ATTACHMENT_03_-_140P8622Q0091_-_SOW_-_TREE_PRUNING_and_REMOVAL.pdf

STATEMENT OF WORK

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area

Peter Strauss Ranch/Circle X Ranch Tree Pruning and Removal

1.0 Background

1. Introduction This project involves the pruning of approximately sixty-seven (67) trees —including mature Live Oaks, Sycamores, Ash, and Eucalyptus—and the removal of three (3) Oaks at Peter Strauss Ranch. It also includes the removal of one (1) Aleppo Pine tree at a different property, the Hill House located at Circle X Ranch. Finally, the project includes the disposal of the debris, slash, and logs via chipping, bucking, and piling.

The work described in this Statement of Work is necessary to reduce the risk of tree/limb failure, and the goal of this work is to mitigate safety hazards for park visitors, concessioners, and staff; to protect historic resources that exist on the property from damage; and to enhance the health, longevity, and aesthetic qualities of the trees.

The two properties at which pruning, and tree removal work are required are located at the addresses that follow: 30000 Mulholland Hwy Agoura Hills, CA 91301 (Peter Strauss Ranch) and 12898 Yerba Buena Road, #1, Malibu area, Ventura County, California, 90265 (the Hill House at Circle X Ranch), which is located adjacent to mile marker 5 from the Pacific Coast Highway. See Attachment 04 – Location Map.

2. Background This project shall perform critical maintenance of historic trees at Peter Strauss Ranch and remove one non-historic tree at the Hill House at Circle X Ranch.

Peter Strauss Ranch was determined eligible to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007 as a cultural landscape (i.e. an historic district). Built features that are historic features of the cultural landscape include the terrazzo dance floor, the aviary, the Radio House, the Storage Room, the pool, the terraced hillside, the amphitheater, the entrance drive, and a wall known as “the Fairytale Lane Wall.”

Today, the property is open to the public, and it is a popular destination for events, such as small music concerts, which are held primarily on the weekends.

Approximately fifty-eight (58) of the trees on the property have been subject to deferred maintenance and are in need of “basic pruning” for their health; nine (9) trees require “specified pruning,” and three (3) require removal—as previously determined by a consulting certified arborist—in order to minimize the threat of falling limbs causing damage to both people and historic structures below them.

The Hill House at Circle X Ranch is potentially a historic building eligible to the National Register of Historic Places. The Hill House, as its name suggests, is located

Statement of Work on a hilly terrain largely covered by low-lying chaparral. However, immediately adjacent to the Hill House is located a large, mature Aleppo Pine tree, which has grown in a manner that it extends significantly over the roof of the Hill House, posing a hazard to the structure below.

2.0 Qualifications

All pruning work shall be performed by qualified Tree Workers supervised onsite by an ISA Certified Arborist.

3.0 Scope

Contractor shall perform the work of the National Park Service as described below:

Peter Strauss Ranch

1. The project location is the developed area of Peter Strauss Ranch, which has been divided into three zones for the purposes of this project. These are delineated on the attached map (see Attachment 05) as follows: the Fence, the Lawn, and the Grove.

2. There are approximately fifty-eight (58) trees in need of “basic pruning.” The 58 trees where basic pruning only is needed includes all trees within the three zones that are not identified for “specific pruning” in the Pruning Evaluation Spreadsheet (see Attachment 06). Basic pruning includes the following:

a. Removal of dead wood

b. Raise canopies to clear 6’ IAW fire clearance regulations

c. Reduce end weight where appropriate to prevent breakage

d. Remove all fire damaged limbs not showing resprouting

e. Remove mistletoe in sycamores

f. Do not remove internal adventitious shoots (aka “suckers”)

g. Do not thin canopies

h. Shred and spread debris on site as directed by NPS personnel

i. No climbing gaffs(spurs) are to be used in performing basic pruning.

3. There are nine (9) trees in need of specified pruning and three (3) trees in need of removal in the area of the Grove at Peter Strauss Ranch. The Pruning Evaluation Spreadsheet (see Attachment 06) indicates which trees belonging to the Grove require specified pruning or removal, and it gives some general location references, as well. Trees in need of specified pruning or removal are number-tagged and marked with bright tape. Photos of each of the twelve trees in the Grove area that require specified pruning or removal also are available, if necessary, to identify them. Some of the trees in need of specified pruning also need basic pruning, as indicated in the Pruning Evaluation Spreadsheet.

a. Climbing gaffs may be used for trees to be removed, but not for trees requiring pruning.

4. Cut wood and leaf material must be chipped to the greatest extent possible with a minimum of all wood less than 12 inches diameter chipped and spread on site.

Unchipped wood will be cut to a manageable size (not longer than 4 feet) and placed in a single location on the grounds identified by NPS staff.

5. (Optional Bid Item) There are four (4) trees in the Lawn area and six (6) trees in the Fence area at Peter Strauss Ranch that are listed on the Pruning Evaluation Spreadsheet and designated as in need of either specified pruning or removal. Trees in need of specified pruning or removal in these areas are number-tagged and marked with bright tape. Photos of each of the trees that require specified pruning or removal also are available, if necessary, to identify them. The pruning and removal of these ten (10) trees should be included in the contractor’s proposal as a bid option that the NPS can exercise; if NPS chooses to exercise the bid option, the work will be awarded at the same time as the primary bid and shall occur within the period of performance already established for the primary bid.

a. Climbing gaffs may be used for trees to be removed, but not for trees requiring pruning.

6. It is anticipated that an aerial lift will be needed for tree work; the aerial lift will not be permitted on the terrazzo dance floor, which is a historic feature of the cultural landscape, or allowed to be placed or driven over historic rockwork.

7. The access route for equipment will be through the main entrance gate located along Mulholland and down the entrance driveway.

8. The main staging area for equipment and supplies will be the small dirt parking lot to the east of the terrazzo dance floor, as well as the mowed grass area immediately adjacent to it.

Hill House at Circle X

1. There is one (1) Aleppo Pine in need of removal as it has a split trunk and threatens the Hill House located beneath it (see Attachment 07). The contractor shall remove & flush cut the Aleppo Pine and grind the stump, ensuring that no damage occurs to the Hill House in the course of tree work.

The following are applicable to both the Peter Strauss Ranch and Hill House at Circle X Ranch properties:

1. Contractor shall adhere to all conditions, procedures, and restrictions identified in

ANSI Z133.1 - 2017.

2. Contractor shall provide all labor, vehicles, tools, equipment, materials, supervision, and other items and services necessary to complete the required work, including safety and climbing gear; chainsaw fuel; chainsaws and other pruning equipment.

3. Contractor shall guard against contamination of topsoil, water and air from oil, fuel, or other fluid spills; from vehicle emissions; or from garbage waste or other debris.

All oil, fuel or other petroleum-based spill shall be cleaned up immediately using an approved “spill kit,” as manufactured by Sorbent Products Company or equivalent.

The contaminated material shall be hauled and placed within a contaminated material disposal area and encapsulated and removed from the property. The Contractor is responsible for clean-up of all spills or leaks of hazardous materials from vehicle emissions; or from garbage waste or other debris used or generated by the Contractor.

4. Contractor shall maintain a clean work site during operations. Personal trash and litter, including food wrappers, beverage containers, paper, and other items shall be picked up and always contained.

5. Contractor shall prune all trees to current ANSI A300 (Part 1) Standards -2017, Pruning: Tree, Shrub, and Other Woody Plant Maintenance—Standard Practices (Pruning), and International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Best Management Practices - Pruning, Third Edition (2019), including the following:

• When a branch is cut back to a lateral, no more than one-fourth of its foliage should be removed. The remaining lateral branch must be at least one-third the diameter of the removed portion.

• Lion tailing is not acceptable.

• All broken and cracked branches found in the canopy must be removed.

• All dead branches two inches or greater in diameter must be removed.

• No more than 25 percent of live green foliage should be selectively removed from a branch or the entire tree unless recommended for specific individual trees.

• If the qualified Tree Pruner sees a branch in the canopy of the tree in which he or she is working that was not specifically called out for removal—but it appears to have issues that need to be addressed in terms of its potential for failure—then he or she is expected to use his or her own judgement and experience to determine whether it is necessary to relieve weight on the problem branch to help prevent breakage or failure.

6. All work shall be performed by climbers and/or contractor-provided lift; no NPS aerial lift is available.

7. Climbing gaffs (spikes) shall not be used to perform the work or ascend the trees, except when the tree is dead.

8. Some locations and trees will not be accessible via aerial lift.

9. Nesting birds are known to occur in the project area during nesting season, which extends from January 1 through September 30. Therefore, the work must occur during the off-season, October 1 through December 31. In the event that a bird nest is discovered within 75 ft. of the work site, the Contractor shall stop work and immediately contact the designated NPS representative for the project.

10. Effort should be made wherever possible to avoid damage to young oaks and shrubs growing beneath mature trees.

11. Contractor must cordon off the perimeter of the project area with caution tape and post signage warning the public that work is occurring in the project area.

12. Contractor must clear area of work of debris.

13. Contractor should chip debris to the greatest extent possible and must chip all debris that is 12 inches or less in diameter using a contractor-provided chipper.

14. Contractor must dispose of larger debris by bucking into lengths that do not exceed

4 feet in lengths and piling in an area on the grounds designated by NPS.

4.0 Tasks

1. Contractor shall provide all labor, materials, tools, supplies, equipment and supervision necessary to perform the pruning and removal of trees, Chip wood and leaf debris to the greatest extent possible. All wood and debris less than 12 inches in diameter must be chipped. Contactor must provide chipper.

2. Contractor must cut all unchipped wood into manageable sections not to exceed 4 feet in length. These sections must be placed in a neat pile in a designated area near to the work area on each of the properties that is determined the NPS Project Manager in consultation with the contractor.

3. Contractor shall leave all chipped pieces in a neat pile at the work site; NPS shall be responsible for spreading the chips on the Peter Strauss Ranch and Circle X properties.

4. Contractor shall grind the stump of the one Aleppo Pine located at the Hill House at Circle X Ranch.

5. Contractor shall provide and ensure that all its personnel at the job site properly wear or use all applicable safety apparel and devices.

6. Contractor (including all job site employees) shall comply with all applicable federal, state, local, and Authority regulatory, code, and procedural requirements.

5.0 Safety

1. Contractor shall observe Title 8, Group 3 of the California Code of Regulations, and American National Standard Z133.1 - 2017 for tree care operations (safety requirements for pruning, trimming, repairing, maintaining, and removing trees and cutting brush).

2. Contractor shall provide an accident prevention program. The program will include:

• Name of responsible supervisor to carry out the program.

• Daily briefings and PPE

• First aid supplies/procedures.

• Emergency Response.

3. Contractor must have a Health and Safety Plan, which includes measures to protect personnel from exposure such as PPE, , hygiene, medical surveillance, as well as other anticipated hazards including COVID-19. The Contractor’s plan and on-site work must comply with 29 CFR 1910.120(b), EM-385-1-1, and all relevant and applicable safety regulations as promulgated by the OSHA. Additionally, the Contractor must adhere to generally accepted professionally practiced safety standards. Field activities must comply with requirements imposed by California State related to COVID-19.

4. Contractor must provide evidence of workers compensation insurance and liability insurance.

5. Equipment shall have proper class and size fire extinguishers. Fire prevention includes maintaining safe practices while using any equipment that can cause sparking or ignition. Provide clear areas around equipment that may cause sparks.

6. No work shall take place during a Red Flag Warning.

6.0 Place of Performance

Peter Strauss Ranch as located at 30000 Mulholland Hwy Agoura Hills, CA 91301; the Hill House at Circle X Ranch, as located at 12898 Yerba Buena Road, #1, Malibu area, Ventura County, California, 90265.

7.0 Pre-bid Site Visit

The NPS will conduct one two-hour pre-bid site visit to the Peter Strauss Ranch job site on Monday, August 8, 2022 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Prospective contractors are strongly encouraged to participate in the site visit prior to preparing a response to this solicitation.

Participants must sign up and confirm attendance to the pre-bid site visit in advance by contacting Gabrielle Harlan at gabrielle_harlan@nps.gov.

At the request of prospective contractors, the NPS also will conduct a one-hour site visit to the Hill House from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday, August 8, 2022 (such requests may either be made in advance of the pre-bid site visit to Peter Strauss Ranch or at the pre-bid site visit after the information regarding the tree is distributed).

8.0 Period of Performance

1. The period of performance will be 90 calendar days from the time that a Notice to Proceed is issued to the selected contractor, and is anticipated to occur between October 1, 2022, and December 30, 2022.

2. Contractor shall mobilize for onsite work within 5 days of Notice to Proceed or after September 30, whichever is later.

3. Contractor’s first priority for pruning shall be the area at Peter Strauss Ranch designated as “the grove” on the attached map.

4. All pruning shall be completed for inspection by December 22, 2022.

5. Work is anticipated to take approximately 7 days to complete; if a break in onsite work is needed by the contractor after work begins, debris in areas in which pruning work has been completed must be chipped prior to the break in work and all work areas left with a tidy appearance.

6. Work at Peter Strauss Ranch and the Hill House at Circle X will not be permitted on weekends to limit impacts to the visiting public.

7. The contractor shall coordinate all work schedules with the NPS Project Manager prior to the start of the work. Before initiating any work, the contractor shall meet with the NPS Project Manager and agree on the following: a sequence of procedures; a means of access to the property and the designated staging area;

mailto:gabrielle_harlan@nps.gov delivery of materials/equipment; communications; and any other incidentals to the project.

8. A survey to identify trees containing raptors’ nests will need to be conducted by NPS prior to the contractor beginning work; the contractor must notify NPS of the planned work schedule at least one week in advance for the purposes of scheduling the nest survey.

9. An NPS monitor must be present on the site during all working hours to ensure that the necessary precautions are taken to safeguard all historic structures on the property during tree work. The NPS monitor will be available from 7:00 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily and will arrange his or her schedule in accordance with the schedule established by the selected contractor. Contractor to provide work schedule to NPS at least a week in advance for purposes of scheduling monitoring.

9.0 Optional Bid Items.

Award of optional bid items are not guaranteed.

10.0 Inspection/Acceptance

Upon completion of work and before final acceptance, the contractor shall clear the entire project area and all grounds occupied by the contractor, of rubbish, excess materials, and any other debris caused by their operations.

A NPS or other designated Arborist will inspect the completed work on completion of work and will notify contractor of any deficiencies. The contractor shall remediate any problems identified by inspecting NPS arborist within 5 days of notification of deficiency.

11.0 Park Specific Requirements

1. Workday: Hours of construction are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Weekend work and work on federal holidays will only be allowed when approved in advance by the Contracting Officer.

2. Construction equipment must have adequate mufflers and pollution emission controls.

3. The Contractor shall incorporate decontamination procedures for all vehicles, trucks, and equipment used at the site to control and prohibit the transfer of noxious weeds and plants into the park environment or movement of contaminants into or out of the site. Vehicles and equipment will be inspected by Park Representative prior to entry into the park for mud, weeds, and other unwanted substances. Notify Park Representative a minimum of 48 hours prior to entry of vehicles and equipment.

4. Constantly keep project sites clean of construction debris for the project’s duration.

Collect and dispose waste material outside park boundaries. Keep project neat, orderly, and in a safe condition always. Keep volatile wastes in covered containers.

Maintain all food products and scented products in bear proof containers.

5. Take all necessary reasonable measures to reduce air and water pollution by any material or equipment used during site work. Do not idle equipment not in use for more than 5 minutes. Do not dispose of volatile wastes or oils in storm or sanitary drains. Do not allow waste materials to be washed into streams or bodies of water.

Adhere to USEPA Green Remediation guidance.

6. Before scheduling the final inspection, remove all tools, equipment, surplus materials, and rubbish. Restore or refinish surfaces that are damaged due to work of this contract to original condition. Pick up all construction debris from the site. At time of final inspection, project shall be thoroughly clean.

7. Do not feed or disturb wildlife within park boundaries. Always comply with food-storage and garbage disposal requirements. Suspend tree work activities if dangerous animals come near an active tree work area and create potential animal/human conflict. Park Representative or Park Ranger must be notified immediately for resolution of potential animal/human conflicts.

8. Do not operate or park equipment outside construction limits or on topsoil areas, except as approved by Park Representative. Do not operate or store vehicles and equipment leaking oil, gas, or antifreeze within park boundaries. Do not drain oil, hydraulic fluids, antifreeze, or other chemicals onto ground within park boundaries.

Completely contain diesel fuel at work site. Clean up any spill immediately.

9. Every day prior to commencement of work all equipment will be inspected for leaks and repaired immediately. Do not use equipment that is leaking. Keep supply of acceptable absorbent materials at job site in event of spills. Acceptable absorbent materials are those manufactured specifically for containment and cleanup of hazardous materials.

10. Quality Assurance: In case of conflicts between Federal, state, and local safety and health requirements, the most stringent shall apply. Equipment or tools not meeting OSHA requirements will not be allowed on the project sites. Failure to comply with the requirements of this section and related sections may result in suspension of work.

12.0 Assessing Contactor Performance

As required by FAR 42.15, NPS will enter a formal evaluation of this contract and contractor in the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS). Provide the name, position title, phone number, and email address for each person designated to have access to your firm's past performance evaluation(s) for the contract; each person granted access will have the ability to provide comments in the Contractor portion of the report.