Attachment 1_Statement of Work - Malheur NF Trail Maintenance.pdf

DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF WORK

C-13 General Information

Scope of Work This requirement is for trail maintenance to be performed within and adjacent the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness area in the Malheur National Forest. Lines items involve logout and brushing of eight wilderness trail segments and five non-wilderness trail segments. The Contractor shall furnish the necessary personnel, supervision, material, equipment, facilities, services, supplies, travel, transportation, training, and incidentals to perform deferred trail maintenance. The line items require logout and brushing on the trail segments based on USFS standards (Reference Exhibits 1-7). This includes all downed and leaning trees, brushing of woody type vegetation encroaching on the trail corridor, and general clearing of debris from trail beds. Brushing is 4 feet from centerline of trail, 10 feet high. Clearing of down logs is the same, in addition to hazard trees. Cut stubs to avoid safety concerns – where possible cut to ground level. Trails shall be cleared to standard trail clearing specifications. Whitebark pine within trail clearing limits have special specifications shown in technical requirements.

Background The areas containing these trails have all burned in the last twenty years. There are areas of heavy downfall and thick brush. The result of the work on this contract shall remove all woody vegetation (trees and brush) from the trail corridor, and shall bring the trail, improve tread where needed, remove all obstacles, and allow for safe use of trails. On all trail segments within the Strawberry Wilderness, must follow all wilderness laws.

Wilderness laws require the use of the “minimum tool necessary” to complete a project. This will require a contractor with specialized skills, including the ability to use crosscut saws and other traditional tools. On all Wilderness trail segments, mechanized transport is not allowed, which includes but is not limited to the use of carts or wheelbarrows. Motors are prohibited in wilderness and all motorized tools are prohibited including battery operated drills, power saws, etc. Mechanical tools such as grip hoists are allowed. All equipment and vehicles to be used 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 as well as on road use, whether they are owned, leased, or borrowed by the Contractor or Subcontractor. 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. Spill kit approved by OSHA for petroleum product leaks will be on site at all times.

Contractor Requirements

Technical Requirements / Tasks Trail Maintenance Specifications See Table 1. for list of trails Trail Opening / Clearing (See Exhibit 1 for Trail Terms)

The trail opening dimensions are as follows: (see Exhibits 2 & 3).

Clearing Limit –

• An area 8 feet wide by 10 feet high.

• Trail Treads - A 24-inch width.

The widths are measured from the trail centerline.

• Clearing limit width is that area 4 feet on each side of the trail centerline;

• Trail tread width is that area 12 inches on either side of centerline.

• Logging Out—This work consists of removing/clearing logs, down trees, and woody debris from the clearing limits. Felling trees is considered separately below. The work described below applies to all trees, or portion of trees, that may be in the clearing limits, or trail tread: Trees are defined as the following species but not limited to –Ponderosa Pine, Lodgepole Pine, Douglas Fir, Grand Fir, White Fir, Western Larch, Whitebark Pine, and Sub Alpine Fir.

• Clearing Out - Cut and remove all logs or portion of downed trees that extend across or into the clearing limits (See Exhibits 2, 3, 4, and 5). The portions of cut logs that remain on the upper side of the trail shall be either firmly anchored to prevent sliding or rolling onto the trailway or moved across the trail to the lower side and scattered outside of the clearing limits. Any limbs from downed trees or logs that extend into the clearing limits will be cut flush.

• Fell all trees over 4 inches in diameter at the base that are leaning into the clearing limits and that are within 10 feet above the trail bed. Stump height of leaning trees that are cut outside the clearing limits should not exceed three inches measured on the uphill side of the stump.

• Remove roots and stumps from trees within the trailway that have been uprooted. Stumps requiring blasting for removal shall be left and the COR notified of the location.

• Rerouting the trail around windfalls, uprooted trees, and other obstacles will not be permitted.

Ramp or reroute sections of the trail tread that have been damaged by uprooted stumps as necessary to provide safe passage on the trail.

• Remove sticks or wood chunks exceeding 1 inch in diameter and 18 inches in length that have fallen on to the trail bed.

• Scatter the down trees on the lower side of the trailway outside the clearing limits. Do not place such materials in stream channels, drainage ways, ditches, culvert catch basins, or other locations where they would prevent the free flow of water away from the trail bed.

Table 1. List of trails

Trail Trail Number

Trail Design Use trail segment Wilderness segment length (miles)

Table Mountain 217 pack and saddle 0-0.68 no 0.68

Table Mountain 217 pack and saddle 0.68-6.25 yes 5.57

Buckhorn Meadows 205 pack and saddle 0-0.62 no 0.62

Buckhorn Meadows 205 pack and saddle 0.62-2.68 yes 2.06

Lake Creek 378 pack and saddle 0-0.42 no 0.42

Lake Creek 378 pack and saddle 0.42-4 yes 3.58

Mud Lake 379 pack and saddle 3.54 yes 3.54

Mud Lake A 5008 pack and saddle 0.21 yes 0.21

Meadowfork 376 pack and saddle 3.9 yes 3.9

Big Creek 377 pack and saddle 0-0.68 no 0.68

Big Creek 377 pack and saddle 0.68-5.4 yes 4.72

Snowshoe Creek 380 pack and saddle 0-1.81 no 1.81

Snowshoe Creek 380 pack and saddle 1.81-2.92 yes 1.11

Total 28.9

Site Specific Requirements Use of Motorized Equipment- All trail maintenance activity to be performed under the terms and conditions of this contract lie within nationally designated wilderness and are therefore closed to the use of motorized and mechanized equipment.

Stock Limitations- The use of saddle and pack stock is acceptable but will be kept to the minimum necessary to accomplish the project. Contractor is required to remain within the 18 head limitation established by the Malheur Forest Plan.

Noxious Weed Closure Order- The contractor shall comply with the Special Order issued for all National Forest System Lands within Region 6 which prohibits the possession or storage of hay, straw, or mulch that is not certified by an authorized official as being Noxious weed or Noxious Weed Seed Free. A contractor possessing hay, straw, or mulch in the National Forest shall present the weed free certificate upon request.

Use of Premise- The Contractor shall comply with the regulations governing the operation of premises that are occupied and shall perform its contract in such a manner as not to interrupt or interfere with the conduct of Government business.

Camping- Camp areas suitable for pack and saddle stock are limited. Before any camp is opened or operated on National Forest land or lands administered by the Forest Service, the Contractor shall request permission (in writing) from the COR. If permission is granted, a camping permit will be issued free of charge. The contractor’s campsites will be subject to periodic inspections by the Contracting Officer’s Representative or GTM to ensure that minimum impact camping techniques are being followed.

Final Cleanup- Contractor shall remove and dispose all its own trash and refuse from the contract area and restore project areas to as close to the original natural appearance as possible. No debris shall be scattered into any stream, lake, snow pond, meadow, drainage structure, or other water course. Litter shall be packed out, and the native debris shall be scattered outside the trail clearing limit. Material to be removed includes, but is not limited to camp refuse such as tin cans, aluminum foil, glass, paper, garbage, etc. The Contractor shall also remove and dispose of upon completion of work, all stakes, old culverts, flagging, and similar debris within the project area. This cleanup is a subsidiary item for which no special payment will be made. All debris shall be disposed of off National Forest Land and in accordance with State and Local disposal requirements. It is further stipulated that in addition to clean up of any campsites, the Contractor shall remove its equipment from National Forest land before final acceptance and payment of the project.

Log out and brushing around whitebark pine (WBP)

Location of areas needing special measures for protection of plants or animals listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended, or as sensitive by the Regional Forester under authority of FSM 2670, are shown on the Plans and identified on the ground. Measures need to protect such areas have been included elsewhere in this contract or are as follows:

• To the extent possible, WBP trees of all size classes will be protected from damage. As needed, trees will be pruned to acceptable heights to maintain cone bearing branches and allow for continued seed production instead of cut.

• Maintenance should stay within existing disturbance footprints whenever possible.

• Damaging or killing a plus, elite, or phenotypically resistant tree will only occur in situations where human health and safety are at risk or when restoration actions such as pruning are occurring.

• Avoid removing or damaging healthy WBP trees.

• Maintenance activities should avoid removing mature WBP trees where possible and focus on pruning trees to acceptable heights to maintain cone bearing branches and allow for continued seed production.

• Personnel needs to be trained to identify the species regardless of their age class (seedling, sapling, and mature trees) to ensure project activities do not result in more adverse effects.

If protection measures prove inadequate, if other such areas are discovered, or if new species are listed as federally threatened or endangered, or as sensitive by the Regional Forester, Forest Service 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 Insert Technical Requirements / Tasks Here

Government Furnished No government furnished equipment.

Deliverables / Schedule

• Deliverables shall primarily consist of the trails maintained to standard. A final accomplishment summary with a collection of before and after photos and GPS track lines for completed segments shall be required at time of any payment.

Key Deliverables Item No. Deliverable Objective Due 1 Fire Protection

Plan Fire plan at post-award meeting/at notice to proceed 2 Before and after photos and GPS track

Before any partial or final payment is approved.

Travel Not applicable

Contractor’s Key Personnel Describe positions which are considered key to successful performance of the contract and the information required to support key personnel qualifications, e.g., experience which correlates to SOW requirements, education, and past performance on similar projects. Specify if resumes are required and provide resume format if appropriate.

Insert Contractor’s Key Personnel Here

Security Requirements Not applicable