Atch 1 - PWS-FY27 Timber Sale.pdf

ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE

FY2027 Timber Sale

Retention Pond Dam

Storage Sites

SECTION 1.0 DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES/GENERAL INFORMATION

1.1 SCOPE OF WORK: The Contractor shall furnish all labor, materials, tools, supervision, equipment, and other items and services necessary to harvest pine and hardwood timber at Arnold Air Force Base (Arnold AFB), Tennessee. The sale consists of a complete harvest of all merchantable timber covering approximately 40.5 acres.

1.2 LOCATION OF PROPERTY: Arnold AFB is located in Coffee and Franklin Counties, TN (Map 1). Harvest units are at various locations within Arnold AFB identified on Map 2.

1.3 DESCRIPTION OF WORK:

1.3.1. Timber to be harvested under this contract is ESTIMATED at approximately 763 tons of pine saw-timber, 756 tons of pine pulpwood, 91,200 board feet of hardwood saw-timber, and 314 tons of hardwood pulpwood. The Air Force does not guarantee quantities or product amounts. The Air Force will also receive full price for any wood culled due to improper sorting.

1.3.2. All merchantable timber will be removed from the site and weighed or scaled for payment. Harvest units are depicted on Maps 3 and 4. All trees cut that meet minimum specifications of the forest products bid for this contract, will be removed from the site to be weighed and/or scaled for payment.

1.3.3. The period of performance for timber removal on Arnold AFB is twelve (12) months from the date of the Notice to Proceed.

1.3.4. In the event that the contractor is prevented from conducting normal harvest operations due to acts of God, inclement weather conditions, or circumstances beyond the contractor’s control (i.e., Government directed delays), extensions in the length of the sub-contract may be granted, in mutually agreed upon increments. The contractor will be responsible for notifying the Base Forester of any conditions that prohibit normal operations at the time of their occurrence, in order to establish a basis for the extensions. Any extension to this contract shall not be binding until authorized in writing and signed by the Contract Administrator.

1.3.5. The contract is a pay as cut firm fixed price contract. Bids will be placed on a per unit measure by product type. Hardwood and pine saw timber will be measured and scaled using Doyle Scale for hardwoods and Scribner Scale for pine. Pine pulpwood and hardwood pulpwood will be bid on a per ton basis. One ton of wood equals 2,000 pounds. Timber will be weighed using certified scales.

1.3.6. A deposit performance bond in the amount of Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000.00) is required of the subcontractor prior to work commencement, to guarantee the faithful performance of the sale agreement. Upon completion of the sale agreement in full the contractor shall be reimbursed in full without interest, less any money withheld for damages resulting from the performance of the contractor.

1.3.7. All products normally utilized by standard wood producing industry practices will be removed from the site and scaled/weighed for payment. Products to be removed from Arnold AFB include pulpwood down to three inches diameter inside bark and saw logs down to ten inches in diameter inside bark. Inside bark diameter measurements shall be taken on the small end of the log. All trees down to 6 inches at dbh are expected to be sold as timber products. All wood products meeting minimum log inside bark diameter and other necessary saw timber specifications, must be sold and paid for as saw timber.

1.3.8. Weighing is necessary to determine weight and payment of that timber not stick measured. Truck shipments shall be weighed on certified scales and copies of the weight tickets shall accompany payment within 15 working days after the removal from Air Force property.

The contractor shall use these weight tickets to calculate the total volume and payment.

1.3.9. Payment shall be made weekly, based upon the total weekly tons removed and should arrive no later than 15 days after removal from Air Force property. All payments for forest products harvested, will be made by certified check, cashier’s check, or postal money order, payable to ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE. Invoice tickets and/or security tickets shall accompany the payment and be submitted to the Base Forester.

1.3.10. Trees not designated for harvest under this contract which are felled or otherwise seriously damaged through negligence by the Contractor’s operations shall be paid for by the Contractor at the rate of $4.00 per inch in diameter, measured across the stump if cut or 4.5 feet from the ground (DBH) if uncut. If the Base Forester requests the contractor cut additional trees, they shall be considered as designated trees, and at the contractor’s option, may be harvested and paid for at the currently negotiated rate. Any other property damaged by the contractor shall be replaced to original condition including, gates, locks, culvert pipes, haul roads, and yarding areas.

1.3.11. Access to all harvest units will be across existing Arnold AFB roads. Please see the attached Map 1 and Map 2 for reference. The Base Forester will determine the best route for all of Contractor’s operation to use. The Contractor shall furnish all labor, materials, tools, supervision, equipment, and any other items or services necessary to accomplish the timber harvest and repair any damage caused by logging activities. All loading decks, skid trails, ramps, stream/wetland crossings, parking areas, spills, and haul roads shall be repaired using the standards established in the Tennessee Best Management Practices for Logging as stated in the Tennessee Department of Agriculture publication: Guide to Forestry Best Management Practices in Tennessee, 2023 Edition. Any departure from standard BMPs will be mutually agreed upon prior to work beginning.

1.3.12. All unsatisfactory site conditions resulting from loading activities or other harvest activities will be rehabilitated to the Base Foresters’ satisfaction before the contractor proceeds to next harvest unit or vacates the property. Harvest operations may be stopped at any time by the Base Forester if ground conditions do not permit the harvesting, skidding, loading, hauling, etc. to reduce the damage or degradation to the site.

1.3.13. All harvested trees shall be removed from the current work area before operations are moved to a new location. The area shall be cleaned, and then inspected by the Base Forester before moving to a new location.

1.3.14. Trees and stumps shall be cut as close to the ground as possible. High stumps will be cut to the Base Foresters’ satisfaction before crew moves to the next harvest unit.

1.3.15. The harvest units are located inside of the AEDC Security Area. Commercial logging traffic must enter the AEDC Security Area they must enter and exit at Gate 2 only, and shall be restricted to established haul routes, and set out locations. Bedding yards and trailer set out locations will be determined by the Base Forester. All employees entering the AEDC Security Area will be required to pass a criminal background check. See Section 1.4.11.

1.3.16. Logging debris and tops shall not be left blocking roads, firebreaks, mowed areas or normal drainage paths. This debris will be piled, where possible, in multiple piles at locations to be identified by the Base Forester. Stream crossings will be avoided whenever possible. In the event that a stream crossing is unavoidable, the location of the crossing shall be mutually agreed upon with the Base Forester prior to crossing. The crossing should be marked so that any resulting damage will be confined to a limited area. Additional materials required to prepare or rehabilitate the site including gravel, riprap, culverts, silt fencing, etc. that may be necessary to properly protect the site, will be provided and installed by the contractor. Upon completion of the unit any damage resulting from logging activities shall be rehabilitated to the Base Foresters’ satisfaction.

1.3.17. Creating ruts should be avoided wherever and whenever possible. Major areas to avoid can be found within the harvest maps, but areas not identified may begin to rut and work intensity shall be adjusted or halted to minimize such damage. The use of logging slash to stabilize the area prior to using a known problem area is acceptable if agreed upon with the Base Forester prior to beginning work. Also, all existing roads, trails, firebreaks, mowed areas, etc.

will be left in as good or better condition than before use by the contractor. Following large precipitation events, logging activities should proceed cautiously or be postponed to avoid rutting and other site damage.

1.4 GENERAL INFORMATION: Additionally, the following information applies to this contract.

1.4.1. In the event of any emergency associated with or resulting from work at this site, the Contractor shall without delay: Cease work activity on the site; take diligent action to remove or otherwise minimize the cause of the emergency; render full assistance to local authorities; alert the Base Forester and institute whatever measures might be necessary to prevent any repetition of the conditions or actions leading to or resulting in the emergency. At least one “Trauma” first aid kit shall be provided and be maintained fully stocked at a work location.

1.4.2. The Contractor shall be responsible for and ensure all Contractor, subcontractor, and service personnel observe and adhere to the personal hygiene-related provisions of this section and all state, federal, and OSHA regulations regarding logging operations. The Contractor shall provide suitable personal protective equipment on a daily basis for the use of onsite personnel including helmet, chainsaw chaps, gloves, eye protection, and hearing protection. Contractors, subcontractors, and/or service personnel found to be consistently disregarding the personal hygiene-related provisions of this plan, shall at the request of the Base Forester or Contract Officer, be barred from the site.

1.4.3. The contractor shall take all reasonable and practical actions in accordance with standard commercial practices to prevent and suppress forest fires in the areas where they are working. The contractor is responsible for the reimbursement of any fire-suppression costs as a result of negligence or willful acts. All fires shall be reported immediately to the Base Forester or authorized representative.

1.4.4. Trash and refuse resulting from the contractor's operation shall be removed and disposed of daily by the contractor. A minimum fine of $100 per item will be enforced if trash is left on the installation including tires, oil buckets, oil filters, water bottles, DEF jugs etc. Trash may not be burned on site.

1.4.5. There are areas of AEDC that may contain unexploded ordnance (UXO), such as small ammunition, anti-tank mines, mortars, and artillery rounds from the World War II Camp Forrest historical ranges and maneuver areas. Surface and sub-surface UXO cleanup and removal actions have taken place; however, if UXO is found, or if you suspect something as such, stop work immediately. Please mark the area and immediately contact the Base Forester at (931)-454-4650 or (423) 280-2032 for proper identification and government removal. If you are unable to reach the Base Forester, contact the AEDC Base Operations Center at (931)-454-7752.

If UXO is found, these objects shall not be tampered with or removed. In no event should the contractor, the contractor’s work crew, subcontractors or their employees attempt to remove or otherwise tamper with such material or objects. Removal of such items from the site by unauthorized personnel is considered misappropriation of government property and may be subject to penalties under law. However, of more importance is the potentially serious or fatal injury to the individual.

1.4.6. The Contractor shall assume full responsibility for properly identified and marked unexploded ordnance and unburned flares when such ordnance exists in areas of the contractor’s operations. The government assumes no liability for damages to the property of the contractor or for personal injuries to the contractor or contractor’s personnel or to any other persons willfully disturbing, possessing and/or collecting unexploded ordnance. The contractor shall discharge the government from any and all damages directly and indirectly from such property. The contractor shall hold the government harmless from any and all such claims.

1.4.7. All equipment or supplies belonging to the contractor shall be removed from Arnold AFB within ten (10) days after the completion of work.

1.4.8. The contractor shall provide adequate supervision to accomplish the performance objectives of the Performance Work Statement and ensure compliance with all contract terms and conditions. The contractor shall have a representative readily available on site who is authorized to receive instructions regarding the performance under this contract. The contractor shall submit the representative's name(s) and contact information to the Base Forester prior to start of work and update it as changes occur.

1.4.9. The Government will periodically evaluate the contractor’s performance. The Base Forester or authorized representative will evaluate the contractor’s performance through intermittent on-site inspections of the contractor's work.

1.4.10. Arnold AFB normal operating hours are Monday through Friday (6:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.). Contractor shall coordinate all non-standard working hours through the Base Forester or authorized representative. On rare occasions, unscheduled missions may interrupt the contractor’s operations. The Base Forester or authorized representative will make every effort to minimize disruption by contacting the contractor or the contractor’s representative via telephone or in person to reschedule the work. When necessary, Government-caused Delay of Work will be handled in accordance with the appropriate clauses included in the contract.

1.4.11. The contractor shall comply with all security/safety directives and requirements.

The Contracting Officer will provide the necessary forms and instructions for background checks. All names of contract personnel requesting access to the installation shall be subjected to a criminal background check. Individuals approved for access will be issued a Base Pass.

Only approved individuals with base passes will be authorized access into Arnold Engineering Development Complex. All truck shipments must enter and exit the Arnold AFB Industrial Area through Gate 2.

1.4.12. Posted speed limits on the installation shall be obeyed at all times by all contractor / sub-contractor employees. A current list of all truck and trailer license plates, and driver licenses shall be made available to the Base Forester. The contractor shall discharge the government from any and all driving violations or damages. The contractor shall hold the government harmless from any and all such claims.

1.5 REHABILITATION REQUIREMENTS:

1.5.1. Tennessee Best Management Practices for logging will be followed as stated in the Tennessee Department of Agriculture publication: Guide to Forestry Best Management Practices in Tennessee, 2023 Edition. Any departure from standard BMPs will be mutually agreed upon prior to work beginning.

1.5.2. As necessary to attain stabilization of roadbed and fill slopes of temporary roads, the contractor shall employ such measures as out sloping, drainage dips, and water-spreading ditches. After a road has served the contractor’s purpose, the contractor shall give notice to the Base Forester. The contractor shall then, where needed, clear runoff ditches, out slope roadbed, remove ruts and berms, and build cross ditches and water bars. When temporary roads are to be closed after operations, the contractor shall effectively block the road to normal vehicular traffic.

When bridges and culverts are removed, associated fills shall also be removed to the extent necessary to permit normal maximum flow of water. Final road maintenance actions and conditions will be inspected by the Base Forester before moving to the next harvest area.

1.5.3. On all roads remaining open after contract completion, all drainage structures shall be left in functional condition to maintain access to portions of sale area for post-sale treatments and other purposes. The contractor shall construct cross ditches and water bars, as designated, or otherwise directed by the Base Forester that can be traversed by a standard pickup truck.

1.5.4. After bedding yards have served the contractors’ purpose, the contractor shall level and slope them to permit water to drain or spread.

1.5.5. The contractor shall harvest any trees within fire lanes located within the sale area. Cross ditches and water-spreading ditches shall be installed on tractor roads and skid trails, where elevation changes will result in increased runoff or otherwise determined by the Base Forester. The contractor may use other comparable erosion control measures, such as back-blading skid trails, in lieu of cross ditching in flat areas, if agreed upon with the Base Forester.

1.5.6. Stream courses that are subject to provisions of this section are shown on Sale Area Maps. Unless otherwise agreed, the following measures shall be observed to protect stream courses:

(a) The contractor’s operations shall be conducted to prevent debris from entering stream courses. In event the contractor causes debris to enter a stream course in amounts that may adversely affect the natural flow of the stream, water quality, or fishery resources the contractor shall remove such debris as soon as practicable, and in an agreed manner with the base Forester that will cause the least disturbance.

(b) Culverts or bridges shall be required on roads at all points where it is necessary to cross stream courses. Such facilities shall be of sufficient size and design and installed in a manner to provide unobstructed flow of water and to minimize damage to stream courses. Trees or products shall not be otherwise hauled or yarded across stream courses unless fully suspended.

(c) Wheeled or track-laying equipment shall not be operated in stream courses, except at crossings designated by the Base Forester or as essential to construction or removal of culverts and bridges.

1.5.7. Contractor operations shall be conducted reasonably to minimize soil erosion.

Equipment shall not be operated when ground conditions are such that excessive damage will result. Erosion control work shall be kept current immediately preceding expected seasonal periods of precipitation or runoff. If the contractor fails to do seasonal erosion control work prior to any seasonal period of precipitation or runoff, the U.S. Air Force may temporarily assume responsibility for the work and any unencumbered deposits hereunder may be used by the government to complete the work.

1.5.8. Wetlands requiring protection under Executive Order 11990 are shown on Sale Area Map. Vehicular or skidding equipment shall not be used in such wetlands, except where roads, landings, and tractor roads are approved by the Base Forester.

1.6 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS:

1.6.1. The Base Forester shall be contacted prior to performing work under this contract either in person or by telephone, (931) 454-4650 or (423) 280-2032.

1.6.2. To avoid any conflicts with other resources programs, endangered species, wetlands, or the military mission of the Air Force, the Base Forester or authorized representative will determine all bedding yards, hauling roads, skid trails, wood ramps, and set-out-trailer locations. The Base Forester or authorized representative will determine the order in which timber stands will be harvested. Harvesting operations may temporarily be halted or be restricted to certain periods of time to coincide with the overall management or the military mission of the installation.

1.6.3. All environmentally sensitive areas shall be avoided by all of the contractor’s operations. The Base Forester or authorized representative will identify the boundaries of these sensitive areas prior to initiation of work. Note: All wildlife and designated plants are to be left undisturbed and unharmed by the contractor at all times.

1.6.4. Roads, fences, gates, culverts, and any other government property will be repaired at no expense to the government if damaged by logging activity. Logging activity is any activity that is done by the contractor, their equipment, or anyone hauling timber or equipment for them while on Arnold AFB or within AEDC. The contractor shall not be responsible for repair of such structures damaged by other base users whose activities are not a part of the contractors’ operations.

1.7 UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES: Due to unforeseen circumstances, selected timber stands may be added, deleted, or substituted for other timber stands in this timber sale. The Air Force shall have the option to change quantities to ensure proper timber removal. The Air Force may also terminate this timber sale for any reason by giving the contractor seven (7) calendar day’s written notice.

2.0. SERVICES SUMMARY: The Services Summary identifies the performance objectives and performance thresholds for all critical tasks associated with providing the services outlined in this PWS (Performance Work Statement). This section contains only those items considered most important for mission accomplishment. The performance objectives are those services/tasks required in the PWS. The performance threshold briefly describes the minimum acceptable levels of service required for each requirement. The thresholds are critical to mission success. The Government expects the contractor to perform at the acceptable levels throughout the life of the contract.

Performance Objective PWS Para

Performance Threshold

Harvest and post-harvest operations within Arnold AFB completed within 12 months of Notice to Proceed.

1.3.3. No deviations. 100% compliance

All forest products will be weighed / scaled and payments made within 15 working days of removal.

1.3.8. No deviations. 100% compliance.

Only the trees designated in the contract are harvested.

1.3.10. No deviations. 100% compliance.

Designated environmentally sensitive areas are avoided by the Contractor during the entire time on Arnold AFB property.

1.6.3. No deviations. 100% compliance.

All loading areas, skid trails, ramps, and parking areas for trailers will be in designated areas determined by the base forester. All unsatisfactory site conditions resulting from skidding, loading, hauling activities or any other harvest activities will be rehabilitated.

1.3.11. No deviations. 100% compliance

The contractor shall stop work immediately and report all suspected unexploded ordnance (UXO).

1.4.5. No deviations. 100% compliance

Trash and refuse removal.

1.4.4. No more than 1 valid complaint

3.0. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY AND SERVICES: N/A

4.0. APPENDICES:

APPENDIX A (MAP 1) - LOCATION OF ARNOLD AFB

APPENDIX B (MAP 2) - FY 2027 TIMBER HARVEST LOCATION MAP

APPENDIX C (MAP 3) - FY 2027 TIMBER HARVEST STAND LOCATION MAP

APPENDIX C (MAP 4) - FY 2027 TIMBER HARVEST STAND LOCATION MAP