IsCWRP1_QA.docx

Isabella Co. WRP 1

Meeting started at 10 am and concluded approximately 11:14. Colleen Vasher, NRCS Civil Engineer, facilitated the meeting. At the beginning of meeting, Colleen asked to make sure that everyone signed in and then went over some items that Gay Mullen wanted her to address. Some of the things that Colleen went over was that there is going to be some amendments to the proposal and for the contractors to look for them and seriously consider them in their bids. Once that was done, Colleen opened it up for questions.

Questions at the Nottawa Site

1. Is the minimum bid $100,000.00 and will lower bids will be rejected?

Bids lower than $100,000.00 will be considered if the contractor can do it at that price.

2. Can other plant species be used than what is on the contract bid?

No, pay close attention to the different species and be preparing ahead of time to get them. Please follow the construction specifications for the different species.

Statement: 0.9 acre conifer area on Field 1 will be left alone.

Additional comment – The 0.9 ac WSG/F area in Field 1 has been removed in Amendment 1.

3. Does the vegetation on the road right of way along Nottawa Rd need to be mowed, removed and reseeded?

At this point, the plan was to leave it based on it being within the road right of way and there are shallow ditches running along the road on both sides. We will look into it more.

Additional comment – The widths of the ROW have been modified in Amendment 1 to remove the areas that will not be disturbed.

4. What are the items to be removed in woods on west side of easement?

Old gravity wagon, some tires, old fuel tanks and other items that could be hidden in the vegetation. Some trees may need to be removed to get the items out of the woods.

5. What is to be done on the west side of the ditch, in Field 2 on Nottawa Rd easement?

Remove perforated tile and install non-perforated tile, 380 feet. Remove items in woods (see answer to question 4). Remove 15 inch side inlet structure on SW side of Thatcher Creek (p.3 of 13 of drawings), on the north end of Field 2. Southern hardwood swamp plant species and Microtopography. Right of way seeding on ditch bank.

6. Is there a map to show access to the west field, Field 2?

Sheet 4 of 13 shows Ingress/Egress to Field 2 from Evart Rd, west of Nottawa Rd. The Ingress/Egress is the County Drain Right of Way along the west side of Thatcher Creek.

7. Where do the spoils for the push outs go?

At SWWA 1, the spoil will be placed in the County Drain Right of Way Seeding Area, above the flood plain elevation. Please see sheets 3, 4 and 6 for details. Pay close attention to the details of the drawings and construction specifications because some of the top soil is going back into the push out #2 for a seed bank.

Additional comments - Notes also on Drawing Sheets 7 & 8 specify where the salvaged topsoil and spoil from the Shallow Water Wildlife Areas shall be placed.

8. Where is the benchmark for Shallow Water Wildlife Area (SWWA) #1?

The nearest benchmark would be TBM #1, which is on the crown (top) of the 5 ft. CMP, at the Inlet (east end) of the CMP. This is located just south of SWWA #1.

9. Is there erosion control measures for the spoils that are to be placed on the county ditch right of way?

Follow Construction Specification 5-Pollution Control. The contractor is responsible for getting the Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Permit. Requirements for silt fence are in Material Specification 592 Geotextiles Table 3.

10. What other permits would there be?

We have gotten the permits from MDEQ. The contractor is responsible for obtaining the Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Permit, any Township permits, and any other permits .

11. How do we get to the side inlet structure that is to be removed?

The side inlet is located on the north end of Field 2 on the SW side of Thatcher Creek. Access to this site is from Evart Rd., west of Nottawa Rd., through the Ingress/Egress along the County Drain Right of Way, along the west side of Thatcher Creek, as shown on Drawing Sheet 4 of 13 .

12. Is Field 3 going to be mowed and sprayed?

Yes, all of the Nottawa sites will have the vegetation mowed and removed, then sprayed with herbicide to kill existing vegetation.

13. Is there a preference as to when to plant the trees and shrubs? Fall or spring?

Please see Construction Specification 612 – Trees and Shrubs Planting for planting dates and specifications.

14. What is the 20 foot area on Sheet 4 of 13 next Shallow Water Wildlife Area #2?

This is an area that will allow water to exit the SWWA. Once it reaches a certain elevation, water will drain through the side inlet structure that is located on east side of Thatcher Creek. This side inlet structure is also TBM 3, which is located on the crown (top) of the structure at the inlet.

Questions at the Fremont Site

15. Is there any tree and shrub planting on the Fremont site, located on Fremont Road?

There are no tree and shrub plantings at the Fremont Site. The only seeding is what is needed for the embankment and spoils from SWWA #3. Please follow Construction Specification 6 Seeding, Sprigging, and Mulching for this.

Additional comment – All disturbed areas above the water level shall be seeded according to CS6 Seeding, Sprigging, and Mulching as noted on the Construction Drawings.

16. Where is the Ingress/Egress for the Fremont Rd site?

It is located on Fremont Rd, west side of the easement. There is a drive with a culvert that will allow you to cross the shallow road ditch on the north side of Fremont Rd.

17. Can we drive on Thatcher Creek right of way from Fremont Rd, to get to the SWWA #3?

No. Our easement does not goes all the way to the west, to where Thatcher Creek comes to Fremont Rd. Pay close attention to the Work Limits on Sheet 2 of 13. See question 16.

18. Will SWWA #3 be marked and staked?

Yes, NRCS will flag and mark the points shown on the construction drawings for all the SWWA’s. Tile breaks and vegetation areas will be flagged as needed.

19. What is the embankment opening on SWWA #3?

Please see Construction Drawing Sheet 6 of 13 for details. The embankment opening or spillway is a 10’ by 20’ area located between the toe of County Drain spoils and the toe of the embankment , SW of 15 inch CMP. The top of the embankment is 170 feet long, measured to the toe of the County Drain spoils as shown on Construction Drawing Sheet 9 of 13.

20. Will sign in sheet be posted?

Yes, in Amendment 1.

21. The bottom of the Bid Schedule, on Sheet 1 of 13, has listed information on Biomass removal and herbicide application, Alternate Bid 1-5, what is this for? Wasn’t this to already be done?

This is a just in case it is needed scenario. Please see Construction Specification 490 – Tree and Shrub Site Preparation for details. The Non-Microtopography and Microtopography areas will be evaluated on October 15, 2015 to determine if the Alternative Bid Items are needed.

22. Are we still planting Bog Birch?

Yes. Pay close attention to those species that are in Construction Specification 6 – Seeding, Sprigging, and Mulching and Construction Specification 612 – Trees and Shrubs Planting.

23. What is the acreage of the project?

Less than 80 acres. According to Sheet 2 of 13, the Fremont Rd site has a work limit area of 33.2 acres.

Additional comment- The work limits at the Nottawa site are 122.1 Acres. The total work limits (Nottawa and Fremont sites) are 155.3 acres. Acreages for seedings and plantings are shown on Construction Drawing Sheet 11 of 13.

Questions and site showing ended around 11:14 am.

Isabella Co. WRP 1 Site Showing 6/30/15

Additional Questions

24. Solicitation AG-5D21-S-15-0003. Page 51 warm season grass and Forbes seed mix, are all the amounts supposed to be in ounces?

The table for Warm Season Grasses & Forbs Planting Seeding Mix in Construction Specification 6 Seeding, Sprigging, and Mulching has been modified in Amendment 1 to Seeding Rate PLS oz/acre.

25. When is the Microtopography, start and completion dates?

The Microtopography must be started and completed in accordance with Construction Specification 5 Pollution Control and Construction Specification 6 Seeding, Sprigging, and Mulching.

26. Please review the seeding rates and units of measure listed in the tables for the “Microtopography Seeding Mix” and the “Warm Season Grass & Forbs Planting,” it appears that not only are the UOM labels incorrect, but rates within the tables may be out of sync. The UOM of the Microtopography mix is in PLS lbs per acre (which reflects standard application rates for the Avena sativa and Lolium multiflorum, but the other species rates would be abnormally high if they were listed in pounds). The UOM for the WSG & Forbs Mix is PLS lbs per acre, however the rates listed are those normally associated with PLS ounces per acre, rather than pounds.

The Microtopography and Warm Season Grass & Forbs Planting Seeding Mix tables have been modified in Amendment 1.