Appendix_A_response_to_Sources Sought Qs_042811.docx

Appendix B Response to Vendor Questions and Comments

1. Logistical Constraints:

The project area is a remote site with no services and limited infra-structure. Access to the area is via barge, charter passenger vessel or float plane. Estimated travel times from Sitka, AK are: Barge – 8 hours (tide dependent), Power Boat – 2-2.5 hours, Float Plane – 40 minutes. From Juneau: Float Plane 45 minutes, Barge 8 hours, Power Boat 2-3 hours (weather/seas dependent).

False Island Cove (See has a limited, but decent anchorage, a USFS administrative dock and a recently rebuilt MAF bulkhead and drive down ramp for equipment mobilization and staging. Camp facilities are available at the USFS False Island Camp located one file from the False Island Dock. Limited facilities include level ground with sewer hookups and an untreated water source. No electricity or other services are available. The awarded contractor must supply a self contained camp, fueling and equipment maintenance infrastructure.

False Island Lodge, a private charter fishing lodge located in False Island Cove may have lodging available depending on their season bookings. Nearest equipment rental and/or heavy equipment sub-contractors are located in Sitka or Juneau, AK.

2. Permit Status:

Water Quality Controls (Best Management Practices) will be required to mitigate riparian and water resource impacts while equipment is operating in or near the stream. The project COR and Inspectors will carefully monitor and supervise timing and duration of instream operations. The contractor is expected to have the necessary equipment and knowledge to implement appropriate flow diversion and dewatering measures (refer C and H clauses).

Alaska Fish and Game Title 16 concurrence permitting is currently under review and will be obtained by the USFS prior to start of contract. This permit will define the instream work timing window and any additional site mitigation requirements. The Army Corps of Engineers 404 permitting is currently under review and will be obtained by the USFS prior to start of contract. Alaska Coastal Zone permitting is complete and has received an ‘Environmentally Beneficial’ determination.

3. Other environmental controls (refer to contract clauses C and H):

Fire control capability will be the responsibility of the contractor. Camp sanitation safety (Bear Awareness): The project area has a healthy population of Brown Bears. Frequent sightings and interactions are likely. The awarded contractor will be responsible for keeping a clean camp and worksite to reduce attractants and for their own and others personal safety. If the awarded contractor wishes, a District wildlife biologist can provide information on Brown Bear behavior and safety while working and living in bear country. Use of non-toxic, biodegradable hydraulic fluid will be required in all equipment operating in the live or historic (dry stream bed) stream channel. The 6 wheel drive articulated truck to haul away excavation will not require the biodegradable hydraulic fluid, however any truck hauling vehicles will be free of leaks and diapered with sorbent pads at potential sources of hydraulic or other hydrocarbon based fluids. A Spill Control and Prevention Plan, and capabilities will also be the responsibility of the contractor.

4. Design/Build Considerations:

Final bid package (Attachments B,C and Sheets 2-6) contain typical design configuration for large wood structures (approximate quantities of logs and root wad trees needed at each site), treatment site locations, designated access routes, location of material stockpiles/ tree harvest sites and design specification for the temporary main channel stream crossing. Channel profile and cross-section survey information is also included. Additional design schematics or blueprints will not be required from the contractor.

Forest Service design engineers with extensive experience in the construction of Formidable Multi-faceted Log structures have field verified treatment sites, and have validated the appropriateness of design parameters described in the contract package for each site. An experienced contractor should be able to meet project objectives with the information provided in the bid package and from pre-project consultation with the project CO.

Hydraulic modeling details are not available for the project area. The dynamic nature of alluvial fan channels and multiple flow paths within the active flood plain render modeling results questionable value. Maximum design flow discharge (distributed within multiple drainage ways across the fan surface) is estimated to range between 3,000 and 4,000. The Q2 for dewatering is 610cfs. Season discharge conditions for the West Fork (upper site) Sitkoh subwatershed can be characterized from the Kadashan River USGS Stream Gage #15106920.

The Contractor should plan for dewatering coffer dams capable of diverting up to 75% of the Q2 event. Anticipated method of dewatering is diverting flow into one or more secondary channels at the beginning of the project. Using the existing main channel which is the old road FDR7553 and the left bank side channel may be required in order to excavate the historic main channel. This would require the haul truck be able to operate along flooded road in 2 to 2.5ft of water in places. All water depth and diversion scenarios are weather dependent and can potentially force work to stop for 2 or more consecutive days.

5. Refined Schedule:

· Mobilization to site by early July

· In-Stream construction window is approximately 6 weeks with a July 31 completion date.

6. Materials:

The Ocean Boulevard Log stockpile is located at approximately MP 0.5 on FDR 7540, halfway between the False Island MAF and the USFS False Island Camp (Project Area Vicinity Map, Attachment D). Total haul distance to the designated staging area on FDR 7553 is approximately 13 miles, one way. Whole tree harvest locations are within 2 miles of construction sites. Locations are designated on the Local Vicinity Map within the bid package.

Only a few boulders for ballast will be needed at the channel diversion site. A sufficient number of boulders and rock rip rap materials are available in a nearby rock pit within 0.5 miles of the diversion site. No blasting will be needed to develop rock sources for this project. Construction of LW structures will key into stream banks and then ballasted with native gravel from the channel excavation and logs.

7. Current condition and future status of FDR 7533:

Reconstruction of the FDR 7553 road prism in the channel avulsion area will not be a contract requirement. The method of mobilizing along this road will depend on the equipment utilized by the contractor. This road segment is currently closed due to a portion of the Sitkoh River using it as a side channel. The road will be decommissioned following completion of upstream restoration work (see Section C). The road section of concern is not currently capable of facilitating standard dump truck transit, the type of truck used will determine the extent of additional work on the roadway for contractor access. Stream banks will be reconstructed at point of channel diversion and protected with log revetment shown in detail typical (Sheets 4-5). Excess gravels from channel excavation will be used behind log structures at the point of diversion and to add burden behind the wing jams. Fill (channel excavation will be used to bring areas behind the structure above the existing floodplain. Any excess excavation will be used to bring up the existing roadway & ground between the wing jams to the elevation of the adjacent floodplain A temporary crossing of a series of culverts or bridge will be required to cross the main channel Sitkoh River along FDR 7553 to access the diversion site (Sheet 3). The contractor may propose alternative methods of crossing with other structures as long as they can pass the required design flows for 75% of Q2 or 456 CFS. The Sitkoh River Existing Condition document within the contract package describes and shows the current condition of the road and stream channel at this location.