Attachment 1 SOW Vegetation Management Service (VMS) NC BPA.pdf

Multiple Award BPAs

Attachment 1 Vegetation Management Services, NC-VMS BPA

PERFORMANCE STATEMENT OF WORK

The contractor will provide any and all labor, equipment, supplies, services, permits and licensing necessary to perform vegetation management support services to include, but not limited to, site preparation (manual, mechanical, chemical, or combination thereof), tree/shrub/herbaceous/grass species planting, stand improvement activities, non-native invasive species (NNIS) treatments, watershed improvement activities, and the creation of wildlife openings. This work will be performed on various Forest Service locations throughout the National Forests of North Carolina in North Carolina. Individual tasks to be performed will be assigned by BPA Call against the Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA).

Reforestation

1.1 – Manual Site Preparation:

Using a chainsaw and/or other cutting hand tools, cut trees and shrubs as designated in each BPA call. Examples of work include, but are not limited to, slashing, girdling, etc. The contractor must be able to identify plant species to target at all times of the year. Specific type of treatment and other work requirements will be provided on each BPA call.

1.2 – Mechanical Site Preparation:

Drum Chopping – all trees, stumps, and/or logging slash meeting specifications provided in each BPA call will be cut off at ground level and chopped with a roller drum chopper. Stems simply knocked over will not be considered chopped. Area must be completely covered by the roller drum chopper; each row of chopping must overlap the previous row. Equipment capability must be 270 horsepower at engine flywheel or equivalent. Rolling drum chopper must be at least 8 feet wide; drum chopper blades must be at least 6” wide. Specific type of treatment and other work requirements will be provided on each BPA call.

Mastication may also be used in mechanical site preparation with specifications provided in each BPA call, or other mechanized cutting equipment, cut/masticate trees as designated in each BPA call. Examples of work include, but are not limited to, understory mastication for open forest maintenance, precommercial thinning, sanitation cutting to remove insect-infested trees, crop tree release treatments, slashing, etc. The contractor must be able to identify plant species to target at all times of the year. Specific type of treatment and other work requirements will be provided on each BPA call. Other specific work requirements will be provided in each BPA call.

1.3 –Chemical Site Preparation:

Chemical site preparation will take place in recently harvested timber stands. Herbicide will be applied to the target species only. The contractor must be able to identify plant species to target at all times of the year. Only manual methods of applications will be used (such as backpack directed foliar spray, stem injection, basal bark injection, hack and squirt, cut-stump application, etc.). Contractor will furnish all supplies unless otherwise specified in the blanket purchase agreement (BPA) call. The specific method, timing, mixture, and other specifics will be provided on each BPA call.

Chemical site preparation with the use of skidders may be the preferred method in some instances and will be specified in the statement of work. Application would occur on recently harvested stands, and herbicide would be broadcast by skidder. The herbicide mixture will be determined by the district that is requesting the work.

1.4 – Tree/Shrub/Herbaceous/Grass Species Planting Requirements:

Tree/shrub/herbaceous/grass species planting will use manual methods (hand planting) and direct seeding. Planting can range from planting softwood and hardwood tree seedlings, planting and direct seeding of shrub, herbaceous, and grass species. The seedlings/plugs/seed may be provided by the Forest Service or contractor may be required to provide the seedlings/plugs/seed.

Seedlings/plugs may be containerized or bare root stock (will be specified on the BPA call).

Seedlings/plugs regional provenance may be specified with the BPA call and may require approval by the Forest Service if provided by the contractor. Seedling/plug spacing, seeding rates, and other work requirements will be specified on each BPA call.

Stand Improvement

1.5 – Manual and Chemical Treatment Requirements:

Using a chainsaw and/or other cutting hand tools, cut and girdle trees as designated in each BPA call. Examples of work include, but are not limited to, improvement cutting; precommercial thinning; release cleaning, liberation, and weeding; sanitation cutting to remove insect-infested trees; crop tree release treatments, midstory removal, vine control, etc.

Using chemical treatments as designated in each BPA call, herbicide will be applied to the target species only. The contractor must be able to identify plant species to target at all times of the year. Only manual methods of applications will be used (such as backpack directed foliar spray, stem injection, basal bark injection, hack and squirt, cut-stump application, etc.). Contractor will furnish all supplies unless otherwise specified in the blanket purchase agreement (BPA) call. The specific method, timing, mixture, and other specifics will be provided on each BPA call.

Chemical improvement activities with the use of skidders may be the preferred method in some instances and will be specified in the statement of work. Herbicide application would be broadcast by skidder. The herbicide mixture will be determined by the district that is requesting the work.

Specific type of treatment and other work requirements will be provided on each BPA call.

1.6 – Mechanized Stand Improvement Requirements:

Using tree felling, mastication, or other mechanized cutting equipment, cut/masticate trees as designated in each BPA call. Examples of work include, but are not limited to, understory mastication for woodlands maintenance, precommercial thinning, sanitation cutting to remove insect-infested trees, crop tree release treatments, etc. The contractor must be able to identify plant species to target at all times of the year. Specific type of treatment and other work requirements will be provided on each BPA call.

Non-Native Invasive Species

1.7 - Non-Native Invasive Species (NNIS) Treatments Requirements:

Using chemical and/or mechanical methods to treat NNIS as designated in each BPA call.

Examples of work include, but not limited to, broadcast application, direct foliar spray, wicking/wiping, basal bark treatment, frill, hack and squirt, stem injection, cut-stump application, etc. The contractor must be able to identify the targeted non-native plant species in all stages of their life cycle at all times of the year. Quantity of chemical, extent of treatment area, and date of treatment must be provided by the contractor to document the completed work.

Specific type of treatment or chemical, and other work requirements will be provided on each BPA call.

1.8 - Insecticide Treatment Requirements:

Implementation of insecticide treatments for control of but not limited to, hemlock woolly adelgid. Contractor will furnish all supplies unless otherwise stated in the BPA call. Method will be in the form of soil drench, injection, tablets, or stem injection. Ability required to identify trees, assess tree health and estimate crown ratios; navigate to treatment sites and locate tagged trees; update tags/repaint as needed; determine if tree should be treated based on criteria specified by the Forest Service; and document tree condition treatment activity on Forest Service-provided electronic or paper forms. Additional information on work requirements will be provided in the BPA call.

Watershed Improvement

1.9 – Improving Water Quality and Function Requirements

Use manual/mechanical methods to reduce soil damage and improve soil productivity, improve the health of streamside vegetation by maintaining/restoring native populations, restoring the natural function of stream channels and their floodplains, and restoring/enhancing aquatic habitat quality and diversity. Specific type of treatment and other work requirements will be provided on each BPA call.

Wildlife Opening Creation

1.10 – Mechanical clearing and stump removal

Using tree felling, mastication, other mechanized cutting and/or earth work equipment to clear vegetation and/or remove stumps for the creation of maintained wildlife openings. Specific type of treatment and other work requirements will be provided on each BPA call.