Attachment 1.pdf

MONONGAHELA NATIONAL FOREST NNIS TREATMENT

PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS

Description/Specifications/Statement of Work

I. Introduction

Scope of Contract

The purpose of this project is to remove and control undesirable non-native invasive species of herbaceous flowering plants, grasses, vines/semi-woody vines, and trees (NNIS) on the Monongahela National Forest. The treatment for various infestations of NNIS will depend on factors such as, species, location and accessibility, patch size, concentration of NNIS, distance to surface and ground water resources, surrounding vegetation and exposure to public. NNIS plant treatments may include the use of hand methods, machinery, and/or chemicals to eliminate NNIS when possible or at least appreciably reduce their presence in the treatment areas.

The Contractor shall furnish all labor, supervision, tools, equipment, transportation, materials, supplies, permits, licenses and incidentals necessary to perform the required services on the Monongahela National Forest.

Execution of an agreement does not establish an obligation of total price and does not commit the Government to any quantity. The individual Orders issued to the Contractor will include actual quantities for each unit to be treated.

Location and Description

The Monongahela National Forest is located in central West Virginia. The work will be performed on U.S. Forest Service administered lands. The specific location of the projects will be shown on maps attached to individual orders issued under this contract.

This solicitation is asking for bids in both of the two geographic areas of the Forest. North area is the Cheat-Potomac Ranger District and the Greenbrier Ranger District and the South area is the Marlinton-White Sulphur Springs Ranger District and the Gauley Ranger District (See map).

Access

Access to project areas will be highly variable and identified in each specific order. Seasonal roads may be impassable for several days after heavy rains or snow-blocked during the winter and early spring months.

Access to individual treatment areas will vary. UTV/ATV’s can be utilized for application and access to areas unless otherwise stated in the work order.

II. Technical Requirements

A. GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS

Operations

1. Operation shall not be conducted when soil moisture conditions promote rutting and compaction of soil.

2. The contractor shall notify the COR prior to beginning work in any area.

3. Work shall not be performed on Weekends or Federal Holidays unless otherwise approved.

4. With Each Work order Bid, the contractor shall include a completed copy of the attached

“Schedule of Work”, which shall show the expected starting date, expected work schedule, number of each type of labor force to be used for each item, anticipated number of days each type of labor force will be utilized, amount and type of equipment to be used, total anticipated work days, and expected completion date.

5. All applications of herbicide shall be performed by certified applicators, or a registered technician operating under a certified applicator, licensed by the state of West Virginia. For the base IDIQ contract, provide copies of all employee certifications with Personnel List portion of technical proposal. Copy of certification for the responsible applicator for each task order, shall be submitted with the bid response for each task order.

6. Unless chemical type and application rate is specified in the work order, the contractor shall include, with each Work order Bid, documentation that will contain information on the chemicals and application rates they PROPOSE to utilize. This document shall contain at a minimum:

a. Trade name of the product to be used

b. EPA registration number

c. Common chemical names

d. AE, AI, IU or PIB expressed as a % or concentration

e. Planned application rate of solution being applied

f. Dilution rate (amount of solution that is herbicide

g. Dilutent that will be used in solution

h. Pounds of AI or AE per acre (or other applicable rate)

i. Name of applicator and copy of applicators license for the work order

j. Type and amount of surfactant, oil, and/or dye to be used

k. product label for all chemicals used

7. Once started, work on a work order shall be continuous until the project has been completed and accepted. The work schedule submitted with the Work order bid shall be adhered to barring inclement weather or other unforeseen circumstances outside of the contractor’s control.

8. The contractor may not start work on a second work order under this contract without having first completed work on any open work orders, or without having received permission from the CO or COR, stating that the contractor may proceed on the second order.

9. Herbicides utilized to treat NNIS, through this contract, shall be selected based on the approve Forest NNIS plan for the plant species being treated or other applicable NEPA documentation for the areas being treated. The use of herbicides not specifically designated for the target species by the applicable NEPA documents, will not be allowed. All herbicide types and solution strengths must be approved by the COR prior to application.

10. Application rates of herbicides shall be in accordance with the manufactures recommendations and Forest Wide NNIS NEPA documents (attached), for the type of application being utilized in the treatments prescribed and for the target species described in each work order

11. When chemical composition of mixture and application rates are set as part of the prescription of the work order they shall be strictly adhered to. In such an instance, no changes to composition or application rates by the contractor will be allowed without prior, written approval of the COR.

12. Care shall be taken when applying herbicide to avoid mortality in non-target species though overspray or drift. Damage caused to non-target species shall be remediated, to the satisfaction of the Forest Service, at the contractor’s expense.

13. Herbicides treatment shall not be applied to wet foliage or when rain is anticipated within 24 hrs of application, unless approved by the COR in writing prior to the application.

14. Up to 3 species may be named as “targeted species” for each area designated for treatment.

Treatment prescription for all targeted species identified, must be the same in order to be paid under 1 item. If multiple treatment prescriptions are identified they must be paid for individually.

15. In accordance with applicable Forest NEPA for NNIS treatment, all herbicides applied within 100 feet of a stream, or other water body, shall be registered for aquatic use. These areas may or may not be identified in each task order. Failure to identify the areas through the task order does not relieve the contractor from this obligation. If no aquatic registered herbicide is proposed for areas near waterbodies through the task order, the contractor shall submit a PROPOSED chemical solution. The PROPOSED solution shall utilize an herbicide registered for aquatic use and identified in the Forest NNIS NEPA document for use against the targeted species. Once approved, this solution will be used within 100 ft of any waterbodies within the identified treatment area.

16. Payment under all prescription treatment types shall be paid by the Acre.

Soil and Water Protection

1. Operations shall avoid the digging, gouging and moving of soil unless otherwise specified.

2. If needed, stream and ditch crossings shall be designated by the Forest Service representative.

3. All equipment shall be pressure washed to remove NNIS seed and soils prior to moving onto or between Forest Service project locations.

Other Resource Protection

1. System Roads

a. Equipment shall be loaded onto roads or within the treatment area

b. Lead off ditch and wing ditch structures shall be protected.

2. Utilities

a. Protect utilities from operations within rights-of-way

b. The Contractor shall be responsible for contacting utility companies to determine location of underground lines (natural gas, water, telephone, etc.)

3. Improvements

a. All improvements shall be protected by Contractor, including but not limited to: utilities, roads, fences, gates, property boundaries, and corner monuments.

b. Any damage resulting to improvements as a result off the contractor’s negligence shall be repaired at the contractor’s expense.

LINE ITEM SPECIFICATIONS

MANUAL TREATMENT- “HAND PULLING” - GRASSES AND FORBES

Utilize hands and hand tools to remove target non-native invasive plant species buy removing plant tops and grubbing roots. Properly store and dispose of removed plant matter in a manner which will prevent incidental spreading of material. Treatment area will be deemed acceptable for full payment once the COR determines that 100% of the designated project area has been treated and the removal and proper disposal of 90% of the target species from the treatment area has been obtained. No residual stands of the target species should be evident at the time of visual inspection. Areas in which treatment is deemed insufficient will receive additional treatments, at the contractor’s expense, until such time as the desired outcomes are achieved, verified, and documented by the COR and an invoice requesting payment for the treated area has been properly submitted by the contractor.

Examples of target species for this type of treatment include but are not limited to: Garlic Mustard, Japanese stiltgrass, thistles, and teasels.

MECHANICAL TREATMENT - “MOWING” - GRASSES, FORBES AND WOODY SHRUBS

Utilize rotary mowers, brush hogs, sickle bar mowers, or other acceptable mechanically driven cutting devices to cut all vegetation, with a diameter breast height of 3 inches or less and within the designated treatment area, to a height of not more than 7 inches. Treatment areas under this prescription will be deemed acceptable for full payment once the COR has determined that 100% of the treatment area has been mown and that all material less than 3 inches DBH has been cut to a height no greater than 7 inches and an invoice requesting payment for the treated area has been properly submitted by the contractor.

Areas designated for this type of treatment will include road sides, wildlife openings, savannas, gas lines, old fields, pastures or other open/semi open areas which are accessible to, and transversable by, mechanized mowing equipment.

Examples of target species for this type of treatment include, but are not limited to: knapweeds, multiflora rose, thistles, teasel, Japanese Stiltgrass, Johnson grass, and Autumn Olive.

MECHANICAL/HERBICIDE - “CUT STUMP” TREATMENT - TREES AND LARGE SHRUBS

Completely sever the main stem of target species of NNIS within the prescribed treatment area to a height no greater than 7 inches from the ground at any point. Once stems are severed treat the residual stump with appropriate amounts of the selected herbicide/oil mix, as based on the manufactures recommendations or task order specifications, to cause mortality in the treated plant. Chemical treatment of the stump shall occur within 4 hours after the stem is severed. Dye shall be added to the chemical mixture in sufficient quantity so that application of herbicide mixture to the stump can be visually verified by the COR. Application shall be made directly to the cut stump and overspray to surrounding area will shall be minimized. All methods of application shall be approved by the COR prior to beginning treatment and if over spray or mortality of non-target species occurs methods will be changed to remedy these problems to the satisfaction of the COR.

Upon completion, the contractor shall provide documentation to the COR regarding type and amounts of chemical treatment used for each treatment area under this prescription. This documentation shall include, at a minimum, total amount of chemical used in the herbicide application, mixing procedures utilized, total amount of oil/surfactant utilized, and approximate rates of application/acre of the mix applied to the treatment area.

Treatment areas under this prescription will be deemed acceptable for full payment once the COR has determined that a minimum of 100% of the target species within the treatment area has been severed and treated with herbicide, proper application rates of herbicide have been verified, all required documentation has been received by the COR and an invoice requesting payment for the treated area has been properly submitted by the contractor.

HERBICIDE – DIRECT BASAL SPRAY OR “HACK AND SQUIRT” – TREES AND SHRUBS

In “Basal Spray” application, apply Herbicide/oil mix directly to bark at the bottom 12 to 18 inches and around the full circumference, of each occurrence, of the targeted species. Glyphosate and tricloypr amine herbicides shall not be utilized in basal bark treatments. Oil soluble triclopyr ester or other NEPA approved chemical, recommended for Basal bark application by the manufacture, may be used.

Approved oil shall be used in conjunction with herbicide for all basal bark” applications. Rates of oil and herbicide application shall be in accordance with manufacturer’s recommendations or task order specifications, and of sufficient quantity to cause mortality in the treated plant species. Dye shall be added to the herbicide-oil mixture in sufficient quantity so that proper application of the mixture to the target species can be visually verified by the COR.

In “Hack and Squirt” applications the contractor shall create one frill cut, or downward facing incision, for each 1 inch of diameter of the tree being treated. Frill cuts shall be evenly spaced around the circumference of the tree and approximately 2 inches long. A minimum of 2 frill cuts shall be used. Each cut must penetrate through the bark and in to the cambium layer of the tree and be shaped to help hold herbicide in place. These cuts will then be filled with the proper herbicide solution.

Herbicide solution utilized in “hack and squirt” applications must contain dye in sufficient quantity so that treatment can be visually verified by the COR. Upon completion the contractor shall provide documentation to the COR regarding type and amounts of chemical treatment used for each treatment area under this prescription. This documentation shall include, at a minimum, total amount of chemical used in the herbicide application, mixing procedures utilized, total amount of oil/surfactant utilized, and approximate rates of application/acre of the mix applied to the treatment area.

Treatment areas under this prescription will be deemed acceptable for full payment once the COR has determined that a minimum of 100% of the target species within the treatment area properly treated as per specifications, proper application rates of herbicide have been verified, all required documentation has been received by the COR and an invoice requesting payment for the treated area has been properly submitted by the contractor.

FOLIAR SPRAY OF HERBICIDE – “BROADCAST SPRAY” – GRASSES, FORBES, VINES, SHRUBS

Under this prescription, the contractor shall utilize boom sprayers with multiple nozzles to apply a foliar spray application to an area infested with NNIS. Exact areas to be treated shall be described in individual task orders. It is anticipated that all areas prescribed under this treatment will be transversable by tractor, 4 wheeler, or UTV. Spray utilized in this type of application would typically include Herbicides such as but not limited to triclopyr or clopyralid, a surfactant, water, and dye.

Herbicide solution utilized in “broadcast spray” applications must contain dye in sufficient quantity so that treatment can be visually verified by the COR. Upon completion, the contractor shall provide documentation to the COR regarding type and amounts of chemical treatment used for each treatment area under this prescription. This documentation shall include, at a minimum, total amount of chemical used in the herbicide application, mixing procedures utilized, total amount of oil/surfactant utilized, and approximate rates of application/acre of the mix applied to the treatment area.

Treatment areas under this prescription will be deemed acceptable for full payment once the COR has determined that a minimum of 100% of the treatment area has been properly treated as per specifications, proper application rates of herbicide have been verified, all required documentation has been received by the COR and an invoice requesting payment for the treated area has been properly

FOLIAR SPRAY OF HERBICIDE – “SPOT SPRAY” – GRASSES, FORBES, VINES, SHRUBS

Under this prescription, the contractor shall utilize single nozzle applicators or squirt bottles to apply a foliar spray application directly to the foliage of target NNIS species within an infested area. Exact species and the areas to be treated shall be described in individual task orders. Spray utilized in this type of application would typically include some combination of an Herbicide such as but not limited to triclopyr, glyphosate, or clopyralid, a surfactant or oil, water, and dye. 100% of the foliage of the target species shall be treated with the herbicide solution under this prescription unless otherwise approved by the COR.

Herbicide solution utilized in “spot spray” applications must contain dye in sufficient quantity so that treatment can be visually verified by the COR. Upon completion, the contractor shall provide documentation to the COR regarding type and amounts of chemical treatment used for each treatment area under this prescription. This documentation shall include, at a minimum, total amount of chemical used in the herbicide application, mixing procedures utilized, total amount of oil/surfactant utilized, and approximate rates of application/acre of the mix applied to the treatment area.

Treatment areas under this prescription will be deemed acceptable for full payment once the COR has determined that a minimum of 100% of the target species within the treatment area properly treated as per specifications, proper application rates of herbicide have been verified, all required documentation has been received by the COR and an invoice requesting payment for the treated area has been properly