Attachment_1-_Performance_Work_Statement.pdf

Performance Work Statement Bottomland Hardwood Precommercial Thinning , Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge

Specifications: PRECOMMERCIAL THINNING, ATCHAFALAYA NATIONAL

WILDLIFE REFUGE (NWR) (totaling an estimated 430 acres)

Statement of Objectives:

Selective mechanical thinning and mastication (mulching) of low-grade and crowded bottomland hardwood timber in 430 acres of closed-canopy stands on Atchafalaya NWR in the Sherburne Wildlife Management Area. The purpose of this thinning operation is to reduce existing Basal Area and Trees per Acre to open the canopy of the stand, allowing for more understory growth and regeneration and freeing up room for remaining desirable trees to continue to grow to maturity, continuing the restoration process of the stand to an old growth bottomland hardwood forest.

Scope of the Contract:

The Contractor shall furnish all labor, materials, equipment, tools, transportation, supervision, and supplies to perform all work necessary for the selective, precommercial thinning of young timber on the Refuge within designated areas (see attached maps). No equipment, supplies, or assistance beyond access and stand information will be furnished by the Refuge. The Contractor assumes all liability for work operating in or adjacent to public road right of ways.

The Refuge Manager reserves the right to substitute, at the contract price, the same type and amount of work in other areas similar in topography and conditions within the

Refuge boundaries shown on the maps in lieu of the original areas if it is determined by the Refuge Manager that the original areas or portions thereof are unsuitable or unavailable for performance of the specified work due to environmental conditions or other factors. The Refuge Manager reserves the right to reduce or increase total acreage to encompass allocated funds for the project contract. Quotes are to be received per acre and per unit.

Description of Scope:

The treatment areas consist of hardwood stands split into two treatment units, totaling

430 acres. The areas are identified in Figures 1-3 below as maps and line items.

Treatment areas will be identified by refuge personnel as needed. Contractors may use

GPS shapefiles or apps, such as Avenza Maps with georeferenced Adobe PDF maps, to identify boundaries of each unit. Georeferenced PDFs and GPS shapefiles will be provided by the Refuge. Boundaries of each treatment unit are not marked with flagging or paint, though the Refuge boundary is marked with signs. Prior to beginning work, the

Contactor shall meet with a Government Representative (GR) for a site visit to identify the staging work areas and discuss technicalities of the treatment operation.

This precommercial thinning will be performed as a “cutter-select” operation. Equipment operators should be able to identify bottomland hardwood tree species, including oaks.

The Contractor shall thin existing hardwood timber as to leave the best, most desirable tree every 20-30 feet, favoring oaks and other desirable species and trees greater than 10 inches in Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) or larger. When previously planted rows are visible, every 3rd row shall be removed, and approximately 50% of the remaining rows shall be removed, targeting trees with poor form and stunted growth. Otherwise, less desirable trees are to be removed as to leave a free-growing tree every 20-30 feet.

For the purposes of this thinning, desirable trees are defined as healthy trees greater than

10 inches in DBH with straight, clear growth form and minimal forking. Desirable tree species include oaks, pecans, persimmon, green ash, and cypress. Regardless of presence of trees that fit these criteria, the best tree that matches closest to these criteria is to be left every 20-30 feet.

Type and Amount of Equipment Proposed

Technical capabilities:

At a minimum, the required equipment is forestry mulching machines capable of traversing wet soils under low ground pressure and between narrow trees that use a rotary drum equipped with steel chipper teeth or blades capable of felling hardwood trees at least as large as 10 inches in DBH and mulching or chopping felled slash and vegetation.

These can include skid steers, mini-excavators with a cutting/mulching attachment, and

CMI machines.

Vendors must list and number of each piece of equipment and their ground pressure.

Each machine shall have a minimum ground pressure of no more 5.2 psi with minimally aggressive tracks. The awarded Contractor shall be permitted to use multiple pieces of equipment.

Preferred method of treatment will be by low ground pressure tracked equipment.

Multiple pieces of equipment and operators are recommended in order to take advantage of limited seasonal windows of work. The Refuge is open to alternative methods of treatment by low ground pressure equipment, but must be approved prior to commencement of work. All work must be done according to the work statement, equipment capability restrictions, and any local and state regulations.

The Contractor shall be responsible for notifying the GR within one week of treatment completion so that the area can be inspected. The Contractor shall be responsible for

100% treatment of the identified area.

Performance Requirements

The Contractor shall canvas 100% of the identified treatment areas.

The Contractor shall complete the treatment during specified dates as directed by the GR due to hunting seasons and seasonal wet soil conditions. Treatment activities may be limited or curtailed during certain hunting seasons or during wet soil conditions.

The Contractor shall coordinate with the GR to determine the date(s) and time(s) of treatment to minimize impacts on other Refuge activities and so refuge staff has time to close any roads and trails in or around the treatment area prior to treatment beginning.

The Contractor must have work dates and a plan of work approved by the Refuge 48 hours prior to beginning work, preferably established during a face-to-face pre-work meeting, or by email or text.

The Contractor shall clean and wash equipment in accordance with Environmental

Protection Agency and Refuge guidelines to prevent the introduction of exotic flora and fauna onto the refuge. Refuge guidelines require all equipment to be pressure washed prior to entering refuge property. Prior to leaving the worksite for the day, the Contractor shall remove all equipment and materials associated with contract activities on Refuge property unless approval has been granted by the Refuge Manager or GR and a storage site on location has been identified.

Disturbance to mineral soil shall be kept to the minimum necessary for efficient operations. Work may be performed in very wet soils. Specialized equipment is required to avoid excessive soil disturbance. Equipment shall be wide tracked, with low ground pressure, and capable of maneuvering in very wet soils. Excessive soil disturbance will be determined by the Refuge Manager or GR. In general, any rutting in excess of 1 foot deep for more than 50 feet may be considered excessive. A site visit is recommended.

The Contractor should prioritize operating during dry conditions and avoid operating in wet conditions to minimize soil disturbance.

Period of Performance: Contract award- December 31, 2027. Work will be performed only when site conditions are suitable and dry enough to prevent excessive rutting in the woods. The GR may suspend work in certain units for any given period of time due to unfavorable or wet conditions. Work may also be paused as not to interfere with any relevant Refuge hunting seasons. In the instance where site conditions remain unfavorable for an extended period of time as to prohibit the completion of the contract within the allotted time period, as judged by the Refuge Manager, an extension of the contract period of performance of up to one year may be granted by the Contracting

Officer to facilitate the completion of the contract. The Contractor shall coordinate with the GR up to 48 hours before beginning work in any designated unit to ensure site conditions are favorable.

Operators shall utilize heavy equipment to fell less-desirable trees that are 10 inches in

DBH or smaller, so as to leave the best, most desirable tree every 20-30 feet. All trees felled are to be masticated or chopped so that no slash or debris is left standing greater than 1 foot from ground level. Therefore, the tops of felled trees are to be run-over, chopped, or masticated. Large tree boles from felled trees may be left on the ground, but at least one pass of a mulching head or similar equipment should be utilized to break up the length of the trunk.

Location:

The contract area is in Iberville Parish in Louisiana. See accompanying maps.

Georeferenced PDF maps and GIS shapefiles will be provided to the Contractor for real time identification using smart phone/tablets with georeferenced APPS such as Adobe, Avenza Maps, or GPS units.

Unit 1 Centerpoint: 3029’34.57”N, 9142’45.67”W

Unit 2 Centerpoint: 3029’40.56”N, 9140’48.80”W

Figure 1: Scope Map of Atchafalaya NWR Precommercial Thinning Units

Figure 2: Precommercial Thinning Unit 1

Line Item 10; per acre:

Atchafalaya NWR Unit 1 (216 acres). Total bid is per acre for precommercial hardwood thinning of 216 acres in line item 10.

Figure 3: Precommercial Thinning Unit 2

Line Item 20; per acre:

Atchafalaya NWR Unit 2 (214 acres). Total bid is per acre for precommercial hardwood thinning of 214 acres in line item 20.

Figure 4: Unit 1 Photos

Figure 5: Unit 2 Photos