Attachment_1__Performance_Work_Statement_Mount_Dome_Phase_2.pdf

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Mount Dome Phase 2 Thinning and Hazardous Fuels Re
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140L1221Q0040
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140L1221Q0040

PWS Page 1

Performance Work Statement (PWS)

PROJECT TITLE:

Mount Dome Phase 2 (Thinning and Hazardous Fuels Reduction)

Contents

PWS 1.0 Background on the Government’s Requirement

PWS 2.0 General Scope of Work

PWS 3.0 Overall Objective(s)

PWS 4.0 Specific Tasks

PWS 5.0 Delivery / Performance Schedule

PWS 6.0 Government-Furnished Property, Materials, Services

Applicable Publications (Current Editions) N/A

PWS 7.0 Security and Administrative Matters

PWS 8.0 Technical Exhibits and Definitions

EXHIBIT 1: Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP)

EXHIBIT 2: Piling Specifications

EXHIBIT 3: Old Growth Identification

EXHIBIT 4: Maps

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PWS 1.0 Background on the Government’s Requirement

The Mount Dome Thinning Project would implement site-specific treatments to preserve and protect nesting and winter roosting habitat for bald eagles and other raptors, as well as, reduce the risks of catastrophic wildfire associated with high fuel loading in an important bald eagle nesting and winter roosting area due to years of active fire suppression. Treatments would focus on pruning trees, managing surface fuels through brush removal, and repairing existing helispots on

90 acres of public lands managed by the Applegate Field office in Siskiyou County, CA. The project area is located within the Mount Dome Hazardous Fuels Reduction Environmental

Assessment (EA) (DOI-BLM-CA-N020-2016-0007-EA) which includes the Mount Dome Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC). The project area is located within designated winter habitat for bald eagles.

PWS 2.0 General Scope of Work

Services include pruning of trees, management of surface fuels through the removal of brush and decadent vegetation, and reconstruction of existing helispots on 90 acres of public land within the

Mount Dome project area. The Contractor shall accomplish cutting and piling using hand held equipment such as chainsaws.

Place of Performance:

The services under this contract will be performed at Mount Dome Project Area in Siskiyou

County, CA and contains approximately 90 acres of fuels reduction treatments on public lands administered by the BLM Applegate Field Office (see attached map). The project area is located approximately 15 miles SE of Tulelake, CA, within Sections (or parts of Sections) of the following Township (T) and Range (R) identifiers:

T46N R2E Section 24

Access to the project site is difficult due to steep terrain and few roads to facilitate access to and from the site. Slopes within the project site vary from 15 to >60%. Thus, contractors must understand that crew members will be required to hike into the project site off of the main access road. Access has been granted to the project site across private lands off Laird Red Rock road.

Driving Directions to Project Area

Traveling from Alturas, CA

From Alturas, California drive west on Highway 299 approximately 20 miles to the town of Canby, California. Turn right onto Highway 139 towards Klamath Falls, Oregon. Continue on Highway

139 for approximately 55 miles turning left onto Highway 161. Travel on Highway 161 for 19 miles. Turn left onto Highway 97. Travel on Highway 97 for 2.9 miles. Turn left onto Center Street and continue down Center Street until you reach Dorris-Brownell Road. Travel on Dorris-Brownell

Road for 7.75 miles. Turn right onto Willow Creek road. Continue on Willow Creek road for approximately 4.9 miles. Turn left onto Laird Red Rock road. Travel on Laird Red Rock road for

1.4 miles. Turn right onto unnamed road for approximately 4 miles until you reach the project area.

The project area is located near the summit of Mount Dome on the south side of the road.

Traveling from Klamath Falls, OR

From Klamath Falls, OR drive west on Highway 97 for approximately 19 miles to the town of

Dorris, California. Turn left onto Center Street and continue down Center Street until you reach

Dorris-Brownell road. Travel on Dorris-Brownell road for 7.75 miles. Turn right onto Willow

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Creek road. Continue on Willow Creek road for approximately 4.9 miles. Turn left onto Laird Red

Rock road. Travel on Laird Red Rock road for 1.4 miles. Turn right onto unnamed road for approximately 4 miles until you reach the project area. The project area is located near the summit of Mount Dome on the south side of the road.

Period of Performance:

Total area for the Mount Dome project is 90 acres. Project must be completed by September 30, 2023 which is 730 days from the estimated start work date.

PWS 3.0 Overall Objective(s) The objective of this work is to provide services for wildlife habitat improvement and fuels reduction work through the reduction and/or removal of hazardous fuels on approximately 90 acres in Siskiyou County, California within public lands managed by the Applegate Field Office.

A site visit is recommended for this contract and will be offered on Thursday August 12, 2021.

We will meet at 9:00 am at Lane's Market at 109 S Pine St, Dorris, CA 96023. Please park near the old frosty adjacent to Lane's Market off of Highway 97 as to not impact business at the market. Prior to the field tour, prospective bidders need to contact Andrew Mueller at 530-279-

2707 to confirm if they intend to participate in the pre-bid tour or not no later than 48 hours prior to the date and time in which the pre-bid tour is scheduled to occur. Questions about the site visit may be directed towards Andrew Mueller, Forester, Applegate Field Office or Zachary Palmer, Fuels Specialist, Applegate Field Office, 530-233-7910.

PWS 4.0 Specific Tasks

The Contractor will provide the following services:

Task 1: Manual Cutting – Limbing

• Limbing all conifers that are greater than or equal to six (6) inches DBH to a height of six

(6) feet measured from the uphill side of the tree.

• Cut limbs will be piled in accordance with the piling specs (Exhibit 2: Piling

Specifications).

• Known bald eagle roost trees will not be removed for any reason during project implementation. Roost trees will be identified on a tree by tree basis as any tree, alive or dead, > 14” dbh which has any eagle castings of any age around the base. Previous markings and tagging of roost trees will not be relied on to verify roost tree status.

However, if a tag or mark is present this will confirm that a tree is a known roost tree.

Identification of roost trees will be made by trained personnel under the direction of a

BLM Wildlife Biologist.

• Large snags > 14” dbh will be maintained in treatment units.

• The Contractor will be responsible for ensuring his or her crew can identify old growth juniper to ensure it is not accidentally cut or damaged. If old growth juniper are found to be cut by mistake or willfully cut by the Contractor, the Contractor will be subject to liquidated damages. The Contractor shall pay a rate of $250.00 per tree for inadvertent cutting or willfully damaging of old growth juniper (Exhibit 3: Old growth

Identification).

Task 2: Manual Cutting – Control dense montane chapparal through cutting

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• Cut-and-pile all montane chapparal and all dead standing curl-leaf mountain mahogany through the use of hand treatments (i.e. chainsaws) within the designated treatment area

(Exhibit 2: Piling Specifications).

• Staubs should not exceed a height of two (2) inches measured from the ground.

Exceptions include rocks or other features that make it difficult to safely flush cut staubs.

• No grubbing is required for this treatment action.

Task 3: Helispot construction

• All montane chaparral within a 110 foot circle from the center of the helispot shall be cut to a height not to exceed two (2) feet (Exhibit 4: Maps).

• All montane chaparral within a 30 foot circle from the center of the helispot shall be completely removed.

• Staub heights shall not exceed two (2) inches in height.

• All cut vegetation must be removed from the area and piled (Exhibit 2: Piling

Specifications).

For the construction of piles, the following additional stipulations apply:

• At least 90% of the limbs within the designated cut-and-pile acres will be piled.

• Piles shall be a minimum of three (3) feet wide by three (3) feet tall and may be as large as ten (10) feet wide by ten (10) feet tall and constructed such that no no material or branch shall extend more than two (2) feet from the concentration of the pile (see

Exhibit 2: Piling Specifications).

• Piled material should be cut into small enough pieces to provide for a dense, compact, and uniform pile with minimal air spaces.

• Piles must not be built on the stump.

• If possible, piles should not be built on the duff layer or within the dripline of standing live trees (to minimize long duration smoldering after consumption of the pile).

• Piles shall be constructed in areas devoid of heavy brush as much as possible.

For the specified services to be performed under the contract, the following stipulations also apply:

• No driving off of existing roads or two tracks is allowed except for emergencies

• The project area roads shall not be degraded or rutted by the Contractor’s activities. All project area roads shall be kept free of slash.

• No work may be completed between March 1 and August 31 of any given year.

PWS 5.0 Delivery / Performance Schedule The Contractor shall accomplish wildlife habitat improvement and fuels reduction work through the reduction and/or removal of hazardous fuels on approximately 90 acres. The work is to be performed over a period of two years beginning on September 30th, 2021 and concluding on

September 30th, 2023. The work to be performed under this contract is located in in Siskiyou

County, California within public lands managed by the Applegate Field Office. There is no documentation or permits that need to be acquired by the contractor. Access to the project areas is a cross roads managed by the Applegate Field Office. The contractor will adhere to the seasonal timing restrictions for bald and golden eagles.

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PWS 6.0 Government-Furnished Property, Materials, Services General:

The Contractor shall furnish all personnel, materials, equipment, supplies, facilities, transportation, tools, materials, supervision, and other items and non-personal services necessary to perform the work tasks defined in this Performance Work Statement, except for those items specified as government-furnished.

Materials:

The Contractor shall furnish all materials necessary to meet the requirement of this contract except for those items specified as government-furnished property and services.

Equipment:

The Contractor shall furnish equipment necessary to meet the requirement of this contract except for those items specified as government-furnished property and services.

Services: N/A.

Facilities N/A.

Utilities N/A.

Applicable Publications (Current Editions) N/A.

PWS 7.0 Security and Administrative Matters Security:

The Contractor shall be responsible for safeguarding all Government property provided for

Contractor use or under their control, including securing all facilities the Contractor may access after normal business hours.

Contractor shall coordinate work schedule with Contracting Officers Representative to minimize public and employee ingress/egress to the building.

Safety:

The Contractor shall not require, or allow any employee, engaged in the performance of this

Contract to work under conditions which are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to his/her health or safety, as determined under safety and health standards promulgated by the Secretary of Labor under Section 107 of the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 U.S.C. 327 et seq.)

as amended and other Federal, State and applicable local government safety standards.

Department of Labor Code of Federal Regulations Title 29 and other Federal, State and local government safety standards will apply in its entirety to the Contractor.

Examples of applicable safety standards are OSHA 29 CFR 1910, OSHA 29 CFR 1926, California Title 19, "Public Safety", California Title 8, "General Industry Safety Orders", and 41

CFR, Subpart B, "Public Contracts, General Safety and Health Standards."

The contractor shall also use the “BLM SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS” (The Yellow

Book) for reference.

Should the contractor fail to comply with any of these standards and regulations, the contractor shall be found to have defaulted on the terms of the contract.

Contingency Plan:

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Sudden or unusual events could result in a negative impact to the delivery / performance of these requirements.

As an aid to properly plan for such events, the Contractor shall prepare and submit for approval a

Contingency Plan for each Place of Performance for these requirements.

The Contractor will outline in detail the method(s) that the Contractor shall use in meeting

Contract requirements in the following circumstances:

• a natural disaster occurs which impacts upon the Contractor's ability to perform

• a labor strike occurs which impacts upon the Contractor's ability to perform.

• a hazardous materials spill which impacts the Contractor’s ability to perform or which may affects public safety

• an incident which causes major damage which impacts the Contractor's ability to perform

• other unforeseen circumstances

In all cases, the Contractor will assume that government cannot provide supplemental forces, and continues to need the same or additional performance under the Contract, which the Contractor must meet.

This Contingency Plan shall be submitted as a part of the Contractor proposal.

Emergency Response:

Response to emergency service calls outside of the normal business hours shall not exceed four

(4) hours regardless of the time during the day or night, weekends or holidays.

Response to emergency service during normal business hours shall not exceed two (2) hours.

Response is defined as having all personnel and equipment required to correct an emergency at the site of the emergency or at a pre-approved staging area, ready, willing, and able to perform the emergency work. The Contractor will provide a draft emergency response plan prior to

Contract start date.

Emergency Services:

On occasion, services may be required to support an activation or exercise of contingency plans outside the normal business hours described above. The Contractor's responsibilities for emergency support will be in accordance with the contingency plan.

Hazardous Materials and Hazardous Response:

The Contractor will conform to all Reclamation, Federal, State, and local regulations in the use and disposal of hazardous materials and hazardous waste. The Contractor will provide the appropriate response to any emergency involving hazardous materials at any of the facilities covered by this Contract. The Contractor will provide proof/certification of its personnel qualified to work with hazardous materials and wastes to Reclamation. The Contractor will notify Reclamation immediately upon discovering a release of hazardous waste into the environment.

Public contact:

Contractor personnel may encounter adjacent landowners or members of the public during the performance of their work.

Contractor personnel will present a professional appearance and be able to provide appropriate identification, including display of proper identification by each employee.

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All Contractor and subcontractor personnel shall comply with all Federal and State laws relative to citizenship.

Contractor personnel shall inform any trespassers along the right of way of hazards and, as necessary and appropriate, ask trespassers to leave fenced off or restricted areas. If Contractor personnel may encounter emergency personnel, policemen, or firemen along the right of way, the

Contractor personnel shall notify the On-Site Foreman. If Contractor personnel encounter the news media, they should refer all questions to the On-Site Foreman, who shall keep the COR informed of all news media contacts.

Government Observations:

Government personnel other than COR may from time to time observe, photograph, or otherwise record Contract operations. However, these personnel will not interfere with Contractor performance.

Regular Work Hours:

The performance period established for this contract is based upon all work being conducted during regular working hours between 8:00am and 4:30pm, Monday through Friday, excluding government holidays. If the Contractor desires to carry on work outside regular hours, including

Saturdays, Sundays, and government holidays, a request must be submitted to the COR in sufficient time to allow satisfactory arrangements to be made for access to the work site.

Communications:

“Time” for communications received after 3:00pm, after 12:00 pm locally on Fridays, or after

12:00 pm locally prior to a holiday will not start until the next business day. All times are local

Pacific Standard Time.

Federal Holidays:

The following Federal Legal Holidays are observed:

New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, President’s Day, Memorial Day

Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day

Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day

Fire Danger Season:

If the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) allows the Contractor to continue work during periods of declared fire danger or season, the Contractor shall comply with all applicable state laws relating to fire prevention and with all special conditions of work as directed by the COR.

Improvements

The Contractor shall comply with the rules and regulations governing the operation of premises which are occupied and shall perform the contract in a manner that will not interrupt or interfere with the conduct of BLM business.

Before any camp, quarry, borrow pit, storage or service area other than shown on drawings is opened or operated on National Forest land or lands administered by the BLM, written permission shall be obtained through The BLM or Forest Service. A camp is interpreted to include the campsite or trailer parking area of any employee working on the project for

Contractor. Such permission, if granted, shall be without charge to Contractor. Contractor must remove and dispose of all said improvements when no longer needed.

Protection of Improvements

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The Contractor shall protect roads and other improvements (such as fences, roads, trails, telephone lines, and ditches) whether designated on the project area map or not.

Protection of Improvements Not Owned by the BLM

The Contractor will notify all utility companies, or other parties affected, and plans for all necessary adjustments of the public utility fixtures, pipelines, and other appurtenances affected by

Contractor’s operations.

When Contractor’s operations are adjacent to properties of railway, telegraph, telephone, or power companies, or other property, work shall not begin until all necessary arrangements to prevent damage have been made by the Contractor.

The Contractor will cooperate with all owners of above-mentioned property. In the event of interruption because of accidental breakage, the Contractor shall promptly notify the proper authority, and cooperate with that authority in the restoration of service.

Protection of Land Survey Monuments

The Contractor shall protect all known survey monuments, witness corners, reference monuments and bearing trees against any damage during Contractor’s operations.

Contractor shall avoid operating in areas containing sensitive cultural resources within the project area. Avoidance areas within the project boundaries have been identified and these locations will be made known to the Contractor. These areas were previously marked by flagging (red and black striped) hanging on vegetation surrounding the avoidance area perimeter, but flagging has deteriorated over time and may not be visible during project implementation. In the absence of visible flagging, the Contractor is to reference mapped avoidance areas provided via PDF

(Avenza) Map. These areas, including the trees and/or vegetation that defines the avoidance area boundary, are to be excluded from project work and pedestrian access. In addition to the designated cultural resource avoidance areas, vegetation immediately outside or adjacent to the avoidance areas that is at risk of falling into the footprint of the avoidance area if cut will either be avoided (not cut) or directionally felled so as to prevent the disturbance of cultural resources.

Directional felling and/or additional avoidance measures outside designated avoidance areas are to occur at the discretion of the personnel responsible for conducting vegetation removal.

Location of known historic or prehistoric sites, buildings, objects and properties related to

American history, architecture, archaeology and culture, such as settler or Indian artifacts, protected by American Antiquities Act of 1906 (16 U.S.C. 431-433), National Historic

Preservation Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 470) and the Archaeological Resources Protection Act of

1979 (16 U.S.C. 470aa-ll) (36 CFR 296.4 and 36 CFR 261.9(g)), shall be identified on the ground by the BLM. The BLM may unilaterally modify or cancel this contract to protect an area, object of antiquity, artifact, or similar object which is or may be entitled to protection under these Acts regardless of when the area, object or artifact is discovered or identified. Discovery of such areas by either party shall be promptly reported to the other party and operations will be suspended at that location until the significance or potential significance of the site is determined.

The Contractor shall protect all known and identified historic or prehistoric sites, buildings, objects, and properties related to American history, architecture, archaeology and culture against destruction, obliteration, removal, or damage during Contractor's Operations. The Contractor shall immediately notify the BLM if disturbance occurs to any known site, and shall immediately halt operations in the vicinity of the site until the BLM authorizes the Contractor to proceed. The

Contractor shall bear costs of evaluation and restoration in accordance with 36 CFR 296.14(c), provided that such payment shall not relieve the Contractor from civil or criminal remedies otherwise provided by law.

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Protection of Threatened or Endangered Species, and BLM Sensitive Species

Location of areas needing special measures for protection of plants or animals listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 or as sensitive plant and animal species on the resource area’s list are shown on project area map and identified on the ground. Measures needed to protect such areas have been included elsewhere in this contract or are as follows:

If protection measures prove inadequate, if other such areas are discovered, or if new species are listed on the Endangered Species list or the resource area's sensitive plant and animal species list, the BLM may either cancel or unilaterally modify this contract to provide additional protection regardless of when such facts become known. Discovery of such areas by either party shall be promptly reported to the other party and operations will be suspended at that location until the significance or potential significance of the area is determined.

Presence of Threatened or Endangered species and BLM sensitive species (i.e. raptors and/or nests) within the project area would be reported to the wildlife biologist. Project activities in the area would cease until evaluation of the area occurs, and applicable seasonal timing restrictions and distance buffers would be implemented as necessary to protect BLM sensitive species and habitat.

Wildlife Seasonal Restrictions

The Contractor shall comply with seasonal restrictions in accordance with Table 2.24-3 Seasonal

Restrictions and Distance Buffers for Wildlife in the 2008 Alturas Resource Management Plan.

Since there is a known active bald eagle nest within the project area, the following seasonal restriction applies:

• No project activities will occur between January 1 to August 31 of any given year.

The above seasonal restriction will also prevent disturbance to other raptor species and migratory birds during breeding season (typically between March 1 to August 31) within the project area.

Sanitation and Servicing

The Contractor shall take all reasonable precautions to prevent pollution of air, soil, and water by

Contractor’s operations. If facilities for employees are established within the project area, they shall be operated in a sanitary manner. Contractor shall not service tractors, trucks or other equipment on BLM lands where servicing is likely to result in pollution to soil or water.

Contractor shall remove from BLM lands all refuse resulting from use, servicing, repair, or abandonment of equipment. If the contractor’s operations or servicing of equipment result in pollution to soil or water, Contractor shall conduct cleanup to restore the polluted site to the satisfaction of the BLM.

Prevention of Oil Spills

If the Contractor maintains storage facilities for oil or oil products within the project area, Contractor shall take appropriate preventive measures to insure that any spill of such oil or oil products does not enter any stream or other waters of the United States or any of the individual

States. If the total oil or oil products storage exceeds 1,320 gallons or if any single container exceeds a capacity of 660 gallons, Contractor shall prepare a Spill Prevention Control and

Countermeasures Plan. Such plan shall meet applicable EPA requirements (40 CFR 112) including certification by a registered professional engineer. In addition, oil spills or leaks including spills and leaks from equipment less than the above amounts are to be removed, including contaminated soil and vegetation, from the site and disposed of in accordance with state

PWS Page 10 and federal laws. Equipment parked for a prolong period ten (10) days or more will need oil absorbing cloth or other spill deterrent authorized by the COR to mitigate equipment oil leaks.

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PWS 8.0 Technical Exhibits and Definitions

Standard Definitions:

Physical Condition: The Physical appearance of Federal equipment or facilities that considers cracks, chips, dents, abrasions, rust, corrosion, general cleanliness, vibration, operating temperature, and discoloration and other items as identified by the COR. Physical condition may be determined by visual as well as diagnostic means.

Contracting Officer (CO): The Secretary of the Interior or designated authorized representative who is the only agent capable of signing a federal award or obligating funds.

Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR): The Contracting Officer’s designated representative as indicated in a delegation of authority letter.

Quality Assurance (QA): Surveillance of Contractor performance to determine performance requirements are met.

Performance Requirements Summary (PRS) (see Technical Exhibit below): The PRS identifies the key performance indicators of the Contract that will be evaluated by the Government to assure

Contract performance standards are met by the Contractor.

Quality Control: Those actions taken by the Contractor to control the production of goods or services so that they meet the requirements of the performance work statement.

Technical Definitions:

Bearing Tree: A tree used as a reference monument to locate a property corner.

Brush: Vegetation consisting of shrub species with single or multi-stems originating at or near ground level and not normally reaching 20 feet in height. Examples include

Manzanita, Ceanothus species, sagebrush, and Ribes Species.

Conifer: An evergreen, cone-bearing tree, such as Incense Cedar, Ponderosa Pine, Sugar Pine, White Fir, and Western Juniper.

Diameter Breast Height (DBH): The diameter of a tree measured 4.5 feet above the ground on the uphill side.

Limbing: is the process of removing branches from a standing or fallen tree trunk

Manual Work: Work that does not require the use of heavy equipment. Most work is performed by hand; some bid items may require light use of chainsaws, ATVs, or trucks.

Old-growth Juniper: old-growth trees as being 150 years or older. The tree may also develop a combination of the following characteristics; broad non-symmetric tops, deeply furrowed bark, twisted trunks or branches, dead branches and spike tops, large lower limbs, trunks containing narrow strips of cambium (strip-bark), hollow trunks, large trunk diameters relative to tree height, and branches covered with bright yellow green lichen (Miller et al. 2005).

Project Area: The area identified on the task order for treatment using any of the items in this contract.

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Slash: Any non-merchantable vegetative material which has been cut by the Contractor.

Typically includes brush, broken tops, limbs, cull logs, pieces of logs damaged reproduction, saplings, and poles which were caused as a result of felling and yarding operations.

Snag: A dead tree retained to benefit wildlife.

Staub: A short length of cut branch wood extending from the bole or the ground.

Stump: The lower end of a tree with roots attached remaining in the ground after the tree has been cut.

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Technical Exhibits:

EX 1: Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP)

EX 2: Piling Specifications

EX 3: Old Growth Identification

EX 4: Maps

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EXHIBIT 1: QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN (QASP)

Work Tasks to be

Performed

Acceptable Quality Level Method of Surveillance Consequences, Remedies, and/or Deduction(s)

Task 1: Manual Cutting –

Limbing

Limb all conifers that are greater than or equal to six

(6) inches DBH to a height of six (6) feet measured from the uphill side of the tree.

Tress over six (6) inches DBH are limbed to a height of six (6) feet measured from the uphill side of the tree..

Limbs are completely removed from the trunk of the tree and cuts are flush.

Piles containing cut limbs shall be a minimum of three (3) feet wide by three (3) feet tall and may be as large as ten (10) feet wide by ten (10) feet tall and constructed such that no piece of juniper extends more than two (2) feet from the concentration of the pile.

The COR and/or Project

Inspector (PI) will conduct government inspections. The

Contractor (or designated representative) is encouraged to be present to observe inspections. Summary results will be made available on request. Government inspections will consist of:

a. Compliance Inspections

Visual compliance inspections of limbing work tasks will be made on a periodic basis across the project area. Such inspections are not final and do not constitute acceptance by the

Government.

b. Final Inspections Final inspections for payment will be made on the completed project unit unless otherwise agreed upon in writing. Contractor shall request a final inspection.

Inspection requests shall be

The contractor will be made aware of the deficiencies and documented in the COR’s diary.

Deficiencies will need to be corrected within 48 hours unless the BLM representative states otherwise.

Incentives/Disincentives

a. Contractor will be required to rework the area at no additional cost to the Government

b. The Government will charge to the Contractor any additional cost of subsequent inspection of reworked area

c. Positive or negative Performance rating at the end of the contract (this will have definitive impacts on the contractor receiving additional contracts with the BLM in the future).

Disputed Inspection

When formal inspection by the Government is accomplished through visual inspection, the

Contractor may request re-inspection without rework if the results are unacceptable. Re-inspection must be requested in writing within 48 hours after receiving written notice of the inspection results. Re-inspection will be

PWS Page 15 verbal and documented within the diary or in writing and pursuant to FAR 52.246-4, shall include results of Contractor’s quality inspections. Inspections will be completed within ten (10) calendar days after the notice is received for each item. If a formal request for an item inspection is within the ten (10) working days since the previous request, the time will not start until the time for the previous inspection expires.

accomplished within ten days after receipt of the contractor's written request. The same inspection procedures will be used. The inspection pattern will be shifted so that new samples will not overlap previously inspected samples.

If re-inspection results are still unacceptable without re-work, the Contractor shall pay the actual costs incurred by the Government for the re-inspection. Actual costs will be determined by the use of detailed logs indicating time spent, transportation utilized, etc.

Task 2: Manual Cutting –

Control dense montane chapparal through cutting

Cut-and-pile all montane chapparal and all dead standing curl-leaf mountain mahogany through the use of hand treatments on 90 acres of public land.

Designated species shall be cut within the designated treatment area.

Staubs should not exceed a height of two (2) inches measured from the ground. Exceptions include rocks or other features that make it difficult to safely flush cut staubs.

Piles containing cut material shall be a minimum of three (3) feet wide by three (3) feet tall and may be as large as ten (10) feet wide by ten (10) feet tall and constructed such that no piece of juniper extends more than

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Task 3: Helispot construction

All montane chaparral within a 110 foot circle from the center of the helispot shall be cut to a height not to exceed over two (2) feet (Exhibit 4:

Maps). In addition, all montane chaparral within a

30 foot circle from the center of the helispot shall be completely removed.

Designated species shall be cut within the designated treatment area.

Staubs should not exceed a height of two (2) inches measured from the ground. Exceptions include rocks or other features that make it difficult to safely flush cut staubs.

Piles containing cut material shall be a minimum of three (3) feet wide by three (3) feet tall and may be as large as ten (10) feet wide by ten (10) feet tall and constructed such that no piece of juniper extends more than

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Exhibit 2: Pile Building Guidelines:

➢ Minimum six (6) feet wide, conical or hemispherical in shape (not low and flat)

➢ No material or branches shall extend more than two (2) feet out from the concentration of the pile

➢ At least 90% of the limbs within the designated pile acres need to be piled

➢ Piled material should be cut into small enough pieces to provide for a dense , compact, and uniform pile with minimal air spaces

➢ Piles must not be built on the stump

➢ If possible, piles should not be built on the duff layer or within the dripline of standing live trees (to minimize long duration smoldering after consumption of the pile)

Well-Constructed Piles:

Well-constructed piles that are dense, uniform, and symmetrical piles that are not placed on stumps or on heavy duff and are devoid of large coarse woody material.

Poorly Constructed Piles:

Poorly constructed piles that are low, constructed of large and loose woody material, and are relatively flat in stature.

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Exhibit 3: Old Growth Identification

Old Growth Juniper

Individual old growth trees in restoration areas would be identified using morphological characteristics (Miller et al. 2005) and preserved for their many social and ecological values.

These characteristics would include:

● Rounded or unsymmetrical tops that may be sparse and contain dead limbs.

● Deeply furrowed, fibrous bark on the trunk that is reddish in color.

● Branches near the base of the tree that may be very large and covered with fruticose lichens.

● Limited terminal leader growth on branches in the upper 25 percent of the canopy.

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Exhibit 4: Maps

PWS Page 20

PWS Page 21

PWS Page 22

File details come from the government source that posted it. Updated .