Attachment 1_SOW.pdf

Part I - The Schedule

Section C - Description/Specifications/Work Statement

Division 100 - General Specifications

110 - Scope of Contract

It is the purpose of this contract to secure services for the maintenance and removal of plastic tree shelters on the Marienville (Item #1) and Bradford (Item #2) Ranger District of the Allegheny National Forest. The shelters were installed to protect tree seedlings. Most units were planted between 2013 and 2023; however, some older units may exist. The contractor is responsible for furnishing all supervision, labor, equipment, transportation, tools, materials, and incidentals necessary to complete the work.

120 - Location and Description

All Project Areas are located within the Allegheny National Forest.

Item 1 consists of areas on the Marienville Ranger District. The Marienville Ranger District is located in Forest, Elk and McKean counties, Pennsylvania. The district is South of Route 666, east of US Rte. 62, west of US Rte. 219 and North of the Clarion River.

Item 2 consists of areas on the Bradford Ranger District. The Bradford Ranger District is located in Warren, McKean and Forest County, Pennsylvania. The District is located south of the New York State line, north of Route 666 and bordered by the Allegheny River to the west and US Rte. 219 to the east.

Vicinity and Project Area Maps are included for specific site locations. All project areas are signed with an orange project identification tag. Boundaries will only be flagged if unit boundaries cannot be easily identified on the ground.

Unit Description: Please see the attached Project Area Tables, associated Location Tables (Attachment #2) and attached Vicinity and Unit Maps (Attachments #3 & #4).

122 - Accessibility

In general, the project areas are accessible by Forest, Township and State roads.

A Forest Service key will be issued to the contractor to gain access behind locked gates. Keys issued must be returned to the Forest Service before final payment will be made. ATV's may be operated within Project Areas to accomplish removal of discarded shelters only. The operator is subject to fines if found using ATV's in manners other than for the purpose of shelter removal. If at any time the Forest Service inspections indicate that excessive soil damage has occurred due to the contractors negligence, the contractor shall be required to repair the damage. The repair will be at the Contractors own expense.

130- Government Furnished Property

The Government will provide the following Government property at the time of the pre-work conference:

131 - Administrative Maps

132 – Fiberglass Rods (as needed)

133 – Rubberized ties (as needed)

134 - Forest Service key

140 - Pre-Work Conference

Prior to the start of work, and as soon as possible after contract award, the Contracting Officer or the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) will contact the Contractor and mutually agree on a pre-work conference date and location to discuss the contract terms, and work performance requirements.

At this conference, the contractor will be required to submit a plan of work outlining the date work will begin. The plan will include where and in what order the work will progress.

Division 200 - Technical Specifications

210 - Inspection

The Contractor shall inspect all shelters (100%) in each designated area. The shelters must be checked as follows:

211 - A visual check to see if the shelter is generally perpendicular to the ground surface, still intact (not failing) and to see if a minimum of two ties (one top and one bottom) are attaching the shelter to the stake.

212 - A manual inspection consisting of shaking each shelter and stake to ensure it is firmly in the ground, and the stake is not failing.

213 – Once the inspection is complete, the shelter must be marked with contractor supplied aerosol paint. A small dot shall be used to mark the top of the shelter

220 - Maintenance

222 – Tree Shelters - All shelters will be secured to the stake by ratchet/zip ties or rubberized twist ties, at least 1 top and 1 bottom. If shelters have collapsed flat, please ensure they are round/square with enough space for the seedling/sapling to grow.

223 – Stake and Shelter Removal (Dead Seedlings) - Where a seedling is not present in the shelter, or the seedling is dead (no leaves present during the growing season, or dead/brittle stem during the dormant period) or the shelter is just lying on the ground with no seedling present, the contractor shall remove the shelter and dispose of as in Specification 240. Good condition shelters and fiber rod stakes shall be collected and taken to the appropriate District. Each District shall identify a location for materials to be dropped off on the grounds.

NOTE: Generally, sites that are on the first maintenance round have more shelters to remove than sites that have been maintained before.

224 - Stakes for Live Seedlings - If the stake on a live seedling was found to be failing or broken during the inspection, it must be replaced and a new stake properly installed on the shelter with ties. If the stake is just loose in the ground and it can be corrected by hammering it into the ground further, that is acceptable.

If a new stake is needed, it shall be between 1/2 and 2 1/2 inches from the stem of the seedling.

225 – Shelters on Live Seedlings - If the shelter is no longer needed because the tree seedling has grown out of the shelter and above deer browse height.

(greater than 7 feet high) and can stand without the aid of the shelter (normally the diameter has to be at least 3/4") it shall be removed. To remove the shelter in which the tree has grown out of it may be necessary to cut the shelter off the tree. In some cases the shelter cannot be pulled over the tree.

226 - Ties - If the ties are broken, missing or not attaching the shelter to the stake and the shelter is still intact, the contractor shall replace the ties with new ones.

(The Forest Service will supply rubberized twist ties to the contractor if needed.)

Note that if a stake has been re-hammered into the ground, it is possible that the top of the stake will be below the highest shelter tie. If this is the case the contractor will punch two new tie holes into the shelter and insert a new tie to fasten the top of the shelter to the stake. Each shelter that utilizes ties shall have at minimum a top and bottom tie.

227 - SHELTER REPLACEMENT - The contractor will replace any shelter that has failed on live seedlings. If the shelter has been bent in half, damaged by porcupines etc. it must be replaced. Shelters removed from dead seedlings can be reused for this. Shelters should be pushed tight to the ground.

230 – Shelter Count

Contractor will keep a count of shelters removed from each site and turn that number into the Contractor Inspector or the COR.

240 - Disposal of Material

241 – Old wooden stakes may remain scattered throughout the site and laid flat on the ground.

242 - All shelters, pieces of shelters, ties, netting and piles of previously discarded shelters that are either currently removed, or lying within or immediately adjacent to the Project Areas shall be removed by the contractor from Forest Service land and properly disposed of before payment will be made.

** Shelters and fiberglass rods that are in good enough condition to be reused shall be bundled and returned to the appropriate Ranger Station. The COR will show the contractor where on the compound to stage the shelters and fiberglass rods.

243 - All other trash and debris generated in the performance of the contract shall be removed from Forest Service System Land.

250 - Safety

It is the contractor’s responsibility to ensure that the work environment is safe for themselves and their employees. If the contractor feels that a requirement of this contract would place them or their employees in an unsafe environment, then work should stop on that area of work and the contractor should contact the COR. Work on other areas of the contract that the contractor does not view as unsafe should continue.

260- Payment

Payment, in arrears, will be made in accordance with Prompt Payment Act, upon receipt of properly completed invoice (FS 6300-30), and, completion of inspection and acceptance by Forest Service personnel. Vendor is encouraged to notify Contracting Officer's Representative immediately upon completion of specific line Item(s), if partial payments are desired/approved by Contracting Officer.

270 – Measurement

A) Measurement – The acreages have been measured using GPS technology.

B) Remeasurement - The Contractor may at any time after award request remeasurement of any project area. The request shall be made in writing.

Remeasurement will be made within the established boundaries. If remeasurement indicates a variance of 15 percent or less, the Contractor shall bear the cost of remeasurement at standard Forest Service rates and payment will be based on the remeasured acreage. If remeasurement indicates a variance greater than 15 percent, payment will be based on the remeasured acreage and the Government will pay the cost of remeasurement.

280 – Inventory

For all Project Areas, Contractor will inventory the number of remaining shelters per area. Data collected will be summarized in a written report providing the total number of shelters remaining per Project Area. This report must be received by the Forest Service prior to final payment.

PART I - THE SCHEDULE

SECTION E - INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

Inspection Methods:

The contractor shall call and notify the COR that the unit is 100% complete and that a final inspection is required. The Government will inspect the quality of shelter maintenance and removal by the methods listed below. Any rework based on an unsatisfactory or failed inspection could result in a Bid Disincentive (by Bid Item). This does not in any manner relieve the contractor from compliance with other terms and conditions of the contract not included in this inspection procedure.

1. Shelter Maintenance will be determined by visual examination for “marked” shelters, vertical slitting of shelters and by manual checks of stakes.

Contractor will return to areas where shelters and stakes are in non-compliance and fix them to contract specifications.

2. Shelter Removal will be determined by visual examination.

Since 100% of the removed shelters must be disposed of, the contractor shall return to areas of non-compliance and bring it up to contract standards.

Care shall be employed to protect saplings within tree shelters during the conduct of this contract. Damage to bark and/or foliage shall be minimized while slitting and/or removing tree shelters. It may be recommended to the Contracting Officer that work be suspended on remaining Project Units until problems can be remedied.

Bid Disincentive:

If more than two final inspections are required to meet contract compliance, once the contractor has stated that the unit is 100% complete. The bid item will be deducted by 25% per additional inspection.

Part 1 - The Schedule

Section F - Deliveries or Performance

Time of Performance

It is estimated that work on this project will commence on date of task order award. All work under any ensuing award(s) must be completed no later than December 1, 2024.

Unit Description: Please see the attached Project Area Tables, associated Location Tables (Attachment #2) and attached Vicinity and Unit Maps (Attachments #3 & #4).