Timber_Sale_Prep_and_FPS_Solicitation.pdf

Timber Sale Prep and Professional Forestry Services Solicitation No. AG-447U-S-14-0009 Ouachita and Ozark-St. Francis National Forests page 1

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION STANDARD FORM 1449 (Rev. 3/2005)

SOLICITATION/CONTRACT/ORDER FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS

OFFEROR TO COMPLETE BLOCKS 12, 17, 23, 24, & 30

1. REQUISITION NO.

PAGE

2. CONTRACT NO.

3. AWARD/EFFECTIVE DATE

4. ORDER NUMBER

5. SOLICITATION NUMBER

AG-447U-S-14-0009

6. SOLICITATION ISSUE DATE

1/03/2014

7. FOR SOLICITATION

INFORMATION CALL

a. NAME Andrew J. Thompson

b. TELEPHONE NO. (No collect calls)

601-965-1620

8. OFFER DUE DATE/LOCAL TIME

2/03/2014/3:30 LT

. ISSUED BY CODE

10. THIS ACQUISITION IS 11. DELIVERY FOR FOB 12. DISCOUNT TERMS

USDA Forest Service Acquisition Zone West - AQM National Forests in Mississippi 100 West Capitol Street, Suite 1141 Jackson, MS 39269

UNRESTRICTED

SET ASIDE: 100 % FOR

SMALL BUSINESS

DESTINATION UNLESS

BLOCK IS MARKED

SEE SCHEDULE

HUBZONE SMALL

BUSINESS

13a. THIS CONTRACT IS A RATED ORDER

UNDER DPAS (15 CFR 700)

8(A) 13b. RATING

SIC: 115310

SIZE STANDARD:

$7.0 Million

14. METHOD OF SOLICITATION

RFQ IFB RFP

15. DELIVER TO CODE

16. ADMINISTERED BY CODE

See Individual Task Orders Same as Block 9 17a. CONTRACTOR/ CODE

OFFEROR FACILITY

CODE 18a. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BY CODE

TELEPHONE NO

National Finance Center P. O. Box 60075

New Orleans, LA 70160 17b. CHECK IF REMITTANCE IS DIFFERENT AND PUT

SUCH ADDRESS IN OFFER

18b. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN IN BLOCK 18a UNLESS

BLOCK BELOW IS CHECKED SEE ADDENDUM

19.

ITEM NO

20.

SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES

21.

QUANTITY

22.

UNIT

23.

UNIT PRICE

24.

AMOUNT

Timber Sale Prep and

Professional Forestry Services Ouachita and Ozark-St Francis

National Forests

SEE

SCHEDULE

OF ITEMS

25. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

See Individual Task Orders

26. TOTAL AWARD AMOUNT (For Govt. Use Only)

27a. SOLICITATION INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-1, 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-3 AND 52.212-5 ARE ATTACHED. ADDENDA ARE ARE NOT ATTACHED.

27b. CONTRACT/PURCHASE ORDER INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-5 IS ATTACHED. ADDENDA ARE ARE NOT ATTACHED.

28. CONTRACTOR IS REQUIRED TO SIGN THIS DOCUMENT AND RETURN

one COPIES TO ISSUING OFFICE. CONTRACTOR AGREES TO FURNISH

AND DELIVER ALL ITEMS SET FORTH OR OTHERWISE IDENTIFIED

ABOVE AND ON ANY ADDITIONAL SHEETS SUBJECT TO THE TERMS

AND CONDITIONS SPECIFIED HEREIN.

29. AWARD OF CONTRACT: REFERENCE _______________

OFFER DATED _________________. YOUR OFFER ON

SOLICITATION (BLOCK 5), INCLUDING ANY

ADDITIONS OR CHANGES WHICH ARE SET FORTH

HEREIN, IS ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS:

30a. SIGNATURE OF OFFEROR/CONTRACTOR

31a. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (SIGNATURE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER)

30b. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (TYPE OR PRINT)

30c. DATE SIGNED

31b. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (TYPE OR PRINT)

31c. DATE SIGNED

32a. QUANTITY IN COLUMN 21 HAS BEEN ACCEPTED, AND CONFORMS TO THE 33. SHIP NUMBER

34. VOUCHER NUMBER

35. AMOUNT VERIFIED

CORRECT FOR

RECEIVED INSPECTED CONTRACT, EXCEPT AS NOTED PARTIAL

FINAL

36. PAYMENT 37. CHECK NUMBER

32b. SIGNATURE OF AUTHORIZED GOVT REPRESENTATIVE 32c. DATE COMPLETE PARTIAL FINAL

38. S/R ACCOUNT NO.

39. S/R VOUCHER NO.

40. PAID BY

42a. RECEIVED BY (Print)

41a. I CERTIFY THIS ACCOUNT IS CORRECT AND PROPER FOR PAYMENT

41b. SIGNATURE AND TITLE OF CERTIFYING OFFICER 41c. DATE 42b. RECEIVED AT (Location)

42c. DATE REC’D (YY/MM/DD) 42d. TOTAL CONTAINERS

Ouachita and Ozark-St. Francis National Forests page 2

GENERAL INFORMATION

OFFERORS SHALL BE REGISTERED IN THE SYSTEMS FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT

(SAM) (www.sam.gov) AND ONLINE REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS

(ORCA) DATABASES TO RECEIVE AN AWARD.

OFFERS THAT DO NOT INCLUDE A TECHNICAL AND BUSINESS PROPOSAL WILL

NOT BE CONSIDERED FOR AWARD. Refer to AGAR 452.215-71 INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PREPARATION OF TECHNICAL AND BUSINESSPROPOSALS (SEP 1999), Page 74.

CONTRACT AWARDS

Unit prices for line items under section 5.0 will be used for evaluation purposes only. Unit prices and technical proposals will assist in determining our pool of potential contractors used to compete for individual task orders.

However awards will be made under the attached task order request for proposals. Bidders may bid on one, all, or a combination of items.

A separate sheet is included for offerors to indicate which district(s) they are interested in working on.

This solicitation is for a firm fixed-price, indefinite delivery-indefinite quantity, performance-based contract. Task orders will be issued for work to be performed.

BASIS OF AWARD

Awards will be made to the most highly ranked offeror (1) whose total proposal is technically acceptable, has demonstrated past performance in meeting customer satisfaction, and (2) whose past performance and technical/cost relationship presents the BEST VALUE and is the most advantageous to the Government.

PRE-PROPOSAL MEETING

A Pre-Proposal Meeting is tentatively scheduled for January 15, 2014 in Danville, Arkansas at the Fourche Ranger District Office of the Ouachita NF. Please contact the Contracting Officer for questions concerning the requirements of the Performance Based Service Contract of or to discuss the evaluation process for this contract.

SITE VISITS

No formal site visits are being scheduled for this solicitation. Contractors desiring to view the sites may schedule a site visit by contacting Steve Cole at (501) 321-5270.

Ouachita and Ozark-St. Francis National Forests page 3

AGAR 452.211-74 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE (FEB 88)

This contract is a fixed price contract for a basic period of performance from date of award through September 30, 2014, plus four one-year option periods.

Submission of an offer for the basic contract period constitutes an offer to perform in the Option Period(s), if exercised.

Base Period - Date of Award through September 30, 2014 Option Period I - October 1, 2014 through September 30, 2015 Option Period II - October 1, 2015 through September 30, 2016 Option Period III - October 1, 2016 through September 30, 2017 Option Period IV - October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018

Ouachita and Ozark-St. Francis National Forests page 4

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION 1

SF-1449, Solicitation /Contract/Order for Commercial Items 1 Page

Bid Schedule 5

Description/Specifications 7

SECTION II

CONTRACT CLAUSES 31

Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive 38 Orders Commercial Items

Clauses Incorporated by Reference 52

SECTION 3

CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA 53

Task Order Award 53

SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS 54

Contractor Inspection Requirements 54

LIST OF DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS AND OTHER ATTACHMENTS 57

Wage Determination 68

SECTION 4

Instructions to Offerors - Commercial Items 72

Evaluation - Commercial Items 73

Instructions for the Preparation of Technical and Business Proposals 74

Offeror Representations and Certifications - Commercial Items 78

Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference 97

Contractor Financial Information 98

Ouachita and Ozark-St. Francis National Forests page 5

MATOC FOR TIMBER SALE PREP AND PROFESSIONAL FORESTRY SERVICES

Ouachita and Ozark National Forests

*Quantities are only estimates and payment will be based on actual units completed.

Task/Sub-task

Est.

Quantity

* Unit

Base Option Option Option Option Total base and all options

Year Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4

FY

FY

FY

FY

FY

NOTE: Unit prices for Section 5.0 will be used for evaluation purposes only. This will determine a pool of potential contractors used to compete on future individual task orders. No awards will be made at this time for these line items.

5.0 MATOC FOR TIMBER SALE PREPARATION AND

PROFESSIONAL FORESTRY SERVICES

5.1 SALE UNIT LAYOUT (Ouachita NF Only)

5.1.1 Boundary Flagging 70 Mile $ $ $ $ $ $ -

5.1.2 Acreage Determination (GPS) 91 Mile $ $ $ $ $ $

5.1.3 Boundary Designation (Paint & Signing) 70 Mile $ $ $ $ $ $

5.2 LEAVE TREE MARKING ONLY

5.2.1 Leave Tree Marking- First Thinnings 1305 Acre $ $ $ $ $ $

5.2.2 Leave Tree Marking- Seed trees 100 Acre $ $ $ $ $ $

5.3 PLOT BASED CRUISING

5.3.1 Variable Plot Cruise- Point Count Measure 216 Plot $ $ $ $ $ $

5.3.2 Fixed Plot Cruise- Fixed Count Measure 1 Plot $ $ $ $ $ $

5.4 TIMBER MARKING & SAMPLE TREE CRUISING

5.4.1 Cut Tree Marking & Sample Tree Cruising

–First Thinnings

Acre $ $ $ $ $ $

5.4.2 Cut Tree Marking & Sample Tree Cruising

–Sawtimber Thin, Shelterwoods, Seed trees, or Clearcuts

Acre $ $ $ $ $ $

5.4.3 Leave Tree Marking & Sample Tree Cruising

–Sawtimber Thins, Shelterwood, or Seed trees

Acre $ $ $ $ $ $

5.5 PAINT REFRESH MARKING

5.5.1 Paint Refresh Marking of Boundaries 35 Mile $ $ $ $ $ $

5.5.2 Paint Refresh Marking of Individual Trees 1254 Acre $ $ $ $ $ $

Ouachita and Ozark-St. Francis National Forests page 6

LOCATIONS OF WORK

Offerors are invited to submit a proposal in response to our Request for proposal (RFP) for a multiple awards task order (MATOC) contract for various locations listed in the Schedule.

EACH OFFEROR SHALL IDENTIFY THE LOCATIONS FOR WHICH THEY DESIRE TO BE CONSIDERED FOR CONTRACT AWARD. Contractors will be provided fair opportunity to compete for all task orders at those locations if awarded a contract.

Locations: PLACE AN “X” FOR ALL Ouachita National Forest: LOCATIONS OF INTERESTS

All Ouachita NF Ranger Districts

Caddo-Womble Ranger District, Glenwood/Mt. Ida, Arkansas

Choctaw-Kiamichi-Tiak Ranger District, Hochatown/Talihina, Oklahoma

Cold Springs – Poteau Ranger District, Booneville/Waldron, Arkansas

Jessieville – Winona – Fourche Ranger District, Danville/Jessieville/Perryville, Arkansas

Mena – Oden Ranger District, Mena/Oden, Arkansas

Ozark National Forest:

All Ozark NF Ranger Districts

Big Piney Ranger District, Hector/Jasper, Arkansas

Boston Mountain Ranger District, Ozark, Arkansas

Magazine Ranger District, Paris, Arkansas

Pleasant Hill Ranger District, Clarksville, Arkansas

St. Francis Ranger District, Marianna, Arkansas

Sylamore Ranger District, Mountain View, Arkansas

Ouachita and Ozark-St. Francis National Forests page 7

SECTION 1

DESCRIPTION/ SPECIFICATIONS/ STATEMENT OF WORK

1.1 SCOPE OF WORK: This statement of work consists of completing the tasks/subtasks in Section 5 to the performance requirements of the technical specifications.

Except for items listed as Government Furnished Property, the contractor shall furnish all labor, materials, equipment, tools, transportation, supervision, supplies, and incidentals necessary to perform Timber Sale Prep and Professional Forestry Services. The Contractor shall follow all State and Federal regulations, including OSHA guidelines. All work shall be performed in accordance with the terms, conditions and specifications of this solicitation and any resultant contract.

After contract award, the contractor will have any of their employees who will be performing area based cruising and/or sample tree cruising become Certified Cruisers. To become a Certified Cruiser, a person is required to pass a written and field test given by the Forest Service. The location and scheduling of these tests will be determined by the Forest Service. Forest Service policy requires that a Certified Cruiser be present with the Cruising crew when estimation of standing tree volumes are made.

1.2 DESCRIPTION AND LOCATION: The areas are located within the boundaries of the Ouachita and Ozark National Forests in Arkansas and Oklahoma. Specific locations, area data, and maps will be issued with each task order.

1.3 RE-MEASUREMENT: The Contractor may at any time after issuance of this contract request re-measurement of acres or miles. The request must be in writing.

Payment will be based on the re-measurement of the acreage, except no adjustment shall be made for areas less than 1 acre or 1 mile. The Contractor shall pay for the cost of re-measurement if the re-measurement results in an increase of less than 10 percent. The method of re-measurement to be used will be done by the Government with GPS (Global Positioning System) surveys or other approved survey methods defined by FSH2409.12 Chapter 50.

1.4 PAYMENT: Payment for performed work shall be made at the contract price per unit for timber sale prep and professional forestry services actually completed by the Contractor and accepted by the Government. Payment will be processed for completed units only.

Payment terms will be negotiated as part of the Task Order.

1.5 CONTRACTOR REPRESENTATIVE: The contractor shall provide a contract representative for the performance of the work. The name of this person and an alternate(s) who shall act for the contractor when the contractor is absent shall be designated in writing to the contracting officer. The contractor representative or alternate shall have full authority to act for the contractor on all contract matters relating to daily operation of this contract. The contractor representative and alternate(s) must be able to read, write, speak, understand English, and communicate with his crews.

Ouachita and Ozark-St. Francis National Forests page 8

1.6 CONTRACTING OFFICER REPRESENTATIVES: The Contracting Officer shall designate a Contracting Officer Representative (COR) for each resulting IDIQ Contract. A copy of their designation letter will be provided in the award package. The Government reserves the right to change COR for each individual task order as necessary to meet the Government’s objectives and a copy of the COR’s designation will be provided with the Task Order documents.

1.7 PRE-WORK CONFERENCE: Prior to commencement of work, the Contracting Officer (CO) or Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) will arrange a meeting with the Contractor to discuss the contract terms and work performance requirements. A work progress schedule will be developed at this meeting.

Prior to commencement of work, preferably at the pre-work conference, the Contractor shall designate in writing a person to act for him in his absence. The Contractor or the designated representative shall be on the job whenever work is in progress.

In the absence of the Contractor, the authorized representative will take action as required to keep the job in progress under the terms of the contract. The presence of the Contractor's Representative or Contracting Officer's Representative on the job will not relieve the Contractor of responsibility for satisfactory performance.

1.8 WORK PROGRESS: The Contractor shall complete all work within the contract time stated on each task order. Contract time shall be 1 day for every 3 acres or 1 mile plus 5 additional days for initial mobilization and 1 additional day for mobilization from one district to another.

1.9 DAMAGE TO PROPERTY: The Contractor shall be responsible for any damage caused by his/her personnel or equipment to any existing structures, private or public. Damaged items shall be repaired or replaced by the Contractor at no additional cost to the Government.

In the event of interruption to utility service, the Contractor shall promptly notify the proper authority and shall cooperate with the authority in the restoration of service. Delays in work performance related to this shall be the responsibility of the contractor.

1.10 PROTECTION OF IMPROVEMENTS: Any improvements damaged by the contractor’s work shall be repaired to the condition that existed prior to the start of work at the contractor’s expense. ATV/UTV use by the Contractor will be permitted when approved by the COR and only to the extent necessary to accomplish work associated with task orders.

Ouachita and Ozark-St. Francis National Forests page 9

1.11 GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY:

Govt. Furnished Property/Services/

Data Quantity Where, When How to be Furnished to Contractor

Forest Service Tree Marking Tracer Paint As Required

District Office or Work Center, 0700-1600 Monday-Friday except on Federal Holidays by COR or Inspector.

GPS Unit No more than one (1) per District

District Office or Work Center, 0700-1600 Monday-Friday except on Federal Holidays by COR or Inspector.

Cruise Plans As Required District Office or Work Center, 0700-1600 except on Federal Holidays by COR or Inspector.

Maps As Required District Office or Work Center, 0700-1600 Monday-Friday except on Federal Holidays by COR or Inspector.

Tally Sheets As Required District Office or Work Center, 0700-1600 Monday-Friday except on Federal Holidays by COR or Inspector.

Sale Unit Posters As Required District Office or Work Center, 0700-1600 Monday-Friday except on Federal Holidays by COR or Inspector.

Any Government-furnished property used by the contractor will be inspected prior to release to the contractor. Reference FAR 52.245-1 Alt. 1 (AUG 2010). No other supplies or services will be supplied to the contractor.

1.12 CONTRACTOR FURNISHED ITEMS/SERVICES: Except for items listed under Government furnished property, the contractor shall furnish all labor, materials, equipment, tools, transportation, supervision, supplies, and incidentals necessary to perform Timber Sale Prep and Professional Forestry Services (this may include but is not limited to flagging, D-Tape, clinometer, tally counters, marking guns, tree sounding devices, cruiser vests, hard hats, engineering stakes, pin flags, etc.)

Ouachita and Ozark-St. Francis National Forests page 10

GENERAL TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

2.1 DEFINITIONS

TERMS MEANING

100% Tally A method of measuring tree volume by measuring and recording every tree marked.

Basal Area (BA) The cross-sectional area of a tree at DBH, used to determine stocking, typically expressed by the acre.

Basal Area Factor (BAF) The critical angle used to determine BA with a prism Butt Mark Butt marks are applied the same way for both Leave Tree Marking and Cut Tree Marking. Paint applied to the base of the tree, on the downhill side, within 6” of the ground line, and to the adjacent soil so that the tree can be identified after it is cut. The butt mark shall be a concentration of paint at least 3 inches in diameter on the base of the tree at ground level on the downhill side. Butt marks shall be concentrated in cracks or crevices on the stump as much as possible. Accumulations of debris (pine straw, moss, hardwood leaves) shall be kicked out of the way prior to application of the paint, and the paint shall cover both the base of the tree and the ground immediately joining the stump.

Cut Trees Trees which will be cut during harvest due to location within the unit or deformities.

Cut Tree Marking (CTM) A method of identifying the trees intended for removal in a sale unit during harvesting. The trees are designated with at least two spots of paint – one at eye level and one butt mark.

Diameter Breast Height

(DBH)

Diameter of the trunk of a tree measured 4.5 feet above the ground level on the uphill side of the tree. Measurements are rounded down to the nearest tenth of an inch.

Eye Level Mark Paint applied at eye level on a tree.

Eye Level Mark when Leave Tree Marking: Paint mark(s) will create a continuous band completely around the tree so that the marks can be seen from any direction within the sale unit.

Eye Level Mark when Cut Tree Marking: Paint mark(s) will be put on uphill side of the tree. The mark can be a 3” diameter spot or a horizontal or diagonal stripe. If stripes are used a minimum mark would be 2 inches in width and 6 inches long.

First Thinning The first time to harvest selected trees within an even-aged pine plantation stand.

Fixed Plot Cruise Estimating tree volume and number of trees per acre using a specified radius from the center of the plot.

GPS(Global Positioning System) Surveys

GPS receivers and methods commonly used to determine ground locations and calculate the horizontal area of polygons (sale units).

Inclusion An area greater than one acre in size that is significantly different from the surrounding stand, either by product, species, or density.

Layout The process of determining boundaries for sale units.

Ouachita and Ozark-St. Francis National Forests page 11

TERMS MEANING

Leave Trees Trees which will not be cut during harvest due to size or spacing.

Leave Tree Marking

(LTM)

A method of identifying the trees intended to be left in a sale unit during harvesting. The trees are designated with a painted band or stripes on all sides at eye level and a butt mark.

Red-cockaded Woodpecker

(RCW)

An endangered species of bird which nests in live pine trees, which can be identified by a small hole (< 2” diameter) at approximately 30’ high on the tree. There is usually sap running down the tree originating from points clustered around the hole.

Sale Unit Payment/Cutting unit in a tree measurement timber sale or a subdivision in a weight scale sale.

Sample Group Groupings within a Strata of similar trees for sampling purposes.

Sample Interval How often to measure a tree in each Sample Group/Strata combination. Used with sample tree cruising.

Sample Tree Cruising

(STR)

A method of measuring tree volume by taking a specific sample of the marked trees for measurement and recording.

Strata A subdivision of a population of trees which improves sampling error.

Timber Cruising The method by which volume estimations for timber are made based on tree count and measurement.

Traverse Surveys Determining horizontal acreage of an area by surveying using direction-distance methods. GPS surveying, by common usage, may also be called traversing.

Variable Plot Cruise Estimating tree volume and number of trees per acre using a prism Net Scale in Percent of Gross

The percent of a tree or tree segment that can be sold and used to make lumber. Applies only to sawtimber trees.

2.2 CRUISE PLAN: The Cruise Plan for each task order should be referred to prior to beginning work on any task order. An individual Cruise Plan with specific direction on where the timber is located and how it is to be laid out, marked, cruised, or paint refreshed and it will be provided to the Contractor at task order award.

The Forest Service may identify protected areas (such as red-cockaded woodpecker nest trees, sensitive plants, archaeological sites, and historical sites, etc.) in the Cruise Plan. The contractor may need to avoid marking trees for removal in these areas; the Cruise Plan will have specific instructions for the contractor to follow. Should the contractor discover potential protected areas not designated by the Forest Service within the sale area or individual unit they must notify the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) immediately and before proceeding so that proper preservation or safety measures can be taken if necessary.

Ouachita and Ozark-St. Francis National Forests page 12

2.3 MARKER CERTIFICATION: After contract award, the contractor will have any of their employees who will be performing area based cruising and/or sample tree cruising become Certified Cruisers. To become a Certified Cruiser, a person is required to pass a written and field test given by the Forest Service. The location and scheduling of these tests will be determined by the Forest Service. Forest Service policy requires that a Certified Cruiser be present with the cruising crew when estimation of standing tree volumes is made.

This certification will remain valid for a period of one year and annual recertification is required in order to continue performing services under this contract. Contact Ray Yelverton at 501-321- 5240 on the Ouachita NF or AJ Brigance at 479-964-7223 on the Ozark NF to obtain information about the qualified cruiser certification and recertification.

2.4 TREE MARKING TRACER PAINT ACCOUNTABILITY: The Government will furnish the necessary tree marking tracer paint required to complete the project. Paint accountability is considered a very serious aspect of successful completion of contract requirements and will be handled according to the methods outlined in the Ouachita & Ozark National Forest Tree Marking Tracer Paint Accountability Plan (Attachment A).

The procedures outlined in the Ouachita & Ozark National Forest Tree Marking Tracer Paint Accountability Plan will be reviewed during the pre-work conference for the individual task order. Tree marking paint remains property of the United States. Final payment invoices will not be processed until all paint is accounted for as described within the Ouachita & Ozark National Forest Tree Marking Tracer Paint Accountability Plan and completed “Contractor Tree Marking Tracer Paint Log” (Attachment B) forms for the entire task order are provided to the COR.

2.5 TREE MEASUREMENT: General specifications for tree measurements and minimum product specifications are listed in Attachment C (Ouachita National Forest) and Attachment D (Ozark National Forest). Specific requirements will be provided in each individual cruise plan received when awarded a task order.

Ouachita and Ozark-St. Francis National Forests page 13

PEFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT TASKS & CRITICAL SUBTASKS

The contractor shall perform the following tasks and subtasks to the quality performance standards addressed in section VII or as indicated below each task/subtask.

3.0 PEFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT TASKS & CRITICAL SUBTASKS

5.1 SALE UNIT LAYOUT

1.1 BOUNDARY FLAGGING

1.2 ACREAGE DETERMINATION

1.3 BOUNDARY DESIGNATION (Paint & Signing)

5.2 LEAVE TREE MARKING ONLY

2.1 LEAVE TREE MARKING – FIRST THINNINGS

2.2 LEAVE TREE MARKING – SEED TREES

2.3 DOCUMENTATION

5.3 AREA BASED CRUISING

3.1 VARIABLE PLOT CRUISE – POINT COUNT MEASURE

3.2 FIXED PLOT CRUISE – FIXED COUNT MEASURE

5.4 TIMBER MARKING & SAMPLE TREE CRUISING

4.1 CUT TREE MARKING & SAMPLE TREE CRUISING

First Thinnings

4.2 CUT TREE MARKING & SAMPLE TREE CRUISING

Sawtimber Thin, Shelterwoods, Seed Trees or Clearcuts

4.3 LEAVE TREE MARKING & SAMPLET TREE CRUISING

Sawtimber Thins, Shelterwood or Seed Trees

5.5 PAINT REFRESH MARKING

5.1 PAINT REFRESH MARKING OF BOUNDARIES

5.2 PAINT REFRESH MARKING OF INDIVIDUAL TREES

Ouachita and Ozark-St. Francis National Forests page 14

The contractor shall provide the following documentation

3.1 Quality Control Plan

The contractor shall establish and maintain a complete Quality Control Plan acceptable to the Government to ensure the requirements of the contract are provided as specified.

3.2 Work Plan

The work plan shall describe how the contractor plans to perform Timber Sale Prep and Professional Forestry Service activities including methods, personnel, and equipment. This plan should include how the contractor will provide for safety and whether the contractor’s crew will be camping or commuting to the worksite. If the crew plans to camp then the contractor needs to include a plan to prevent fires and dispose of trash properly.

3.3 Progress Schedule

The contractor shall prepare and submit to the COR a practical work schedule for each task order issued. The schedule should show the order in which the contractor will perform the work ordered and the dates on which the contractor contemplates starting and completing each task included on the project lists that accompany each task order.

3.4 Contractor Inspection Records

The contractor shall submit to the COR, all inspection records completed for each task order issued.

Ouachita and Ozark-St. Francis National Forests page 15

CONFIDENTIAL NATURE OF INFORMATION

4.1 Timber Sale Data: The Contractor shall not divulge, and shall take all reasonable steps to insure that no member of its organization divulges, any information concerning this timber sale data to any person other than those duly authorized representatives of the Contracting Officer. In addition, neither the Contractor nor any of the Contractor’s employees may be involved in bidding on any timber sale(s) resulting from this contract.

4.2 Archaeological Sites: Any archeological sites encountered are protected by law and shall not be disturbed. The Contractor is encouraged to be alert for potential archeological sites and report their location to the Contracting Officer. Disclosure of any archeological information to any persons, other than those duly authorized as representatives of the Contracting Officer, may be subject to legal penalties.

4.3 Threatened, Endangered, and Sensitive Species (Plants, Animals, or Bird): Any of these species encountered are protected by law and shall not be disturbed. The Contractor is encouraged to be alert for potential indicators (such as nests) or actual sightings and report their location to the Contracting Officer. Disclosure of any information associated with these species to any persons, other than those duly authorized as representatives of the Contracting Officer, may be subject to legal penalties.

Ouachita and Ozark-St. Francis National Forests page 16

TIMBER SALE PREPARATION AND PROFESSIONAL FORESTRY SERVICES TASK ITEMS

5.0 TIMBER SALE PREPARATION AND PROFESSIONAL FORESTRY SERVICES

Timber Sale Preparation and Professional Forestry Services involves sale unit layout, layout marking only, plot based cruising, timber marking & sample tree cruising, and paint refresh marking. A Cruise Plan will be provided for each task order and should be referred to before working as it may have more specific guidelines than what is listed below.

5.1 SALE UNIT LAYOUT

5.1.1 Boundary Flagging

Using Forest Service provided maps along with a site specific Cruise Plan for the sale unit(s), the Contractor will determine the edge of the unit(s) identified on the map based on change in vegetation (stocking, size, age or species), topography, aspect, or proximity to Streamside Management Areas (SMAs). This boundary will be flagged in a way so flagging is visible from one flag to the next. Any unnecessary flagging shall not be left in the woods, but shall be removed when it can be seen from the boundary line or anywhere within the sale unit.

Unless otherwise agreed to by the COR, boundary flagging will follow the color scheme below:

Service Item Flagging Color Timber Sale Boundary Pink with “Timber Sale Boundary” in Black Letters

Streamside Management Zones Orange with “Streamside Management Zone” in Black Letters.

5.1.2 Acreage Determination (GPS)

Using Forest Service provided maps and a GPS unit, the contractor will determine the acreage of previously flagged sale units. The contractor may use their own GPS unit or a Government-furnished GPS unit to traverse the boundary by walking the flagged line. If the contractor supplies their own GPS unit it must be a Trimble GeoXM, GeoXT, GeoXH or similar-quality GPS receiver approved by the Forest Service. The units must be capable of meeting the FSH2409.12 Chapter 50 Area-Determination standard. Briefly stated, the area-error is equal to the perimeter of the sale-unit-boundary times the MTDC (Missoula Technology and Development Center) Accuracy Matrix value. This calculated area-error must be less that 10 percent of the sale-unit-area. See FSH2409.12 Chapter 50 for full official explanation. The Forest Service COR or inspector will determine the required accuracy matrix value for forest canopy conditions and equipment used.

The Contractor will collect GPS data in the 3-D mode only. The GPS data collection should use either WAAS real-time augmentation or be Post-Processed. A small mixture of intermittent autonomous GPS measurements between WAAS corrected measurements is allowed. See Appendix G for guidelines if post-processing is used. In some cases, neither of these augmentation methods may be available, which requires the area calculation to use a large

Ouachita and Ozark-St. Francis National Forests page 17

MTDC autonomous value which usually means the area standard will not be met and the survey will be rejected. Enough points need to be collected to capture significant changes in the boundary and to represent curves in order to accurately represent the area of the unit. If satellite reception is poor, consider other survey methods allowed by FSH2409.12 Chapter 50.

Return GPS data files at least twice weekly or as otherwise agreed for downloading by USFS personnel. A lost or damaged Government-furnished GPS unit may incur a penalty charge of $6,000, which may be deducted from any payments due the contractor.

1. Before taking measurements, allow the GPS receiver to “warm up” for a sufficient amount of time to download a current GPS ephemeris. This may take as long as ten minutes and may be done while walking to the site if the antenna is kept in view of the satellites (avoid heavy canopy closure and obstacles).

2. During measurements, position the antenna of the GPS receiver above local obstacles (including the body) as much as possible. Take care to avoid situations that could cause multipath errors (reflected, redirected, or bounced signals) such as proximity to cliffs, large rocks, buildings, trucks, signs, power lines, and nearby large tree boles. If these situations cannot be avoided, consider alternative methods of measuring the boundary.

3. Include with the project:

Data files containing the position fixes or results from those fixes (such as, *.ssf , *.cor, *.inf, *.txt when using TerraSync or *.tt, when using TwoTrails).

GIS Shapefiles® (including at least: *.shp, *.dbf, *.shx, and *.prj files). These files should be populated with all relevant attributes such as area and perimeter with the units defined in the metadata or the table headings.

Method used for area calculations and any software used.

4. HDOP may be set to maximum productivity. Setting the HDOP to 20 or less is simply good practice; setting it to 6 or less may improve accuracy if that is needed to meet area-error limitations. If post-processing is used, follow vendor guidelines as explained in Appendix G.

5. Include information about the data and process (metadata). Metadata should include:

Thoroughly document the collection procedure or reference the standard procedure/process that was used.

Document the data sufficiently to allow users to determine the accuracy, value, purpose, restrictions, and sufficiency of the information.

Include equipment details, such as: type, measurement units, least count, and other similar information associated with the data or data collection.

Include information about: personnel directing or authorizing the work and procedure, crews performing the survey, field situations, personnel checking and verifying the field work, personnel processing the data, and so forth.

Forest, region, district, time, date, sale, and so forth.

Mapping projection, coordinate system, and datum used.

Ouachita and Ozark-St. Francis National Forests page 18

Adjustments made, such as: GIS modification of GPS features, office corrections to the original data, and transformations or conversions of coordinates.

Special conditions that might influence the outcome of the survey.

Differential GPS augmentation methods or similar operations (if used).

Software programs used for data collection, processing, and so forth. Store appropriate data files used for processing and keep common readable files showing the same general information with the project. These files need to be in readable form, such as text, ASCII, or *.doc files.

The field personnel should review the resulting map. The collected data must consist of a smooth string of fixes. The position fixes must lie in order, one after another, in a sequential pattern. GPS walk method boundaries of units are often jagged. Frequently, adjacent units have coincident sides that do not match. Allow only slight irregularities (such as jumping from side to side) in taking fixes. When all measuring conditions are appropriately observed and the roughness of the boundary appears to be within positional tolerance defined for the project, it is allowable to smooth the lines. If some irregularities are obvious outliers, they may be deleted upon the advice of the field personnel. It is inappropriate to eliminate small irregularities without proper reason. Eliminated points should be noted.

The contractor will report area in the accepted Forest Service-required datum. The USDA Forest Service presently requires data be reported in the NAD 83 datum for official mapping operations.

Failure to obtain a sufficient number of acceptable 3-D points to adequately delineate the horizontal area of a unit may require the contractor to traverse survey the specified unit again to the satisfaction of the Forest Service. The full requirements of FSH 2409.12 Section 50 can be found at http://www.fs.fed.us/cgi-bin/Directives/get_dirs/fsh?2409.12

5.1.3 Boundary Designation (Paint & Signing)

Using orange Tree Marking Tracer Paint supplied by the Forest Service, mark the previously flagged sale unit boundary. Unless specified otherwise in the specific cruise plan, unit boundary line trees are to be marked at eye level with three (3) orange horizontal slash marks and a butt mark, with eye marks facing into the interior of the payment unit. Eye level marks should be at least 2 inches wide and encompass enough of the tree to be seen while standing near the boundary of the sale unit. Boundary lines are not required along obviously visible sale unit edges, such as roads, utility rights-of-way, or railroad tracks. Post sale unit signs where the boundary intersects with obvious visible sale unit edges, including roads, trails, or other features.

At least two signs must be posted for each sale unit. All other edges of sale units will require a painted boundary line.

Boundary line trees must be visible from each other during summer foliage conditions and marked within 100 feet of the previous boundary line tree or closer in brushy areas. Boundary trees shall be selected such that they remain as close as possible to the alignment indicated by the flagging.

http://www.fs.fed.us/cgi-bin/Directives/get_dirs/fsh?2409.12

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A mix of merchantable and un-merchantable trees may be used as boundary line trees, however at pre-work meetings, preference of species and size of trees to use as boundary trees may be discussed.

If no tree is available on-line between two adjacent flags, the tree nearest that alignment and meeting inter-visibility requirements shall be selected. In no case shall a boundary be marked on a portable object such as a fallen limb or a small rock. Do not paint trees that do not belong to the U.S. Forest Service. Do not paint landline trees (USFS landline trees are marked with red paint).

5.2 LEAVE TREE MARKING ONLY

Leave tree marking is the only type of timber marking that can be bid without a type of cruising automatically attached to it. (Cut Tree Marking will be done in conjunction with sample tree cruising and is covered in section 5.4 Timber Marking and Sample Tree Cruising section).

5.2.1 Leave Tree Marking- First Thinnings

Leave trees would be selected and marked based on the description in each individual Cruise Plan. Leave trees would be selected and marked so that the desired BA/acre and spacing would result after harvest. All leave trees shall be marked with orange Forest Service Tree Marking Tracer Paint with a butt mark and eye level mark(s) (Refer to Section 2- Definitions for detailed instructions on how to apply these marks).

5.2.2 Leave Tree Marking- Seedtrees

Leave trees would be selected and marked based on the description in each individual Cruise Plan. Leave trees would be selected and marked so that the desired BA/acre and spacing would result after harvest. All leave trees shall be marked with orange Forest Service Tree Marking Tracer Paint with a butt mark and eye level mark(s) (Refer to Section 2- Definitions for detailed instructions on how to apply these marks).

5.3 PLOT BASED CRUISING

Direction for both Variable Plot Cruising and Fixed Plot Cruising -The establishment of plots and measurement of trees shall be done in accordance with the R8 Qualified Cruiser Training Guide and the Timber Cruising Handbook (FSH 2409.12) which may be obtained by interested bidders after they contact one of the individuals listed in section 2.3 on page 12 of this document.

-The Government will provide a unit map with the plot locations and the spacing between plots will be given to contractor before cruising starts. GIS coordinates will be given to the contractor if using GPS to locate plots centers on the ground. If not using GPS to locate plot centers, cruise lines shall be located using a grid system method. Unit corners on roads or property lines shall be used as starting (reference) points. The distances between plots will be measured with a string box, pacing, or other measuring devices. The maximum allowable error for azimuth is + 2 degrees. The reference point or points shall be identified by two lengths of red flagging (over 2 feet in length) hung at eye level and recorded on cruise map. The bearing to plot and unit number shall be recorded on the flagging. Example: Unit 5 330 feet @ 120 degrees to plot number 2.

Ouachita and Ozark-St. Francis National Forests page 20

*If using GPS units to locate the plots on the ground, their locations should be accurately placed within 30ft.

-Plot centers shall be marked with pin flags or engineering stakes, unless otherwise agreed by the Forest Service. The plot number should be written on the flag or close to the top of the wooden stake. A piece of flagging shall be hung at eye level as close to plot center as possible. The flagging shall have the plot number, and cruisers initials marked on it. Indelible marker shall be used for all writing on flagging.

-If a cruise plot is partially outside the sale unit boundary, the mirage or walk through plot will be performed. Reference the cruise plan for information on which method to use and how to perform the plot.

-Cruising of the plot will begin with the cardinal direction of North and moving clockwise around the plot. The first cut tree will be recorded starting with number one (1).

-All measure trees on plots shall be identified with flagging tied on the tree bole at eye level. On measure tree flagging, record with indelible marker:

Species

DBH

First (Merchantable) height for sawtimber trees Reference height Date Tree number Percent defect for sawtimber trees

-All distance measurements will be corrected for slope to reflect horizontal distance.

-Unless otherwise agreed to by the COR, the following flagging color scheme will be used:

Service Item Color Plot Centers Fluorescent Pink

Plot Grid Lines Red Measure Trees White Count Trees Fluorescent Orange

-All measure trees shall be recorded on the government furnished Tally Sheets and be filled out completely, neatly, clearly and be legible. The Contractor shall audit all completed tree records to ensure they are filled out properly before delivery to the Contracting Officer. All incomplete and incorrect tree records will be returned to the Contractor for completion and/or correction.

-Each plot number shall be recorded on a Tally Sheet even if no trees exist in a plot.

-The Government will be responsible for entering data from the Tally Sheets into the FS Cruiser program.

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-The contractor is required to maintain backup copies of all data until such time all contractual obligations have been meet.

Upon completion of each sale unit, Contractor shall deliver the completed tally sheets and other unit-specific records to the Government before moving to the next unit. Upon receipt and acceptance, the cruise data shall become the sole property of the Government.

5.3.1 Variable Plot Cruise- Point Count Measure

The Cruise Plan will specify the BAF (10 or 20) that will be used and if sawtimber and pulpwood are to be cruised. At each plot all “in” trees must be counted but only some of the trees need to be measured. There are several methods to determine which trees get measured (Big BAF, Count/Measure Points, Count/Measure Interval) and the type to use will be specified in the Cruise Plan. The Specific instructions on what is to be done on each plot is listed under

5.3 Plot Based Cruising.

5.3.2 Fixed Plot Cruise- Fixed Count Measure

The Cruise Plan will specify the fixed plot size (generally 1/10th or 1/20th acre) and radius that will be used and if sawtimber and pulpwood are to be cruised. At each plot all “in” trees must be counted but only some of the trees need to be measured. There are several methods to determine which trees get measured (Big FIX, Count/Measure Points, Count/Measure Interval) and the type to use will be specified in the Cruise Plan. Specific instructions on what is to be done on each plot is listed under 5.3 Plot Based Cruising.

5.4 TIMBER MARKING & SAMPLE TREE CRUISING

Timber Marking Two different kinds of Timber Marking (Cut Tree Marking and Leave Tree Marking) may be used in combination with Sample Tree Cruising in this contract. Cut Tree Marking will designate trees to be cut using blue, yellow, or green Timber Marking Tracer Paint with a properly applied eye level mark and butt mark. Leave Tree Marking will designate trees to leave using orange Tree Marking Tracer Paint with a properly applied eye level mark and butt mark.

Sample Tree Cruising -The Contractor shall perform Sample Tree Cruising in accordance with the R8 Qualified Cruiser Training Guide, Timber Cruising Handbook (FSH 2409.12), and the cruise plan. The tally person shall not mark or cruise trees. Cruise trees will be flagged with flagging and have the measure tree number and other required information legibly written on it.

-The establishment of measure trees shall be by random number and by Government desired sample frequency. The Government will provide the random number list with the Cruise Plan.

Measure trees shall be identified consecutively numbered by starting with number one.

-Where it is necessary for the Contractor to make changes in trees originally marked, the Contractor shall completely obliterate any markings (includes both eye level and butt marks) with black Tree Marking Tracer Paint as supplied by the Government, with no pay adjustment.

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-All measure trees shall be recorded on the government furnished Tally Sheets and be filled out completely, neatly, clearly and be legible. The Contractor shall audit all completed tree records to ensure they are filled out properly before delivery to the Contracting Officer. All incomplete and incorrect tree records will be returned to the Contractor for completion and/or correction.

-The Government will be responsible for entering data from the Tally Sheets into the FS Cruiser program.

-A layout map shall be maintained with shading of progress. These maps shall be kept in a pre-sale folder. A contractor’s daily diary recording the sale unit, crew names, amount and color of paint used, number of hours spent on the project including travel time, and field observations, such as location of old woods roads, log landings, or wet boggy areas, shall be kept daily and filed in the pre-sale folder. The pre-sale folder shall be kept neat and orderly at all times.

5.4.1 Cut Tree Marking & Sample Tree Cruising- First Thinnings Trees to be Cut within sale unit boundaries will be marked with blue, yellow, or green Tree Marking Tracer Paint (as identified in each individual Cruise Plan) with a properly applied butt mark and eye level mark.

In order to obtain the desired leave BA/acre, select and mark trees to be removed based on the description in the individual Cruise Plan. Special reserve trees such as hardwood mast trees, hardwood den trees, or certain species may be identified in the Cruise Plan to be left.

5.4.2 Cut Tree Marking & Sample Tree Cruising – Sawtimber Thinnings, Shelterwoods, Seedtrees, or Clearcuts Trees to be cut within sale unit boundaries will be marked with blue, yellow, or green Tree Marking Tracer Paint (as identified in each individual Cruise Plan) with a properly applied butt mark and eye level mark.

In order to obtain the desired leave BA/acre, select and mark trees to be removed based on the description in the individual Cruise Plan. Special reserve trees such as hardwood mast trees, hardwood den trees, or certain species may be identified in the Cruise Plan to be left.

5.4.3 Leave Tree Marking & Sample Tree Cruising- Sawtimber Thins, Shelterwoods, or Seedtrees Trees to leave within sale unit boundaries will be marked with orange Tree Marking Tracer Paint with a properly applied butt mark and eye level mark.

In order to obtain the desired leave BA/acre and spacing, select and mark trees to leave based on the description in the Cruise Plan. Special reserve trees such as hardwood mast trees, hardwood den trees, or certain species may be identified in the Cruise Plan to be left.

Ouachita and Ozark-St. Francis National Forests page 23

5.5 PAINT REFRESH MARKING

5.5.1 Paint Refresh Marking of Boundaries

Boundary trees to be refreshed are to be marked with orange Tree Marking Tracer Paint with a properly applied butt mark and eye level mark. Paint marks will be placed in proximity to the old faded paint mark such that both the old mark and refreshed mark are visible.

5.3.5.2 Paint Refresh Marking of Individual Trees

Trees to be refreshed are to be marked with Tree Marking Tracer Paint with properly applied eye level marks and butt marks.

Paint marks will be placed in proximity to the old faded paint mark such that both the old mark and refreshed mark are visible. The color of tracer paint and type of marking (cut tree or leave tree) will be listed in each task order.

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QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN

This Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) has been developed pursuant to the requirements of the Performance Work Statement (PWS) in this contract. This plan sets forth procedures and guidelines that will be used in evaluating the technical performance of the contractor.

A. PURPOSE OF THE QASP

The QASP is intended to accomplish the following:

Define the roles and responsibilities of participating government officials and the contractor;

Identify the types of work to be performed and the inspections to be performed to validate adequacy;

Describe the evaluation methods that will be employed by the government in assessing the contractor’s inspection program and performance to the quality/performance standards required for each task;

Provide copies of the contractor’s inspection records and Government quality assurance monitoring forms that will be used by the government in documenting and evaluating the contractor’s performance;

Describe the process of performance documentation.

The contractor is responsible for…