Attachment_1_-_South_Mountain_SOW_27_APR_23.pdf

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT-BOISE

STATEMENT OF WORK

FY 2023 South Mountain Slashing

F-1 General

1. Description of Services/Introduction: The Owyhee Field Office of the Boise District, Bureau of Land

Management (BLM) is acquiring vegetation management services for Slashing juniper trees by hand.

The Contractor shall furnish all personnel, tools, labor, supervision, equipment, materials, supplies, transportation, training, and incidentals necessary to perform the machine pile of slashed juniper in accordance with the specifications provided.

2. Background: This treatment is part of the Agriculture Research Service (ARS) South Mountain Juniper

Research EA which will treat over a five-year period 458 acres BLM land and 272 acres private land with slashing and broadcast burns. ARS is studying the hydrological impacts of juniper removal in four watersheds on South Mountain.

3. Objectives: South Mountain - Slashing. The objective of this treatment is to cut juniper trees to prepare for broadcast prescribed fire. The units will be broadcast burned the following spring.

4. Scope: The work under this contract includes slashing 145 acres on South Mountain. Contractor will be required to slash all western juniper trees regardless of size within the buffer boundary.

5. Period of Performance:

Estimated dates for this project are:

Start Date: August 1st, 2023 (Cannot start cutting until after raptor nesting season) End Date: August 25th, 2023

6. Federal Observed Holidays: In addition to any holidays declared by Executive Orders, 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

7. Place of performance: South Mountain –Slashing. The unit is in southwest Owyhee County, 20 miles south of Jordan Valley, Oregon and four miles northeast of Cliff, Idaho. Access is off the Owyhee Backcountry Byway (Mud Flat Road) at Cliff, ID (see Transportation map). A two track road leads approximately 4 miles to the northeast into the project site. Access to treatment units is through private property. BLM will confirm permission and notify landowners of travel through private. Project site location is considered remote. Please refer to attached project map for further detail.

8. Project Boundary Marking: The location and access to the areas are shown on the project maps. Geo-referenced PDF maps compatible with Avenza will be provided by the BLM to the contractor. Project boundary will be flagged.

9. Notification of Schedule: The Contractor must attend the pre-work meeting and provide a written performance plan, including crew size, approximate production rate (acres per day), planned work hours, prior to beginning work.

10. Notification of Cessation or Restart of Work: The Contractor will notify the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) at least 3 days before they plan to start operations. Contractor will also notify the COR whenever he intends to cease operations for one or more days and will tell the COR at that time when they plan to resume operations.

11. Personnel/Equipment Requirements: The Contractor must maintain an adequate work force at all times to ensure timely completion of the work and is responsible for the crew knowing the requirements of the contract. The crew is also responsible for maintaining a safe working environment following OSHA standards. The Contractor must attend the pre-work meeting and provide a written performance plan, including crew size, prior to beginning work.

12. Key Personnel: The following personnel are considered key personnel by the Government: One

Contractor Representative (foreman) must be designated by the Contractor. A Contractor Representative must be on-site directing work at all times. This person must be fluent in English and will serve as an on the ground contact person for the COR/PI. Failure to maintain a Contractor Representative will result in suspension of work until an acceptable on-the-ground Contractor Representative is provided. A maximum of five (5) days will be allowed to produce a qualified Contractor Representative. Failure to do so within five days may result in the Contracting Officer (CO) issuing a Suspend Work Order. CO and COR must be informed of any changes of Contractor Representative. The contractor will furnish a legible list of all contract employees (last name, first name) to the assigned COR. If there are any changes to the list of contract employees during the life of the contract a new list will be provided to the COR.

13. Camping: Camping on agency-administered lands will only be allowed in approved sites. The

Contractor shall maintain all camping areas in an orderly and sanitary manner. All fire regulations and restrictions shall be followed. All garbage and refuse shall be removed from the camp site(s) by the Contractor and disposed of off site before final payment is made.

14. Detailed Unit Information: Access to the unit crosses private land and access will be secured by the

BLM prior to the award of this contract if necessary. The unit is considered very remote with no cellular phone service on site, 25 miles to the closest services (gas/motel). Travel time between Jordan Valley and project site is estimated at more than 1 hour depending on vehicles and speeds.

15. Emergency Services: Contractor shall have a means of communicating with fire dispatch (for example:

satellite phone, text capable SPOT/Garmin device, cell phone WITH SERVICE) within 10 minutes of a medical emergency and/or fire start at all times during operational shift due to the remoteness of the work site and travel time for emergency services.

16. Inspection: The Government COR and/or PI will make periodic visual inspections. Inspection will consist of documentation of the treated areas. Documentation will be based upon compliance with the specifications listed above. COR and/or PI will discuss all deviations from specifications with Crew Representative as soon as possible when deviations from specifications are found. If disagreements occur between the COR and the Contractor on inspection, an agreed upon plot inspection will be initiated.

17. Protection of Improvements: The COR may order a cessation of work if vehicles are operated on roads within the work area when ground or weather conditions cause or lead to loss of traction or rutting.

Such conditions usually develop where frozen ground is thawing, when snow is melting, and during or immediately following rainstorms. Ground disturbance will be reduced by tracking over an area one time, and then avoiding sharp tight turns that cause the soil and vegetation to be turned up. Any soil and ground disturbance caused by equipment during and after operations will be rehabilitated.

18. Salvage Rights: The Contractor does not have salvage rights to the trees.

F-2 Definitions

1. Contractor. A supplier or vendor awarded a contract to provide specific supplies or service to the government. The term used in this contract refers to the prime.

2. Contracting Officer (CO). A person with authority to enter into, administer, and or terminate contracts, and make related determinations and findings on behalf of the government. Note: The only individual who can legally bind the government.

3. Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). An employee of the U.S. Government appointed by the contracting officer to administer the contract. Such appointment shall be in writing and shall state the scope of authority and limitations. This individual has authority to provide technical direction to the Contractor as long as that direction is within the scope of the contract, does not constitute a change, and has no funding implications. This individual does NOT have authority to change the terms and conditions of the contract.

4. Deliverable. Anything that can be physically delivered, but may include non-manufactured things such as meeting minutes or reports.

5. Equipment. A tangible item that is functionally complete for its intended purpose, durable, nonexpendable, and needed for the performance of a contract. Equipment is not intended for sale, and does not ordinarily lose its identity or become a component part of another article when put into use.

Equipment does not include material, real property, special test equipment or special tooling.

6. Key Personnel. Contractor personnel that are evaluated in a source selection process and that may be required to be used in the performance of a contract. When key personnel are used as an evaluation factor in best value procurement, an offer can be rejected if it does not have a firm commitment from the persons that are listed in the proposal. The prime contractor is responsible for performance of all subcontractors.

7. Quality Control. All necessary measures taken by the Contractor to assure that the quality of an end product or service shall meet contract requirements.

8. Subcontractor. One that enters into a contract with a prime contractor. The Government does not have privity of contract with the subcontractor.

F-3 Government Furnished Property and Services

PDFs of project maps were provided as attachments. Geo-referenced PDF maps compatible with Avenza will be provided by the BLM to the contractor.

F-4 Contractor -Furnished Items and Services

Vehicle Access and Use: 4x4 equipped vehicles are strongly recommended to access the project site. Access roads into the project site can be considered primitive 2 track roads for at least 2-4 miles. Travel times from maintained roads to the unit can be considered very slow for automobile traffic. Pickups and larger vehicles associated with cutting treatments as well as support vehicles will be restricted to established roads and trails.

Rubber tire ATVs may travel off-road to access the trees. ATV use may be restricted where needed to protect sensitive plant populations and cultural resources.

Undercarriages of all vehicles will be cleaned before entering the treatment areas to avoid spreading noxious weeds.

If roads or any type of access become impassable or subject to damage, because of adverse weather conditions or other natural and/ or social reasons, the COR will relay information to the Contractor, and a Stop Work Order may be implemented by the CO until other access can be obtained.

F-5 Specific Tasks

5.1 SLASHING: Work shall be performed onsite. Contractor shall provide all materials, equipment, labor, and tools necessary to perform the work. The slashing in South Mountain Hand Cutting is characterized by one level of difficulty: Unit 4 145 Acres Unit Density of material to be severed is estimated to average greater than 61 percent of cover.

Slashing detailed Specifications:

(a) All juniper will be severed at the stump and will be left on site.

(b) Any and all trees to be slashed shall be completely severed, and the remaining stump height shall be within (6) in. from the ground on the uphill side.

(c) No live branches will remain on the stump of any juniper tree after the tree is slashed.

(d) Trees shall be felled away from fence lines to maintain 5’ of clearance on both sides of the fence.

(e) Slash shall be cut to depth of 18” or less.

Restrictions:

(a) Slashing will not occur to any tree containing an active raptor nest (including large cavities suitable for nesting).

(b) Slashing will not occur to any tree that is part of a fence line or that can’t be slashed without damaging the fence line. If a tree is part of a fence line and it can be slashed above the top strand of wire safely, without damaging the fence, and no live branches are growing below the top strand of wire, the tree shall be slashed.

F-6 Applicable Technical Orders, Specifications, Regulations, Manuals

Fire Prevention

The contractor shall conduct all operations permitted under this contract in accordance with the Idaho Forestry Act Fire Hazard Reduction Law and Rules and Regulations Pertaining to Forest Fire Protection and Fire Hazard Reduction (1992). Primarily for purposes of fire prevention and control, the Contractor shall comply with the following provisions during closed fire season or periods of fire danger:

The contractor shall:

(a) Any person using a portable power saw on range or forest land in the state shall have the following immediately available for the prevention and suppression of fire within fifty (50) feet of any power saw when in operation.

(b) A fully charged operable fire extinguisher of at least 8 oz. minimum capability. Such fire extinguisher shall be filled and in effective operating condition and shall at all times be immediately available to the operator when the saw is being fueled or the motor of the saw is running. A size O or larger shovel shall be available with each gas can when refueling. Any fueling of a power saw shall be done in an area which has first been cleared of all flammable material. Power saws shall be moved at least twenty (20) feet from the place of fueling before the engine is started.

(c) Portable power saws shall be equipped with properly installed, maintained and effectively working spark arresters as designated in the Rules and Regulations pertaining to Forest Fire Protection, Idaho Department of Lands (1992).

(d) Comply with all applicable State and Federal laws and regulations pertaining to water quality in connection with any operations under this contract.

(e) Take every reasonable precaution not to pollute or obstruct any stream, lake or reservoir on or near the project area in connection with any operations under this contract. If contractor’s operations cause pollution or obstruction of any stream, lake or reservoir on or near the designated cutting area, contractor shall notify the authorized officer immediately, and will correct the condition to the satisfaction of the BLM.

Technical Exhibits:

Required services table with AQL

TASK INSPECTION

ITEM

INSPECTION

METRIC

PASS Acceptable Quality level

Perform slashing. Para 5.1.

SLASHING VISUAL 100% TREES

COMPLETELY

SEVERED AND

ON THE

GROUND

95% visual compliance with specs

LIVE

BRANCHES

VISUAL NO LIVE

BRANCHES

ATTACHED TO

TREE STUMP

95% visual compliance with specs

FENCELINE DISTANCE

FROM FENCE

LINES

>5FEET FROM

FENCE ON

BOTH SIDES

95% visual compliance with specs

TREE STUMP

HEIGHT

INCHES Within 6 in from ground on up hill side

95% visual compliance with specs

SLASH DEPTH INCHES 18 inches or less 95% visual compliance with specs

DELIVERABLE FREQUENCY REFERENCE MEDIUM/FORMAT SUBMIT

TO

Performance/Work Plan

Once 1.9Notification of schedule

By email in PDF format or hard copy

COR

Crew Manifest Once and as needed when crew manifest changes.

1.12 Key

Personnel

By email in PDF or scanned or hard copy

COR

Safety Plan and Briefings

Once or as needed for updates

1.15 Emergency Services

By email in PDF format or hard copy.

COR