C04_Attachment_1_SOW_BRD_Mastication_2026.pdf

US Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Statement of Work

Allegheny National Forest

Bradford Ranger District Mastication

26 June 2026

Contents Project General Information

1.0 Scope of Work

2.0 Background

Contractor Requirements

3.0 Technical Requirements / Tasks

4.0 Government Furnished

5.0 Deliverables / Schedule

6.0 Travel

7.0 Contractor’s Key Personnel

8.0 Security Requirements

9.0 Data Rights

10.0 Section 508 – Electronic and Information Technology Standards Attachment

Project 2026 Allegheny National Forest – Bradford Ranger District Mastication

General Information

1.0 Scope of Work

It is the intent of this contract to manually and mechanically masticate (chop, mulch, or shred) mountain laurel and other undesirable species under 6” DBH in specified areas on the Allegheny National Forest. The densities of laurel shrub in the project area vary across the acres to be treated. Only by on-the-ground examination can prospective contractors determine what can be done with a machine and what would need to be manually treated. Manually treated areas would include intermittent stream buffer areas or dry drainages (10-foot buffer) or areas not able to be reached with the mechanized equipment. The areas to be treated are in forested stands where there may be downed woody material or rocks.

Project Vicinity and Area specific maps are included within this package. All pdf maps are georeferenced and can be used in conjunction with the Avenza App.

All areas can be accessed from forest roads; however, if a contractor desires to travel a different route to the treatment block, they must request a change in writing to the Contracting Officers Representative (COR).

This contract will implement virtual boundaries which are designated on the attached georeferenced pdf maps. Upon request, shapefiles for use with GPS technology may also be provided. All units will be designated with an orange tag indicating “2026 Mastication” with the Project # and/or Unit # identified. All cards will be located, read and the contractor shall ensure they are at the correct location. The contractor must initial and date the cards prior to performing any work at the location. This is to ensure that they are at the correct contract unit.

Example of Orange project identification card.

2.0 Background

There are 3 potential objectives to this treatment which may vary based on the site and species composition.

1. Prepare the site for the second stage commercial harvest.

2. Low shade removal to initiate a regeneration response

3. Prepare the site for potential prescribed fire activities.

Contractor Requirements

3.0 Technical Requirements / Tasks

Pre-work Meeting:

The successful contractor and Forest Service Contract Officer Representative (COR) will gather for a pre-work meeting, prior to the start of work to discuss details of work, location, priorities, etc.

Contractor Furnished Property:

The Contractor shall furnish all labor, equipment, supervision, transportation, supplies (except those designated as Government-furnished) and incidentals, to perform all work necessary to complete the specifications of this contract.

Contractor Representative:

Before work starts the contractor shall designate a person in writing knowledgeable of contract requirements to act for them in their absence. The contractor or authorized representative shall be at the job site whenever work is in progress.

In the absence of the contractor, the authorized representative may receive instructions from COR.

Work Schedule:

The Contractor will notify the COR two days in advance of where and when work will start. The COR will be available to answer questions or check areas Monday - Friday, 7:30 am to 4:00 pm. Contractor may work other than these hours and on weekends. The contractor may accompany FS inspector when conducting final inspections for acceptance and payment.

The contractor shall notify the COR at least weekly of the progress being attained on this project and which areas are being worked on. If work is going to be suspended for more than 3 days, the contractor must notify the COR when they plan to return to the contract work. The contractor will notify the COR when they have completed an area, and it is ready for inspection. This notification can be either oral, written, or e-mailed.

Treatment Time Restriction:

Treatment must occur outside the nesting season of April 1 – June 30. Please refer to Section F for Contract Time of Delivery.

Safety:

It is the contractor’s responsibility to ensure that the work environment is safe for themselves as well as their employees. If the Contractor feels that a requirement of this contract would place them or their employees in an unsafe environment, then work should stop on that area, and the contractor should contact the COR immediately. Work on other areas of the contract that the Contractor does not view as unsafe should continue.

Contractors are required to follow all applicable OSHA standards (CFR 29), while working on the job site. In addition, it is recommended the successful contractor utilize appropriate personal protective safety equipment, which includes, but is not limited to, hard hats, ear protection, eye protection, and hand protection while working on project items.

Contractors must keep the COR posted as to current site work and must be especially alert to vehicular traffic during field operations.

The contractor shall report all accidents or incidents associated with this contract to the COR within 24 hours.

Vehicle Operation:

The Forest Service may, during the administration of this contract, direct the Contractor to temporarily halt treatment when: vehicles and/or equipment is causing excessive soil damage such as rutting/soil erosion on roads and/or other work areas until ground conditions improve.

TREATMENT SPECIFICATIONS:

It is the intent of this contract to manually and mechanically masticate mountain laurel and non-desirable competing woody vegetation less than 6” DBH on designated areas of the Allegheny National Forest.

No snags of any size shall be felled, unless the snags present a safety hazard to the operator. The areas to be treated have had no recent harvest activity.

Care of Overstory Timber:

Care shall be taken to not damage any standing timber that is greater than 6” in diameter. If the equipment utilized cannot get close to overstory timber without causing damage, manual cutting will be required to remove laurel from around the bases of overstory trees.

Vegetation to be Retained (Desirable Species):

The following species are to be protected: All oak species, all hickory species, butternut, American chestnut, black walnut, and white pine

Vegetation to be Cut (Undesirable Species):

All mountain laurel and non-desirable species less than 6” DBH to be cut include: red maple, black birch, black cherry, yellow poplar, cucumber, black gum, Hawthorne shrub, muscle wood, and ironwood.

All Non-Native Invasive species (NNIS) greater than 1 foot in height such as: Amur honeysuckle, Autumn olive, Bell’s honeysuckle, Marrow’s honeysuckle, Tartarian honeysuckle, Oriental bittersweet, Tree of Heaven, Multiflora rose, Border privet, Common barberry, Japanese barberry, Common buckthorn, Common privet, European privet, Glossy buckthorn, Japanese Barberry, and Winged euonymus.

Equipment Types:

Equipment to be used includes any type of rotary cutting mower/attachment or horizontal drum type that can cut/pulverize woody plant material. It can be either boom-mounted or integrated as long as it can travel through forested stands. Examples include but are not limited to a FECON bull hog brush cutter. http://www.fecon.com. Due to density, heights, and diameter of undesirable tree species and working in forested stands, it is not feasible to use a traditional brush hog type mower.

Ground Disturbance:

Ground disturbance will be limited to the top 6 inches of soil or less, no excessive digging with equipment should be done – blade/cutter should be off the ground and not digging into the ground. No mechanical equipment will be used with 10 feet of intermittent streams or dry drainages. In these locations, hand work must be done. Manual cutting with brush cutters, loppers, saws, etc. may be used in these areas. When crossing an intermittent stream or dry drainage, equipment should traverse as perpendicular to the stream as possible and cross at a point with the most stable banks.

Cut material should be placed greater than 10 feet from a stream or drainage.

Slash disposal – manual cutting:

Slash shall be placed on or near the ground surface, so that it will not lean against or be suspended by an uncut tree or deer fencing. Do not pile cut trees or brush on top of desirable trees.

All preferred species trees will be released from all slash so they are standing straight up on their own.

Areas listed below will need cleared of slash

Right of Ways Private property lines Historic railroad or road grades Ditch lines Gas well openings Intermittent and dry drainages Oil and gas roads Recreational trails Spring

Slash disposal – mechanized cutting:

Slash (material) created by the Contractor's operations shall not lean against or be suspended by an uncut tree or deer fencing. Do not pile cut trees or brush on top of desirable trees.

Stump Heights:

Maximum cutting height is six inches, unless otherwise requested to the COR in writing by due to unusual circumstances.

• Sprouts (multiple stems) will be cut as close to the ground as possible.

http://www.fecon.com/

• Woody vegetation will be cut in a manner which results in a flat (parallel with the ground) surface.

• Angular stump cuts will not be allowed.

Protection of Existing Structures:

The Contractor shall be required to protect existing improvements such as pipelines, power lines, buildings, gates, and trails etc. which are in the project area. The Contractor shall be required to repair or replace such improvements if damaged as a result of their operations. This includes replacing water bars and earthen barricades, roadside ditches, culverts and signs if disturbed as a result of this contract. Any rocks or slash removed for access must be replaced.

Other Resources:

Cultural Resources:

If during the execution of this contract, the operator unearths a cultural or historic site, work must cease in the area and the Forest Service must be notified immediately.

Wildlife Resources:

Raptor nesting season is from Aril 1-July 31. If during the execution of this contract, an active stick nest is encountered inside/near the unit boundary, during the month of July, the contractor shall be required to halt operations on that area until after July 31st.

The contractor will be granted permission to work other units on the contract until the raptor nesting season has concluded.

Work Area and Equipment Clean Up:

The contractor shall clean up the work area in and around treatment areas prior to the COR accepting the item as complete. This cleanup includes removal of all excess and discarded materials associated with the project, as well as other activities of the contractor.

Contractor shall ensure that prior to moving any equipment to a work site and between work sites on the Allegheny National Forest, that all equipment used to complete work such as but not limited to skidders, tractors, skid steers, off road equipment and hand tools are free of soil, seeds, vegetative matter, or other debris that could contain or hold seeds. Equipment shall be free of soil, seed and other such debris when a visual inspection does not disclose such material. Disassembly of equipment components or specialized inspection tools is not required. Cleaning of equipment may entail brushing or hosing off. The use of detergents or other cleaning agents are not to be used unless they are used at a car wash or other facility equipped for water catchment and treatment. Equipment is not to be cleaned in streams, ditches, or other waterways. If the contractor desires to clean the equipment on National Forest land, the contractor and Forest Service shall agree on location for the cleaning.

4.0 Government Furnished

The US Forest Service will provide several items to the contractor for the duration of the contract. These items will be distributed at the pre-work meeting. Government Furnished property will include the following items:

Printed maps of all work areas displaying the location of stand boundaries, reserve areas, streams, and nearby roads.

Georeferenced PDF maps will be furnished for use in Avenza or similar apps. Upon request, shape files for use with GPS technology may also be provided.

Contractor Identification Cards for display in vehicles while on work site. These cards identify a vehicle located on USFS lands belonging to a contractor working on a government contract. While carrying out work onsite, the contractor must display these cards on their vehicle in a clearly visible location, such as in a window.

USFS Gate Key(s). These must be returned to the Forest Service prior to approval of the final contract invoice.

Government Furnished Here

5.0 Deliverables / Schedule

It is the intent to Masticate 313 acres on the Bradford Ranger District of the Allegheny National Forest.

INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS

Performance Work Statement – Contractor The Contractor shall perform mastication work in accordance with the specifications contained in this contract.

Inspection Methods

Forest Service shall inspect any work the contractor performs under this contract. If the work is not in compliance with the contract specifications, the Contractor shall be required to rework the areas to bring them into compliance with the contract specifications.

6.0 Travel

NA

7.0 Contractor’s Key Personnel

1. Contractor must have expert knowledge of Mastication procedures and past work history of performing similar work.

2. Key Personnel Qualifications. Include the following:

a. Include resume(s) for Key Personnel for conducting the Mastication Contract.

b. Resumes must demonstrate all minimum requirements in the Statement of Work (SOW).

3. Must have qualifications identified Statement of Work (SOW) for primary and alternate key personnel.

Item Area Estimated Quantity (acres)

Unit Unit Price Total Amount

1 442003 51 Acres $ $ 1 442010 31 Acres $ $ 1 442034 35 Acres $ $ 1 449005 4 Acres $ $ 1 449008 57 Acres $ $ 1 449009 55 Acres $ $ 1 449022 8 Acres $ $ 1 449029 27 Acres $ $ 1 454024 32 Acres $ $ 1 454054 13 Acres $ $

Units Acres Grand Total Amount:

10 313 $

4. Must include supporting narrative showing how Key Personnel qualifications meet or exceed minimum requirements as stated in the Statement of Work (SOW)

5. Must include Company Capabilities Statement. Qualifications must meet or exceed minimum requirements as stated in the Statement of Work (SOW)

8.0 Security Requirements

NA

9.0 Data Rights

NA

10.0 Section 508 – Electronic and Information Technology Standards

NA

Attachment