Attachment B Statement of Work.pdf

2024 Weeding Bareroot Seedling Beds JW Toumey Nursery, Ottawa National Forest, Watersmeet, MI

DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATION/WORK STATEMENT

Scope of Contract

The services in this contract are intended to be implemented twice per growing season. The first time would likely be mid to late June and the second time likely mid to late August. However, due to timing, this year the typical two intervals will be combined into one hybrid interval to begin as soon as the contract is awarded. Lineal bed feet are estimated and may change based on funding or current field/weed conditions.

The services to be performed in this contract include remove unwanted vegetation, defined as grass, weeds, and trees of wrong species from seedling beds. The contractor shall furnish all labor, equipment, supervision, transportation, quality control and incidentals other than the items specified as

Government-furnished, to perform all necessary work. Weeding is typically performed between the months of June and August.

Location

The project is located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, in the town of Watersmeet, on the Ottawa

National Forest. The specific location is JW Toumey Nursery, USDA Forest Service, E23985 Old US 2 East, Watersmeet, MI 49969.

Contractor Work Requirements

The work shall consist of removing foliage, stems, and root systems of weeds or unwanted vegetation from the bareroot fields to the standards listed under the Technical Specifications.

GOVERNMENT-FURNISHED PROPERTY

The Government shall provide to the Contractor the following listed property, supplies and services (herein referred to as “Government-Furnished Property”).

Restroom facility: The Government will provide a restroom facility for the contractor’s employees.

Dumpsters: The Government will provide one or more portable dumpsters or trailers for the placement of weeds at the ends of the weeding beds. The Government will move and dump the contents.

Weeding containers: Tools needed to complete the task of weeding in the fields, weeding tool and bucket.

CONTRACTOR-FURNISHED ITEMS AND SERVICES

Contractor shall provide necessary safety equipment to maintain employee safety and safety sessions to review safety protocol prior to start and as necessary to maintain a safe work environment for all.

Contractor may choose to provide insect repellant or head nets, sunscreen, and rain wear.

The Contractor shall furnish at least one fluent English-speaking non-working supervisor for every 12 workers that will be used for crew supervision only. (1-12 workers – 1 supervisor; 13- 24 workers – 2 supervisors; 25-36 workers – 3 supervisors)

All Supervisors shall attend a pre-work training session. The date and time will be set by the government at least one day prior to the start of the contract operations. Thereafter, the Contractor shall be responsible for the proper training of crews.

Crew supervisors shall be actively engaged in the supervision of their crew and insure seedling quality, at all times the crew is working in the field.

The Contractor or the Contractor's designated representative shall remain on the Nursery work site while weeding is in progress. Crew supervisors shall remain with their designated crews at all times.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Weeding (Items 1-15)

(1) Contract work shall be performed only during the scheduled hours of 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. central time: Monday through Friday or a time mutually agreed upon. Weekends, holidays, and hours worked outside of this schedule will be permitted only by prior agreement with the Contracting Officer Representative.

(2) All weeds (leaves, flowers, stems, roots) shall be manually removed from seedling beds and placed in Government furnished trailers or designated dumpsters. Dumpsters will be emptied by Government personnel in timely manner or as needed.

(3) In the 1-0 seedling beds, they will be free and clean of weeds upon inspection.

(4) In the 2-0 seedling beds, there shall not be more than one (1) weed per 100 bed (linear) feet, greater than 1 inche in height or that cover or shade 2 square inches of ground.

Where the seedling canopy is closed only remove those weeds that are taller than the canopy.

(5) In the 3-0 and 4-0 seedling beds, weeds to be removed are any that are over the top of the canopy of the seedlings, visible within an open area measuring 6 inches in diameter.

(6) Stakes, flagging, other identifying markers and irrigation equipment shall not be disturbed by Contractor's employees during weeding operations.

(7) Upon completion of work, daily, Contractor's employees will remove from field any containers, tools and other implements or debris.

(8) Contractor and their employees shall NOT walk upon seedlings or seedling beds.

(10) All weeds removed with clumps of soil adhering to the roots shall be shaken to loosen soil and minimize its removal from the seedling beds.

(11) If tools other than those provided by the Government are proposed for use in seedling beds they require prior approval by the Contracting Officer Representative. Care shall be taken to avoid loosening, uprooting, bruising, or scraping seedlings. Soil loosened or pulled away around seedlings shall be tamped back into place with fingers. All weeding will be from the edge of the bed, standing or kneeling in pathways. Standing or kneeling in beds will NOT be permitted. Stepping on seedlings will NOT be permitted.

(12) All weeds shall be transported to Government-furnished trailers or dumpsters, located at ends of seedling beds or designated dump sites. However, no container or other item, which will not biodegrade, shall be placed in the Government furnished equipment. Containers shall not be placed in seedbeds or on top of tree seedlings at any time.

(13) Weeding priority will be established by COR weekly or daily if needed. Daily weeding schedule will be coordinated with contractor and nursery personnel based on irrigation needs.

(14) In accordance with the Worker Protection Standard, all workers will be given training in basic pesticide safety.

(15) All seedling beds are approximately 4 feet wide with 2 foot wide walking paths on either side.

INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

Government inspections are for the purpose of satisfying the Government that the services are acceptable and do not relieve the Contractor of the responsibility for maintaining quality control. The Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) or designated inspector will conduct all inspections. The Contractor (or designated representative) is encouraged to be present to observe inspections.

Summary results will be made available on request.

The COR or designated inspector will make visual inspections of the work. Seedling beds not meeting the technical specifications will be identified for the Contractor to rework at no additional expense to the government.

Acceptable quality levels

The contractor may face deductions due to quality found below acceptable levels of work, which will be calculated daily. Performance not meeting the quality standards will be assessed a disincentive charge of $150 per day (Category 3). Seedling beds that require re-work and re-inspection may be subject to additional disincentive if the rework fails to meet technical specifications.

Definitions:

The quality payment categories are described as follows:

Category 1 – Full payment, plus 3% incentive payment. The daily inspection results in no infractions.

Category 2 – Full payment, no incentive payment. The daily inspection results in no more than 5 infractions for the day.

Category 3 – Reduced payment for quality deductions, disincentive charge. The daily inspections result in more than 5 infractions or reworking more than 2 seedling beds daily.

Infractions:

1. Pulling the tops of weeds and breaking them off and leaving the root system in seedling bed.

2. Stepping, kneeling, and sitting on seedlings.

3. Leaving pulled weeds in seedling beds and/or not taking them to the containers or designated dump site.

4. Uprooting seedlings and not replanting them properly.

DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE

The Contractor shall be required to (a) commence work under this contract within 7 calendar days after the date the Contractor receives notice from the COR, and (b) prosecute the work diligently. The time stated for completion shall include final cleanup of the premises. The estimated work schedule is from August 5 to September 30.

Infraction Performance Incentives per FAR 16.402-2

• The Contractor will be charged $20 per linear foot that negatively impacts the seedlings

(Infractions 1, 2, and 4).

• The contractor will be charged $10/area of pulled weeds not removed from bed or field

(Infraction 3).

• Government furnished property not returned will be assessed at $10/tool and

$5/bucket.

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County Road 208

Admin. L/D Building

Access Road

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JW Toumey Nursery

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Legend Access Road

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Field Outlines

The Forest Service uses the most current and complete data available. The Forest Service reserves the right to correct, update, modify, or replace GIS products without notification.

The Forest Service will not be liable for any activity involving this information. For more information, contact: Ottawa National Forest, GIS Coordinator, E6248 US2, Ironwood, MI 49938.

(906) 932-1330 T:/../3200RuralForestryAssistance/GIS/ Contracts/WeedingContract_2014 S.Burns 12/17/2014