edges. There shall be at least one (1) tool for each Contractor employee working on the contract area. Three-fourths (3/4) of all fire tools shall be shovels, hoes, or other scraping tools.

The fire tools shall be used only for fighting fire.

6.1.3.2. A shovel in good condition with not less than a three (3) foot handle and a blade not less than seven and three-quarters (7 3/4) inches wide shall be within fifty (50) feet of any power saw when in operation.

6.1.3.3. Two (2) back-pack pumps at each vehicle staging area to be kept full of water and in good operating condition.

6.1.3.4. A serviceable chemical fire extinguisher of at least eight (8) ounces minimum capacity shall be carried during a closed fire season or period of high fire danger by each saw operator using a power saw on the contract area. Such fire extinguisher shall be filled and in operating condition and shall at all times 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 which has first been cleared of all flammable material. Power saws shall be moved at least twenty (20) feet from the place of fueling before the engine is started. A shovel shall be available with each gas can when refueling. Each power saw shall be equipped with an exhaust system and a spark arresting device.

6.1.3.5. The CO may require additional fire tools and fire equipment as the fire danger may warrant.

Technical Exhibits:

DELIVERABLE FREQUENCY REFERENCE MEDIUM/FORMAT SUBMIT

TO

Performance/Work Plan

Once 1.6.4 Pre-work conference

By email in PDF format or hard copy

COR

Crew Manifest Once, and as needed when crew manifest changes.

1.6.9 Personnel

Requirements

By email in PDF or scanned or hard copy

COR

Required services table with AQL:

Performance Task Performance

Standard Acceptable Quality Level Method(s) of

Surveillance Tree Thinning (PWS 5.1)

Stump cut to meet specifications

90% Random inspection

Cut trees bucked and limbed

90% Random inspection

Trees felled that meet specifications

90% Random inspection

Scattered slash within 6 in of ground level

90% Random inspection

Tree spacing meets specifications

90% Random inspection

Clearing created 50 ft around Aspen stands

90% Random inspection

“No cut” tree species left

90% Random inspection

Hand Piling (PWS 5.2)

Piles are formed following all size, spacing, and construction specifications

90% Random inspection