Performance Work Statement

Hazard Fuel Reduc on Chopping on St. Marks NWR Newport Tract

Scope of Contract - This invitation is for the furnishing of equipment, materials, labor and supplies to Single Drum Chop 1,069 acres of National Wildlife Refuge lands for hazard fuel reduction.

Description and Location - All areas are within the boundaries of the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, Wakulla County, Florida. (See attached maps.)

The stands to be chopped are generally pine plantations in flatwoods sites that have been previously thinned.

All areas will be delineated on the ground by blue and white striped flagging ribbon, bulldozed/chopped lines, painted trees, roads, or natural boundaries.

Government –Furnished Property - None

Contractor Furnished Items – The contractor will furnish all materials and equipment needed to complete the contract except as specified under Government-Furnished Property above.

Equipment Requirements - All equipment which is proposed to be used for the work shall be of the proper type(Skidder or dozer), sufficient size( dozer minimum 99 HP, skidder minimum 172HP), operated at sufficient speed, and in such mechanical condition as to meet the requirements of the work and produce a satisfactory quality of work. Contractor will be responsible for repairing or replacing any equipment that breaks down within THREE WORKING DAYS. Tractors must be equipped with protective canopies and appropriate fire extinguishers. Chopper blades will be mounted on chopper drums in the same manner as originally mounted by the manufacturer, that is, with the beveled side of the blade toward the front of the chopper when the blade is in contact with the ground. The Refuge Officer may order the removal and require replacement of any unsatisfactory equipment.

The contractor will furnish 4 personnel and 4 pieces of equipment with 4 choppers to treat an average of 35 acres per working day.

Single Drum Chopping Woody Brush

This job consists of Single Drum chopping designated acres in the project area. The sites are in a variety of conditions. Most areas are open. Ground conditions are generally mesic/wet flatwoods, but there are some wetter areas including areas adjacent to wetlands.

The purpose of this project is to reduce shrub competition, create a fuel bed for prescribed burning, and prepare the site for groundcover restoration.

In addition to all the above requirements, the following requirements apply:

1. All brush, trees and dead woody debris up to 4” in diameter measured 4-1/2 feet above ground will be chopped, unless otherwise designated by the Refuge Officer.

Living pine trees and snags larger than 4” diameter at breast height and taller than 10 feet will be left standing.

2. Chopper drums must have a minimum diameter of 48”, a width of 10 ft. (Drum dimensions do not include the frame or blades) or a minimum diameter of 60” and a width of 7’. The minimum acceptable blade length is 8 inches. The cutting edge of the blades must be kept sharp and must not exceed 1/4 inch in thickness. Broken blades will be replaced within 48 hours. The chopper unit shall be no wider than 12 feet (including frame) unless approved by the Refuge officer.

3. The drums must be filled with enough water to maintain a minimum weight to cut all woody material less than 2” diameter all the way through. No limbs/ tops or branches may be left more than 1 ft tall. This may require more than one pass of the chopper.

4. The chopper will need to be pulled with a crawler/dozer or rubber-tired skidder with sufficient power (see previously mentioned HP requirements) to work at an average speed of at least 3 miles per hour. Swamp crossings, and parts of some stands can be wet. Low ground pressure equipment is required.

5. Each row of chopping shall overlap the preceding row by a minimum of 10% of the drum width. It will be acceptable to leave a buffer of up to 3 ft. around any leave trees or standing snags

6. Tractors must minimize soil disturbance and rutting. Turning areas and swamp crossings must be kept to a minimum. Rutting in the stands will not be acceptable.

Low ground pressure equipment is required. No heavy equipment will be allowed to operate within the treatment units sooner than 48 hours after a rain event of 2 inches or more.

7. Refuge officers may order a change in the configuration or off-set of the drum to achieve desired results. Changes in equipment configuration will not affect the contract price for that area.

8. Contractor shall not damage pine trees > 4” in diameter measured 4-1/2 feet above ground.

Personnel Requirements - Contractor shall be responsible for providing the proper personal protective equipment for his/herself and crew.

Erosion Control - The Contractor's operation will be conducted to avoid unnecessary soil erosion. He will install and/or maintain drainage dips and water bars on skid trails and roads designated by the Refuge Officer. Contractor will perform the necessary erosion prevention work, including re-vegetation and/or out sloping, and remove any temporary structures installed by him which are no longer necessary to his operation.

Protection of Lands, Streams, Lakes, and Reservoirs - The Contractor shall prevent pollution of streams, lakes, and reservoirs by fuels, oils, other chemicals, silt or other harmful materials.

He shall schedule and conduct his operations to avoid siltation of streams, lakes, and reservoirs.

All streams will be kept free of Contractor-generated debris. Contractor shall remove from National Wildlife Refuge land any trash cans, grease gun inserts, etc. deposited because of contracting operations.

Protection of Archaeological/Historical Resources – The Contractor, upon the discovery of suspected archaeological or historical materials, shall cease work in the vicinity of such material and immediately notify the Refuge Officer.

Access - The Contractor shall protect all trails, roads, woods road, ditches and other improvements in the project area. Roads and trails shall be kept free of logs, slash, and debris.

Any road or trail used by the Contractor that is damaged by his operations shall promptly be repaired by him. Unless ordered obliterated by the Refuge Officer, the woods roads designated on the area maps shall be left free of all logs, slash, and debris and shall be left smooth so that it is drivable by a two-wheel drive pickup truck when the road is no longer needed for equipment access.

Equipment will not enter, park, or move across cypress and bay ponds, domes, or stringers except on roads or crossings used during the previous logging operation. Access guidelines will be provided by the Refuge Officer.

Choppers may not be pulled over roads maintained by the State, County, or US Fish & Wildlife Service. When approved by the Refuge Officer, equipment is allowed to cross Refuge roads or to use the back slope of roads to gain access to a nearby area. If this is permitted, the Refuge Officer may direct changes of any cutting attachment.

Protection of Leave Areas/Trees - Contractor shall protect all leave areas marked with orange paint or as designated by Refuge Officer. CONTRACTOR WILL NOT OPERATE IN OR

TRAVERSE ACROSS THESE AREAS OF NO DISTURBANCE WITH ANY EQUIPMENT.

Leave trees (pines 4” in diameter measured 4-1/2 feet above ground) will not be damaged.

Damaged trees will result in a penalty of $25.00 per damaged tree.

Inspection – All equipment will be inspected/passed for cleanliness by Refuge officer upon arrival before being unloaded on site. Inspection of the work performed under this contract shall be made by the designated Refuge Officer or by the designated Inspector as the work progresses.

These inspections will be performed at such intervals as are necessary to ensure compliance with the contract specifications.

The contractor will inform the Refuge Officer or Inspector once an area is completed so an inspection can be made. Should remedial work be required it will be done before moving to another area.

Satisfactory Single Drum Chopping – all trees less than 4” Diameter at Breast Height have been knocked down. The entire acreage has been chopped, and chopped rows overlap by 10 percent of the chopper width. Woody material less than 4” diameter has been cut through. No limbs/ tops or branches are left more than 1 ft tall. Larger trees have been left undamaged. There has not been any rutting or other excessive soil disturbance. Reserve trees are undamaged.

Unsatisfactory Single Drum Chopping – Undesignated trees less than 4” Diameter at Breast Height have been left standing. Portions of the site have not been chopped or chopped rows do not overlap by 10 percent of the chopper width. Woody material less than 4” diameter have not been cut all the way through. Limbs and tops have been left more than 1 foot tall. There has been rutting or excessive soil disturbance. Reserve trees have been damaged.

Method of Measurement - Acreage listed was determined by aerial photo mapping using ArcMap; for the purposes of this contract, this is considered actual acreage and not an estimate.

If any designated areas cannot be chopped by the contractor, the areas will be GPS’ed and the acreage would be reduced from the total by contract modification. The contractor shall provide a GPS track log weekly to Refuge officer for acreage verification.

Basis of Payment - Payment will be made at the unit bid price for the acres satisfactorily single drum chopped minus deduction of $25.00 per damaged designated leave tree.

Contractor will NOT receive payment for unsatisfactory work until unsatisfactory items have been corrected.

Work Completion – All work to be completed between May 1, 2026, and October 15, 2026.