B08_Attachment_1_SOW_Wassuk_Range_Lop_Scatter.pdf

WASSUK RANGE LOP AND SCATTER 2025

STATEMENT OF WORK

6/17/2026

PURPOSE

The purpose of this contract is to secure the service for cutting of 1026 acres of pinyon and juniper trees. The objective of this project is to improve and protect sage-grouse habitat while reducing potential wildfire intensity by reducing the extent and density of pinyon and juniper woodland expansion. This project consists of two adjacent treatment units located in the Wassuk Mountains.

DESCRIPTION OF WORK AREA

Work areas are in the Wassuk Mountains in central Nevada, which are located west of Hawthorne Nevada. The work units can be accessed via Highway 359 south of Hawthorne, then west on Lucky Boy Pass Road, then following rougher dirt roads that head into the work units.

While the far west (lower) end of the treatment unit should generally be accessible with passenger vans, accessing the middle or upper section of the unit will likely require side-by-side/UTV vehicles. It is highly recommended that the contractor have such vehicles. Vegetation in the project area is typical of the western Great Basin and consists of a diverse mix of grasses and forbs, sagebrush, mountain mahogany, rabbitbrush, Mormon tea, pinyon and juniper trees etc. The project area topography is typical for mountainous areas in the western Great Basin.

Baldwin Canyon Unit (317 acres):

This treatment unit is roughly 4 miles long generally along the bottom of Baldwin

Canyon on the west side of the Wassuk Range. Elevation ranges between 7000 and 8400 feet.

The unit consists of Phase 1 and Phase 2 Pinyon encroachment, with a moderate number of mature trees per acre.

Baldwin Highlands Unit (709 acres):

The unit is located in the headwaters of upper Baldwin Canyon on the west side of the

Wassuk Range. Elevation ranges between 8300 and 9400 feet, on a generally north and west aspects with slopes ranging from 10 to 40 percent. The unit is mostly Phase 1 Pinyon encroachment with smaller trees growing into high elevation sagebrush and low sage ecosystems.

TREATMENT SPECIFICATIONS

Baldwin Highlands Unit: Cut all pinyon and juniper trees smaller than 24” diameter at ground level. Trees meeting the “Do Not Cut” Criteria (see below) will not be cut.

Baldwin Canyon Unit: Cut all pinyon and juniper trees smaller than 24” diameter at ground level, while maintaining a post treatment spacing of approximately 100 feet between live mature tree canopies. Trees will be selected to remain based on size and vigor. Trees meeting the “Do Not Cut” Criteria (see below) will not be cut.

General Specifications for Both Units:

Dead snags and young immature pinyon and juniper trees will be cut.

Trees will be completely severed from their stump; no connecting strap of wood will remain.

Trees shall be cut as close to the ground as possible with a target stump height of less than 4 inches.

No living branches will be left attached to stumps. If a tree has very low limbs that cannot safely/effectively be cut with a chainsaw, one or more crewmembers will utilize hand loppers to remove them.

All cut trees and other residual cut materials shall be treated such that no material protrudes higher than 18 inches above the ground.

Do Not Cut Criteria:

1. Trees very large for the area (individual stems >24 inches in diameter at ground level).

2. Trees of any size displaying old-growth characteristics. Old-growth characteristics include flat crowns, plate-like bark, and large gnarled limbs, located on rocky slopes with no understory vegetation.

3. Trees with obvious signs of wildlife use, such as cavities in the trunks or large stick nests.

4. Any tree or brush species other than Pinyon Pine or Juniper. All aspen, willow, mountain mahogany, wild rose etc., will not be cut.)

All dead standing dead trees (snags) will be cut, with the exception of 1 per acre that may be left standing as wildlife trees.

No tree debris will be left on or within 10 feet of the edge of a roadway.

Refueling of chainsaws and equipment shall be done at least 50 feet away from water bodies and wet meadows.

Vehicles shall operate on existing roads only. No cross-country travel is authorized.

Quality of work will be randomly sampled during inspections by the government representative and communicated to the contractor point of contact. The sampled areas may involve any completed portions of a unit and will be at the discretion of the government representative.

ACCESSIBILITY

The nearest full support community to the project is Hawthorne, NV. Average travel time from Hawthorne to the project site is 1 hour. Access to the project is on dirt roads of varying quality. Access is limited during the winter months due to weather and road conditions, especially to higher elevation units. Although much of the lower project area can be reached by high clearance two-wheel drive vehicles (in dry conditions), four-wheel drive high clearance or UTV vehicles will improve access options. The Government does not assume obligation to plow snow or conduct special maintenance to keep roads open and maintained.

There are no seasonal weather restrictions unless heavy rains occur or during periods of snow melt which may result in an intermittent work schedule due to muddy conditions. Work shall not occur if driving on roads during project implementation is creating excessive rutting.

Roads will be considered impassable when saturated and access into the project area may be closed by the government during this time.

WORK LAYOUT

The Government will provide the treatment area boundaries (and any avoidance areas) to the Contractor in various digital formats (Shapefiles, KML, Avenza PDF Maps, etc); boundaries will not be physically laid out or marked on site by flagging or other means. The Contractor will use digital means to find and follow the treatment area boundaries. Range improvements, survey markers or other physical structures damaged or removed during operations shall be repaired or replaced at the Contractor’s expense.

SCHEDULE/PROGRESS OF WORK

The project period of performance will begin on September 15, 2026 and ends on February 28, 2027. The project needs to be completed during this period due to seasonal restrictions for sensitive resources.

Pre-Work Conference – Contractor and COR will coordinate a time to meet, review project specifications, and coordinate work start date and schedule. At the pre-work conference, the Contractor will provide a work schedule which must be acceptable to the Government. Prior to the start of and during the period of the contract, the Government may specify priority areas to be treated. The Contractor will maintain progress at a rate that will assure completion within the contract time.

Progress Meetings - Meetings may be called by either the identified Federal Representative (s) or the Contractor. Meetings shall be held at the project site, or as determined by the identified federal or state agency representatives.

Final Inspection - The meeting shall be held at the project site, or as determined by the identified federal or state agency representatives. The Contractor shall notify the identified federal or state agency representative(s) at least two (2) working days before the completion date, so the agency representatives can schedule a final inspection. The Contractor must be present for the final inspection, unless otherwise approved by the government Project Manager

CONTRACTOR FURNISHED ITEMS

The Contractor will provide all tools, materials, equipment and labor necessary to complete the work as specified in the contract.

STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES AND ENVIRONMENTAL

CONSIDERATIONS

The project site shall be cleaned up, and all refuse removed to an approved landfill at the Contractor’s expense. The Contractor shall not disturb lands adjacent to the project site unless permission is granted by the appropriate federal agency. Existing access roads and trails within the project area that are damaged by the Contractor shall be restored at the Contractor’s expense to the same condition they were in at the commencement of work. Stream channels, springs and other wet areas shall be avoided by vehicles and heavy equipment. Work shall not occur in either project area if project implementation is creating excessive rutting during or after precipitation events when the ground is saturated. Work may resume only when the area has sufficiently dried out.

Camping - Camping will be allowed during project implementation only at sites approved by the appropriate federal agency and identified federal agency representative. All fire regulations, restrictions, and permits shall be followed. See www.nevadafireinfo.org for current fire restrictions. All garbage and refuse shall be removed from the camp site by the Contractor within seven days of camp abandonment. Final payment will be reserved subject to inspection of these sites by the identified federal agency representative and approval of site cleanup.

Weed Control - Contractor will ensure all equipment moved onto public land is free of soil, seeds, and vegetative matter or other debris that could contain or hold seeds. Contractor will employ whatever cleaning methods are necessary to ensure compliance prior to beginning the work and following completion of the work and will notify the Government prior to moving each piece of equipment onto public land. Notification will include identifying the location of the equipment’s most recent operations.

Cultural Resource Protection - Locations of known historic or prehistoric sites, buildings, objects, and properties related to American history, architecture, archaeology, and culture, such as settler or Indian artifacts that need to be avoided by the Contractor will be identified on the ground by the Government. Discovery of such areas by either party during Contractor’s operations will be promptly reported to the other party and operations will be suspended at that location until the significance or potential significance of the resource is determined.

Sensitive Plant and Animal Protection - Rare plant and animal surveys may be necessary to be conducted by the Government prior to treatment. Locations of any sensitive resources that need to be avoided by the Contractor will be identified on the ground by the Government by flagging and will not be disturbed.

Fire Prevention/Suppression - Vegetation occurring in the Great Basin can be highly flammable. Under dry and windy weather conditions the potential for a fire start is high. The risk of wildfire is year-round. Be extra careful when working on or around the dry grasses.

Check under vehicles when parking off road. See www.nevadafireinfo.org for current fire restrictions. Plan any activity that could cause a spark, in the morning, when the relative humidity is higher and the temperatures are cooler (grinding or welding). The Contractor will, independently and in cooperation with the Government, take all reasonable action to prevent and suppress fires on the project. Independent initial action will be prompt and will include the use of all personnel and equipment available in the project area.

Emergency Reporting Requirements - 911 (initial call for all emergencies) Central Nevada Dispatch Center: 775-623-1555 (wildland fire emergency line)

Information needed in reporting a wildland fire would include: Location: Geographical reference and if possible, Latitude/longitude coordinates. Description on what the fire is doing size, spread, color of smoke, etc.

The Government may require emergency measures, including the necessary shutting down of equipment or portions of operations during periods of high fire danger.

Under Title 43 CFR 9212 the holder of this permit may be held liable for any and all costs should a wildland fire occur caused by the activities associated with the construction, maintenance, or operation of this project. Fire trespass action might be initiated, and wildfire suppression costs may be collected from the holder of this permit.