Weeds_Survey_Treat_SOW_05042015.docx

SECTION C

DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/WORK STATEMENT

HERBICIDE SPRAYING

1.0 GENERAL

1.1 The purpose of this contract is to secure services for on-the-ground surveying for the presence of rush skeletonweed and herbicide spraying of locations discovered. All services will be done on-the-ground with ATV’s, UTV’s, or by foot. The Contractor shall furnish all labor, equipment, tools, materials, supervision, supplies, and incidentals; and perform all work necessary to complete application of Government-furnished herbicide (Picloram+2, 4-D) in accordance with these specifications, the Detailed Specifications in this contract, and the Herbicide Label.

1.2 The Contractor’s applicators shall hold a current Idaho Professional Applicator License in the Agricultural Pesticide Category. The Government will inspect each applicator for their current Idaho Professional Applicator’s License in the Agricultural Pesticide Category before work on this contract.

1.3 The primary vegetative species that will be treated is rush skeletonweed (Chondrilla juncea L.). Secondary target species that are known in the area are Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea maculosa), Leafy Spurge (Euphorbia esula), and Musk thistle (Carduus nutans). Spotted Knapweed and Leafy Spurge may still be treated in August. Musk thistle that has flowered is too far progressed to have much effect through treatments and should be excluded, however musk thistle rosettes are still able to be treated.

1.4 The Contractor shall stop operation if inclement weather conditions (wind or rain) occur during the spraying operation. (See section 5.0 Execution of Work)

1.5 Applicator Logs

A. The Contractor shall maintain a daily written log or 'Daily Herbicide Application Record', which will be provided by the Government.

B. This log or record shall be signed by applicator operator and turned into the Project Inspector. The Project Inspector will check the Contractor’s equipment to ensure proper operation and the Contractor shall demonstrate that the work crews are properly trained in the identification of rush skeletonweed.

1.6 The Government will pay for survey/spraying by the treated acre upon submission of proper invoices, after acreage is determined to have been surveyed/sprayed by using the computer generated shape file from a Trimble Global Positioning System (See Section 4.5 – GPS)

1.7 The Contractor shall conduct herbicide spraying procedures safely and in accordance with the Label restrictions of the herbicide. (See Section 7.0 - Safety).

1.8 The Contractor shall follow Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines for application of herbicides (if applicable).

1.9 The Contractor shall strictly adhere to the herbicide label instructions.

1.10 The Government will have the option to inspect the Contractor's equipment and work before, during, and after completion of this contract.

1.11 The Contractor shall adhere to the Idaho Fire Restrictions Plan and will need to stop work if Fire Restriction Stage II is implemented.

2.0 LOCATIONS

2.1 The Government will provide work location maps for all sites that are to be surveyed and/or treated with herbicides.

2.2 The Government will provide GPS perimeter data of the boundaries of all sites that are to be surveyed and treated with herbicides.

3.0 CHEMICALS

3.1 The Government will supply all the chemical herbicide necessary to complete the specifications of this contract. Unused concentrated herbicides will be returned to the Government upon completion of surveyed/sprayed areas. Contractor is responsible for disposal of mixed herbicide.

3.2 The recommended chemical herbicide application rate for the Picloram+2,4-D will be 1 quart of Picloram per acre + 1 pint of 2, 4-D per acre and 15-25 gallons of water per acre. The contractor shall adhere to the application rate the label and the Government has determined for each site. The rate will be within the product label rate.

3.3 Adjuvants

A. Non-ionic surfactant will be used at manufacturer’s recommended rates. The surfactant will be supplied by the Government. Unused concentrated surfactant will be returned to the Government. Contractor is responsible for disposal of mixed surfactant.

B. Drift agents may be used. If a drift control additive is used, read and carefully observe the cautionary statements and all other information appearing on the additive label. The Contractor shall provide the drift agent. Controlling drift is the responsibility of the Contractor.

C. If the Government desires that dye be used for marking sprayed areas, it will be provided by the Government.

D. All drift agents, surfactants and dyes shall be handled as chemicals. (See Section 7.0 - Safety).

E. No additional payment will be made to the Contractor for the use of Contractor furnished drift agents or Government-Furnished surfactant and dyes. These expenses shall be included in the unit price bid per acre for herbicide spraying.

4.0 EQUIPMENT

4.1 General - The Contractor shall survey/spray designated areas in conformance with these specifications, the Detailed Specifications, and the Herbicide Label. Unless otherwise specified, the Contractor shall furnish all equipment, labor, supplies, and materials required to complete the job. The Contractor shall furnish properly equipped equipment with applicators experienced in applying herbicides in rough terrain. The Contractor shall service and repair his/her equipment as necessary to maintain satisfactory progress on work. Contractor is responsible for all costs incidental to equipment move-in and move-out associated with the project.

4.2 Equipment

A. The Contractor shall furnish sufficient equipment to satisfactorily survey/spray the designated areas in the time specified as required in the Detailed Specifications. Equipment shall be capable of traveling at moderate speed to give proper control and distribution of herbicide. Contractor shall have communications with the Government by using cell phones.

4.3 Spray equipment

A. Spray Tanks - Spray solutions of the product shall be mixed, stored and applied using only stainless steel, aluminum, fiberglass, plastic or plastic-lined steel containers.

B. Spray Nozzles - Contractor shall furnish a nozzle type that is designated for the intended application. Refer to the Label for proper nozzles to comply with Drift Management Section.

C. Booms - Contractor shall furnish non-rust booms.

4.4 Work Crew

A. Applicators - Shall be furnished by the Contractor and shall meet certification requirements of Idaho Regulations for this type of work.

B. Work crew - Shall be furnished by the Contractor for handling and mixing the herbicide and loading the equipment. Mixers and Loaders shall hold a Mixer/Loader certification of training. The Contractor shall furnish the necessary qualified mechanics for maintenance of equipment and shall furnish all fuel, oil, and service required for operation of equipment and vehicles. All expenses relating to maintenance and operation of equipment shall be included in the unit price bid per acre for herbicide spraying.

C. Work crews should be well trained in noxious weed identification specifically, rush skeletonweed in all stages of development. Work crews shall be well trained with the use of Trimble GPS units.

4.5 Global Positioning System (GPS)

A. Requirement – Trimble GPS units with TerraSync Software or ArcPad Software capable of using a standard data dictionary. Data dictionary or geodatabase with required input fields will be provided to the contractor by the Government prior to starting services.

B. Memory/Battery: Must be capable of storing and operating up to 8 hours of continuous project log data.

C. GPS data will be recorded in UTM’s with a Datum of North American Datum (NAD) 1983 (Conus) Zone 12 North.

D. Contractor required to log GPS survey lines during all times of on-the-ground surveys. Additionally, the contractor is required to log GPS point locations with treated/sprayed areas less than 0.5-acre and log polygons around treated/sprayed areas greater than 0.5-acre. The use of a standard data dictionary is required and will be provided by the Government to the contractor.

5.0 EXECUTION OF WORK

5.1 Pre-Work Conference - Prior to commencement of work, a meeting may be requested by the Contracting Officer to be attended by the Contractor, the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR), and the Project Inspector(s). The meeting will be held at the Idaho Falls Field Office at a time mutually agreeable to the Contractor and the Contracting Officer to discuss the work schedule and to familiarize both parties with the responsibilities of each under this contract. At this time a work schedule showing dates, locations, equipment and employees working on this project shall be provided by the Contractor to the Contracting Officer.

5.2 Environmental Conditions

A. Work Period - Spraying Operations will be permitted only during daylight hours. The Contractor will have a foreman on site prior to commencing daily application, during application, and will notify COR or Project Inspector of changing weather conditions. The COR or Project Inspector will allow Contractor to continue or stop application if weather factors dictate. The COR or Project Inspector will give the permission to start, approximately one (1) hour from notification of conditions, depending on location of project from the Idaho Falls Field Office.

B. Wind - Spraying shall not be done when the wind is greater than 10 mph constant or is less than 2 mph or as specified in the Label. The Contractor shall follow the Label Section on Spray Drift Management - Wind. Local wind can influence wind patterns. Every applicator should be familiar with local wind patterns and how they affect drift.

C. Relative Humidity - Refer to the product label when making applications in low relative humidity conditions. Measurements can be obtained from local National Weather Service.

D. Site Conditions - No treatment spraying will be allowed under the following conditions:

1. Winds greater than 10 mph.

2. During a rain or snow.

3. Within 4 hours after rain or snow, unless approved in writing by the COR.

4. When there is obvious surface run-off on work site

5. Will not be directly applied to water.

6. Applicators will not be allowed to spray within 500 feet of agricultural crops or residences.

7. If Fire Restriction Stage II is implemented as outlined in the Idaho Fire Restrictions Plan.

5.4 Surveying/Spraying

A. On-the-ground grid surveys required, 50 yard spacing between workers/applicators with 100% coverage of entire project boundary. Herbicide applications will be conducted on all rush skeletonweed plants found. See Detailed Specifications.

B. Coverage - The entire area infested with rush skeletonweed within the designated boundaries of the project area shall receive uniform coverage with the herbicide except for areas excluded by the Government. Areas excluded from the spraying operation within the designated boundaries, will not be included in the acreage computed for payment. Any areas not covered by Contractor shall be reapplied or compensated by suitable contract adjustment, at the option of and at no additional cost to the Government. (See section 5.6 Field Quality Control and Section 5.9 Completion of Contract)

B. Rate of Spraying - Herbicide shall be applied as follows: Recommended 1 quart Picloram + 1 pint 2,4-D of chemical per acre. Contractor will be required to demonstrate that they can provide adequate and uniform coverage. Contractor shall furnish mixing equipment, suitable work crew, and perform mixing operation. Application formulation shall be applied thoroughly according to the Label and distributed over entire infested area. Distribution of herbicide shall not vary more than ten percent (10%) above or below the average distribution of herbicide per acre from that specified.

C. Application Paths - Shall be patterned to secure a uniform distribution of herbicide. Avoid overlapping, and no stripping shall be allowed. Applicators will not be allowed to spray within 500 feet of agricultural crops or residences.

D. Application Height: Spray boom shall be set at a height to obtain proper distribution and uniform coverage of herbicide on target species. Contractor shall follow Herbicide Label instructions on Spray Drift Management to obtain proper boom height.

E. Spray Drift Management: The interaction of many equipment and weather related factors determines the potential for spray drift. The Contractor is responsible for considering all these factors when making application decisions. Avoiding spray drift is the responsibility of the Contractor.

5.5 Sprayer Clean up - Shall be conducted according to the label instructions. Avoiding contamination of the work site is the responsibility of the Contractor.

5.6 Field Quality Control

A. Tests for Uniformity: The Government representative will make tests to determine uniformity of herbicide application and survey compliance. Randomly spaced water sensitive cards or equivalent will be utilized.

B. Tests for Rate of Application: Rate of spraying will be determined from test applications and strip tests made prior to commencement of spraying operations to establish setting of the distribution mechanism.

C. GPS data from the Trimble GPS units will be used to ensure compliance of surveys. GPS lines will be recorded during all times of survey. GPS data will be used to create an ArcGIS shape file to determine surveyed areas.

5.7 Work stoppages - The Contractor agrees to work diligently to complete the application of the herbicide. The Government reserves the right to stop spraying operations at any time when conditions are considered sufficiently unfavorable to warrant stoppage. Stoppage shall continue until spraying operations are again authorized by the Government. Because of the nature of the work, any time for which work is suspended by the Government because of unsuitable spraying conditions or phase II fire restrictions will not be counted against the contract completion time. However, no monetary compensation will be given to the Contractor by reason of such work suspension.

5.8 Termination for convenience of the Government - Because of the nature of the work, the Contracting Officer may, by written notice to the Contractor, terminate this contract, in whole or in part, when it is in the best interest of the Government. To the extent that this contract is so terminated, the Government shall be liable only for payment in accordance with the payment provisions of this contract for work satisfactorily completed prior to the effective date of termination.

5.9 Completion of contract - The Contract will be considered completed and payment due when all areas furnished to the Contractor by the Government have been surveyed/sprayed to the standards specified above. Test for uniformity will be made at the time of spraying, and final completion of the contract will be determined by these tests.

5.10 Risk damages - The Contractor shall assume all risks in connection with performance of the contract and shall be liable for any or all damages to persons or property in connection with the prosecution of the work, including the applicator or other employees of the Contractor.

6.0 MEASUREMENT AND PAYMENT

6.1 Method of Measurement

A. Units: Survey’s and application of herbicide solution will be measured and paid for by the number of acres sprayed to the nearest whole acre.

B. Measurement: Measurement for payment for surveying/spraying will be the actual area, in acres, within the designated boundaries satisfactorily surveyed/sprayed in conformance with these specifications. Measurement will be made from either physical surveys of the areas or a computer generated shape file created from GPS data at the option of Government. The shape file will be used in ArcGIS for final acreage measurement. Acreages will be computed from horizontal distances as shown on maps at the option of Government.

C. Remeasurement: Remeasurement of the acreage under this contract will be made upon the written request of the Contractor. The request for remeasurement must be made in writing within 10 calendar days after completion of the work. If remeasurement indicates a difference of not more than 5% from the original measurement, the Contractor shall pay the actual cost of the remeasurement. Payments will be based on the second measurement where the difference between measurements is more than 5%. Where the difference is less than 5%, the results of the first measurement will be used.

6.2 Basis of Payment:

A. Payment: Payment will be made at the unit price per treated acre specified in the Bid Schedule which is made a part hereof and shall include the cost of all work described in this paragraph and the Detailed Specifications, including any respraying, if such work is required.

7.0 SAFETY

7.1 Transportation of herbicides - The Government shall be responsible for the transport of chemical herbicides used to fulfill the specifications of this contract to the contractor loading site. The Contractor shall secure herbicide containers in mixing area to prevent spillage. Government shall load and transport herbicide from the pickup point to the work sites and shall be responsible for its protection from loss or damage due to weather, rodents, insects, theft, or any other hazard. Any herbicide damaged or lost while in the custody of the Contractor will be replaced by the Government and actual cost to the Government for replacement will be deducted from payments due the Contractor. All unused herbicide shall be returned to the Government by the Contractor upon completion of work or termination of the contract.

7.2 Protective clothing and equipment for contract employees exposed to herbicides - The Contractor shall supply protective clothing and equipment to contract workers that guarantee minimal exposure throughout the herbicide application process. The Contractor shall follow all advice on protective clothing and equipment which appears on the herbicide label and/or MSDS documentation. The Contractor shall make available cleanup facilities to contract employees exposed to herbicides or herbicide-contaminated equipment.

7.3 Storage of herbicides - Contractor required to have locked storage for herbicide concentrate containers and keep herbicide locked-up while unattended. The capacity of the locked storage should be large enough for 25 gallons of herbicide in 2.5 gallon sized individual containers.

7.4 Mixing and application of herbicides:

A. The Contractor shall mix herbicides in accordance with the proportions listed on the product labels. The Contractor shall provide adequate protective clothing and equipment for contract employees who mix the herbicides.

B. By law, the application of an herbicide, either directly or through drift, must not expose workers or other people. The Contractor shall be very aware and cautious of any environmental hazard present during herbicide application. Upon completion of herbicide application, the Contractor shall thoroughly clean equipment and dispose of waters, residues, rinses, and unused herbicides only according to EPA and Idaho State regulations. All empty herbicide containers will be tripled rinsed, labels removed, and punctured by the Contractor after mixing. The Contractor shall be responsible for disposal of the empty boxes, labels, and lids. The Government will be responsible for disposal and recycling of the empty containers.

7.5 Spills and accidents-The Contractor shall be responsible if accidents and chemical spills occur. The Contractor shall report immediately spills and accidents to the BLM authorized officers and appropriate local authorities. The Contractor shall provide immediate treatment of contaminated or injured persons and seek professional medical attention when necessary. The Contractor shall control chemical spills quickly and shall secure additional help when the Contractor cannot effectively or safely handle the spill cleanup. Spills will be the responsibility of the Contractor and shall be cleaned up to the satisfaction of the local authorities.

APPENDIX 4

GLOSSARY

ACTIVE INGREDIENT: The chemicals in a herbicide which control the targeted brush species.

ADJUVANT: An inert material added to a herbicide formulation or tank mix to increase the effectiveness of the active ingredient.

DRIFT: The movement of airborne particles by air motion or wind away from the intended target area.

EMERGENCE: The act of a germinating seedling breaking through the soil surface.

ENDANGERED SPECIES: Plant or animal species that are in danger of extinction through all or a significant part of their range.

LABEL: All written, printed, or graphic matter on or attached to pesticide containers as required by law.

RATE: The amount of active ingredient or acid equivalent applied per unit area or other treatment unit.

THREATENED SPECIES: Plant or animal species that are not in danger of extinction but are likely to be classified as Endangered within the foreseeable future.

SENSITIVE SPECIES: Plant or animal species (as designated by the Idaho BLM State Director) that are managed by the BLM to ensure that agency actions do not contribute to the need to list any species as Threatened or Endangered in the future.