J2 2023 Fence Reconstruction SOW.docx

Solicitation NEAT- FENCE RECONSTRUCTION ON THE ALLEGHENY NATIONAL FOREST

SECTION C—DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF WORK

DIVISION 100 – GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS

110 – Scope of Contract

110 - Scope of Contract

This contract calls for the reconstruction of existing deer ex-closure fences on the Allegheny National Forest. The fences are 8-foot woven wire fences (7 foot high with 1 foot overlap buried on the ground) and they are located in remote wooded areas in Warren, McKean, Elk, Forest Counties, Pennsylvania.

Successful fence reconstruction will require three main items to be completed.

1. Brush, debris and tree removal off of the existing damaged sections of fence and fence maintenance trail. (Approximately 6 feet wide around the perimeter of the fence.)

2. The damaged sections of fence/fence materials (posts, staples. hog rings, etc.) shall be severed from undamaged sections of fence and completely removed from the site at the contractor’s expense. These fence units have walk-through/skidder gates. Some of these gates may need repair or replacement.

3. New fence sections shall be constructed and tied into existing undamaged sections of fence to successfully repair the fence to its original pre-damaged state. (7 feet high, 1 foot buried and contiguous around the perimeter of the stand)

“Damaged sections” are shown on the contract area maps and are designated with flagging in the field. “Damage” is considered: fence less than 7 ft. in height, not appropriately attached to a tree or post; holes in the fencing greater than 1’ X 1’ in size.

The Forest Service shall be furnished with successfully reconstructed fences to the specifications listed above. All damaged materials shall be removed from the site at the contractor’s expense (see details below for specifications). It will be up to the contractor to determine how best to complete the project to achieve a functional deer ex-closure fence at the completion of their operations. The contractor is responsible for furnishing all supervision, labor, equipment, tools, materials, and incidentals necessary to complete the work.

The bidder is strongly recommended to view all sites before submitting a bid!

120 – Location and Description of Fence Reconstruction Project Areas

Fence Reconstruction units will be located inside the boundaries of the Allegheny National Forest within the following counties in Pennsylvania (Warren, McKean, Elk and Forest)

Fence Reconstruction location maps along with individual fence reconstruction maps are attached to the contract. If desired, potential bidders can reach out for electronic PDF copies of the maps that can be downloaded into Avenza for easier location of the project areas.

130- Identification of project area-

All project units will be identified with an orange tag, which will specify “YYYY Fence Reconstruction” and a six digit “Unit #” (see example below). The contractor or field representative is required to read the orange tag, ensure that he/she is at the correct location according to the tag’s information and initial it prior to starting any work on the project area for all units on the Bradford Ranger District.

Ex. of Orange tag that needs to be initialed prior to start of project work.

140- Contractor Representative

Before work starts, the Contractor shall designate a person knowledgeable of contract requirements to act 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 the Contracting Officer.

150 - Protection of Existing Structures

The Contractor is required to protect existing improvements such as pipelines, powerlines, buildings, roads/traffic gates, plantings, nesting structures, etc. which may be located in the project area. The Contractor shall be required to repair or replace such improvements if damaged as a result of their operations.

160 – Notification

The Contractor is required to keep the Contracting Officer currently informed of their work schedule and physical location of their work force to permit ready location and timely inspection of accomplished work. The contractor shall also notify the contracting officer representative at least weekly of the progress being attained on this project. This notification can be either oral or written.

Division 200 - Technical Specifications

210 - Project Description

This project consists of brush and debris removal, fence removal/repair and fence reconstruction. The technical specifications will be broken into two sections debris removal/fence removal (210.1) and Fence Reconstruction (210.2)

210.1 – DEBRIS REMOVAL/FENCE REMOVAL

Damaged areas of the fence that cannot be repaired must be removed in accordance to the fence removal specifications listed below. The fencing is comprised of two stacked 4' rolls of fencing that are spliced together. The bottom 1’ of the fencing is buried and shall be dug up and removed for the damaged sections. Damaged metal or wood posts, 2x 4 lumber, gates, miscellaneous wire, fasteners and other fence building materials shall be removed from the site for the damaged sections.

211- Damaged Fence Material – The damaged fence material to be removed in the reconstruction contract is fairly new (within the past 2 years). The fencing may be bent, mangled, or twisted due to blown down trees, brush and vegetation. All fence wire, hog rings and other wire that is not reusable for reconstruction must be removed from Government property and disposed of properly.

212- Damaged Steel Posts – Damaged Steel fence posts that cannot be reused for the reconstruction of the fence must be pulled and removed from Government property and disposed of at the contractor’s expense. Steel post that are in good enough condition to be reused, may be used for the fence reconstruction.

213- Damaged Fasteners - All damage/excess nails and fence staples must be completely removed from the work areas where reconstruction is set to occur.

214– Damaged Wooden boards and posts - All damaged 2”x 4” boards shall be removed from trees, and all damaged 4”x 4” or larger posts shall be pulled or cut flush with the ground. All damaged wooden materials shall be removed from Government property.

All holes in the ground created by removal of round or square wooden posts will need to be backfilled.

215– Damaged Gates – Damaged walkthrough (man) gates shall be removed from each site, unless they can be repaired and reused in the fence reconstruction.

216 - Brush Cutting – All brush cut to remove the fence will be completely severed at a height no greater than 6 inches above the ground on the uphill side of the tree. All stumps will be cut parallel to the ground; no angular stumps are permitted.

217- Downed Woody Material (Live/Dead Trees) - Trees that have fallen over the fence or are leaning against the fence shall be bucked up and removed from the fence The downed woody material shall be bucked up into short sections to allow enough space for equipment to operate as well as provide minimal resource damage to surrounding trees and saplings.

218 – Buried Fence – All fences have been buried at least 1 foot in the ground. On damaged sections where fencing is to be removed, the 1’ of buried fence shall be dug up and removed. There may also be occasions where sections of fence have been knocked down and buried by thick vegetation. All vegetation shall be removed away from the fence and fence maintenance trail.

210.2 FENCE CONSTRUCTION/REPAIR

The specifications listed below are in regard to the reconstruction and repair of existing deer ex-closure fences. The contractor shall assess the damaged sections specified in the contract and determine the necessary labor, equipment, tools, materials, supervision, and incidentals necessary to complete the work to the standards of the contract.

Fence Stretching Damaged areas of fence shall be pulled back to a tight condition that would resemble newly constructed fence and meet the fence height specifications. The Contractor will use a wire-stretching tool or equipment to achieve this. Loose fence will be tightened and stapled to a 2x4 or rewired to a wooden and/or steel post. All top line wires that are found severed will be stretched back tight with a wire stretching tool and spliced with a crimping sleeve.

The fence will be stretched so that the wire is pulled against a corner or turning support. Maximum distance between steel posts, wooden posts or trees will be no greater than 30 feet. The top and bottom rolls of fence will be fastened to each other at least every 6 feet by hog rings or heavy duty ring fasteners. The bottom wire of the top roll shall be fastened to the top wire of the bottom roll. Where a post is used, the fence must be secured to the post a minimum of four places with one being the top wire of the top section.

No aluminum wire, aluminum hog ring, etc. will be used in the repair/construction of the fence.

If the fence cannot be stretched back to meet the height specifications, a new section of fence will have to be constructed see sections below for specifications.

Fence Supports The Contractor shall repair/construct the fence by fastening the fence to posts or trees. All trees will be protected by placing a 2”x4” board between the fence and the tree and stapling the fence to the board. Neither trees less than 4" DBH nor striped maple trees are to be used. Boards will be fastened to trees with no more than 2 nails, one nail in the top and one in the bottom (the bottom being below stump height (<12")). Black cherry trees or veneer quality trees will not be used unless prior approval is given by the Forest Service on a case by case basis.

Posts Posts that are not in-line will be treated wood, 6"x 6" square, or 5" diameter round and braced or supported in place. In-line posts may be the same as the previously mentioned wood post, or steel post that weigh 2 lb/ft. All posts will be at least ten (10) feet long set at least 2 feet into the ground. Corner posts will be braced and/or guy wired to withstand the pull of the fence without bending or pulling out of the ground. Guy wire should be secured by posts and not to nearby trees.

Where no trees or wooden/steel posts exist within 30' of the damage, a new wooden/steel post will be placed. Metal or wooden posts will be used to support sections of fence crushed by fallen trees or where original support trees have fallen over or where the fence has come loose because no support exists for 30'. When using poles, care should be used so the top roll of fence is not separated from the bottom roll.

Securing the Fence Bottom The fence must be repaired so that deer will be unable to crawl under the fence. This requires leaving a one-foot overlap on the ground to the outside of the fence which is anchored to the ground with stakes or pins, stapled to sound wood, or held in place by large rocks every 10'.

Gaps between the ground and fence over 3 inches high and 6 inches long will be filled in with pieces of sound wood stapled to the fence bottom, or attached pieces of fence wire, or rocks. Fences with rotten wood securing the bottom will have to be replaced with sound wood if the bottom has sprung up. Where the fence crosses a stream channel, an additional piece of fence may be needed to extend the fence to the bottom of the channel for securing.

Woven Wire Fencing Patching All holes greater than 1' x 1' will be patched with wire and/ or woven wire fencing. The top and bottom rolls of fence will be secured by hog rings, 16 gauge or larger galvanized or stainless steel wire, or by twisting the top and bottom wires together every 10 feet.

Location of New Fencing Where entire sections of damaged fencing are removed, new fencing will be installed in the original fence location and tied into the existing standing fence according to specifications.

Deer Drive Prior to closing up each fence area, the Contractor shall conduct a deer drive to chase out any deer within the fence area. The Contractor may need to leave multiple holes in order to get the deer out and shall time the drive so that the fence is closed a short time after the drive is completed (e.g the same day).

Equipment and Vehicle Use

Fence Maintenance Trail Contractor will use existing maintenance trail. Any trees, tree tops, or large branches blocking this trail will be removed and the trail reopened to a width of 6'. Contractor will not create new trails. Vehicles may not cross the interior of the area to be fenced except with approval of the COR.

Erosion Prevention Equipment shall not be operated when ground conditions are such that excessive damage will result. Contractor shall construct cross ditches, dips, or berms along cleared path as marked on the ground. In-sloping or out-sloping may be needed for proper drainage and to minimize rutting. The contractor will be required to fill in areas which become excessively rutted during work, or install water bars, dips etc. on steep and poorly drained portions of the cleared path. Small streams or seeps including adjacent banks which cannot be avoided will be cleared by hand, not by bulldozer. If bulldozer crosses them they must be corduroyed with logs or poles to stabilize the crossing and minimize earth disturbances and siltation.

220 - Vehicle Operation

ATV's (All-Terrain Vehicles), UTV’s (Utility Terrain Vehicles), and small Skid Steers/dozers may be operated around the perimeter of the fence to accomplish removal only. No other vehicles are allowed off Forest Service or Municipal roads unless prior approval is made with the COR. The operator is subject to fines if found using ATV's or UTV’s in manners other than for the purpose of fence reconstruction. If at any time the Forest Service inspections indicate that soil damage or excessive rutting has occurred due to the use of equipment such damage shall be repaired by the Contractor at his/her expense.

Forest Service system roads are marked with a sign post next to the road. If the road is not marked with a sign post, it is probably an oil and gas road and not in the best condition for driving on. Some areas may be behind a gated road and the Contractor will coordinate with the COR for gaining access behind locked gates.

230 – Project Area Clean Up

The contractor is responsible for proper disposal of damaged/excess fencing materials as indicated above. Any and all additional trash and debris generated in the performance of this contract shall be removed from Forest Service land.

240 – Project Area Materials Staging

Staging areas large enough for gathering, sorting, piling, etc. of removed materials prior to removal from Forest Service land are permitted in each project area. The contractor is responsible to notify the Forest Service in writing as to the desired location for each staging area. Location will be mutually agreed upon prior to start of removal operations.

250 – Progression of Work

Only one awarded project area shall be operated at one time, unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Forest Service. Unless there is agreement in writing to postpone specific requirements, all contractual requirements on a project area shall be accepted by Forest Service prior to working on additional project areas.

Contractor is responsible for the completion of PA one call 10 days prior to work start date.

260 – Work Plan and Schedule

Prior to the start of work, the Contractor shall prepare a work plan and schedule that demonstrates when work will be completed within the performance period described in Section F – Deliveries of Performance. The Contractor shall advise the Contracting Officer or COR of any periods that the Contractor will not be working as outlined in the work plan. The Contractor may update the work plan as needed. Work Plans shall be accepted by the Contracting Officer before work may commence. The Contractor will notify the COR as individual fence removal is completed.

The Government may set the order in which fences will be reconstructed. This is to avoid conflict with other activities that may be occurring in the area, or to avoid unfavorable site conditions if one area has unstable soils/water issues.

270 – Safety

It is the Contractor’s responsibility to ensure that the work environment is safe for themselves, their employees, and the general public. If the Contractor feels that a requirement of this contract would place any of the aforementioned in a unsafe environment, then work should stop on that area of work and the Contractor should contact the COR (Contracting Officer’s Representative), or CO (Contracting Officer) if COR is unavailable. Work in other areas that the Contractor does not view as unsafe should continue. The Contractor is required to follow all applicable OSHA standards while working on the job site. In addition, it is required that the successful contractor utilize appropriate personal protective safety equipment/clothing, which may include, but is not limited to, a hard hat, leg protection, eye protection, ear protection, and hand protection, DOT approved ATV helmet (if using ATV’s or UTV’s) while working in the project area. UTV operators can now use “shorty” helmets.

280 – Measurement & Payment

No payment shall be made for partial fence completion. Payments can be processed for successfully completed units, as the contractor invoices on IPP. There is a max limit of one invoice per 30-day window. The payment amount shall be based on the footage of fence reconstruction designated on the schedule unless a modification has been agreed on by the contractor and the Forest Service.

290 – Equipment Cleaning Provisions – Non-native Invasive Plant Control

All soil moving equipment shall be thoroughly cleaned to make it free of soil, noxious weed seeds, vegetative matter or other debris that could contain or hold seeds prior to being delivered to the project site. Equipment shall be considered free of soil, noxious weed seeds and other such debris when a visual inspection by the C.O.R., prior to the equipment being delivered to the site, does not disclose such material present. Disassembly of equipment components is not required. The Contractor shall notify the Forest Service at least five (5) working days prior to moving each piece of soil moving equipment onto the project site, unless otherwise agreed.

The Contractor shall thoroughly clean all soil moving equipment prior to moving them off a project site or between work areas on a project site that are known to be infested with noxious weed species of concern and other work areas, if any, that are free of noxious weed species of concern. Areas known to be infested with specific noxious weed species of concern to the Forest Service shall be noted in the Schedule of Work. The Contractor and the Forest Service shall agree on the methods of cleaning, location for the cleaning and control of off-site impacts, if any.

When new areas of infestation of noxious weeds are identified, the Forest Service are identified on the project site by either the Forest Service or Contractor they shall be promptly reported to the other party.

** Unit # 347038 will need approval from the COR before operations can commence. Blown down trees are marked for harvest along the damaged sections of fence and need to be removed prior to operations commencing.

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