Attachment_2-_PWS.pdf

United States Department of the Interior

US Fish and Wildlife Service Savannah Coastal Refuges Complex

694 Beech Hill Lane Hardeeville, SC 29927

Scope of Work and Performance Work Statement

Hazard Fuel Reduction and Invasive Species Control Project (2024-2025)

Primary POC: Shaw Davis, Deputy Project Leader shaw_davis@fws.gov

843-784-9911 (office) 912-312-5227 (mobile)

Alternate POC: Wayne Harris, Wildlife Biologist billy_harris@fws.gov 912-660-0779 (mobile)

Chuck Hayes, Supervisory Wildlife Biologist chuck_hayes@fws.gov 912-210-7366 (mobile)

Project summary:

The project is located on Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) (McIntosh County, GA) (Map 1). Completion of this project will result in everlasting improvements in hazard fuel reduction, invasive species control, and habitat management.

Summary of mechanical treatment (2024-2025)

- 304 acre treatment area of mechanical fuel reduction using forestry mulching machines, forestry whole tree chipping crews, sawyer/swamper teams, and/or other Service approved mechanical operations on Harris Neck NWR (Map 2)

- a minimum of 200 acres will be treated, not to exceed total project budget

Scope of Work

Overview:

In pine stands, this project will reduce midstory fuel loads by 95%, remove all non-merchantable loblolly pines, promote an understory dominated by at least 75 % coverage of native warm-mailto:shaw_davis@fws.gov mailto:billy_harris@fws.gov mailto:chuck_hayes@fws.gov season grasses, and improve the efficacy of prescribed burns that minimize catastrophic wildfire hazard and smoke impacts on surrounding communities.

In oak dominated scrub/shrub stands, this project will reduce midstory fuel loads by 90%, remove all existing loblolly pines, reduce oak basal area to <20 sf/acre, and promote an understory dominated by at least 75% coverage of native warm-season grasses.

Once completed, the resulting native forest and grassland communities should be suitable for management with herbicide applications followed by frequent, low intensity prescribed fire.

This schedule should maintain biological diversity and resiliency into perpetuity.

Stand specific treatment (2024-2025):

Mechanical operations will be completed on suitable sites located throughout the treatment area as the first major step in hazard fuel reduction. Forestry mulching machines and/or forestry whole tree chipping equipment will be employed to remove an overgrown midstory of various shrubs and pines to create sufficiently open conditions for the proliferation of native warm season grasses and other native plants. To complement mulching and/or chipping, sawyer/swamper teams will be employed to fell larger, open-grown pines and selected oaks that may be too large or cumbersome for mechanical operations. Some selected hardwoods and selected longleaf pines within older plantations will also be treated. This treatment will reduce fuel loads, facilitate increased management capacity for low intensity prescribed burns, and improve aesthetic appeal to the area. All treated vegetation, other than sawyer felled trees and scattered logs totaling at least 1 ton per acre where available, will be mulched to soil level and/or chipped and hauled off site.

• All areas of desirable live oak and laurel oak will be selectively treated based on stem density and recommendations from the Refuge Biologists and Refuge Managers.

• Longleaf pine in established plantations will only be selectively treated based on consultation with the Refuge Biologists and Refuge Managers.

• All Chinese tallow tree, regardless of diameter, encountered during mechanical operations will be mulched/chipped to soil level.

• Contractor is responsible for transport of all equipment to and from the project site.

• Refuge Biologists will provide a shapefile defining the boundaries of the treatment area.

• Equipment operators will avoid all wetlands that are scattered across the treatment area.

• All contracted personnel will pay close attention to avoid harm to curious Refuge visitors that may wander into the area of operations. Contractor should place orange cones adjacent to daily operation areas along established trails.

• Equipment operators will avoid all identified cultural resources near or within the project area. If previously unidentified and/or potential cultural resources are discovered during project operations, contractor shall pause work and contact Refuge Manager or designee for consultation with USFWS archeological program staff.

• Operations will be suspended if weather conditions are such to cause excessive rutting and/or damage to access roads.

• Refuge Biologists and Refuge Manager have the authority to halt operations anytime for unfavorable weather, damage to non-target vegetation, or non-cooperative operators.

• Contractor shall be responsible for repairing any damage done by field crews to gates, fences, access roads, signs, structures, and any other infrastructure.

• Refuge Biologists and Refuge Managers shall monitor all operations with frequent, on-site inspections.

• No littering will be tolerated and all garbage, including empty containers of hydraulic fluid, engine oil, and other materials must be removed daily.

• All bids should be based on a treatment price per acre on a minimum of 200 acres, not to exceed the total project budget.

• All equipment used by the contractor will be clean of off-site soil and plant material, prior to entering the Refuge. If equipment leaves the work site for any reason it will be cleaned prior to re-entering the Refuge. This requirement is to limit the potential for spread of exotic and invasive plants onto the Refuge.

• Contractor shall take every precaution necessary to prevent damage to leave trees.

• All operations should follow Georgia’s Best Management Practices for Forestry as minimum standards for environmental protection (BMP-Manual-2019-Web.pdf (gatrees.org)).

Period of Performance:

All mechanical treatments should be completed by April 30, 2025, pending the finalization of all Endangered Species Act Section 7 consultation, National Environmental Policy Act Compliance, National Historic Preservation Act Section 106 consultation, and other legal requirements for managing federal lands. This period may be extended due to unforeseen circumstances related to weather and other variables, as approved by the Refuge Manager or Wildlife Biologist and contracting officer.

https://gatrees.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/BMP-Manual-2019-Web.pdf https://gatrees.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/BMP-Manual-2019-Web.pdf