FY26 Malheur Tree Planting

1. SCOPE OF CONTRACT:

The Contractor shall furnish all labor, equipment, supervision, transportation, supplies, except those designated as Government-furnished, and incidentals to perform all work specified herein for transporting and hoedad planting Government-furnished coniferous tree seedlings in general reforestation units on the Malheur National Forest.

2. DESCRIPTION OF WORK:

The purpose of this solicitation is to reforest areas of significant mortality that resulted from high severity fire in the Falls, Sand and Rail Ridge fires of 2024 on the Malheur National Forest in Grant and Harney Counties, Oregon. Conifer seedlings will be planted throughout identified units to adequately restock 5,000 acres of mandatory planting and up to 319 acres of optional planting. Seedlings are a mixture of bareroot stock and container stock with approximately 10% of the total being container stock. See DUISs for additional information.

All work shall be done in such a manner as to ensure tree survival and growth. Tree survival and growth is dependent on the initial health of the tree seedlings, how trees are handled and planted, environmental conditions such as soil moisture, weather, and animal damages to the seedlings. The services secured with this contract will focus on the need to provide appropriate tree handling and planting techniques during the period of time when environmental conditions are most favorable to ensure tree survival. The Government will furnish conifer seedlings, and the Contractor shall furnish all other labor, equipment, supervision, transportation, materials, and supplies needed to satisfactorily transport and plant the seedlings. Work will occur generally between April 1, 2026, and June 30, 2026. It is possible that multiple conifer planting sites will be ready for planting at the same time due to elevation, snow melt, and weather. Alternatively, springtime conditions, both weather-induced and planting site-specific, that may cause one or two operational pauses during the contract period.

Refer to the attached Detailed Unit Information Sheets (DUIS) for specific unit requirements outlined in each contract specification.

3. PROJECT LOCATION, ACCESSIBLITY, AND BOUNDARIES

1) Project Location: Work will be performed on Blue Mountain Ranger District and Emigrant Creek Ranger District of the Malheur National Forest. Vicinity and unit maps showing project location and access are attached and made part of this contract. Specific unit requirements for each Item will be listed in the Detailed Unit Information Sheet regarding spacing, species mix, walk-ins, scalping, and acreage. Access information is included in a separate table. The Schedule of Items lists unit numbers for each Item described below. Walk-in costs are incorporated into individual unit pricing.

1.0 Sand (Mandatory Items 1.1-1.6; 410 acres total)

The Sand Planting Units are located on Blue Mountain and Emigrant Creek Ranger Districts near the 3160 and 3170 roads and are accessible as described in the DUIS.

Planting spacing ranges from 16’X16’ to 17’X17’ and species that will be planted include ponderosa pine, douglas fir, and western larch. Scalping will be 24” for all units.

2.0 Rail Ridge (Mandatory Items 2.1-2.26; 1,441 acres total)

The Rail Ridge Planting Units are located on Blue Mt. Ranger District near the 2150 and 2170 roads and are accessible as described in the DUIS.

Planting spacing ranges from 13’X13’ to 17’X17’ and species that will be planted include ponderosa pine, douglas fir, and western larch. Scalping will be 24” for all units.

3.0 EmiC (Mandatory Items 3.1-3.4; 1,035 acres total)

4.0 HC (Mandatory Items 4.1-4.3; 528 acres total)

5.0 Saw (Mandatory Items 5.1-5.9; 1,586 acres total)

The EmiC, HC, and Saw Planting Units are all located on Emigrant Creek Ranger District near the 3700, 4300, and 4700 roads and are accessible as described in the DUIS.

Planting spacing is 19’X19’ and species that will be planted include ponderosa pine. Scalping will be 24” for all units.

6.0 YJ (Optional Items 6.1-6.2; 319 acres total)

The YJ Planting Units are located on Emigrant Creek Ranger District near the 3700 road and are accessible as described in the DUIS.

Planting spacing is 19’X19’ and species that will be planted include ponderosa pine. Scalping will be 24” for all units.

Funding is currently available for the Optional YJ Planting units, but seedlings have not yet been procured. The Government is currently in the process of attempting to procure the additional seedlings, but is not guaranteed.

2) Accessibility: Work areas may be reached by Forest roads that are accessible by standard two-wheel drive pickup during summer months. Spring road conditions usually necessitate the use of a 4-wheel drive vehicle. The roads that access these planting sites are a variety of native surface, gravel, dirt and/or paved roads. Access to these areas may vary by date due to snow. No vehicles will be permitted to operate off system roads without approval of the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). Roads shown on unit maps indicate access to units and are not to suggest the roads within are open within units or for any further travel. Old or closed roads within units may be available for seedling transport with an ATV/UTV if approved by the CO/COR and use may be denied during times when roads are saturated from rain or snowmelt. Inaccessibility due to snow, fallen trees, slides or washouts on roads may or may not be corrected at the option of the Government. If road access is blocked, the Government may, under FAR 52.212-4 (c) Changes: (a) provide an alternate access route; (b) delete the inaccessible unit(s) or; (c) substitute similar unit(s). If a unit has a walk-in distance and is listed behind a gate or barrier closure, a permit is required for motor vehicle passage behind it. The permit must be authorized by the District Ranger. This authorization is granted on a case-by-case basis and is not guaranteed.

3) Boundaries: The boundaries are marked with orange flagging and white and/or orange tags that read “Reforestation Unit” and will have the project area and the associated unit number written on them. There may be portions of other lines or boundaries in the area. These may be marked with flagging, aluminum tags, different posters, or a combination of flagging, tags, and posters. These should be disregarded by the Contractor and only boundaries marked as described above shall be followed for contract purposes. Maps are provided as a georeferenced pdf for contractor’s use with GPS enabled tablet or smartphone and a program like Avenza for field navigation.

4) Heritage Sites: There are sites located either fully or partially within the planting units. There will be no work performed inside the site boundaries. Boundaries will be monumented with Orange and Black striped flagging and yellow tags.

4. CONTROL OF WORK:

The Government reserves the right to determine the sequence in which areas or individual units are worked to take best advantage of weather-related conditions or accessibility circumstances.

5. DEFINITIONS

Cotyledon Scar – Lowest point on stem from which branches will grow. Marked by a distinct ring in the bark on most species of tree seedlings.

Existing Acceptable Trees – Green trees remaining in planting units that appear to have a full crown that is minimally affected by visible disease, defect and animal, insect or mechanical damage.

Microsite Planting – The planting of tree seedlings in plantable spots most favorable to seedling survival and growth, providing protection from sun, wind, animals, and other damaging agents. Examples of favorable microsites features are spots located no further than 15 inches to the north-northeast of stumps, logs, rocks, dead trees, branches, and dead brush 6 inches in height or greater. When scalping and using a microsite, the object used for the microsite will not count twards the size of the scalp. An acceptable job of micrositing has been done when a seedling has been plated from 9-12 inches on the northeast (+/- 22 ½ degrees) side of an acceptable object for micrositing. See Exhibit B.

Mineral Soil – Where soil content is less than 70% coarse rock fragments greater than 2mm in size and where vegetation, duff, and litter layers have been scraped away to expose bare soil.

Plantable Spot – An area from which vegetation, ash, duff, and debris has been or can be removed and a tree seedling can be planted using a standard planting tool as specified elsewhere herein.

Prepared Sites aka Scalps – An area from which logging slash, ash, and competing vegetation has been removed to allow a seedling to be planted in full accordance with all specifications set forth in this contract.

Replanting – Any planting work that is redone in a sub-item, either voluntarily by the Contractor or directed by the Contracting Officer, after the Contractor has given the planting inspection sheets to the Government.

Root Crown – The transition zone between plant stem and root; assumed in this contract to occur within one inch of the surface of the ground.

Root Length – Length is measured from the longest root tip to the cotyledon scar. See Exhibit H.

Satisfactorily Planted Seedling – A seedling planted in full accordance with all planting specifications set forth in this contract.

Suitable Tree – A seedling of good form and vigor which shows no physical damange and which conforms to the size, characteristics, and species specified in the DUIS.

System Roads – Roads which are assigned a Forest Service road number (example “FSR” XXXX-XXX).

Terminal Buds – The growing, vegetative, pointed bud tips of the main stem or leader.

Tree Height – Height is measured from the ground to the terminal bud of the seedling.

Unit – Area identified for inspection and payment purposes on the DUIS by name and number; also a subitem listed in the schedule of items.

Unplantable Spot – An area within the specified spacing limits in which it is not possible to plant a seedling according to specifications. Berms and mounds of soil, standing water, tracks left by crawler tractors or rubber tired skidders, game or livestock trails, are unplantable spots. Also any area within the specified spacing limits of a suitable existing tree or underneath the widest part of the crown of a suitable tree are unplantable spots.

Unsatisfactorily Planted Seedling – A planted seedling which fails to meet one or more of the specifications for a satisfactorily planted seedling.

Wasted Seedlings – 1) Seedlings which are lost, damaged, destroyed, or handled contrary to the specifications for care of seedlings and/or 2) Seedlings planted in excess of the maximum number of seedlings creditable. Dollar amount per wasted seedling is outlined in Clause 5 (7)(a) of this contract.

6. KEY DELIVERABLES

Item No. Deliverable Objective Due 1 Safety Plan Defining safety hazards and mitigations for performance requirements of the contract At Post Award Conference

2 Quality Control Plan Defining Contractor Inspection and Quality Control Process

At Post Award Conference

3 Progress Plan Define current and/or planned progress; Within 3 days of request

Address progress behind schedule from the Contracting Officer 4 Tree Orders Timely ordering of trees for the next day;

Government provided services/supplies adequate/timely

By 3:00 PM the day before the trees are needed

5 Planting Inspection Sheet (R6-FS-2400- 113, Exhibit L)

Submission of unit completion and ready for inspection, invoice/payment

Within 24 hours of completion of a unit

7. GOVERNMENT-FURNISHED PROPERTY DESCRIPTION

1) The Government will furnish the Contractor with property listed below. The Contractor shall order trees by 3:00 p.m. for the next planting day. The quantity of trees to be ordered and issued for the next working day will be based on the previous workday’s average planting production per person and the proposed crew size for the next workday. Government-furnished tree seedlings shall be receipted for by the Contractor when delivered at the location specified in 2) of this clause.

2) Government-furnished tree seedlings will be issued by the Forest Service daily at The Tree Cooler at Blue

Mt. Workstation, 150 Government Road, John Day, OR 97845. From the Tree Cooler it is approximately:

45 miles to the Sand project area; 37 miles to the Rail Ridge project area; 106 miles to the EmiC project area; 108 miles to the HC and YJ project areas; and 103 miles to the Saw project area. Seedlings will be issued between 5:00 AM and 6:30 AM Monday through Saturday or as otherwise mutually agreed to.

a. The Contractor may be charged administrative costs incurred by the Government for repeated failure to meet Government representatives at previously scheduled times and places.

3) Trees will not be issued in the morning if undesirable weather conditions are predicted and indicate adverse planting conditions. This determination will be made by Government representatives.

4) The Contractor shall be responsible for transporting seedlings, including loading at Government facility and unloading at the work site. Government furnished property shall be transported in original shipping cartons. Should the need arise, the Contractor shall arrange for stockpiling Government-Furnished Property on National Forest Land and shall assume full liability for safeguarding.

5) The Contractor shall be responsible for loss, damage or destruction of Government-Furnished Property unless the Contractor can show the damage resulted from causes beyond the Contractor's control and without the Contractor’s fault or negligence.

6) Survival of seedlings will depend on planting as scheduled. Failure to plant seedlings ordered may result in a charge for wasted trees.

7) Charges for Government-Furnished Property wasted, lost, or damaged by the Contractor is as follows:

Description of Government-Furnished Property Transmittal to Contractor PIPO-04-04065-100-4555-92 SB Provide on written order by 3:00 PM the preceding day before planting.

The Contractor is to pick up the ordered amount at the tree cooler designated below.

PIPO-04-04066-100-5565-92 SB

PSME-04-04065-100-4555-91 SIA

PSME-04-04066-500-5565-97 SB

LAOC-04-04086-500-5565-97 SB

LAOC-04-065-100-46/51-ICEE-18

LAOC-04-04065-100-4555-95 SIA

LAOC-04-04066-100-5565-97 SIA

a. Seedlings @ $0.68 Each

8) Material such as boxes and burlap that trees were transported from the cooler to the work site will be returned to the government in a neat and orderly fashion to the tree cooler.

9) The Forest Service Planting Inspection Sheet (R6-FS-2400-113) will be provided to the Contractor.

8. SPECIFICATIONS FOR CONTRACTOR FURNISHED CRITICAL ITEMS/SERVICES

The specifications detailed below outline the requirements for All Items listed in the Schedule of Items and specify how conifer seedlings will be satisfactorily transported, handled, and planted by the Contractor.

Planting Equipment Contractor’s hand planting tools (i.e. hoedads or shovels) shall be capable of making a planting hole the width and depth needed to satisfactorily plant the seedlings. Tree seedling species and average root length are listed on the DUIS. Planting tools shall be capable of making a hole at a minimum of 13 inches in depth and 4 inches wide.

Planting tools shall also be capable of chopping and cutting slash, live vegetation, or soil matter to clear a scalp size to mineral soil as specified in the DUIS.

Seedling Handling Equipment Planting bags shall be light color, shall not retain heat, shall have a minimum depth of 15 inches, and shall be clean and free of defects or contaminants, and intact (no holes in the bottom of the tree bag). Insulated planting bags or planting bags with inserts may be required if environmental conditions warrant.

Care and Handling of Seedlings Care shall be taken to prevent damage to suitable trees during work operations. A tree with a broken terminal leader or bud is not considered a suitable tree and will be deducted from creditable trees as unsatisfactory on the inspection sheet. The contractor shall adhere to the following specifications for care and protection of tree seedlings (they are listed in no order of importance):

1) Seedlings shall always be protected from drying, heating, wind, smothering, freezing, crushing, drowning, abrasion, rapid temperature fluctuations or contact with injurious substances.

2) Seedlings stored in boxes, bags, or bundles shall not be exposed to direct sunlight. Punctured or torn bags or boxes shall be promptly resealed. Containers of seedlings shall be opened only in full shade. Bundles, bags, or boxes shall be separated to provide free air movement.

3) Seedlings shall not be removed from the shipping containers until needed for preparation for planting.

Additionally, seedlings removed from cold storage facilities shall not be allowed to stand or lay in water or be covered with snow.

4) Frozen seedlings shall not be handled until completely thawed. They shall be thawed in full shade.

5) Seedlings shall be planted without further root or top pruning or culling. If pruning or culling appears necessary, or if mold, dry roots, evidence of injury, or drying is seen, the conditions shall immediately be reported to the COR.

6) Seedlings in planting bags shall have only their tops exposed. Containerized seedlings shall be maintained in their plastic packaging until ready to be used.

7) Seedlings shall not be removed from the planting bag until a planting hole has been completely prepared.

8) Seedlings shall be gently removed, one at a time, to prevent stripping or other injury, and quickly and gently inserted into the planting hole.

9) Seedlings carried in planting bags shall not exceed the amount that can be carried or removed without injury, or which can be planted before critical heating or drying occur.

10) Bagged seedlings shall be planted before extended breaks, such as lunch. At the COR’s discretion, seedlings left in planting bags before extended breaks shall be placed in shade or the tree truck. If trees are stored in this manner, they shall be planted first before the planting bags are refilled.

11) Planters shall not carry more than 200 seedlings in each planting bag compartment at any one time. This amount may vary based on stock type or weather conditions and can be determined by the COR.

12) The Contractor shall not dig and replant seedlings other than those located on inspection plots or spot checks of below ground planting quality.

13) Should conditions arise that are unsuitable for planting seedlings or compromise Contractor and Government officials’ safety, planting operations will cease until conditions return to favorable planting conditions. These conditions may include when air temperatures, relative humidity or wind conditions make for adverse planting conditions or should winds exceed a consistent 20 mph or if other conditions warrant.

14) Bags of seedlings shall not be carried into the unit and stored for later planting unless field storage facilities are provided and approved by the COR.

15) Unplanted seedlings shall be returned to the Government at the end of each working day.

Transportation of Seedlings Seedlings will be stored The Tree Cooler at Blue Mt. Workstation, 150 Government Road, John Day, OR 97845.

Seedlings shall be transported by the Contractor to the planting sites. The following transportation and equipment specifications are listed in no order of importance:

1) Contractor’s equipment will be in good working order capable of maintaining a refrigerated temperature between 33-38 degrees Fahrenheit for the operational period unless deemed unnecessary by the COR on a day-to-day basis.

2) Seedlings shall be transported by the Contractor in either a fully enclosed refrigerated and insulated trailer or a refrigerated truck or a slip-on camper, such that temperature inside the seedling box is maintained between 33 and 38 degrees. Seedlings will not be transported in heated areas of vehicles.

3) The transportation device shall be clean and free of any contaminants that might injure or kill trees, such as oil, gas, and herbicides.

4) The Contractor may need to move the seedling transportation equipment to a shady location, when available, in order to meet the temperature requirement stated above.

5) The contractor may need to make multiple trips from the tree cooler to the project area to facilitate transportation and temperature requirements. The contractor may also consider the need to plant early morning and then late afternoon/evening in order to keep the seedlings cool and plant when the air temperature and humidity are appropriate as defined in Exhibits M1 and M2 .

6) Seedlings boxes will not be dropped, thrown or otherwise roughly handled during transportation. Boxes will not be exposed to direct sunlight and shall only be opened in the shade.

7) When trees are bagged and in the planting unit, inside-bag temperature must be kept below 45° Fahrenheit (F), unless waived by the Contracting Officer. Trees within bags with inside-bag temperature found to be above 45° F may be considered damaged or wasted trees and charged according to Clause 5 (7)(a) of this contract. Should inside-bag temperature approach 45° F, the Contractor may be requested to supply ice or snow to keep inside-bag seedling temperatures from rising above 45° F.

8) Contractor shall be responsible for the loss, damage or destruction of Government property unless the Contractor can show the damage resulted from causes beyond the Contractor's control and without the Contractor's fault or negligence.

Preparation of Seedlings

1) All seedlings shall go quickly from shipping containers to planting bags in one quick process. Each planter shall process not more than 2 bundles of seedlings at any one time and at no time shall the trees be placed on the ground.

2) Prior to placing seedlings in planting bags, Contractor shall break or otherwise remove rubber bands so that no injury occurs to the roots.

3) All seedling preparation shall be accomplished in shaded areas protected from winds unless waived by the COR. Roots of both container and bareroot seedlings shall be kept moist at all times.

4) The Contractor shall dip roots of bare root seedlings in water, terra sorb, or a vermiculate-water mix to wet them prior to placing seedlings in planting bags. Seedlings shall remain in the water at least 1 minute but not longer than 2 minutes. Contractor shall supply the wetting agent and container for dipping.

Contractor supplied dipping containers shall be deep enough to submerge seedling root systems.

5) Bareroot seedlings or bundles shall not be whipped or struck against any object to remove excess water after dipping prior to placing them in the planting bag.

Planting Spot Selection and Spacing

1) Seedlings Spacing Requirements:

a. Seedlings shall be planted to the boundary of all planting units and around the perimeter of unplantable areas or existing acceptable trees in spots distributed at intervals prescribed. For individual seedlings, the specified average spacing may vary no more than 25% in any direction to find a suitable planting spot or as defined in the DUIS.

b. Where an unplantable spot or existing acceptable tree is encountered, the planter shall plant in the closest plantable spot; however, average spacing shall be maintained.

c. The distance a seedling may be planted from a planted seedling or existing acceptable tree will be specified in the DUIS for each individual unit.

2) Planting Spot Selection:

a. Brush patches containing planting spots shall be planted even though this may require spreading stems aside or working around the stems. Landings, road cuts and fill banks shall be planted where planting spots exist.

b. Whenever possible, within the 25% variance in average spacing, planting spots shall be microsited meaning the spot shall be prepared where snags, stumps, logs, dead brush or trees, and terrain features provide partial protection from sun, wind, animals, loose debris, and other agents detrimental to seedlings.

c. Planting spots shall not be located in the tracks left by crawler tractors or rubber-tired skidders, harvester forwarders, skid trail berms, or mounds of soil unless otherwise designated by the Contracting Officer’s Representative.

d. System roads shall not be planted nor are they included in unit acreages.

Planting Spot Preparation

1) Prior to preparing the planting hole, Contractor shall clear the planting spot of all limbs, logs, snow, bark, rotten wood, rocks and other loose debris and shall scalp ash, duff, sod, crowns of living plants, and roots to moist mineral soil. If slash prohibits the specific diameter of scalp, a smaller scalp will be acceptable at the COR’s discretion.

2) Clearing and scalping dimensions shall be as shown on the DUIS.

Planting Hole Preparation

1) Planting holes shall be located near the center of the prepared planting spot and shall be between perpendicular to the ground surface and true vertical.

2) All planting will occur using hand tools. An open hole, broken out as shown in Exhibits D and D1, that is deep and wide enough to fully accommodate the roots of the seedlings to be planted is required. The planting hole shall be broken out on four sides, with the back of the hole being broken out after the seedling is suspended in the center of the hole.

Seedling Placement

1) Bare Root Seedlings - The bare root seedling shall be suspended near the center of the hole with roots in a near natural arrangement at a depth such that, after filling, firming, and leveling, the soil comes to a point at or 1" above the cotyledon scar of the tree. No portion of the roots shall be exposed nor any live needles or branches covered with soil. Roots shall not be doubled up, twisted, spiraled, or bunched. The root system shall be aligned with the axis of the planting hole with all roots extending downward. The Contractor shall not use the hoedad or shovel blade to guide the seedling roots into the planting hole.

2) Containerized Seedlings - Seedlings shall be planted in the center of the prepared hole, deep enough so that 1 inch of soil is placed on top of the plug, level with the surrounding soil surface, to seal the plug into the ground. Plug growing media shall not be distorted or broken from the root system during the planting process and the bottoms of plugs will not be bent nor compressed to fit into the planting hole. A hoedad or shovel shall not be used to guide the seedling roots into the planting hole.

Filling and Firming

1) Moist mineral soil shall be filled in and firmed around seedling roots or plug. Dry soil, ash, organic matter, rock and other foreign material shall be kept out of holes. Soil shall be filled in and firmed progressively so no loose soil or air pockets remain, and the seedling is as firmly planted as soil conditions will allow. The Contractor shall not wedge the sides of the hole. Firming the soil around the roots shall be accomplished in a manner that assures the seedling and root system are not damaged. After the soil is firmed around the roots, it shall be smoothed out to the level of the surrounding mineral soil surface. After planting, the seedling stem shall be erect and free to grow and not be weighted down with mud or debris.

2) After planting, the seedling stem position shall not exceed 30 degrees from true vertical.

3) A hoedad may be used to firm the soil in the manner shown in Exhibit D. Soil firming shall be accomplished while the seedling is held suspended near the center of the hole. Firming soil with the foot, planting wand, stick or any device other than the hand will not be permitted.

Mixture of Planting Stock Where a mixture of planting stock is required, the Contractor shall plant mixtures as specified in the DUIS.

9. CONTRACTOR QUALITY CONTROL INSPECTION

The Contractor may be asked to provide a Quality Control Plan (QCP) with their contract quote and the QCP will demonstrate how the Contractor will assure that their quality of performance meets the objectives and requirement of the contract.

1) The QCP shall specify:

a. How quality will be monitored to assure performance standards are met.

b. How the work and crew will be supervised.

c. How results of the monitoring will result in quality performance.

d. Identify the personnel responsible for performing quality control.

e. Quality control shall include monitoring quality while planting is in progress, tree care and other associated tasks, and an unbiased sample of planting.

2) General Inspection: The Contractor shall assure themselves that performance meets contract specification.

Inspection shall be maintained concurrent with contract work. Contractor inspection results shall be made available to the Contracting Officer at all times. The Contractor shall provide the tree planting quality percentage for the unit as the average of plots taken and provide plot cards to the COR in support of claimed percentage quality of work within 24 hours of completion of each planting unit.

3) Plot Inspection: Contractor shall provide documentation of inspection results comprising of plot cards showing examination of randomly selected representative samples of planting and individual seedlings.

a. The Contractor shall submit legible plot cards. Illegible and incomplete sheets will be returned to the Contractor for correction and resubmission.

b. By submission of unit quality of work percentages and plot cards to the Government, the Contractor is certifying that the unit is:

i. Satisfactorily completed;

ii. Tree handling was completed in accordance with the performance standards stated elsewhere in the solicitation; and

iii. Inspection plot cards reflect the work accomplished.

c. Continual failure of the Contractor to maintain inspection results within 5% of Government verification inspections will be grounds for termination of Contractor's right to proceed with contract work for default.

4) The QCP will become part of the awarded contract, and the Contractor shall provide Quality Control Inspections in full accordance with the QCP.

10. GOVERNMENT INSPECTION OF SERVICES

1) The Government will conduct verification inspections to determine compliance with performance standards and ensure that the Contractor is providing the quality promised in the QCP. The Planting Inspection Sheet (R6-FS-2400-113, Exhibit L) will be used for planting inspection.

2) Government verification inspection will consist of observation of tree handling, site preparation, planting and inspection procedures, and examination of individual trees on sample plots as described in the Government Quality Assurance Plan (Exhibit A) and in associated exhibits (see all Exhibits).

3) Each unit will be verified separately and inspection results on one unit will not be averaged with those of other units. Determination of the acceptability of the work performed will be based on these verification inspections and will be considered conclusive.

4) Verification inspection of a unit may or may not be performed immediately following planting. The Contractor or a designated representative is encouraged, but not required to observe inspections while they are underway. No payment will be made for any time that a designated representative does observe these Government inspections.

5) The Government will review all plot sheets and check calculations after receipt. The Government will compare the Contractor’s plot results with the Government’s results. After all plots have been taken and recorded on a unit, a planting quality will be computed using the formula outlines in the Government

QAP. The Contractor will be informed if the quality is acceptable after comparing the Government assurance plots with the Contractor’s plots upon completion of entire unit. When inspection results are within 5%, the Contractor will be informed that its planting quality is acceptable and pay will be calculated based on the Contractor’s plot results. Computations will be made to at least thousandths (.000) and the final percentage of quality will be rounded to the nearest whole percent.

6) If the Government's verification inspection results differ by more than 5 percentage points from the Contractor's inspection results, the Government's inspection results shall establish quality of work and be the basis for payment. When Government verification planting percentage is within 5 percentage points of the Contractor's inspection results, payment will be based on the Contractor’s inspection percentage.

7) The Contractor may be put on notice of non-compliance (or other contract action) for failure to conduct plot inspections in accordance with the QCP. The Contractor’s inspector is not permitted to modify plot deficiencies nor influence the planting quality by indicating to the planters of upcoming plot locations.

11. METHOD OF MEASUREMENT

The acres to be planted and paid for are provided in the DUIS and in the Schedule of Items.

1) All linear and area measurements required under this contract shall be measured on the horizontal plane and the units are in acres.

2) Re-measurement of the acreage under the resultant contract will be made upon the written request of the Contractor and include documentation supporting the probability of an error in acreage. Request for re-measurements must be made in writing within three days after planting has been completed on the unit.

a. If re-measurement indicates a difference of not more than 5% from the original measurement, the Contractor shall bear all actual costs of the re-measurement and payments will be based on the second measurement.

12. CONTRACTOR KEY PERSONNEL, SUPERINTENDENCE, AND WORKFORCE

1) The Contractor shall make no substitutions of key personnel, such as the Contractor’s Representative or supervisors, without written approval of the Contracting Officer. The Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer in writing of proposed substitutions, and provide qualifications of proposed substitutions.

2) The Government may, at its option suspend work with full count of contract time continuing, if the Contractor fails to provide a Contractor’s Representative who is (1) conversant in English, and (2) able to read and understand the contract.

3) At all times during the performance of this contract and until the work is completed and accepted, the Contractor shall directly superintend the work or assign one non-planting supervisor per planting site:

a. Supervisors shall be 1) conversant in English, 2) have a copy of the contract at all times during planting operations; and 3) able to read and understand the contract;

b. They will be designated in writing by the Contractor for each crew. The written designation shall indicate the limits of the supervisor's authority. When two or more people are designated as supervisor, their written delegation shall indicate the priority of their designations so no more than one person shall be in charge of a crew at any one time.

4) One non-planting, non-supervising tree planting quality inspector per crew shall be designated by the Contractor to inspect the work for the Contractor.

5) The Contractor shall inform the COR of the planned work force for the following day on a daily basis prior to leaving the unit or concurrently with placing the next working day’s seedling order.

6) Each planting crew shall have a minimum of 12 planters unless otherwise authorized.

7) Work shall be performed in an organized systematic manner. Crew members shall not be scattered within or between units as necessitated by on-the-ground conditions and only when authorized by a COR.

8) A minimum of two crews will be provided unless otherwise agreed upon by the CO.

13. WORK SCHEDULE FOR CONTRACT

The Contractor shall within 3 days from receipt of a request from the Contracting Officer, submit a time chart or schedule of proposed progress to ensure completion of the work within the time set forth in the contract. If the Contractor’s progress falls behind that schedule, the Contractor shall take such action as necessary to improve progress. Additionally, the Contracting Officer may require the Contractor to submit a revised schedule and proposed plan of work to ensure completion of the work within the time set forth in the contract.

14. REINSPECTION UPON CONTRACTOR REQUEST

The Contractor will have the option to request a full sample re-inspection by the Government. A “full sample” for units with tree spacing equal to or less than 16’x16’ is defined as a minimum of one 1/50th acre plot per acre or two 1/100th acre plots per acre for units up to 39 acres, and one 1/50th acre plot or two 1/100th acre plots per every two acres for units of 40 acres or larger. A “full sample” for units with tree spacing greater than 16’x16’ is defined as a minimum of one 1/20th acre plot per acre for units up to 39 acres, and one 1/20th acre plot per every two acres for units of 40 acres or larger. Re-inspection will use new plot locations.

Requests for re-inspection shall be made in writing, within five days after receipt of initial inspection results. If the Government's re-inspection results differ by more than 5% from the Contractor's original inspection results, the Government's re-inspection results will be used for payment and the Contractor will bear the Government's re-inspection costs.

15. REDETERMINATION OF CONDITIONS UPON CONTRACTOR REQUEST

If a Contractor feels that the conditions that the Government identified of any unit are incorrect, the Contractor shall submit a written request for the redetermination of the conditions selected within five days of the date of the NTP. Contractor’s written request shall clearly identify which specific conditions they believe to be inaccurate and back up their request with documented reasoning. If the Government’s redetermination concludes that the initial conditions selected were incorrect and that the redetermination results in a price difference of more than 5% of that specific line item, the Government’s redetermination results will be used for payment. If the Government’s redetermination does not result in a price change, then the Contractor will bear the Government’s redetermination costs. Variances outside of the scenarios listed in the schedule of items may be negotiated.

16. PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS SUMMARY

The following describes the major items in the contract with the incentives and deductions for the work described.

Work Statement

Performance Standard

Government Method of Assessment

Payment and Performance Outcomes for Meeting or Not Meeting the Standard

Orders and Delivery

Contractor shall order trees by 3:00 pm the day before the desired time. Time of pickup will be negotiated.

COR and/or Inspector will document that trees ordered are planted the same day.

If the Government determines conditions are not suitable for planting, no adverse performance evaluation. If the Contractor does not meet the Government at the negotiated time or place, the Government may charge administrative costs.

Tree Handling and Care

Trees are properly handled and cared for.

When violations occur, Contractor takes correction action immediately.

COR and/or Inspector will monitor operations.

The Contractor’s care and handling of trees will affect the performance evaluation either positively or negatively. If Contractor meets the standard, no deduction. If Contractor does not meet the standard and/or take corrective action, the Government may assess damages in accordance with the Payment Clause and provide adverse performance evaluation.

Planting

Planting quality meets or exceeds performance standard of 90% quality.

COR or Inspector conduct random plots consistent with Region 6 Planting Inspection.

The Contractor’s planting quality will be reflected in the performance evaluation either positive or negative. If Contractor achieves 90% planting quality or greater, full unit price will be paid. If Contractor does not achieve 90% or greater deductions will be made in accordance with the Payment, Incentives and Deductions clause and provide adverse performance evaluation.

Quality Control

Contractor maintains good quality control on all aspects of operation including tree handling, preparation and planting. Actions not consistent with contract specifications are corrected per Contractor’s QCP.

COR or Inspector randomly observe operations.

The QCP provided by the Contractor will be reflected in the performance evaluation either positively or negatively. If the Contractor fails to meet standards, work may be suspended or terminated for cause for failure to take corrective action immediately thus resulting in adverse performance evaluation.

Contractor’s Plot Inspections

Contractor’s plot inspections are +/-5% of Government’s quality. Inspection completed to meet timeframes.

COR/Inspector randomly observe Contractor inspection and reviews Contractor inspection sheets daily.

Contractor’s ability to meet the standard will be reflected in the performance evaluation either positively or negatively. When Contractor’s plot inspections meet standards, no deduction. If quality does not meet standard, pay deduction per the Payment Clause and/or additional costs to the Government will be assessed as well as result in adverse performance evaluation.

Work Plan Schedule and Communications

Work meets schedule as per the accepted progress plan.

Contractor keeps COR/Inspector advised of where they can be reached by phone at all times of contract performance.

COR and Inspector conduct periodic monitoring.

Contractor’s ability to maintain the work schedule and complete work on schedule will be reflected in the performance evaluation either positively or negatively. Contractor’s work not completed on schedule is subject to default and may result in termination for cause including assessment of reprocurement costs and result in adverse performance evaluation.

17. PAYMENT FOR PLANTING

1) When Government verification planting percentage is within 5 percentage points of the Contractor's inspection results, payment will be based on the Contractor's inspection percentage. If inspection indicates the percentage is 95 percent or above, payment will be made at 100 percent of the unit price.

For planting quality less than 95 percent, payment will be made for the actual quality percent earned except for those units with planting quality less than 90% that are required to be reworked. Planting quality and payment percentage are calculated in the same manner.

2) If Government verification differs greater than 5%, plus or minus, from the Contractor's inspections, payment will be based on the Government verification inspection.

3) If the Contractor requests re-inspection, the Government will re-inspect with a full sample inspection.

a. If the Government reinspection results are within 5% of the original Contractor's inspections, pay will be based on the Contractor's inspection. The Contractor shall not bear the Government reinspection costs.

b. If the Government reinspection results are greater than 5%, from the original Contractor's inspections, pay will be based on Government re-inspection results, and the Contractor shall bear the Government reinspection costs.

4) Charges for Government-furnished property wasted, lost, or damaged by the Contractor will be $0.68 per conifer seedling.

5) When planted wasted seedlings are found, and they are considered minor in nature and in no way indicates a trend that average spacing requirements are being exceeded, the Contracting Officer may waive the wasted seedling charge. In no case will a waiver be given if the total of the Planting Inspection Sheet column "Planted Seedlings" exceeds the total of column "Maximum Number Allowable Seedlings" or the number of wasted seedlings is not minor and indicates a trend that average spacing requirements are being exceeded. Wasted seedling costs will be calculated by the following:

a. Total number of wasted seedlings from the inspection record divided by number of plots taken multiplied by the reciprocal of the plot size multiplied by the number of acres in a given unit, plus seedlings determined wasted under care of seedlings specifications. For example, if a total of 27 wasted seedlings were found on 40 1/50th acre plots which were taken on a 60-acre unit, and a bundle of 200 seedlings had been wasted through improper care, the calculation would be made as follows:

27 x 50 x (60/40) = 2,025 + 200 = 2,225 wasted seedlings

6) The Contractor will be charged administrative costs incurred by the Government for repeated failure to meet Government representatives at previously scheduled times and places.

7) If unsatisfactory planting by the Contractor is consistent and consequently determined and verified via the Government Quality Assurance Plan, then the Contracting Officer may direct the Contractor to replant at no additional cost to the Government. Additionally, where planting quality for a unit falls below the Minimum Acceptable Quality level of 90%, the Contractor may be required to rework units at no additional cost to the Government. Repeated failure to plant at the 90% level or above will be grounds for termination for default.

8) The Government will periodically assess the worksite for cleanliness – no trash is left onsite and boxes and/or packing materials used for transporting seedlings are returned to the tree cooler or otherwise disposed of. Final payment will be withheld until the worksite is cleaned.

9) Safety and the Contractor’s written safety plan will be discussed at the prework meeting. Failure to adhere to the safety plan may result in suspension of work or termination.

18. EFFECTIVE PERIOD OF THE CONTRACT

Contract time begins on the effective date of the Notice to Proceed (NTP) and runs until the appropriate end date of the Period of Performance. Estimated date to start work is April 1, 2026, and estimated date to end work is June 30, 2026. Planting will be restricted to one unit at a time, unless otherwise directed by the Contracting Officer.

1) The Government will issue the NTP as soon as weather and ground conditions are favorable for survival of planting stock. Contract time will start on the date specified on the NTP, if hand delivered, or the third day after the post office has issued a notice of certified mail to the Contractor, or when planting commences, whichever is sooner. It is recognized and agreed that due to existing weather conditions and accessibility, not all planting units may be available at the time the NTP is issued an subsequent suspension of work may become necessary; see 4 and 5 of this section.

2) Tree survival and growth are dependent upon proper soil and weather conditions at the time of planting and these conditions will only prevail for a limited length of time. It is imperative that work be started promptly after conditions for planting become suitable. Work shall commence no later than 3 days after the effective date of the NTP. Units shall be planted in accordance with the order of preference established by the Contracting Officer Representative. The contract time established will be based on an average required minimum progress rate of approximately 30 acres/day for planting.

3) In order to obtain a full day's planting, it may be necessary for the Contractor to start planting at sunrise.

Planting hours are one half hour before official sunrise to one half hour after official sunset.

4) If the Contractor's progress falls behind the work progress schedule for more than 2 days at the specified rate of progress or if the percentage of planting quality falls below 90% for more than 20% of the item acreage, the Contractor's right to proceed may be terminated if satisfactory planting quality or progress is not attained within the time specified in a written cure notice. Such notice may be in the form of a work order and shall allow no more than 1 working day for any corrective action to be completed.

5) Whenever the Contracting Officer Representative determines that the temperature, humidity, soil moisture, plant moisture stress, winds, or a combination of these other physical conditions have become unsuitable for tree survival on any area, the Contractor shall move the work force to another area prescribed by the Contracting Officer. When no other area is available, the Contracting Officer will issue a Suspend Work Order for the affected units. Contract time will stop for those units as well as any other unit where planting conditions are similar to the current unit. Contract time will continue on units where planting conditions are favorable but the Contractor chooses not to move to the other area.

6) When planting conditions are again favorable, the Contracting Officer will issue a verbal resume work order and will confirm the resumption in writing. Contractor will resume work within 3 calendar days after the effective work resumption date. An exception to the three days exists when the Contracting Officer issues a Work Order for periods of time that are less than 24 hours. The work order will then state the time on the next work date that the Contractor will return to work; the Contractor will not be allowed three days to return to work. It is the Contractor's responsibility to keep the Contracting Officer currently advised as to where the Contractor or the Contractor’s Representative may be reached by phone during periods of work suspension. If the Contractor cannot be reached at the phone number provided, or if the Contractor fails to leave a number, a written resume work order will be mailed to the Contractor and contract time will resume on the date specified on the resume work order.

7) Instead of suspending work for unsuitable planting conditions as described elsewhere, the Contracting Officer may, under the Changes Clauses, reduce the time the seedling may be in the planting bags prior to planting, or reduce the number of seedlings carried in the planting bags.