Keyhole HFR Prospectus Final.pdf

PROSPECTUS

Keyhole Hazardous Fuels Reduction TSI Project

Location:

Sections 27, 29, 30, 32, 33 of Township 51 North and Range 66 West and Section 4 of Township 50 North and Range 66 West of Crook County, Wyoming.

Access:

The Keyhole Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project is accessible by East Pine Steet in the Northeast corner of Pine Haven, WY.

Area:

The project consists of three (3) units to be thinned on Keyhole State Park Lands. The total acreage for the entire project is 179 acres (see project area map Attachment).

All units are marked by a pink flagged boundary. The primary tree species to be treated are Ponderosa Pine and Rocky Mountain Juniper.

Project Description:

See Attachment B.

This project has three (3) treatment units for a total of 179 acres. Fuels within priority treatment units 1 and 2 are to be cut and mechanically masticated while priority unit 3 is to be hand cut & piled. Objectives must be met within Unit 1 and 2 sites. Unit 3 area will be completed if funds are available after the completion of Units 1 and 2. Unit 3 may be split up if funds are only available for a portion of the area. Figure 1 shows a map of the prioritized project areas.

Within Unit 3, slash is to be put into piles to a height no greater than six (6) feet. Please see Attachment B for specifics on piling.

No cutting operations will be allowed on site from May 1st – September 30th unless approved by State Forestry staff (weather/moisture dependent).

The objective is to thin timber stands to designated spacing to improve forest health, vigor, and reduce chances of crown fire in residual trees, restoring appropriate traditional PP stems/acre amounts. Most units are within past harvesting units and thinning will occur where advanced regenerating trees have successfully grown.

PROJECT REQUIREMENTS

Recipient requirements:

Access - Access to certain sites in the Project Area requires crossing private land. The Recipient will coordinate with individual landowners for permission to access these areas as necessary.

Supplies - Provide supplies and materials as necessary to support project goals.

Reporting and Communication – During the course of the project, and upon project completion, communicate with the designated State of Wyoming representative as needed to share information, project plans, targets, and completed tasks.

Upon project completion, the Recipient shall share a project summary that includes treatment information, measures of the volume of trees removed, and any completed restoration efforts at each project site.

Environmental Commitments – The Recipient must ensure that the environmental commitments listed in Table 1 below are implemented into the project.

Table 1.

Vegetation/Habitat Management (e.g. clearing, mowing, tree removal, etc.)

Trees can only be removed from October 1 – April 30 when bats are inactive. If bats are observed prior to April 30 or after October 1, Reclamation will be notified & tree removal will not occur until bats are inactive. If hazard tree removal is required in the active season, notify Reclamation environmental staff prior to removal.

Retain standing dead trees for wildlife habitat where they do not pose safety hazards and are located away from infrastructure & facilities.

Clear trails, roads, mowed areas, and other facilities of any fallen limbs, trees, or other debris.

If grassland disturbance will occur during the ground nesting bird season (April 15 – July 15), Reclamation recommends Project Areas be mowed prior to April 15. If mowing prior to April 15 is not possible, nesting bird surveys are recommended. No work should occur where active nests may be impacted until after the chicks have fledged.

Avoid disturbing areas with stands of milkweed due to monarch butterfly concerns.

Spread all masticated material to a depth of no more than 6 inches.

Cut stumps to a maximum of 6 inches above ground level.

Spread slash at log landings or other areas as appropriate to conform with industry-standard best management practices (BMPs).

Coordinate with Government staff well in advance of construction and/or burning of slash piles.

Activities Involving Soil Disturbance

Disturbed areas should be reseeded using native seed sources approved by Government staff.

See NRCS Plant Materials Program as information resource: www.nrcs.usda.gov/plant-materials.

See Wyoming Forestry BMPs as information resource: https://wsfd.wyo.gov/forest-management/bmp-s.

Smooth out or fill in ruts more than 6-inches deep or other excessive ground disturbance, as determined by Government staff.

Develop plan to prevent establishment of invasive plants.

Project Locations In or Near Waterways & Wetlands

Where possible, avoid working within wetlands.

Well in advance of starting the work, contact Reclamation environmental staff to determine whether permits will be necessary.

Implement site-specific BMPs to minimize wetland impacts. Mitigate unavoidable impacts.

Construction & Facilities OM&R (e.g. dams, buildings, roads, fences, campgrounds, etc.)

Use industry standard measures to minimize erosion effects.

Apply standard construction industry measures to minimize fugitive dust emissions.

Disturbed soils will be restored to pre-disturbance state or better after project completion.

Spark producing activities will only occur when fire hazard is low.

Invasive Species

Equipment, vehicles, and vessels must be clean & free of offsite plant material as outlined in Reclamation’s Inspection & Cleaning Manual for Equipment & Vehicles to Prevent the Spread of Invasive Species (available online):

www.usbr.gov/lc/region/g2000/envdocs/EquipmentInspectionandCleaningManual2021.pdf.

https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/plant-materials https://wsfd.wyo.gov/forest-management/bmp-s https://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/g2000/envdocs/EquipmentInspectionandCleaningManual2021.pdf

Presence of Protected Species

If threatened or endangered species are encountered, all activities in the immediate area will be stopped & Reclamation environmental staff notified immediately. Protected species that may occur include: northern long-eared bat, monarch butterfly, Suckley’s cuckoo bumble bee, western regal fritillary, and Ute ladies’-tresses.

Avoid disturbing active raptor and other migratory bird nests.

Avoid active bald eagle nests by a minimum of 660 feet if activity is visible from nest; 330 feet if there is a visual screen. Follow USFWS National Bald Eagle Management Guidelines (www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/national-bald-eagle-management-guidelines_0.pdf.)

Avoid golden eagle nests by 0.5 miles if nest is visible; 660 feet if there is a visual screen.

Inadvertent Discoveries

Cultural Resources: If previously undiscovered cultural resources, human remains, or unanticipated effects on historic properties are found, all activities near the discovery shall cease, the area will be secured, and an Area Archaeologist will be immediately contacted. Reclamation and the applicable Historic Preservation Officer(s) are responsible for determining the appropriate course of action prior to the continuation of project work.

Paleontological Resources: If paleontological resources including fossils, traces, or imprints of organisms are found, all nearby work must cease & the Area Archaeologist notified. A professional paleontologist will be contacted to determine the significance of the find & any mitigation measures will be implemented prior to continuing project work in the vicinity.

Technical Specifications:

1. Bids are to be submitted on a per acre basis. One contract will be awarded dependent upon best value to State of Wyoming.

2. The right to reject any and all bids is reserved.

3. To review contract technical specifications, refer to Attachment B.

4. The State shall not be liable for any damages resulting from the willful negligent acts of the Contractor or their employees. This includes but is not limited to damages resulting from fire caused by the Contractor or their employees.

5. The project manager may award additional acres at a later date if additional funding shall become available, based upon the price per acres stipulated in the bid proposal. The project manager and vendor may negotiate to a +/-10% of the price per acres (vendor shall justify increase) if additional acres are awarded at a later date.

http://www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/national-bald-eagle-management-guidelines_0.pdf Norris, Kelly Highlighted text needs to be in every prospectus.

6. The successful bidder to be obligated by written contract with the State of Wyoming covering the thinning operations. The Contract will expire December 31, 2028.

Pre-Bid Inspection:

A mandatory pre-proposal conference will be held at the Pine Haven Volunteer Fire Department, 24 Waters Drive, Pine Haven, WY, 82721 on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, at 10:00 A.M. MST. This conference is an opportunity for proposers to address any additional questions and/or concerns regarding this RFP. Proposers must attend in person. This conference will be facilitated by the Agency.

To RSVP contact Gabe Dirksen, Assistant District Forester, Wyoming State Forestry Division, Newcastle, WY.

Phone Call or Text: (307) 823-2743 Email: gabriel.dirksen@wyo.gov.

mailto:gabriel.dirksen@wyo.gov