SiteTourNotes.docx

Collette Mine Rehabilitation

RFP AG-02RC-S-15-0068

Site Tour Notes 5/21/2015 Prepared by Karen Ruklic

Government Representatives:

Karen Ruklic, Contracting Officer Zoltan Kiss, Engineering Technician Anne Connor, Watershed Restoration Program Manager Steppen, Project Inspector Marci Carter, Nez Perce Tribe Watershed Division

Industry Attendees:

Dave and Trevor Stark, Oxbow Earthworks, Inc.

Blackfoot, Idaho

Arlin Grimes, Aqua Terra Restoration Driggs, Idaho

Dan Cook, Cook and Sons Construction White Bird, Idaho

Mark Bledsoe, Pro-Op-Co Inc.

Craigmont, Idaho

Gordon Eckel, Flash Excavation Harpster, Idaho

Attendees met at the project on 5/18/15 at approximately 1:00 PM. Contracting Officer started the meeting by reviewing the following solicitation background information, requirements, clauses and provisions:

C-1 b. Project Location. Directions are correct up until the point where contractors are advised turn left at Peterson’s Corner. From this point, follow Road 100 approximately 6? miles to the project site.

Section I-10 FAR 52.228-1 Bid Guarantee Original bid bonds are required.

B-5 Additional Wage Classification Required. No excavator operator rate is included in the wage decision applicable to this project. A rate shall be conformed after award. Most recently conformed rate was $25.56/hour with $12.85 fringe (received DOL approval most recently on 1/20/15). Base your offer on this rate.

B-6 Idaho Use Tax Potential for assessment of ID Use Tax was discussed. The Gov’t furnished property upon which use tax could be assessed is as follows: large woody debris, small-medium trees and brush, vegetative cuttings and rooted stock (Section C-2). In the past, use tax has been assessed on trees used for stream restoration projects and the value is difficult to determine. Therefore, the CO is in discussion with the ID Tax Commission on this matter.

Follow-up: on Tuesday (5/19/15), the tax commission representative stated the based on current legal interpretation, the state of Idaho did not plan on assessing use tax on the GFP being furnish under this contract. See solicitation Amendment 1.

Section C-5 Biobased Product Utilization Discussed agencies goal of increasing the use of biobased materials. Review website provided in this clause along with the example list biobased products that could be used during performance of this contract. Contractor should then identify the products it intends to use and their value in the technical proposal. Annual reporting is also required on the SAM website. Government could pay more for an offer that utilizes more biobased products; however, Government recognized that opportunities are limited given the nature of this contract.

H-6 Environmental Protection Discussed the requirement for Fish-Friendly hydraulic fluids. This requirement is linked to a stream restoration programmatic in effect between the USFS and NOAA. The clause provides product brands that meet the required criteria. Government did not endorse any of these specific brands and notes that the contractors must independently research the performance characteristics. However, government did not that some of this brands have been on the market for quite some time.

A discussion was held amongst the attendees. Concerns with the requirement centered around the estimated costs associated with changing from conventional hydraulic fluids to the vegetable based alternatives. One contractor stated that it would cost up to $12,000 to do a full transition due to the need to remove lines and valves. Government will consider amending the solicitation to remove this requirement if associated cost is determined to be high and if NOAA would agree to the change. Contractors also questioned whether the dump trucks would need to use this oil. Government stated that only the equipment working directly in-stream, excavator(s), would need to utilize the fish-friendly fluids.

Follow-up: additional information was received that indicated costs might not be as high as noted at the pre-bid tour to change a machine from traditional fluids to the fish-friendly fluids. Government did independent research and determined that it would retain the requirement as originally written.

Section H-2 Key Personnel Key personnel identified in the accepted technical proposals shall be made a material part of the contract. Government places great emphasis on having good equipment operators especially when working on stream banks because we recognize the difference that this can make in stream turbidity and quality of habitat restoration.

Section H-3 Physical Data – (d) Material Sources Group discussed location of woody debris (see below from solicitation). Trees have rootwads intact and will need to be carefully handled to try and retain the material’s complexity. Logs will need to be sorted by the contractor. On site woody debris is also planned for use. Off-site sources supplement this material.

(a) Section 6 Pit

a. Location: T34 R6E S6 NE1/4. From project site, travel south on FS Road 100 for 2.7 miles, turn right on FS Road 5150 and travel north 0.7 miles to Section 6 pit.

b. Inventory: Approximately 60 large logs with root wads

(b) Relaskop timber sale

a. Location: T35 R7E S17. From project site, travel north on FS Road 100 for 1.7 miles, turn right onto FS Road 103. Travel north on 103 for 5.9 miles to FS Road 520, turn right onto FS Road 520 and travel south for 0.3 miles to FS Road 528. Turn left onto 520 and follow for 4.1 miles to FS Road 530. Timber sale will continue along the length of this road.

b. Inventory: Large selection of medium-small trees and brush that can be salvaged for the Collette Mine project.

H-5 Conditions on Use of Premises Camping at a dispersed site would need to be approved by District Ranger; such approvals are easy to coordinate and allow for exceeding the 14-day limitations. Camping in public campground is not permitted (Lolo Creek Cmpgd) but there is an industrial camp located opposite Lolo Cmpgrd that could possibly be used. Keep a clean camp.

H-7 Noxious Weed Control All heavy equipment operating on the site of work, including dump trucks, will need to be inspected for noxious weed seeds prior to mobilization to the site. Once equipment is mobilized to the site of work, further inspections won’t be required (i.e. in between runs to the material source locations) unless the equipment leaves the Forest or is replaced later in the performance period.

It is anticipated that Lynelle Knehans will be the project COR. Inspection duties will be shared by Marci Carter with the Nez Perce Tribe, Zoltan Kiss (Engineering Tech) and Taylor Green-up (FS Watershed Restoration Technician). Their duties will be covered more thoroughly at the prework meeting.

Technical Specifications, Section 01505 Contractor will submit the Construction General Permit Notice of Intent to the EPA prior to commencement of work. This submission will utilize Forest Service template with basic project information that contractor will supplement with final approved Stormwater and Pollution Prevention plan. A draft of this plan will also be submitted as part of the contractor’s technical proposal (Section 01505 of the Specifications regarding the plan requirement and Section M regarding the technical proposal requirements).

H-8 Fire Control. Standard clause included. No requirement for pump and trailer. If fire fighters request the use of contractor equipment for initial attack, CO prior approval is required. Contractors are responsible for putting out contractor ignited fires.

I-17 Alteration to FAR 52.211-18 Variation in Estimated Quantity Reviewed Equipment Rental items 1-012, 1-013 and 1-014. Government is not guaranteeing that any of these hours will be used. They are included as an efficient way to perform small items of work that would improve the overall quality of the project. COR authorization required. Funding for hours not used will be de-obligated at contract close-out. Government will utilize some excavator hours to decommission a small spur road in the vicinity of the old cabin. Contractors asked about specifics regarding sizes of equipment required. See Amendment 1.

M-1 EVALUATION CRITERIA Stressed the need for submittal of complete technical proposals that supply all the information requested in this provision. Also highlighted requirement to provide information including a schedule that meets the requirements of the fish window, temp bridge plan, erosion control methods, stormwater pollution prevention plan, dewater/work area isolation plan, fish-friendly fluid, biobased product utilization and information on all the other bulleted items under workplan. The nursery care plan relates to how the contractor will care for the government furnished rooted stock prior to use in the vegetated wood and brush fascine. Technical factors are approximately equal in importance and overall, the technical factors when combined are approximately equal in importance to price. Also, it is the Government’s intent to award without discussions (give us your most favorable terms).

Group then moved down to Lolo Creek at the site of the temp bridge installation..

Anne Connor provided the following technical information.

A 0.2 mile stretch of stream is being treated under this phase of restoration.

No seeding or planting work, aside from installing rooted stock and vegetative cuttings in the wood and brush fascine, will be done under this contract. Sheet 6.0 entitled Revegetation Plan has been provided for information only.

Live Water Crossings by equipment shall be minimized. No more than 10 stream crossings will be allowed including crossings required for installation and removal of the temporary bridge.

Only one stream bank work area is to be isolated and worked on at a time. Turbidity will be monitored 600 feet downstream from the work locations. Since work areas will be isolated during construction, the government doesn’t anticipate problems but if the turbidity level spikes, mitigation measures will be taken by the contractor and work may have to cease temporarily until levels stabilize.

The government does not anticipate that ponds will be completely dry prior to regarding. If live fish are present in the ponds, government will need to defish. See Amendment 1.

Historic cabins are located within the designated Heritage Resources Area in the vicinity of the temporary bridge (see Site Plan Sheet 5.0 of plans). Contractor shall not disturb the ground within the boundaries of this area.

In response to a contractor question, the following information was provided. It will be the contractor’s responsibility to stake elevations off the established control points. Control points disturbed during construction shall be reestablished upon work completion. CO shall provide the contractor with computer files representing finished ground surfaces for use with GPS equipment upon request.

Items 1-006 and 1-007 Soil Salvage are DQ items as is Item 1-008 Earthwork. It is the contractor’s responsibility to prove if quantities are subject to the Variation in Estimated Quantities clause (over or under the designed quantity by +/- 15%). The government feels confident in the estimated quantities for the Earthwork given the fact that recently collected LIDAR data was used to calculate the quantities. In the past, quantities for similar projects have been tracked by truckloads hauled; the government recognizes that this is difficult for material moved with dozers. Concerns regarding design quantities should be brought to the CO’s attention early so that the contracting parties can determine the best manner to deal with potential discrepancies.

Item 1-005 is paid by the acre but will be measured by SY and then converted.

Types of fill are described as streambank, floodplain, vegetative and general. Material that does not meet the specifications detailed for one of first three types (i.e. lots of clay), will be classified as general fill and will be used to fill the repository (location corresponds with existing ditch at the toe of the slope).

In-stream work during this phase of construction is limited to installation of large wood structures and vegetated wood and brush fascine. Contractor will dig out pools in connection to log structure installation.