Attachment B - Specifications.docx

Attachment B - DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/WORK STATEMENT

C.1 SCOPE OF CONTRACT

It is the intent of this contract to secure services to improve savannas within the Baldwin/White Cloud Ranger District by reducing overstory tree/shrub cover to an average of 50% and reduce understory tree/shrub cover to an average of 25% using a combination of mechanical equipment, hand tools, and/or herbicides. Reserve islands will be left untreated to meet overstory and understory cover objectives with preference given to oak and/or cherry that are the tallest, single stem trees and then white pine over red pine. Mechanical site preparation, tilling, and seeding with native savanna seed mixes also will be contracted to increase cover of native wildflowers and grasses. Snags created from girdling trees and piles formed from cut vegetation will provide cover for wildlife. Project acreage for each year is estimated to be 20 acres of mechanical and/or manual cutting 3-12” DBH hardwood and 3-14” DBH pine and piling; 20 acres hand cutting ≤ 5” DBH, stump herbicide, and piling; 20 acres mechanical and/or manual Cutting ≤ 10” DBH, stump herbicide, girdling, and piling; 10 acres of mechanical site prep; and 15 acres of tilling and seeding. The Contractor(s) will be responsible for providing all personnel and equipment necessary for multiple years of contract execution and completion.

Characterization of Sites by Treatment Type

Projected Task Orders for 2020

· See Attachment C – Maps for work locations

BALDWIN RANGER DISTRICT (BWC)

Item 1 – Mechanical and/or Manual Cutting 3-12” DBH Hardwood and 3-14” DBH Pine and Piling

-86.25176

-86.20942

-86.15535

Item 2 - Hand Cutting ≤ 5” DBH, Stump Herbicide, and Piling

-86.24311

-86.15120

-85.83296

Item 3 - Mechanical and/or Manual Cutting ≤ 10” DBH, Stump Herbicide, Girdling, and Piling

-86.26031

-86.16264

-85.74649

Item 4 – Mechanical Site Preparation

-86.25592

-86.23915

-86.20404

Item 5 - Tilling and Seeding

-86.25592

-86.23915

-86.20404

The dispersion and existing conditions of work locations in 2020 are representative of job areas to be treated in future years. Work locations in 2020 are dispersed across two counties; however, many occur in clumps and are near one another. Treatments within job areas range from average to above average difficulty due to amounts of cutting, slash removal, woody debris, intact stumps, and stand density. In addition, many job areas are adjacent to wildlife openings, contract areas, KBB Habitat, or other sensitive habitats and as a result have additional specifications.

2021 through 2025 Work Locations

Future work locations are yet to be determined. Job areas to be treated in future years are projected to be similar in range of difficulty to 2020 jobs areas. For example, stem densities for future years are anticipated fall within the range of stem densities present in the 2020 work locations.

C.2 CONTRACTOR FURNISHED PROPERTY

The Contractor shall furnish all labor, equipment, necessary personal protective equipment (including hard hats, saw chaps, hearing/eye protection and first aid kit), supervision, transportation, supplies, and incidentals to complete the Work Items.

C.3 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Maps showing the locations of job areas are included in Attachment C. In addition, Global Positioning System (GPS) points are provided as Decimal Degrees to assist in locating job areas. Acreage has been determined by the use of GPS and Geographical Information System (GIS). No further acreage computation is planned.

The following items are required for an acceptable level of work:

General Technical Specifications

(a) Job Area Prioritization - The Contractor may be required to treat certain Forest Service specified job areas prior to others. This information will be given to the Contractor before the start of work. Maps showing their locations will be found in Attachment C.

(b) Access - Job areas are accessed by State, County, and Forest Service roads, and unofficial two tracks and closed Forest Service roads, some of which are displayed on the maps included in Attachment C. Bladed fire lines also can be used for equipment access. Additional designated access routes may be identified on the maps in Section J or agreed on during the pre-work conference. Tree/shrub removal may be required to improve some designated access routes. Entry points used by the Contractor to access job areas with equipment must be blocked upon completion of work. Closures (e.g., barrier posts) that are opened to access unofficial two tracks and closed Forest Service roads must be reclosed in a similar and acceptable fashion upon completing work or when work is suspended for more than a week. Any additional access for motorized vehicles/mechanical equipment will require approval by the COR. Some work is beyond Forest Service gates. A Forest Service key may be provided by the government if required. Gates must remain closed during and after work to limit public access. Any additional access for motorized vehicles/mechanical equipment will required a request to and approval by the COR.

Notify the COR at least 1 week prior to entering job areas.

Not all roads are plowed in winter and should be avoided during extreme wet conditions. Work under this contract will not be performed when ground or access road conditions would result in damage to access roads or natural resources. If precipitation makes the ground wet enough to cause significant rutting, then work will be temporarily suspended or the contractor can bring in machinery with a lighter ground pounds per square inch. Wet weather conditions may preclude the use of vehicles and equipment. The COR may determine conditions warrant cessation of vehicular traffic. It is the responsibility of the Contractor to repair damage caused as a result of their work activities.

(c) Adjacent Wildlife Openings – Other wildlife openings not listed for treatment often occur near or adjacent to job areas. Maps showing their locations will be provided prior to start of work. Some small openings also occur within or adjacent to job areas. Do not operate motorized vehicles/mechanical equipment within any openings not listed for treatment unless otherwise authorized by the COR. Designated access routes may provide paths around these openings. Any additional access routes for motorized vehicles/mechanical equipment will require approval by the COR. During the pre-work conference, job area and opening boundaries will be reviewed. Contact the COR if there are any questions regarding opening boundaries.

There will be no loading, unloading, or storing of materials within wildlife openings not listed for treatment. No slash will be placed within these openings with the exception of piling at designated piling locations when applicable. Designated piling locations will be identified and agreed on during the pre-work conference.

(d) Adjacent Contract Areas – Treatment units under other contracts such as timber sales may occur near or adjacent to job areas. Treatment unit boundaries are delineated using a combination of painted trees and/or ribbon. Contact the COR if there are any questions about treatment unit boundaries. No activities under this contract will occur within these areas. Occurrence of nearby treatment units under other contracts will be disclosed during the pre-work conference.

(e) Government Property - A GPS unit may be provided by the government if required. Additional GPS information, such as gridded maps or downloaded GPS data, may be provided to aid in identification of job area boundaries, upon request of the Contractor. Government property (e.g., Forest Service key, GPS unit, maps) will be issued following signature of Property Transfer Forms and returned in its original condition by agreed upon return dates.

(f) Protected Wildlife and Vegetation – The Karner blue butterfly (KBB) is a federally endangered species with protections under the Endangered Species Act. Occupied Karner blue butterfly habitat (KBB Habitat) may occur adjacent to or within job areas and along travel corridors. KBB Habitat areas often, but not always, have boundaries delineated with painted orange double slash boundary trees and/or double orange spotted trees. Ribbons, flagging, and/or paint is often, but not always, present around KBB Habitat boundaries. KBB Habitat will be identified on the maps provided during the pre-work conference meeting, and boundaries will be reviewed during field visits. Given the scale of the maps, access and storage areas may be difficult to identify.

There will be no loading, unloading, or storing of materials or parking within KBB Habitat. All vehicles and equipment must stay on the road and turning around must occur outside KBB Habitat. Operating areas and ingress and egress lanes for vehicles and equipment will be approved by the COR in advance of work. Care must be taken to make sure that pathways of travel by any vehicles do not touch KBB Habitat. Discuss material cache locations with the COR prior to beginning operations adjacent to KBB Habitat. Request additional instructions concerning operating near KBB Habitat if there is any question that activities might impact KBB Habitat.

Avoid harming or harassing any wildlife species encountered during contract activities. Wildlife may be removed from job sites to a nearby safe area to avoid harm to them. Retain den trees, trees with cavities or active bird nests, and snags ≥ 8” DBH. Avoid damaging wild lupine and other nectar plants during contract activities. Avoid falling trees or piling slash on areas containing concentrations of wild lupine and other nectar plants. Avoid getting herbicide on wild lupine, other nectar plants, ant mounds, or any other non-targets during herbicide treatments. Trees and brush will not be configured in any way conducive to providing a hunting blind. Slash and/or brush will not be windrowed or placed in any way that serves as a barrier to wildlife.

Areas that have been previously site prepped and seeded with savanna seed mixes (seed plots) may exist within and adjacent to job areas. The amount of bare ground and herbaceous ground cover should help identify their boundaries on the ground. To protect seed plots, no activities (i.e., walking, driving, dragging slash, piling slash) will occur within seed plots. Seed plots will be identified on the maps provided during the pre-work conference meeting, and boundaries will be reviewed during field visits. If location maps and existing marking are insufficient to locate the boundaries of seed plots, contact the COR to provide additional marking.

If sensitive plant species are found prior to herbicide treatments, the Contractor will need to place a temporary cover over the plants for protection. The COR will confirm sensitive plant locations 2 weeks prior to treatment.

Other sensitive areas, cultural resource sites, wetlands, species habitat and native vegetation may exist within job areas. These areas will be identified on maps and marked by Forest Service staff, as needed, and avoided by the Contractor or work will be performed only with an appropriate Forest Service staff member on site. Operating areas and ingress and egress lanes for vehicles and equipment will be approved by the COR in advance of work in each area.

(g) Equipment Cleaning - To prevent the spread of non-native invasive species, the Contractor’s equipment will be inspected prior to starting work with the Forest Service. All equipment must be cleaned and free of brush, debris, mud, dirt, and plant parts including roots and seed prior to travel on Forest Service roads, before entering the first job area, and between moving from one job area to another. Methods of equipment cleaning may include, but are not limited to steam-cleaning, running through a car wash, or compressed air cleaning. The COR will inspect equipment upon being brought onto National Forest System lands for the first time, or subsequent times if the equipment is taken off site and returned.

(h) Herbicide Use - Herbicide transport, use, mixing, and disposal will comply with all federal, state, and local regulations. Herbicide solutions will be mixed at appropriate locations, not within KBB habitat, wildlife openings, or savannas, to eliminate the potential for spills in naturally vegetated areas. Application will not occur within 2 days of forecasted major rain events. Install temporary signs at treated areas to notify visitors. Remove signs after treatment has concluded.

(i) Salvage - No cut materials are to be salvaged.

(j) Treatment Areas – No activity will occur on non-National Forest System lands. Treatment activities will only occur within job area boundaries. Contact the COR if there are any questions about job area boundaries.

(k) Personal Protective Equipment – Personal protective equipment (PPE) will be worn at all times while in job areas. Unsafe work practices could result in a ‘Stop Work’ order being issued by the Contracting Officer or further penalties.

(l) Performance - The Contractor will, at the time of submitting the quote, provide an Operating Plan. The Operating Plan will include the following:

i. Schedule of Work which describes when the Contractor intends to begin to perform the work, where the work will begin, and scheduled progression through job areas.

ii. Quality Control Plan which describes how the Contractor intends to demonstrate all tasks are completed to the required Performance Quality Standards and/or to Acceptable Quality Levels.

iii. Performance Plan which describes how the Contractor intends to assure the work gets completed in accordance with the time frames and specifications identified including knowledge of the species of vegetation required to perform the work, intended use of manpower, how much and how frequent manpower will be applied to the work, number and types of equipment, and knowledge of treatment techniques including use of herbicide.

The Performance Plan and any work processes shared with the government to fulfill this requirement is considered proprietary and will be kept confidential.

(m) Inspections - Inspections will be completed by the COR, occasionally, during performance of the contract and again after the Contractor completes all work within a work item. Inspections are for the benefit of the government. The Contractor will notify the COR about progress. The Contractor will take prompt corrective action for any deficiencies or deviation that may occur under this contract. The Contractor shall contact the COR for permission to proceed with work and/or when the work is complete and ready for final inspection. The Contractor will inspect their own work and only tender for acceptance work that has met specifications. Upon notification, a mutually agreed date for inspection will be arranged.

(n) Measurement and Payment - Acreages shown in the contract have been determined using a GPS and GIS. No further acreage computation is planned. Payment will be by the Bid Item, as shown in the Schedule of Items. Payment will be upon completion of work tendered for acceptance by the Contractor, final inspection by the COR, and acceptance by the COR. Progress or partial payments (within Bid Items) are not planned at this time.

(o) Pre-Work Conference - A pre-work conference will be scheduled and completed with the Contractor after award and prior to the commencement of work. The conference will be by mutual agreement between the COR and the Contractor.

(p) Definitions:

i. DBH – Diameter at breast height units are in inches. Breast height is defined as 4.5 feet above the ground.

ii. Savanna – open woodland with scattered overstory oaks and sometimes pines, scattered understory shrubs, and abundant wildflowers.

iii. Safety Plan – Provide a written safety plan that demonstrates how the Contractor will ensure a safe work environment for themselves and their employees.

iv. Hand/manual cutting – Using hand operated tools (e.g., loppers, chainsaws, brush saws) to cut vegetation.

v. Mechanical cutting/brushing – Using motorized vehicles/mechanical equipment (e.g., trucks, masticators, brush hogs, hydro-axes, shear cutters, bobcats, tractors, skid steers) to cut vegetation.

vi. Snags – Standing dead trees.

vii. Piling – Moving and consolidating cut vegetative and woody material from treatment activities into piles of specified dimensions.

viii. Quality Control Plan – Provide a written quality control plan that demonstrates the ability to complete all tasks to the required Performance Quality Standards and/or to Acceptable Quality Levels.

ix. Work Plan and Schedule - Provide start date, production rate, completion date, labor, and equipment list.

(q) Resource Protection:

i. Protection of Streams, Lakes and Reservoirs - The Contractor shall take every precaution to prevent pollution from fuels, oils, chemicals, silt, or other harmful materials of any stream, lake, or reservoir located in or near the job areas. All water bodies shall be kept free of Contractor-generated debris.

ii. Debris Disposal - All litter generated by the Contractor during this contract shall be removed from Forest Service land as work progresses.

Site Specific Technical Specifications

Item 1 Mechanical and/or Manual Cutting 3-12” DBH Hardwood and 3-14” DBH Pine and Piling The following items are required for an acceptable level of work:

(a) The Contractor will reduce overstory tree/shrub cover to an average of 50% and reduce understory tree/shrub cover to an average of 25% within job areas using a mechanical and/or manual treatment. A job area is delineated using flagging ribbon. If there is question about where a job area boundary lies, contact the COR for clarification.

(b) The Contractor will use a combination of motorized vehicles/mechanical equipment (e.g., hydro-axes, shear cutters, skid steers, bobcats) and/or hand operated tools (e.g., loppers, clearing saws, chainsaws, brush saws) to cut all hardwoods (including shrubs) 3-12” DBH and pine 3-14” DBH that are ≤ 20 inches in diameter at 1 foot above ground, except for reserve islands.

(c) Do not cut trees/shrubs around flagging ribbon, 10-feet wide centered at the ribbon (delineated reserve islands). Reserve islands will be left untreated to meet overstory and understory cover objectives. Preference for reserve trees within the cutting range would be given to oak and/or cherry then white pine over red pine. A reserve island consists of retaining a 10-foot wide clump of trees/shrubs. Preference would be given to those that are the tallest, single stem trees/shrubs within an area.

(d) Fell trees so that they do not damage retained reserve islands. If reserve islands are damaged, contact the COR to determine appropriate replacements.

(e) Stump height will be ≤ 6”. If a taller stump remains from a previous cutting, cut it to ≤ 6” as well.

(f) Regardless of size multiple stems originating from the same stump will be treated according to the instructions that apply to the largest stem.

(g) All cut material will be bucked to a manageable size and placed in piles following specifications.

a. Within job areas, pile at a rate of no more than 4 piles per acre unless otherwise specified by the COR. Arrange interior piles to facilitate mechanical follow-up treatments such as tilling and seeding.

b. All other material will be piled outside of the job area or at designated piling locations.

c. Piles will not be placed within adjacent wildlife openings, contract areas, KBB Habitat, or other protected sensitive habitats unless otherwise specified by the COR.

d. Pile size will not exceed 5’ in height and 25’ in diameter, and piles will not be closer than 50 feet to one another unless approved by the COR.

e. Pile on existing piles, whenever possible, staying within the size parameters stated above. Slash will not be piled or placed in rights-of-ways, fire lines, drainage ditches, or within channel bottoms or streams unless designated by the COR.

f. Piles meeting dimensions specified above may be used to block entry points. Optionally windrowing of material may be allowed upon written agreement with the COR, including location, height, length, and structure.

g. Additional piling locations may be provided upon written agreement with the COR.

(h) Cutting and piling will occur between August 16 and April 14. Individual sites must be completed during a single performance period.

Item 2 Hand Cutting ≤ 5” DBH, Stump Herbicide, and Piling The following items are required for an acceptable level of work:

(a) The Contractor will reduce understory to an average of 25% tree/shrub cover within job areas using a manual treatment. A job area is delineated using flagging ribbon. If there is question about where a job area boundary lies, contact the COR for clarification.

(b) The Contractor will use hand operated tools (e.g., loppers, clearing saws, chainsaws, brush saws, trimers) to cut all trees and shrubs ≤ 5” DBH and ≥ 24” above ground, except for reserve islands.

(c) Do not cut trees/shrubs around flagging ribbon, 10-feet wide centered at the ribbon (delineated reserve islands). Reserve islands will be left untreated to meet overstory and understory cover objectives. Preference for reserve trees within the cutting range would be given to oak and/or cherry then white pine over red pine. A reserve island consists of retaining a 10-foot wide clump of trees/shrubs. Preference would be given to those that are the tallest, single stem trees/shrubs within an area.

(d) All trees and shrubs will be cut so that the whole stump of cut stems can be immediately treated with herbicide. Hand-operated equipment will be used during spot application of glyphosate or triclopyr herbicide on all cut stumps that are ≥ 1/2” diameter at the 6” stump height, except for pine species. Herbicide stump treatment will be verified only through visual confirmation of dye following the Herbicide Technical Specifications listed below. Spot application method utilized will avoid any overspray beyond the stump collar.

(e) Fell trees so that they do not damage retained reserve islands. If reserve islands are damaged, contact the COR to determine appropriate replacements.

(f) Regardless of size multiple stems originating from the same stump will be treated according to the instructions that apply to the largest stem.

(g) Stump height will be ≤ 6”. If a taller stump remains from a previous cutting, cut it to ≤ 6” as well.

(h) All slash ≥ 1/2” diameter at the 6” stump height will be bucked to a manageable size and placed in piles following specifications. All other slash left on the ground will be scattered within job area boundaries.

a. Within job areas, pile at a rate of no more than 2 piles per acre. Arrange interior piles to facilitate mechanical follow-up treatments such as tilling and seeding. All other material will be outside of the job area or at designated piling locations.

b. Piles will not be placed within adjacent wildlife openings, contract areas, KBB Habitat, or other protected sensitive habitats unless otherwise specified by the COR.

c. Pile size will not exceed 5’ in height and 25’ in diameter, and piles will not be closer than 50 feet to one another unless approved by the COR.

d. Pile on existing piles, whenever possible, staying within the size parameters stated above. Slash will not be piled or placed in rights-of-ways, fire lines, trails, drainage ditches, or within channel bottoms or streams unless designated by the COR.

e. Piles meeting dimensions specified above may be used to block entry points. Optionally windrowing of material may be allowed upon written agreement with the COR, including location, height, length, and structure.

f. Additional piling locations may be provided upon written agreement with the COR.

(i) Cutting, stump herbiciding, and piling will occur between October 1 and April 1. The performance period may be extended to between August 16 and October 1 for cutting only if cut stumps are re-cut and have stump herbicide applied between the original performance period (October 1 and April 1). Individual sites must be completed during a single performance period.

Item 3 Mechanical and/or Manual Cutting ≤ 10” DBH, Stump Herbicide, Girdling, and Piling

The following items are required for an acceptable level of work:

(a) The Contractor will reduce overstory tree/shrub cover to an average of 50% and reduce understory tree/shrub cover to an average of 25% within job areas using a mechanical and/or manual treatment. A job area is delineated using flagging ribbon. If there is question about where a job area boundary lies, contact the COR for clarification.

(b) The Contractor will use a combination of motorized vehicles/mechanical equipment (e.g., hydro-axes, shear cutters, skid steers) and/or hand operated tools (e.g., loppers, clearing saws, chainsaws, brush saws, trimmers) to cut all trees and shrubs ≤ 10” DBH and ≥ 24” above ground, except for reserve islands.

(c) Do not cut trees/shrubs around flagging ribbon, 10-feet wide centered at the ribbon (delineated reserve islands). Reserve islands will be left untreated to meet overstory and understory cover objectives. Preference for reserve trees within the cutting range would be given to oak and/or cherry then white pine over red pine. A reserve island consists of retaining a 10-foot wide clump of trees/shrubs. Preference would be given to those that are the tallest, single stem trees/shrubs within an area..

(d) Either via manual or mechanical cutting, all trees and shrubs will be cut so that the whole stump of cut stems can be immediately treated with herbicide. Hand-operated equipment will be used during spot application of glyphosate or triclopyr herbicide on all cut stumps that are ≥ 1/2” diameter at the 6” stump height, except for pine species. Herbicide stump treatment will be verified only through visual confirmation of dye following the Herbicide Technical Specifications listed below. Spot application method utilized will avoid any overspray beyond the stump collar.

(e) Fell trees so that they do not damage retained reserve islands. If reserve islands are damaged, contact the COR to determine appropriate replacements.

(f) Regardless of size multiple stems originating from the same stump will be treated according to the instructions that apply to the largest stem.

(g) Stump height will be ≤ 6”. If a taller stump remains from a previous cutting, cut it to ≤ 6” as well.

(h) Girdle trees marked with painted X’s. Girdle trees by cutting two strips completely around the tree bole spaced 4” apart. Depth of the girdle into the bark should be no deeper than ½” to 1”; only deep enough to sever the cambium.

(i) All slash ≥ 1” diameter at 6” stump height will be bucked to a manageable size and placed in piles following specifications. All other slash left on the ground will be scattered within job area boundaries.

a. Within job areas, pile at a rate of no more than 4 piles per acre. Arrange piles to facilitate mechanical follow-up treatments such as tilling and seeding.

b. All other material will be piled outside of the job area or at designated piling locations.

c. Piles will not be placed within adjacent wildlife openings, contract areas, KBB Habitat, or other protected sensitive habitats unless otherwise specified by the COR.

d. Pile size will not exceed 5’ in height and 25’ in diameter, and piles will not be closer than 50 feet to one another unless approved by COR.

e. Pile on existing piles, whenever possible, staying within the size parameters stated above. Slash will not be piled or placed in rights-of-ways, fire lines, drainage ditches, or within channel bottoms or streams unless designated by the COR.

f. Piles meeting dimensions specified above may be used to block entry points. Optionally windrowing of material may be allowed upon written agreement with the COR, including location, height, length, and structure.

g. Additional piling locations may be provided upon written agreement with the COR.

(j) Cutting, stump herbiciding, girdling, and piling will occur between October 1 and April 1. The performance period may be extended to between August 16 and October 1 for cutting only if cut stumps are re-cut and have stump herbicide applied between the original performance period (October 1 and April 1). Individual sites must be completed during a single performance period.

Item 4 Mechanical Site Preparation

The following items are required for an acceptable level of work:

(a) The Contractor will prepare seed beds within job areas using mechanical equipment (e.g., tractors, skid steers, masticators, excavators, dozers, discs, root rakes, tillers, rotovators). Seed bed boundaries are delineated by flagging ribbon and/or pin flags. Saplings, woody debris, ground vegetation, and stumps ≤12 inches in diameter measured on the high side of the root collar will need to be removed to allow for a drop seeder to operate freely and plant entire seed beds, except for clumps of trees, reserve islands, and untillable large stumps. Site preparation must allow for equipment use and prevent damage to a drop seeder during planting which will require:

a. Removing/cutting sprouts/saplings using hand operated tools and/or mechanical equipment.

b. Digging up and removing stumps ≤12 inches in diameter measured on the high side of the root collar. Trees that consist of multiple stems shall be considered as one stump at the root collar.

c. Removing woody debris, stumps, stump pieces, and cut sprouts/saplings.

d. Piling material that is removed following specifications listed below.

e. Grading the stumped and cleared seed beds so they are flat and debris free including pre-existing coarse woody debris.

f. Tilling the stumped and cleared seed beds such that no more than 5% of vegetation remains visible and no more than 10% of a site has yellow soil exposed. The goal is to get the ground surface vegetation tilled down and a minimum amount of yellow sand tilled up.

(b) All slash/debris will be placed in piles following specifications.

a. All material that is removed will be piled outside seed beds on top of existing slash piles, with pile dimensions not exceeding 5’ in height and 25’ in diameter, unless approved by COR.

b. Piles will not be placed within adjacent wildlife openings, contract areas, KBB Habitat, or other protected sensitive habitats unless otherwise specified by the COR.

c. Slash will not be piled or placed in rights-of-ways, fire lines, drainage ditches, or within channel bottoms or streams unless designated by the COR.

d. Piles meeting dimensions specified above may be used to block entry points. Optionally windrowing of material may be allowed upon written agreement with the COR, including location, height, length, and structure.

e. Additional piling locations may be provided upon written agreement with the COR.

(c) Clumps of trees less than 8 feet apart and dense vegetation exist within the boundaries of some seed beds. These clumps do not require site preparation.

(d) Do not cut trees/shrubs around flagging ribbon, 10-feet wide centered at the ribbon (delineated reserve islands). Reserve islands will be left untreated to meet overstory and understory cover objectives. Preference for reserve trees within the cutting range would be given to oak and/or cherry then white pine over red pine. A reserve island consists of retaining a 10-foot wide clump of trees/shrubs. Preference would be given to those that are the tallest, single stem trees/shrubs within an area.

(e) Untillable large stumps exist within the boundaries of some seed beds and may be avoided during site preparation.

(f) Mechanical site preparation will occur between August 16 and October 7. Treatment within individual job areas must be completed within a single performance period.

Item 5 Tilling and Seeding

The following items are required for an acceptable level of work:

(a) The Contractor will till seed beds within job areas using a tractor and rotovator or equivalent piece of equipment. Seed bed boundaries are delineated by flagging ribbon and/or pin flags. Tilling will result in seed beds that are free from grass, weeds, ferns, sprouts/saplings, and other vegetation, with the exception of clumps of trees, reserve islands, and untillable large stumps. Some small woody vegetation may need to be cut and removed. Tiller depth will be adjusted so that no more than 10% of an individual seed bed has yellow sand exposed. The goal is to get the ground surface vegetation tilled down and a minimum of yellow sand tilled up. Shallower tiller depths also will minimize fluff and ridges in the soil.

(b) Prior to tilling, the Contractor will remove debris (e.g., sticks, chunks of wood, remnants of fallen trees) that may interfere with tilling or damage equipment. In some cases, job areas have recently been hand cut and may require removal of left-over slash that is less than 1 inch in diameter that would interfere with tilling operations. Slash/debris that is removed will be placed in piles following specifications.

a. All material that is removed will be piled outside seed beds on top of existing slash piles, with pile dimensions not exceeding 5’ in height and 25’ in diameter, unless approved by COR.

b. Piles will not be placed within adjacent wildlife openings, contract areas, KBB Habitat, or other protected sensitive habitats unless otherwise specified by the COR.

c. Slash will not be piled or placed in rights-of-ways, fire lines, drainage ditches, or within channel bottoms or streams unless designated by the COR.

d. Piles meeting dimensions specified above may be used to block entry points. Optionally windrowing of material may be allowed upon written agreement with the COR, including location, height, length, and structure.

e. Additional piling locations may be provided upon written agreement with the COR.

(c) Tilled areas will then be dragged and cultipacked to provide smooth planting areas (i.e., remove the fluff and ridges from the soil). A variety of cultipackers or drags may be used, however, they may not add fluff to the soil, must provide a smooth surface, and the entire tilled portion of each seed bed must be treated without missing any spots. A drag may be attached to the back of a cultipacker so the work may be done simultaneously. Hydro-packing or the reliance on rain to substitute for cultipacking is not acceptable.

(d) Once the seed bed is prepared, seed will be spread using a calibrated seeder (model Truax WF-64 drop style wheel driven 3 point metered broadcast seeder) with chains that will be provided to the Contractor. Other equivalent equipment may be used upon written agreement with the COR.

(e) The Contractor will transport the empty calibrated seeder into the specified seed beds. Only after the seeder is within a seed bed will the Contractor place the wildflower and grass seed mix that is provided for that bed in the appropriate bins. The mixes prepared for individual seed beds must be kept separate. The calibrated seeder will spread seed at an even rate. The Contractor must ensure all the seed mix is evenly distributed across the entire tilled portion of each seed bed without missing any spots. The Contractor will notify the COR if the seeding rate appears to change and facilitate re-calibration of the seeder. Seed will only be spread when there are no obstructions preventing contact with exposed soil (e.g., leaf litter, snow).

(f) Seed beds will be cultipacked after all the seed is spread to ensure good seed-to-soil contact. The cultipacker provided can be attached to the calibrated seeder to press the seed into the soil. Seed beds will not be dragged after seeding and cultipacking.

(g) Native savanna seed mixes will be provided to the Contractor for each job area. Only cleaned seed will be put into the seeder. Seed with debris, such as pine needles, grass, or twigs, clog the seeder and disrupt seed flow. Unclean seed should be filtered through hardware cloth to remove obstacles. Seed will be handled carefully to avoid loss of product.

(h) Untillable large stumps exist within the boundaries of some seed beds and should be avoided during tilling and seeding.

(i) Clumps of trees less than 8 feet apart and dense vegetation exist within the boundaries of some seed beds. These clumps do not require tilling and seeding.

(j) Do not cut trees/shrubs around flagging ribbon, 10-feet wide centered at the ribbon (delineated reserve islands). Reserve islands will be left untreated to meet overstory and understory cover objectives. Preference for reserve trees within the cutting range would be given to oak and/or cherry then white pine over red pine. A reserve island consists of retaining a 10-foot wide clump of trees/shrubs. Preference would be given to those that are the tallest, single stem trees/shrubs within an area.

(k) The Contractor will return the calibrated seeder, its attachments, and seed barrels clean and maintained. Repairs made will be disclosed to the COR.

(l) Tilling and seeding will occur between October 15 and December 15 when there is no snow or other obstructions (e.g., leaf litter) on the ground that would prevent seed/soil contact. Treatment within individual job areas must be completed within a single performance period.

Herbicide Technical Specifications

The following items are required for an acceptable level of work:

(a) Work will only be awarded to businesses with a State of Michigan commercial pesticide applicators business license and all applicators will have current State of Michigan herbicide certification and be certified for the type of habitat(s) required for this contract.

(b) Application operations shall be conducted as indicated on the herbicide label, including approved concentrations, rates/acre, and environmental conditions. Only chemicals approved for aquatic use shall be used adjacent to waterways and wetlands or whenever directed. Aquatic approved chemicals include the aquatic formulation of glyphosate (Rodeo® or equivalent product).

(c) Herbicide dye will be used according to manufacturing label.

(d) The Contractor will provide a written Safety Plan that demonstrates how the Contractor will ensure a safe work environment for themselves and their employees, including a chemical spill plan documenting procedure in the event of a pesticide spill on-site or in transport. The Contractor is responsible for the cleanup of any spills and will notify the COR immediately of any spills. The Contractor must have herbicide labels and copies of material safety data sheets (MSDS) of chemicals used on site. The Contractor must provide copies of MSDS of chemicals to the COR prior to the start of work.

(e) The Contractor will maintain an accurate daily log record of herbicide used in each area as described below. Other minimum record requirements include copies of hazardous material handling certificates, copies of material safety data sheets (MSDS) of chemicals used, and the location of the waste site and/or use destination locations. The Daily Log must record the Contract Line Item, target plant species, chemical used (product name and EPA registration number), quantity of herbicide (volume applied & unit of measure – including product and carrier/dilutant), application rate (active ingredient applied & unit of measure), and adjuvant used (product name & rate applied, if any). The log will record weather information consisting of wind velocity (MPH), wind direction, air temperature (F), condition (cloud cover), relative humidity (RH), and precipitation (inches). Other log requirements include date, time of day (start time and stop time), treatment location, approximate acres treated, hours to complete task, type of application (method/technique), color of dye used on job area, name of certified applicators, type of equipment used, plus optional information such as any other miscellaneous notes or observations. All treatment daily logs and summary log must be completed separately for each job area that herbicide is applied to such that total volume of herbicide can be determined for that land unit. A copy must be made available to the Forest Service prior to submitting invoices or upon request.

(f) Contractor will place caution signs around sprayed areas according to the appropriate interval per label directions of the chemical used. Signage will be removed after treatment is completed.

(g) Contractor will conduct treatments at a sufficient interval and concentration to meet or exceed the kill rate ranging from 85-90% for target undesirable vegetation, and with no mortality to nearby or interspersed desirable non-target native plant species because of inadvertent treatment or overspray of herbicides (refer to Quality Control Plan); or values specified in this contract. The Contractor will provide a Quality Control Plan that demonstrates how the Contractor will ensure minimum kill rates are met for target species.

(h) The COR may conduct visual inspection of herbicide treatments on site to check on their progression to ensure the Contractor is following the specified requirements of this contract. Random coverage inspections and sampling may be conducted to verify acceptable kill rates to target species infestations and mortality to non-target native plants. The COR may accept work based on visual inspection but may choose the option to sample the treatment areas using a series of 1-meter squared plots or similar method to confirm kill rates to both target species and non-target native plant species.

(i) All herbicide applicator staff must be able to identify target species in the field, including during dormant seasons, to a sufficient degree to avoid mortality of desirable non-target native species and to meet minimum kill rates to target species infestations (as specified in the Quality Control Plan); or values specified on this contract.

(j) Definitions:

i. Records – The Contractor will maintain an accurate daily log record of herbicide used in each area. Other minimum requirements include copies of hazardous material handling certificates, copies of material safety data sheets (MSDS) of chemicals used, and the location of the waste site and/or use destination locations.

ii. Safety Plan – Provide a written safety plan that demonstrates how the Contractor will ensure a safe work environment for themselves, their employees, including a chemical spill plan documenting procedure in the event of a pesticide spill on-site or in transport.

(k) Resource Protection:

i. Protection of Streams, Lakes and Reservoirs - Only aquatic-approved formulations of herbicides may be applied within 100 feet of a wetland or body of water, or in areas with a noticeably high-water table (e.g., mesic vegetation). All herbicides must be applied in compliance with the herbicide product label and Michigan pesticide certification regulations.

ii. Herbicide Equipment Cleaning – All cleaning of herbicide tanks equipment will only be conducted at COR pre-approved locations or off Forest and according to State laws.

(l) Crew Organization - All workers who apply herbicide must be individually Michigan commercially certified pesticide applicators with certification in the type of habitat needing treatment.

SUMMARY TABLE

or option to randomly sample 2% of the area Favorable or Non-satisfactory Performance corresponding to potential of additional option years. Contractors not meeting the minimum 85% kill rate and/or inducing mortality in non-target species at the final inspection will be required to reapply the required herbicide at their expense and/or receive a reduction in pay commensurate with the mortality since Michigan is a zero-tolerance State for non-target herbicide kill.

If an 85% kill rate is not achieved after the second application a 2% reduction in the award price will be made and the government may require a third application of herbicide at the Contractor’s expense.

PERFORMANCE PERIODS

ITEM 1 – Mechanical and/or Manual cutting 3-12” DBH Hardwood and 3-14” DBH Pine and Piling will occur between August 16 and April 14. Expected performance period will be a minimum of 45 days. Individual sites must be completed during a single-entry period.

ITEM 2 – Hand Cutting ≤ 5” DBH, Stump Herbicide, and Piling will occur between October 1 and April 1. The performance period may be extended to between August 16 and October 1 for cutting only if cut stumps are re-cut and have stump…