Attachment_6A_ _6B.pdf

ATTACHMENT 6A Task Order Information FY 2015 Talladega National Forest Herbicide Application

ATTACHMENT 6A

TASK ORDER INFORMATION

FY 2015 Talladega National Forest Herbicide Application

Brief Description of the Requirement:

Non-personal services for herbicide application for site preparation treatment on the

Talladega National Forest at the locations listed in the provisions, and in compliance with the terms, specifications, conditions, and provisions of this solicitation/contract. . The

Contractor shall furnish all labor, equipment, transportation, supervision, supplies (except those designated as Government-furnished), and incidentals for herbicide application services for foliar application and cut surface treatments. . Work is to be performed in accordance with the specifications in attachment 6

Sub-item #

Description Reference District Latitude Longitude

1 Compartment

34/ Stand 5 -

35 Acres

Tall Pine Shoal Creek 33.79273 -85.5439

2 Compartment

34/ Stand 11

- 20 Acres

Tall Pine Shoal Creek 33.78838 -85.5428

3 Compartment

53/ Stand 28

- 48 Acres

Brymer Shoal Creek 33.69668 -85.5908

4 Compartment

202/ Stand

18 - 27 Acres

Duck Nest Talladega 33.54084 -85.8367

5 Compartment

203/ Stand 8

- 29 Acres

Duck Nest Talladega 33.54634 -85.8612

6 Compartment

203/ Stand

15 - 63 Acres

Duck Nest Talladega 33.54599 -85.8562

7 Compartment

203/ Stand

Duck Nest Talladega 33.54692 -85.8492

30 - 20 Acres

8 Compartment

206/ Stand

19 - 23 Acres

Duck Nest Talladega 33.53012 -85.7915

9 Compartment

206/ Stand

19 - 29 Acres

Duck Nest Talladega 33.52437 -85.794

10 Compartment

206/ Stand

33 - 15 Acres

Duck Nest Talladega 33.55101 -85.789

11 Compartment

212/ Stand

39 - 23 Acres

Dry Talladega 33.4976 -85.8298

12 Compartment

212/ Stand

45 - 13 Acres

Dry Talladega 33.48976 -85.8306

13 Compartment

214/ Stand

23 - 33 Acres

Dry Talladega 33.49027 -85.8259

14 Compartment

214/ Stand

23 - 78 Acres

Dry Talladega 33.49366 -85.8236

15 Compartment

217/ Stand 5

- 23 Acres

SticksNMore Talladega 33.46577 -85.8867

16 Compartment

217/ Stand 5

- 35 Acres

SticksNMore Talladega 33.46255 -85.8916

17 Compartment

265/ Stand

12 - 31 Acres

Sherman

Cliffs

Talladega 33.2949 -86.1095

18 Compartment

265/ Stand

Sherman Talladega 33.28996 -86.1078

13 - 33 Acres Cliffs

19 Compartment

275/ Stand 6

- 3 Acres

Hub Cap Talladega 33.25351 -86.118

20 Compartment

275/ Stand 6

- 10 Acres

Hub Cap Talladega 33.25607 -86.1156

21 Compartment

275/ Stand 9

- 9 Acres

Hub Cap Talladega 33.25154 -86.1102

22 Compartment

275/ Stand 9

- 19 Acres

Hub Cap Talladega 33.24875 -86.1125

23 Compartment

275/ Stand

16 - 12 Acres

Hub Cap Talladega 33.24733 -86.1228

24 Compartment

275/ Stand

26 - 16 Acres

Hub Cap Talladega 33.24426 -86.1306

25 Compartment

277/ Stand 6

- 70 Acres

Magnum Talladega 33.20583 -86.1508

26 Compartment

277/ Stand

12 - 30 Acres

Bee Gum Talladega 33.20522 -86.1337

27 Compartment

277/ Stand

20 - 26 Acres

Magnum Talladega 33.20183 -86.144

28 Compartment

277/ Stand

21 - 12 Acres

Bee Gum Talladega 33.202 -86.1279

29 Compartment

278/ Stand

Bee Gum Talladega 33.20409 -86.1145

14 - 24 Acres

30 Compartment

282/ Stand

32 - 19 Acres

Bee Gum Talladega 33.18806 -86.0959

31 Compartment

283/ Stand

21 - 31 Acres

Bee Gum Talladega 33.19887 -86.1143

32 Compartment

283/ Stand

33 - 82 Acres

Bee Gum Talladega 33.19849 -86.133

33 Compartment

283/ Stand

35 - 14 Acres

Bee Gum Talladega 33.19416 -86.1339

34 Compartment

283/ Stand

37 - 17 Acres

Bee Gum Talladega 33.20002 -86.1199

35 Compartment

285/ Stand 3

- 45 Acres

Magnum Talladega 33.20856 -86.1839

36 Compartment

285/ Stand 9

- 76 Acres

Magnum Talladega 33.20762 -86.1737

TOTAL 1,091 Acres

CONTRACTOR NEEDS TO INSERT PRICE FOR THIS PROJECT ON SCHEDULE OF

ITEMS (ITEM 002)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: Contract time will start as soon as possible following full spring leaf expansion, but MUST begin by June 28, 2015 as all treatments need to be completed by August 28, 2015. The contractor shall be required to commence work under this contract within 10 (ten) calendar days after the effective date of the Notice to

Proceed and shall complete the work within 60 calendar days from the effective date of the Notice to Proceed. No work can begin until after a pre-work conference is held.

NOTE: The Contracting Officer reserves the right to delete areas or to substitute, at the contract price, the same type and amount of work (+/- 300 acres) in other areas similar in topography and conditions within the respective Ranger District boundaries. They be selected in lieu of the original areas, when it is determined by the Contracting Officer that the original areas or portions thereof are unsuitable or unavailable for performance of the specified work

Attachment 6 FY 2015 Talladega National Forest Herbicide Application

6A – Task Order Iinformation, 5 pages

6B -- Specifications, 11 pages

6 C – Maps, FY 2015 Chemical Site Prep, 53 pages

ATTACHMENT 6B Specifications Talladega NF Herbicide Application

SPECIFICATIONS

FOR

TALLADEGA DIVISION

TALLADEGA NATIONAL FOREST

CHEMICAL APPLICATIONS FY2015

DURING GROWING SEASON

USING SPECIFIED HERBICIDES

DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATION/WORK STATEMENT

GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS

Scope

Furnish all labor, supplies, tools, transportation (except items specified in Division Government-

Furnished Property) and supervision necessary, including at least one individual fluent in both

English and the native language of the field crew, for herbicide application by direct foliar spray

(using manual pumping backpack sprayers) and injection methods. This contract is intended to complete 1,091 acres of chemical site preparation.

Description and Location

All areas within the boundaries of the Talladega Division which consists of the Shoal Creek and

Talladega Ranger Districts of the Talladega National Forest, Calhoun, Cherokee, Cleburne, Clay and Talladega Counties, Alabama. See attached vicinity and unit maps for locations of treatment areas.

Description of Site Preparation Treatment Area

The site preparation treatment areas include recently harvested areas with scattered trees remaining that may have mature longleaf pine trees and seedlings present varying in age from one year old to several years old. There may be clumps of standing pine poletimber scattered in the treatment areas. It is strongly encouraged for contractor to satisfy themselves as to unit conditions prior to bid submission.

Boundaries

Boundaries of areas to be worked have been marked with 3 orange slashes painted on trees or flagging. To avoid confusion, the COR or Contract Inspector will furnish and show type of delineation to the contractor upon request at the start of work on each treatment area. Some units may contain “special areas” that are designated on the ground by three white slashes painted on boundary trees. These areas are excluded from treatment and contractor personnel are instructed

NOT to enter these areas.

Government Furnished Property

The government shall deliver to the contractor the following listed material, supplies and property at the place and time specified below:

The Government will furnish all herbicides, dyes and adjuvant. Government furnished property will be available through the Shoal Creek Work Center, 45 Hwy. 281, Heflin, Alabama 36264 or through the Talladega Work Center, 1001 North Street, Talladega, AL 35160 depending on proximity to work site. Herbicides will be considered delivered to the contractor upon receipt at either the Shoal Creek Work Center in Heflin or the Talladega Work Center in Talladega.

Contractor will be responsible for spill-free transportation of this property to and from the job sites and in the field. The contractor can pick up Government-furnished property from 8:00 a.m.

to 9:00 am Monday – Friday (except Federal holidays) unless other arrangements have been made with district personnel. Water for herbicide mixing will be available at the Work

Centers. All alternate water sources that the contractor would like to use must be approved by the COR prior to their use.

Contractor –Furnished Items

The contractor will furnish all permits required by law, labor, transportation, supervision, materials, equipment and personal protection equipment needed to complete the contract except as specified in Division 114. This includes but is not limited to mixing containers and tanks, low pressure sprayers (i.e. Solo 475 or similar) equipped with an applicator for direct foliar use. Only low-pressure, manual pump sprayers will be allowed, gasoline powered motorized sprayers are not permitted. The COR may at any time specify the tip size and type. A 2503 tip is recommended.

Storage tanks must be equipped with water tight lids, means of agitation, and must have a control valve attached directly to the outlet on the tank.

No ground disturbing equipment will be allowed. Crew vehicles must remain on designated roads and may be required to park within designated zones at the discretion of the COR. UTV outfitted with storage tanks of 55 gallons or less, may be used to transport additional herbicide to crews in site preparation units, provided that the UTV remains within the marked unit boundaries and is only used to shuttle herbicide. No herbicide is to be applied from the UTV.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Calibration of Equipment

The contractor shall be responsible for making certain that each herbicide applicator is applying the specified volume of herbicide solution. Each applicator shall be checked DAILY by the contractor. The Forest Service reserves the right to perform inspections at the discretion of the

COR or Inspector on site. Contractor will self-inspect and provide daily documentation to the COR or inspector on the amount of herbicide, mixed used, areas covered and fill out the record sheet as shown in Appendix A.

Timing of Treatment

Contract time will start as soon as possible following full spring leaf expansion, but MUST begin by June 28, 2015 as all treatments need to be completed by August 28, 2015. The contractor shall be required to commence work under this contract within 10 (ten) calendar days after the effective date of the Notice to Proceed and shall complete the work within 60 calendar days from the effective date of the Notice to Proceed.

Maintenance Requirements

Equipment will be maintained in an operable condition capable of delivering the full dosage required to control tree stems.

Handling of Herbicide Containers

All containers used to furnish herbicide to the contractor shall be accounted for. They will be returned to the Forest Service Work Center after being emptied and triple-rinsed. The return and accounting of containers from previously issued chemical will precede any additional issuance of chemical to be used.

Daily Log records of the application types, chemicals used, quantities of each chemical used and the portions of the treatment area covered on that day will be kept by the contractor and will be turned in to the COR or the inspector daily, see Appendix A, NO ADDITIONAL HERBICIDE

WILL BE FURNISHED WITHOUT THE DAILY LOG FROM THE PREVIOUS DAY’S

WORK.

Travel with herbicide solution in the contractor’s tank will be limited. Only the amount of herbicide anticipated to be used the remainder of the day will be mixed at a time. When the weather conditions or other unforeseeable circumstances result in the contractor’s inability to

“Spray-out” the quantity of mix for a treatment area the COR will be contacted.

The contractor shall not transfer un-mixed or left-over tank mixed herbicides into any container other than those furnished by the Government. EPA labeling procedures will be strictly followed as they relate to herbicides. Herbicides or surfactants shall not be left on the job sites overnight.

Protection of Streams, Lakes, and Reservoirs

The contractor shall take precautions to prevent pollution of streams, lakes, and reservoirs by fuels, oils, other chemicals, silt, or other harmful materials. Vehicles carrying herbicide shall park a minimum distance of 200 ft from private land, open water or other sensitive areas that may be designated by the COR or inspector on site. Contractor shall schedule and conduct operations in a manner so as to avoid siltation or contamination of streams, lakes, and reservoirs, loss of embankment materials during high flow periods, and interference with movement of migratory fish. All streams will be kept free of contractor-generated debris.

Permits and Responsibilities for the Work

The contractor shall, without additional expense to the Government, be responsible for obtaining any necessary licenses, certifications and permits, and for complying with any applicable

Federal, State, and municipal laws, codes, and regulations in connection with the use of pesticides under this contract.

Training and Certification

Successful bidder will comply with all Federal and Alabama State laws relating to the commercial, for-hire, application of pesticides. Successful bidder will be required to show proof of appropriate applicator certifications, licensing and bonding as required by those laws.

Contractor will insure that all label requirements are met by the crew during the performance of their work.

Contractor will instruct each applicator in the safe use of herbicide(s) to be applied so as to protect themselves and the environment. The suggesting topics of training to be covered are:

safe handling and proper application; transportation; storage; and disposal of the containers as shown herein. Tailgate safety sessions will be given by contractor or representative prior to beginning the herbicide application and prior to any significant change in the work conditions or prior to the changing or additions of new workers on the site. The contractor or contractor’s representative will train and periodically brief each worker about safe handling techniques, safe application techniques, and cleanup practices and, the risks involved with herbicide application.

Transportation of Herbicides

Contractor is legally responsible for the safe transportation of herbicides.

When transporting herbicides from the public road system to the treatment sites, the Contractor shall follow travel routes approved by the COR. Transport vehicles containing herbicides shall be parked inside the treatment site of an area designated by the COR.

Transportation of herbicides used on this contract shall be in accordance with label instructions and the generally approved and accepted procedures for safe transportation of herbicides. The following precautions should be taken by the contractor to prevent spills, accidents, injury or theft:

1. Transport herbicides in the cargo compartment of a truck or other vehicle away from the passenger compartment.

2. No personnel should ride in the back of a vehicle with herbicide.

3. All herbicide containers should be tied down or otherwise constrained.

4. Herbicides should not be transported in the same compartment with food or clothing.

5. Herbicides should be transported in leak resistant compartments or bins. If any herbicide is spilled in or from the vehicle, it should be cleaned up at once.

6. Unlocked herbicides should not be left unattended.

Handling and Application of Herbicides

Failure to comply with these standards could result in crews being shut down until compliance is reached. Contract time lost due to being shut down due to non-compliance will count against contract performance time.

Personnel handling herbicides should wear protective clothing and/or equipment as recommended by the herbicide manufacturer. Herbicide shall not be applied or equipment cleaned outside of areas designated by COR.

a) Worker Protection Standard

Contactor is responsible for full compliance with all applicable provisions of the EPA

Agriculture Worker Protection Standard (WPS), 40 CFR Part 170.

Protection during applications: Pesticide Applicators are prohibited from applying a pesticide in a way that will expose workers or other persons. General workers are excluded from areas while pesticides are being applied.

Restricted – entry intervals: Workers are excluded from entering a pesticide treated area during the restricted entry interval, with only narrow exceptions.

Required Reentry Interval (REI): 48 hours

Personal protective equipment: Personal protective equipment (PPE) must be provided and maintained for handlers and early-entry workers. Required PPE MUST be in accordance with the applicable herbicide label. Contractor is responsible to obtain copies of pesticide labels and to know the required PPE when applying chemicals.

Notification of workers: Workers must be notified about treated areas so they may avoid inadvertent exposures.

Following these simple rules will help make the use of herbicides safer for everyone:

1. Read the safety information on the label.

2. Wear the proper protective equipment.

3. Keep the first aid equipment and supply of clean water readily available, including soap and eye wash equipment meeting OSHA regulations.

4. Don’t work alone.

5. Haul only the needed amount of herbicide.

6. Stand upwind from the spray projects to avoid contaminating yourself.

7. Keep the container below eye level when pouring to avoid splashing or spilling any herbicide on the face or into the eyes.

8. If herbicides are spilled, stop immediately, wash out eyes if contaminated and remove contaminated clothing. Wash the skin thoroughly with soap and water. Speed is essential. Once clean, put on clean, protective clothing and equipment and clean up the spill. See a physician as appropriate.

9. Keep measuring cups and other equipment clean and properly stored when not in use.

10. Wash hands carefully before relieving yourself, eating or smoking.

Herbicide Spills

Contractor shall be responsible for all costs of damages, cleanup, and decontamination should a herbicide spill occur. COR shall be notified immediately of any herbicide spill or accident.

Items to be Treated

TREAT ONLY THOSE ITEMS THAT ARE NOT SPECIFIED AS RESERVE TREES IN

DIVISION “RESERVE TREES”)

The Revised Land and Resource Management Plan for the National Forests in Alabama limits foliar herbicide application to temperatures less than 98° F, humidity greater 20%, and winds less than 15 mph. If these weather conditions fall outside these parameters, work must stop for the day and weather condition shall be documented. As long as documentation is provided, this time will not count against contract time.

Treatment Methods and Amounts

Foliar Application

All herbicides will be applied in a manner consistent with label instructions and the standards and guidelines contained in The Final Environmental Impact Statement for Vegetation

Management in the Appalachian Mountains (VMFEIS). Worker Protection Standards and PPE usage is to be consistent with the specifications listed in Handling and Application of Herbicides.

Failure to comply with these standards will result in crews being shut down until compliance is reached. Contract time lost due to being shut down due to non-compliance will count against contract performance time.

Treatment Method – Foliar Spray Treatment

Within treatment area boundaries, and with the exceptions identified in -Reserved Trees, treat all stems and brush that is 8 feet in height or less, using the following method:

Using backpack sprayer and handgun equipped with a spray tip, apply herbicide as a foliar spray in a water mixture onto existing herbaceous and woody vegetation. Woody vegetation to be treated includes each shrubs, and all seedlings and saplings less than eight feet in height. To apply this treatment, direct the spray on to the target foliage, being sure to cover the growing tips and wetting all the target foliage to the point of runoff. Note: herbicides must be kept off longleaf pine terminal shoots and needles.

Amount of Application – Foliar Spray Treatment

Mix a 4% triclopyr 4 (ester), ½% imazapyr, and ½% d’limonene (Cide-Kick) mixture in water.

Depending on site condition COR may designate that another mix of triclopyr 4, imazapyr, and d’limonene be used that is consistent with label instructions and the standards and guidelines contained in The Revised Land and Resource Management Plan. Foliage is to be sprayed with herbicide mixture so that all foliage is wetted to the point of runoff.

Cut Surface Treatments

All cut surface treatments are to utilize a solution of 50% triclopyr 3A, 0.5% imazapyr and

49.5% water. All herbicides will be applied consistent with label instructions and the standards and guidelines contained in The Final Environmental Impact Statement for Vegetation

Management in the Appalachian Mountains (VMFEIS). Worker Protection Standards and PPE usage is to be consistent with the specifications listed in Handling and Application of Herbicides.

Failure to comply with these standards will result in crews being shut down until compliance is reached. Contract time lost due to being shut down due to non-compliance will count against contract performance time.

Two methods of cut surface treatments are to be performed under this portion of the contact specifications, cut surface stump spraying as well as hack & squirt / stem injection.

Stems listed in Division– Reserve Trees are excluded from these treatments.

Cut-Stump Treatments

This treatment is to be performed on the following classes of vegetation;

(1) Loblolly pine and Virginia pine stems greater than 2 feet in height but less than 1” DBH

(2) Hardwood stems greater than 8 feet in height but less than 1” DBH

These stems shall be severed as close to ground level as possible, but no more than 6 inches above the ground line. The stump shall immediately be sprayed with herbicide solution to completely cover the cut stump surface. The tool used to sever these stems is at the discretion of the contractor. For treating clonal sprouting clumps, each stem must be treated individually.

Stems listed in Division – Reserve Trees are excluded from treatment.

Hack and Squirt / Stem Injection Treatments

All stems greater than 1” DBH (with the exceptions identified in Division– Reserve Trees) shall be injected with the prescribed herbicide using the hack and squirt method. This injection method shall employ a narrow bit axe or hatchet to cut through the bark and into the sapwood of the target tree, the use of a machete will not be accepted. Injection cuts may be made at any convenient height but should be as close to breast height as possible.

The injection tool is used to cut into the sapwood, at an angle to create cuplike incisions, around target trees, at edge to edge spacing. Each cut must form a pocket by bending the hatchet head down, by twisting your arm to open the incision, in which, herbicide is placed for uptake by the tree. Leaving the hatchet blade in the incision, one milliliter of herbicide is applied to each cut.

Please see Figure 1 below. The herbicide should not be overfilled and should stay in the pocket and not seep out through any split sides. When defective incisions will not hold herbicide, make additional incisions just above or just below the defective incision. For treating sprouting clumps, each stem must be injected. Contactor will self-inspect volume of herbicide dispensed per squirt of application device used by each worker on a daily basis and provide record to contract COR. Failure to do so will be note in the CPARS Performance Evaluation.

Stems listed in Division– Reserve Trees are excluded from treatment.

Figure 1 – Proper Injection

Reserve Trees

The following is a description of reserve trees that are not to be treated as part of the site preparation treatments.

Longleaf pine of any size is to be considered a reserve tree and is not to be treated.

Shagbark hickory, if encountered, is always to be considered a leave tree and shall not be treated.

Dogwood (Cornus florida) 8’ in height or greater is to be considered a reserve tree and is not to be treated.

Species in the white oak family, such as, white oak (Quercus alba), chestnut oak

(Quercus prinus), and post oak (Quercus stellata), greater than 6” DBH, shall be considered a reserve tree and is not to be treated.

Any other tree greater than 12” DBH shall be considered a reserve tree and is not be treated.

Crew Supervision

The contractor shall provide at least one foreman, competent in both the English language and the language of the worker, for each crew of no more than 12 individuals. The foreman shall remain with the crew at all times they are working.

Equipment Use

The use of any equipment in a manner or under conditions that result in rutting gouging or tearing of the ground surface will not be allowed.

Equipment Requirements

All equipment that will be used in the performance of the work shall be of the size, type, and in such condition to properly pursue the requirements of the contract. If at any time during the course of this contract, any equipment is deemed unsatisfactory; the Contracting Officer’s

Representative (COR) may order removal and may require a satisfactory replacement at the contractor’s expense.

Substitute Equipment

In the event of equipment breakdown, substitute equipment may be used subject to prior approval by the COR.

Equipment Maintenance

Contractor shall furnish all fuel, oil, grease, repairs and other expenses incidental to the operation of any contractor’s equipment.

Method of Measurement

The area boundaries were determined by Global Positioning System (GPS) traverses that were plotted in a Geographic Information System (GIS). The GIS was used to determine the acreage of each treatment area. For the purpose of this contract, the acreage is considered actual acreage and not an estimate.

INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

10% of the total contract award price will be held by the Government upon Final Inspection.

Upon completion of an area, the Contractor shall notify the COR so he can make an inspection of the area. All treatment locations will be inspected two to three weeks following treatment to identify any areas that may have been missed during initial spraying or did not meet 95% mortality for target species.

Inspections for full compliance may be done visually. For units where less than full compliance is suspected from visual inspection, inspection will either be done by area plots or stem counts.

Area plots may be done by constructing 5 randomly placed 1/10 acre plots in a unit and either determining number of stems satisfactorily and unsatisfactorily treated or by measuring area within plot that was not satisfactorily treated. Stem counts may also be done in units where less than full compliance of the hack and squirt treatments are suspected. This will involve the inspection of between 20 or more stems across the unit and a tally made of the satisfactory vs unsatisfactory stem treatments in the unit.

Contract Payment will be broken in three tiers.

For units meeting 95% or greater specification compliance, 100% of the contract award price will be payable.

For units meeting 90% - 95% specification compliance, 90% of the contract award price will be payable.

For units meeting less than 90% specification compliance, contractor will be asked to rework the deficient areas to meet specifications and performance will be noted in CPARS Contractor

Evaluation. Failure to rework units will result in forfeiture of payment for the unit.