B08_-_Performance_Work_Statement_Highway_145_Hardwood_Plantation_Thinning_Cache_River_NWR.pdf

Performance Work Statement Highway 145 Hardwood Plantation Thinning Cache River NWR

Project Title: Highway 145 Hardwood Plantation Thinning Cache River NWR

Project Time Frame: June 1, 2024, to November 15, 2024

Purpose: This project is part of the Refuge Forest management program to improve forest habitat in older hardwood plantations. The trees are not desirable in current markets.

Completing the project with large forestry cutting machine(s), feller bunchers, or chainsaws is prescribed to release quality residual trees and allow a flush of lower vegetation to improve current and future habitat for waterfowl, forest breeding birds, bats, quail, and other native wildlife. This operation must be performed following prescription guidelines; monitor as required.

Parameters:

Contractor must fell (cut and drop to the ground) designated trees within the Project Area (Plantation); see Scope of Work.

For the duration of this Project, the Contractor must carry Commercial General Liability Insurance, with a per occurrence limit of not less than $1,000,000; and Worker’s Compensation Insurance and Employer’s Liability Insurance with a limit of at least the amount required by applicable law, but not less than $500,000, fully covering all employees and supervisors participating in the Contractor’s operations. The Contractor shall save, hold harmless, defend, and indemnify the United States of America, its agents and employees for loss, damages, or judgments and expenses on account of bodily injury, death or property damage, or claims for bodily injury, death, or property damage of any nature whatsoever, and by whomever made, arising out of the Contractor’s, his employees, subcontractors or agents with respect to conducting activities connected with this Project within the lands administered by Central Arkansas National Wildlife Refuge Complex.

The Contractor must give the Government Representative (GR) notice three days before any day in which work will be done. The Contractor must meet with the GR on-site before any work is begun.

Work will be allowed all days through the project time frame including Federal Holidays;

however, work must be accomplished during favorable weather conditions, i.e., dry ground conditions. Contractor will be responsible for maintaining all access roads and trails in equal or better condition. To avoid transport of invasive pests, all equipment must be pressure washed before coming on to the refuge.

Scope of Work:

On 292 acres, contractor will fell all “harvest” trees within the Plantation designated as follows:

Contractor will follow guidance from refuge forestry staff to fell all trees on 10 percent of the Project Area in Openings; and from the remaining Project Area, every fourth row and 50 percent of low-quality trees in adjacent residual outside rows, or 50 percent of the trees total.

Unharvested trees must not be damaged. Harvest trees need not be piled or delimbed, but must be laid on the ground so as not to present an overhead safety hazard or blockage to roads, drains, boundary lines, etc. Once site conditions allow, the contractor must successfully complete no less than 60 acres of this project per week; allowances for wet weather or unfavorable site conditions may be granted by the Technical POC. See Attachment1:

Performance Requirements Summary. At the Refuge Manager’s discretion, a Special Use Permit may be issued to allow the contractor to take harvested trees off site at the contractor’s own risk and expense.

Payment:

The GR will make regular inspections and conduct random sampling to survey completed work according to the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP). Areas not meeting the Acceptable Quality Levels (AQL) will be retreated by the Contractor to meet the AQL. If damage to unharvested trees is beyond Acceptable Quality Levels (AQL), payment will be reduced as described in the QASP. The Contractor will be paid according to the contracted amount for the acres successfully treated. The Contractor may submit for an acreage-prorated-payment for those acres that have been successfully treated monthly or may wait to submit for payment when the entire treatment is complete, at their option.

Project Area Coordinates 91.1416515°W 35.4703232°N

ATTACHMENT 1: PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS SUMMARY

Required Services (Tasks)

Performance Standards

Acceptable Quality Levels

Methods of

Surveillance

Incentive (Positive and/or Negative)

(Impact on Contractor Payments)

10 % of Project Area has all trees felled in openings to prescription specifications.

Percentage of trees in residual rows are felled to

Unharvested trees are not damaged.

Contractor meets

90%

90%

≤5% of un-harvested trees are damaged.

Periodic Inspections/ GPS openings

Periodic Inspections/ sample plots

Sample plots

If openings fall short of prescription, the contractor will fell additional trees to meet Acceptable Quality Levels. Areas with too many trees felled will be deducted from the contract payment on a prorated acreage basis.

If sample area falls short of prescription, the contractor will fell additional trees to meet Acceptable Quality Levels. Areas with too many trees or the wrong trees felled will be deducted from the contract payment on a prorated acreage basis.

If sample plots show ≤5% of unharvested trees are damaged, then contractor can receive full payment. If sample plots show more than 5% of unharvested trees are damaged, a penalty will be deducted from the contract payment on a percentage basis equal to the percent of damage according to sample plots. For example, if 20% of unharvested trees are damaged, then contractor will have 20% deduction from full payment.

- continued -

Contractor meets production.

Contractor successfully completes 60 or more acres per week unless allowances are made by the Technical POC for unfavorable site conditions.

100% or more

Field Inspection, GPS, GIS

Contractor will be put on probation after not making production. If production is not made the following week or any week thereafter, then contractor may be terminated.

ATTACHMENT 1: PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS SUMMARY