Attachment 1 SRD Trail Brushing PWS.pdf

US Department of Agriculture (USDA)

SEWARD RANGER DISTRICT TRAIL BRUSHING PROJECT

Performance Work Statement

Contents Project Title General Information

1.0 Background and Purpose

2.0 Technical Requirements / Tasks

3.0 Deliverable / Schedule

4.0 Performance Requirement Measures

5.0 Government Furnished

6.0 Travel

7.0 Applicable Laws, Regulations, Specifications and Guidance

8.0 Attachments

Project Title Seward Ranger District Trail Brushing

General Information

1.0 Background and Purpose

This is a non-personal services task order to clear vegetative growth and brush located along approximately 20.34 miles of trails on the Seward Ranger District, Chugach National Forest. The Government will not exercise any supervision or control over the contract service providers performing the services herein. Such service providers shall be accountable solely to the Contractor who, in turn, is responsible to the Government.

1.1 Outline of Services: The Contractor shall furnish all labor, supervision, management, tools, materials, equipment, facilities, transportation, and other items necessary to provide the services outlined below and described in this Performance Work Statement (PWS).

1.2 Project Location: The project areas are located within close proximity to Cooper Landing and Hope AK, within the Chugach National Forest. Trailhead locations are as follows, The Upper Russian Lakes Trailhead can be accessed from mile 12 of Snug Harbor Road (which heads south from the town of Cooper Landing). The Crescent Creek Trailhead is three (3) miles down Quartz Creek Road via Mile 45 of the Sterling Highway. Gull Rock Trailhead is at mile 16 of the Hope Highway via Mile Post 56.3 of the Seward Highway.

1.3 Background: The U.S. Forest Service is responsible for maintaining healthy, diverse, and productive National Forests. Part of these responsibilities include maintaining trails and the management of vegetation growth. The Seward Ranger District (SRD) manages several miles of these trails.

1.4 Period of Performance:

a. Base items shall be Date of award through 30 September 2024.

1.5 Time frame of Contract Work Performance: Contractor shall conduct work before snowfall begins or after snow melts.

1.6 Post Award Conference/Periodic Progress Meetings: The Contractor agrees to attend any post award conference convened by the contracting activity or contract administration office in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 42.5. The CO and/or COR shall meet periodically with the contractor to review the contractor's performance. At these meetings the CO will apprise the Contractor of how the Government views the contractor's performance and the contractor will apprise the Government of problems, if any, being experienced. Appropriate action shall be taken to resolve outstanding issues.

2.0 Technical Requirements / Tasks

2.1 The contractor shall provide trail maintenance clearing and removal services for site locations awarded in this task order. Clearing and removal includes cutting, trimming, and disposing of live and dead brush/slash, logs and debris as identified in Trail Clearing Limits diagram (see attached). The following is a description of the work areas:

2.1.1 BASE ITEMS: Base items include vegetative clearing within the defined clearing limits (see attached) on the described segments of the Russian Lakes Trail, Crescent Creek Trail, and the Gull Rock Trail.

2.1.1.1 Upper Russian Lake Trail (9 miles) Trail access is located at mile 12 of the Snug Harbor

Road out of Cooper Landing from the Sterling Highway.

2.1.1.2 Crescent Creek Trail (6.38 miles) Trail access is located at mile 3 of the Quartz Creek Road out of Cooper Landing from the Sterling Highway.

2.1.1.3 Gull Rock Trail (5.70 miles) Trail access is located at mile 16 of the Hope Highway via mile 56.3 of the Seward Highway.

2.2 Tasks specific to the base and option items. The contractor shall perform the below tasks:

2.2.1 Contractor Shall provide a work schedule to the CO and COR five (5) business days prior to commencement of work. The contractor shall notify the CO and COR as soon as possible about any work schedule deviations.

2.2.2 Clearing Limits. See Attachment 1 for clearing limits. Six (6) feet each side of center line on all trails.

Anticipate a mix of alders, willow, elderberry, devils club, salmon berry, and other woody herbaceous plants that will need to be brushed. Additionally, there will be periodic felling of small trees or limbing of larger trees within the clearing limits.

2.2.3 Remove all limbs of shrubs and trees that extend across or into the clearing limits to 10 feet vertical height, AS SHOWN ON THE DRAWINGS. Saw or cut limbs flush with tree trunks. Make cuts in a manner that will not tear or strip bark from the trees.

2.2.4 Cut and remove from the clearing limits all woody plants exceeding 1/2” in stem diameter or 12” in height. Maximum size materials to be cut under this specification are four (4”) in diameter when measured at a height of two in (2”) above the ground on the uphill side of the stump. Cut all brush and small, woody plants as near flush to the surface as possible. When impractical to cut the plants flush, the maximum stem length shall be three inches (3”).

2.2.5 Scatter debris removed from within clearing limits outside and below the clearing limits. Do not place materials in stream channels, drainageways, ditches, culverts, or other locations where they would prevent the free flow of water away from the trail bed or inhibit natural water flow for aquatic habitat.

2.2.6 Vegetation shall not be cut within 10 feet of a live flowing stream, except for the minimum necessary for crossing around stream bridges below. Brushing slash shall be considered to constitute all woody debris resulting from the cutting and trimming of woody material within the specified clearing limits.

Limbs and chunks in excess of three (3) inches in any dimension shall not remain on the traveled way.

Mechanical cutting equipment shall not be operated when there are non-contractor personnel, Forest Service employees other than contract administrators, or occupied vehicles within three hundred (300) feet of the immediate operating area. Any exceptions to the clearing requirements listed above will be designated on the ground or in writing by the CO and/or COR.

2.2.7 All trails shall be kept open and maintained in such a way to safely accommodate the public throughout the period of performance.

2.2.8 Temporary detours, approaches, crossings, and intersections with trails shall be provided and maintained in a safe and passable condition.

2.2.9 Before any suspension of work all trailways shall be left in a condition suitable for traffic.

2.2.10 No work which interferes with traffic shall be performed until the contractor has submitted a plan for satisfactory handling of traffic outside of contractor working hours and approved by the CO and/or COR.

2.2.11 The contractor shall post warning signs on the trailheads for each trail to warn the public of work in progress, the times the work is being performed, and the trail status (open/closed) during working hours.

2.2.11.1 All signs shall conform to Section 6B-22 of the “Manual on Uniform Traffic Control

Devices”.

2.2.12 Contractor Furnished Equipment: All contractor furnished equipment and vehicles to be used at the job site shall be cleaned and free of invasive species (noxious weeds), seeds, external grease and oil and shall be inspected prior to entrance onto Federal lands. The restriction shall include equipment and vehicles intended for off-road use, whether they are owned, leased, or borrowed by the Contractor or Subcontractor.

2.2.12.1 Provide a list of all equipment to be used two (2) days prior to the start of performance of work under this contract.

2.2.12.2 All protective plating and armoring shall be intact and properly functioning on the equipment to reduce the potential for damaging hydraulic hoses or the undercarriage.

2.2.12.3 Spill kit approved by OSHA for petroleum product leaks shall be on site at all times.

2.2.12.4 Vehicle Use of the Trail. ATVs <50” wide are considered trail construction equipment and can be utilized on the Upper Russian Lakes Trail, the first one (1) mile on Gull Rock Trail, and the first one (1) mile on Crescent Creek Trail. ATV use will not be permitted outside of the above defined areas. The remaining trails are often narrow in places and may prove challenging for ATV operations in some locations. Any other type of trail construction equipment shall not be permitted unless approved in writing by the COR.

2.2.12.4.1 Cross-country movement of equipment shall not be permitted unless approved in writing by the COR.

2.2.12.4.2 Equipment use will be authorized on a case-by-case basis as needed to perform the work. All damage to trail tread or water control structures caused by use of equipment will be repaired by the contractor.

3.0 Deliverable / Schedule

The Contractor shall submit all deliverables for this PWS IAW within listed timelines outlined above. Below is a list of all deliverables outlining each objective and due date.

Key Deliverables

Item No. Deliverable Objective Due

2.2.1 Work Schedule To notify the government of when the contractor shall be on site performing work.

5 business days prior to commencement of work

2.2.12.1 Equipment List For government situational awareness and to ensure all equipment is inspected IAW with paragraph 2.2.12

2 business days prior to start of performance.

2.2.11 Traffic Control Plan To ensure trails and roadways remain open and that all personnel have reduced risk of traffic related injuries

1 business day prior to work in affected area.

4.0 Performance Requirement Measures

Performance Objective

PWS

Paragraph

Measurement Method

Allowable Performance Deviation

Remedy Amount or Corrective Action

Clearing Limits Met, Limb Removal, Woody Plants

2.2.2, 2.2.3, 2.2.4, 2.2.5

COR shall inspect trails for 100% compliance

One (1) % deviation along the 8.5 miles

Contractor shall complete all work that is not within compliance prior to invoice payment.

Water ways free of scattered debris from contractor performed work

2.2.6 COR shall inspect

affected streams/creeks for debris from performance.

Zero (0) deviation

Contractor shall remove all debris prior to any payment for performance.

Trails remain open to public

2.2.7 COR shall spot check

areas

2 closures without advan ced notificatio n

Re-open areas within 1 hour of notification from COR of deficiency. COR shall be notified as soon as possible of any closures.

Trail safety 2.2.8, 2.2.9

COR shall check trails for 100% compliance

Zero safety violations

Contractor shall immediately correct safety deficiencies.

Traffic Control Plan, Warning Signs

2.2.10, 2.2.11

Plan submitted to the COR, warning signs appropriately placed

Zero deviation Submit the plan prior to work start. If the work plan is not received prior to the start of performance a stop work and payment shall occur until plan is received. If signs are not posted, the contractor shall immediately correct the deficiency upon notification from COR.

Equipment listed is free of invasive species

2.2.12, 2.2.12.1

COR shall inspect equipment for 100% compliance

Zero deviation Contractor shall immediately remove the invasive species from the work site. A stop work shall be issued until violations are corrected.

Notes: Performance Standard: The Government will visually inspect the services for compliance prior to acceptance and issuing any payments. Inspections will consist of direct observations and measured in place quantities

5.0 Government Furnished

The Government will only be providing maps for location(s) of work to be performed. See attachments.

6.0 Travel

Work performance under this requirement requires vehicle travel along the Seward Highway and connecting roads. The government will not be responsible for travel to or form the site location. The Contractor shall be responsible for all travel to and from the work site locations.

7.0 Applicable Laws, Regulations, Specifications and Guidance

1. USDA Forest Service Standard Trail Plans and Specifications, available here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/trails/trail-management-tools/trailplans

2. Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD): https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/

3. The above is a list of major specifications applicable to this requirement. Other specifications referred to within these specifications (even though not specifically listed here) are also fully applicable.

8.0 Appendix

1. Clearing_Limits_Trees_Logs

2. Clearing_Limits_Brush_Shrubs

3. Russian Lakes Map

4. Gull Rock Map

5. Crescent Creek Map https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/trails/trail-management-tools/trailplans https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/trails/trail-management-tools/trailplans https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/