Atch_1_-_Statement_of_Work.pdf

STATEMENT OF WORK

for

Roadway Travel way Obliteration and Entry Management Treatments

Deschutes National Forest, Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District Deschutes County, Oregon

Elevations – Approx. 4,260 to 5,000 ft.

1. SCOPE AND LOCATION

The desired outcome of this task order is to address travel management issues in important wildlife habitat by reducing open road densities. Habitat quality is expected to improve by increasing refuge characteristics and habitat connectivity.

This Task Order is to solicit proposals from qualified vendors for the decommissioning and closure of roads on the Deschutes National Forest, Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District. All terms and conditions found in the parent contract are incorporated by reference for this task order with no exceptions.

The work consists of road travelway obliteration and entry management treatments. For all activities, the contractor should include all labor, materials and supplies needed to perform work as described unless otherwise noted.

The project work is located on the Deschutes National Forest, Eaton Butte, approximately 8.5 miles west of LaPine, Deschutes County, Oregon, Township 22S, Range 9E, Sections 19-20 and 30-31. See MAP 1 & MAP 2.

2. DESCRIPTION OF WORK AND STANDARDS

Item 1: Road Travelway Obliteration

Activities will include subsoiling for decompaction and surface cover, as outlined below. These activities will occur on the entirety of the road prism identified in TABLE 1 and MAP 1, or as modified by the Forest Service and the Contracting Officer or their delegated representative. Road locations will be flagged on the ground.

Subsoiling for Decompaction: Subsoiling will occur to a minimum depth of 18 inches (maximum 24 inches), except where the Forest Service agrees to lesser depths. Soil shall be decompacted to the full depth, while preventing mixing or plowing. Surface disturbance of organics and vegetation, where present, will be minimized. Once treated, the decompacted soil is slightly lifted and well-fractured rather than plowed, mixed, or displaced. Treated areas shall span the entire length of the road and the total width of the compacted ground surface. Subsurface rocks should not be pulled to the surface and large supportive roots should also not be severed. Ground that cannot be effectively treated due to subsurface rock should be scarified to the extent possible – typically with the surface roughened and broken to a depth of 4-6 inches. The distance between subsoiler shank passes shall typically not exceed 24 inches.

Surface Cover: Available roadside material (such as downed wood, slash and root wads) shall be placed on the treated areas in conjunction with subsoiling to achieve a target effective ground cover of at least 50% by area.

Where adequate material is not available to achieve 50% cover, at least one piece of roadside material per 20 linear feet of travelway distance is expected. The roadside material may include standing green trees under 7 inches DBH within 25 feet of the roads edge to achieve the desired surface coverage should other identified material not be available. Subsoiling and material placement shall be completed in one pass or in a way that would prevent compacting or displacing the treated area. Reference photos of subsoiling & slashing results are shown below (REFERENCE 1-3). All roads decommissioned will have barriers constructed at the entrance of each route to prevent future use and facilitate vegetative and soil recovery (see Item 2). In some instances, one route may require two or more barriers if multiple intersections occur, as noted.

REFERENCE 1: Subsoil treatment result showing slightly lifted and well-fractured soil, rather than plowed, mixed, or displaced.

REFERENCE 2: Available roadside material such as downed wood, slash and root wads, shall be placed on the treated areas in conjunction with subsoiling

REFERENCE 3: Example of equipment used for subsoiling & slashing in one pass.

Item 2: Entry Management Treatment (Barrier Construction)

Activity will occur on all roads identified in TABLE 1 and MAP 1. In some instances, one route may require two or more barriers if multiple intersections occur, as noted. Barrier construction may extend beyond the road width if open conditions provide access around a road-width barrier. Barriers should not be passable by any 4WD passenger vehicle or ATV and should be discouraging to dirtbike and mountain bike use. Barriers will be constructed from boulders (minimum size of 2.5 feet in diameter in at least two dimensions) placed a maximum of 2 feet apart and partially buried and backfilled (minimum quarter depth) to discourage easy removal. To mimic a natural appearance, boulders will not be placed in an even, symmetrical pattern. Approximate number of boulders needed are identified in TABLE 1. Number of boulders used will be tracked by the contractor and reported to the Forest at project completion. Boulders are required to be loaded and hauled from the locations shown in MAP 2 to work sites by the contractor. Prior to hauling, clearance from the Forest will be needed after assessing rock pits for weed contamination. Weed contamination may limit the use of pits identified on Map 2. For barrier construction on routes also identified for road travelway obliteration, barriers will require additional deep mixing of soil to roughen the surface to an unpassable condition beyond the limitations of the subsoiling treatment for sight distance (approximately 12 feet by 300 feet) and should incorporate on-site material such as downed wood and root wads that can be reached without leaving the road surface with machinery. Some barriers require mulch placement as identified in TABLE 1 and MAP 1. Approximately 10 cubic yards of mulch will be placed and distributed at each identified road entrance to an approximate depth of 2 inches on the road surface for sight distance from barrier (approximately 12 feet by 300 feet). Mulch will be worked into the soil surface by way of subsoiling (as described in Item 1). Mulch is required to be loaded and hauled from the locations shown in MAP 2 to work sites by the contractor. Closed roads will need to be opened by the contractor to access the mulch piles. Upon completion reclosure will be required by the contractor with a berm equivalent to the original condition. Subsoiled surfaces may not be trafficked after treatment. Subsoiling should not occur when the ground is frozen. Subsoiling should not occur when roads are wet - there should not be standing water on the road surface and free water should be completely drained from the soil profile.

TABLE 001:

ROAD NUMBER WORK NEEDED

6203990 0.7 miles road travelway obliteration; 2 barriers constructed (approximately 8 boulders each) with mulch treatment

4400418 0.7 miles road travelway obliteration; 1 barrier constructed (approximately 8 boulders) with mulch treatment

4400420 0.3 miles road travelway obliteration; 2 barriers constructed (approximately 8 boulders each) with mulch treatment

4400414 1 mile road travelway obliteration; 2 barriers constructed (approximately 8 boulders) with mulch treatment

4400410 0.7 miles road travelway obliteration; 2 barriers constructed (approximately 8 boulders each) with mulch treatment

TOTAL 3.4 miles road travelway obliteration; 9 barriers constructed (approximately 72 boulders) and 9 mulch treatments.