RFQ 12339520Q0026 Forestwide TSI Projects.pdf

SEE ADDENDUMIS CHECKED

CODE 18a. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BY

CODE

FACILITYCODE

17b. CHECK IF REMITTANCE IS DIFFERENT AND PUT SUCH ADDRESS IN OFFER

OFFEROR

ROANOKE VA 24019-3050

5162 VALLEYPOINTE PKWY

USDA FOREST SERVICE

CODE 16. ADMINISTERED BYCODE

X

X

X

115310

SIZE STANDARD:

100.00 % FOR:SET ASIDE:UNRESTRICTED OR3395

RFPIFB

10. THIS ACQUISITION ISCODE

RFQ

14. METHOD OF SOLICITATION

13b. RATING

NAICS:

SMALL BUSINESS

09/28/2020 1100 ET

09/14/2020

540-265-5112SHERRY HELMICK

(No collect calls)

INFORMATION CALL:

FOR SOLICITATION 8. OFFER DUE DATE/LOCAL TIMEb. TELEPHONE NUMBER a. NAME

4. ORDER NUMBER3. AWARD/ 6. SOLICITATION

12339520Q0026

5. SOLICITATION NUMBER

SOLICITATION/CONTRACT/ORDER FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS 1. REQUISITION NUMBER PAGE OF

1 53 OFFEROR TO COMPLETE BLOCKS 12, 17, 23, 24, & 30

TELEPHONE NO.

17a. CONTRACTOR/

Multiple Destinations

15. DELIVER TO

ROANOKE VA 24019-3050

5162 VALLEYPOINTE PKWY

9. ISSUED BY

7.

2. CONTRACT NO.

EFFECTIVE DATE

$8.00

18b. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN IN BLOCK 18a UNLESS BLOCK BELOW

ISSUE DATE

DELIVERY FOR FOB DESTINA-

TION UNLESS BLOCK IS

MARKED

11.

SEE SCHEDULEX

12. DISCOUNT TERMS

THIS CONTRACT IS A

RATED ORDER UNDER

DPAS (15 CFR 700)

13a.

SERVICE-DISABLED

VETERAN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS

HUBZONE SMALL

BUSINESS

8(A)

USDA FOREST SERVICE

WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS

(WOSB) ELIGIBLE UNDER THE WOMEN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM

EDWOSB

24.

AMOUNT

23.

UNIT PRICE

22.

UNIT

21.

QUANTITY

20.

SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES

19.

ITEM NO.

Notice to Offeror(s)/Suppliers(s): Funds are not presently available for this effort. No award will be made under this solicitation until funds are available. The Government reserves the right to cancel this solicitation, either before or after the solicitation closing date. In the event the Government cancels this solicitation, the Government has no obligation to reimburse an offeror for any costs incurred.

(Use Reverse and/or Attach Additional Sheets as Necessary)

HEREIN, IS ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS:

X

XX

DATED

SHERRY HELMICK

. YOUR OFFER ON SOLICITATION (BLOCK 5),

INCLUDING ANY ADDITIONS OR CHANGES WHICH ARE SET FORTH

COPIES TO ISSUING OFFICE. CONTRACTOR AGREES TO FURNISH AND DELIVER

ARE

ARE

31c. DATE SIGNED

27b. CONTRACT/PURCHASE ORDER INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-5 IS ATTACHED. ADDENDA

31a. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (SIGNATURE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER)

30c. DATE SIGNED 31b. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)

ALL ITEMS SET FORTH OR OTHERWISE IDENTIFIED ABOVE AND ON ANY ADDITIONAL

SHEETS SUBJECT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SPECIFIED.

27a. SOLICITATION INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-1, 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-3 AND 52.212-5 ARE ATTACHED. ADDENDA

26. TOTAL AWARD AMOUNT (For Govt. Use Only)

OFFER

STANDARD FORM 1449 (REV. 2/2012)

Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.212

ARE NOT ATTACHED.

ARE NOT ATTACHED.

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION

PREVIOUS EDITION IS NOT USABLE

30b. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print)

30a. SIGNATURE OF OFFEROR/CONTRACTOR

28. CONTRACTOR IS REQUIRED TO SIGN THIS DOCUMENT AND RETURN

25. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

29. AWARD OF CONTRACT:

REF.

32e. MAILING ADDRESS OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE

32c. DATE 32b. SIGNATURE OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE

ACCEPTED, AND CONFORMS TO THE CONTRACT, EXCEPT AS NOTED:

32a. QUANTITY IN COLUMN 21 HAS BEEN

RECEIVED INSPECTED

40. PAID BY39. S/R VOUCHER NUMBER38. S/R ACCOUNT NUMBER

37. CHECK NUMBER

FINALPARTIAL

36. PAYMENT

FINALPARTIAL

35. AMOUNT VERIFIED

CORRECT FOR

34. VOUCHER NUMBER33. SHIP NUMBER

COMPLETE

32g. E-MAIL OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE

42d. TOTAL CONTAINERS42c. DATE REC'D (YY/MM/DD)

42b. RECEIVED AT (Location)

42a. RECEIVED BY (Print)

41c. DATE41b. SIGNATURE AND TITLE OF CERTIFYING OFFICER

41a. I CERTIFY THIS ACCOUNT IS CORRECT AND PROPER FOR PAYMENT

STANDARD FORM 1449 (REV. 2/2012) BACK

24.

AMOUNT

23.

UNIT PRICE

22.

UNIT

21.

QUANTITY

20.

SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES

19.

ITEM NO.

Period of Performance: 10/01/2020 to 09/30/2021

0001 North River Ranger District - AREA 1 - Crop Tree 175 AC

Release units in West Virginia

Product/Service Code: F014

Product/Service Description: NATURAL

RESOURCES/CONSERVATION- TREE THINNING

0002 North River Ranger District - AREA 2 - Crop Tree 245 AC

Release units in Virginia

Product/Service Code: F014

Product/Service Description: NATURAL

RESOURCES/CONSERVATION- TREE THINNING

0003 Glenwood and Pedlar Ranger Districts - Stand 87 AC

Tending

Product/Service Code: F014

Product/Service Description: NATURAL

RESOURCES/CONSERVATION- TREE THINNING

Period of Performance: 10/01/2020 to 04/16/2021

0004 Glenwood and Pedlar Ranger Districts - Site Prep 76 AC

Product/Service Code: F014

Product/Service Description: NATURAL

RESOURCES/CONSERVATION- TREE THINNING

Continued ...

32f. TELEPHONE NUMBER OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE

32d. PRINTED NAME AND TITLE OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE

53 2 of

ITEM NO. SUPPLIES/SERVICES QUANTITY UNIT UNIT PRICE AMOUNT

NAME OF OFFEROR OR CONTRACTOR

3 53

CONTINUATION SHEET

REFERENCE NO. OF DOCUMENT BEING CONTINUED PAGE OF

(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F)

12339520Q0026

Period of Performance: 10/01/2020 to 04/16/2021

0005 Eastern Divide Ranger District - Crop Tree Release 4215 EA

Product/Service Code: F014

Product/Service Description: NATURAL

RESOURCES/CONSERVATION- TREE THINNING

Period of Performance: 10/01/2020 to 04/16/2021

NSN 7540-01-152-8067 OPTIONAL FORM 336 (4-86)

Sponsored by GSA

FAR (48 CFR) 53.110

COMMERCIAL SERVICE RFQ 12339520Q0026

TIMBER STAND IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS

VARIOUS RANGER DISTRICTS

ALL RESPONSIBLE SOURCES MAY SUBMIT A QUOTATION WHICH, IF TIMELY RECEIVED,

SHALL BE CONSIDERED BY THE AGENCY.

CONTRACTOR MUST HAVE PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE/EXPERIENCE IN THESE SERVICES

AND MUST HAVE EQUIPMENT NEEDED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THIS CONTRACT.

CONTRACTOR MUST HAVE AN ACTIVE REGISTRATION IN SAM WHEN QUOTE IS

SUBMITTED

Award could be made on an individual line item basis if advantageous to the Government, see FAR Provision 52.214-22, Evaluation of Bids for Multiple Awards. Contractors may quote on single line items or all line items.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS

SAM (System for Award Management): In order to be eligible for an award, potential contractors must comply with all requirements of FAR Clause 52.204-7, System for Award Management.

All offerors must submit the following information:

DATA UNIVERSAL NUMBERING SYSTEM (DUNS) NUMBER:

ARE YOU REGISTERED IN SAM? [ ] YES [ ] NO

HAVE YOU COMPLETED REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN SAM?

[ ] YES [ ] NO

FARM LABOR CONTRACTOR CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRATION NUMBER:

(if applicable)

The following shall be returned with your quotation to be determined responsive:

1. Contractor’s Proposal Package which includes the following:

a. SF-1449 (pages 1-3)

b. Additional Information and Instructions (page 5)

c. Workforce Certification (page 41)

d. Representations and Certifications (page 48)

e. Experience Questionnaire, (pages 52-53).

1. Contractor Remittance Address: All payments by the government to the contractor under this contract will be made in accordance with Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) methods referenced in this solicitation. All required information must be in the System for Award Management (SAM) at https://www.acquisition.gov. To check on payments once a contract has been awarded, contact the Miscellaneous Payments Section of National Finance Center at 1-800-421-0323.

2. Invoices: Invoices must be submitted thru the Invoice Processing Platform at www.ipp.gov. Invoices shall be submitted monthly after service is performed; no advance payments will be authorized.

3. Payments: In accordance with the Prompt Payment Act, payment will be due 30 days after receipt of supplies/services or receipt of proper invoice; whichever is later. If payment is not received within 5 working days following the due date, notify the Contracting Officer’s Representative or Contracting Officer.

Contractors are encouraged to contact PAYMENT INQUIRY at the National Finance Center (800) 421- 0323 concerning status of past due invoices.

https://www.acquisition.gov/ http://www.ipp.gov/

SECTION C—DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS

DESCRIPTION AND LOCATION

Contractor shall furnish all labor, materials, equipment, tools, transportation, supervision and supplies required to perform crop tree release, stand tending or site prep at various locations on the George Washington & Jefferson National Forests, in Virginia and West Virginia.

SITE VISITS

There are no scheduled site visits at this time. Special arrangements may be made to provide access for inspection prior to the quote due date. Contact the following individuals for more information about the specific projects:

North River Ranger District (NRRD) – Crop Tree Release: JB Paez @ 540-432-8231 or gerardo.paez@usda.gov

Glenwood and Pedlar Ranger Districts (GPRD) – Stand Tending and Site Prep: Genny Kotyk @ 540-291- 2188 or genny.e.kotyk@usda.gov

Eastern Divide Ranger District (EDRD) – Crop Tree Release: Mark Miller @ 540-239-3520 or mark.d.miller@usda.gov

Offerors are urged to inspect the contract areas to view current conditions.

Biobased Products

The Contractor must comply with the Agricultural Act of 2014; the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (FCEA), 7 U.S.C. 8102; the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (FSRIA), 7 U.S.C. 8102; the Federal Acquisition Regulation; Executive Order (EO) 13514, “Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy and Economic Performance,” dated October 5, 2009; EO 13423, “Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management,” dated January 24, 2007; and Presidential Memorandum, “Driving Innovation and Creating Jobs in Rural America through Biobased and Sustainable Product Procurement,” dated February, 2012 to provide biobased products.

All supplies and materials shall be of a type and quantity that conform to applicable Federal specifications and standards, and to the extent feasible and reasonable; include the exclusive use of biobased and recycled products.

The following is a list of categories for biopreferred products that m a y b e required for performance of this service contract.

Chainsaw Bar Chain Lubricant, 2-Cycle Engine Oils

For more information regarding the Department of Agriculture Biobased Program go to:

http://www.biopreferred.gov.

mailto:gerardo.paez@usda.gov mailto:genny.e.kotyk@usda.gov mailto:mark.d.miller@usda.gov http://www.biopreferred.gov./

DESCRIPTION AND SPECIFICATIONS

NORTH RIVER RANGER DISTRICT (NRRD) – CROP TREE RELEASE

120 - Description and Location The 2 contract areas are within the boundaries of the North River Ranger District (North Zone Silviculture Program), George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, Augusta and Rockingham Counties, VA; Pendleton County, WV. These areas consist of closed timber sale units.

The boundaries of the contract areas are designated on the ground with 2 blue slashes on the trees at approximately eye level. In areas where boundary is evident (Unit to be released is surrounded by undisturbed mature timber) the boundary may be marked with pink flagging only. A key will be provided to gain access to contract areas behind locked gates. Refer to Location Map and Contract Area Maps.

Contract Area 1 WV – From Harrisonburg, VA take US 33 W (for approximately 20 miles) to the intersection in Brandywine with WV 21 S (for approximately 1 miles) to WV 532 to access Stand 415008, 417007, 417013. Proceed from Brandywine on WV 21 S (for approximately 8 miles) to WV 21/6 E (for approximately 2 miles) to Stand 428029, 428033, 428037, 428038, 429030, 433026, 433433028.

Contract Area 2 VA – From Staunton, VA travel west (for approximately 8 miles) to gated FR 536 to access Stand 477001, 477020, 477033, 477034, 477036, 477037, 477045, 477046, 477047, 477048, 477049, 477051. Proceed from Staunton down FR95 and 95A (for approximately 5 miles) for Stand 452009, 452011, 453011.

Bid Item 1 (WV, 10 areas, 175 acres) and 2 (VA, 15 areas, 245 acres): 25 areas, totaling 420 acres, as follows:

Contract Area 1 Bid Item

Compartment Stand Acres

Area 1 - WV 415008 33.4 417007 32.0 417013 29.7 428029 11.7 428033 10.0 428037 10.2 428038 10.6 429030 10.9 433026 15.1 433028 11.5

Contract Area 2 Bid Item

Compartment Stand Acres

Area 2 - VA 452009 13.3 452011 15.8 453011 26.9 477001 16.0 477020 18.8 477033 10.6 477034 11.2 477036 10.3 477037 13.0 477045 17.7

VARIOUS RANGER DISTRICTS

477046 11.4 477047 38.0 477048 15.3 477049 13.5 477051 12.8

DIVISION 200 - TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

210 - Work Specifications For ALL Areas

211 - Trees to Leave

Contractor shall select the crop trees to be released based on guidance provided below and by the Forest Service Contracting Officer Representative (COR) or Field Inspectors. Contractor will flag crop trees with plastic flagging - Contractor will provide the flagging. The Contractor shall tally the number of crop trees tallied by Unit in each of the 3 Contract Areas. The Forest Service reserves the right to select crop trees in any portion of the contract area.

Spacing- Spacing is not critical for crop tree release. The goal is to successfully release 15 trees per acre in designated units, as an overall average. For example, in a 100 acre unit, the minimum released number of trees should average 15 trees per acre (or 1500 trees at a minimum in the unit as a whole). Within units the availability of suitable crop trees (explained below) will vary and as a result the density of released crop trees may vary from 5 to 30 trees per acre. The number of crop trees per acre may vary within this range, as long as the minimum number is released. If a stand is very uniform (suitable crop trees distributed evenly over the entire unit) the spacing would be approximately 54’ x 54’ feet, for an average of 15 crop trees per acre.

Trees to be favored as Crop Trees - Crop trees shall be chosen based on the vigor / quality of the tree and its potential to produce mast (acorns, hickory nuts or other fruits) and yielding quality forest products, in future years. Designated crop trees shall be in the codominant crown position (For exceptions see below)(See Figure 1). The objective of this treatment is to release species listed under priority class 1 (PC1) from competition with other less desirable species. If no priority class 1 tree is available then a crop tree should be selected from priority class 2 (PC2). Contractor and employees must know tree species.

The contractor shall select a well formed, vigorous “codominant” tree (See Figure 1) from PC1 to release.

The tree shall be free from mechanical or animal damage, and show no signs of disease or insect damage.

Guidelines:

1. In the event the Contractor determines there are no suitable codominant PC1 trees present, an intermediate tree from PC1 may be released if it is well formed / vigorous and at least 1/2 the height of competing trees. Generally, “vigorous” can be defined as having at least a 25% live crown ratio.

For example if the tree is 20’ tall, it must have a live crown of at least 5’.

2. In the event the Contractor determines that no tree meets these specifications in (1), he/she shall choose a well-formed / vigorous PC2 “codominant” tree to leave.

3. Contractor shall not select forked trees as crop trees except as a last resort.

4. Contractor shall not release more than 5 yellow poplar trees per acre on any given acre (locally) of a unit. In areas dominated by yellow poplar, an effort should be made to release other desired species.

5. In no case, will the contractor choose a Red Maple, Sweet Birch or Striped Maple as a crop tree.

VARIOUS RANGER DISTRICTS

Priority 1 (PC1): Northern Red Oak, Black Oak, White Oak, Chestnut Oak, and All Hickory species.

Priority 2 (PC2): Black Cherry, Scarlet Oak, Yellow Polar, Black Gum, Cucumber Magnolia, Sugar Maple, Pitch Pine, Table Mountain Pine.

212 - Trees to be Cut

A four-sided crown-touching crop tree release will be applied (See Figure 2). Selected crop trees should have a ‘free to grow rating’ of 4. This means that a crown is free to grow on all four sides. If a crop tree has less than 5 feet between the upper one-half of the crown and a neighboring crown (non-crop tree) then it is not free to grow in that quadrant. The interfering tree should be removed (See Figure 3). One exception to this rule is when two crop trees have adjoining crowns (See Figure 6). The two adjoining crop trees will be treated as a single crop tree and all trees surrounding the two crowns shall be removed until the dual crown has a ‘free to grow’ rating of 4.

Guidelines:

1. Cut ALL trees whose crowns are interfering with the development of the upper half of the selected crop tree’s crown (Figure 3).

2. “Interfering” is defined as within 5 feet of the designated crop tree’s crown (the tips of the branches with leaves on).

3. Cutting of larger trees to release a smaller selected crop tree will be required in many cases, unless the interfering tree is an oak or hickory species that has a dbh 3 inches or larger than the dbh of the selected crop tree. If this does occur, then the contractor will leave the “interfering tree” and only release the selected crop tree on 3 sides instead of all 4 sides. If more than one interfering tree falls under this guideline, then another crop tree should be chosen.

4. Occasionally, trees to be cut will exceed 12.0 inches DBH. The operator has the option to double-girdle

(parallel girdle cuts around the tree within 5” of one another) these larger trees with a chainsaw to minimize stand damage.

5. If trees are connected by grapevines, cut only those which do not pose a safety risk. Trees that pose a safety risk shall be double girdled if possible. The contractor shall provide hazard ribbon and tie on all trees inside the scope of the contract that are unsafe to cut. All grapevines in crop trees shall be severed.

6. If the “interfering tree” of any crop tree is a white pine or yellow poplar larger than 14” at DBH, it shall not be girdled or cut. Also, “residual trees” left from the previous harvest (generally 16” and larger at DBH), shall not be cut or girdled, with the exception of Red Maple or Sweet Birch (see below). These trees typically still have some orange paint on them. The COR or inspector can answer any questions regarding if trees should be cut or retained.

7. The following trees SHALL NOT BE CUT at any time: Dogwood, Hemlock, Shagbark Hickory, Butternut, Serviceberry and American Chestnut. Do not cut trees that are not competing with identified crop trees.

8. Do not cut or damage property line and corner witness trees.

9. All Red Maple and Sweet Birch trees competing with crop trees (as defined above) shall be cut or girdled regardless of size. Red Maple and Sweet Birch over 16” must be double girdled and not cut, to prevent damage to the stand.

10. Do not cut dead snags, unless they are unsafe to work around.

11. Den trees, or other trees with evident wildlife usage shall not be cut. Felled stems will not be felled in such a way that could cause damage to such trees.

12. Trees shall be severed by chainsaw or brush saw at a height not to exceed 12 inches from the ground. Ground level is considered from the uphill side of the stump.

213 - Disposition of Felled Trees (Except as noted below) Felled trees shall not be piled or windrowed but shall be left scattered on the ground throughout the area. Felled trees shall not be left lodged in standing trees. Felled trees shall be kept out of all trail corridors, open and gated roads (including their ditches and cut slopes). Keep felled trees off of private land. Contractor has NO salvage rights.

220 - Resource Protection

221 - Protection of Streams, Lakes and Reservoirs The contractor shall take every precaution necessary to prevent pollution from fuels, oils, chemicals, silt or other harmful materials of any stream, lake or reservoir located in or near the contract area. All designated protected streams shall be kept free of contractor generated debris, including felled trees and brush.

222 - Protection of Trees Left Standing The contractor shall take every precaution necessary to prevent damage from their operation.

223 - Protection of Archeological/Historical Resources The contractor upon discovery of suspected archeological or historical materials, shall cease work in the vicinity of such material and immediately notify the COR.

224 - Access The contractor shall protect all trails, roads, ditches, fence and other improvements in the project area. Roads and trails shall be kept free of slash, logs and debris. Any road or trail used by the contractor that is damaged by his operations shall promptly be repaired by him.

1. The road area prism to be kept free of slash is defined as the top of the cut bank on the uphill side of the road to the bottom of the road bank below the road.

2. Access guidelines will be provided by the COR. Access into some areas requires some walking or high clearance 4 wheel drive vehicles.

3. Gates that are locked and not open to the general public will remain closed and locked whenever the contractor is working in units located behind the gate.

225 - Final Cleanup Before final acceptance, all trash, empty cans, and other rubbish and debris generated by the contractor's operations shall be removed from National Forest land.

DIVISION 300 - INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

310 - Inspection Inspection of the performance under this contract shall be made by the Contract Officer's Representative (COR) or the designated inspector as the work progresses at such intervals as are necessary to insure compliance with the contract specifications and provisions.

COR or field inspector will accept contractor work unit by unit. Acceptable work in a unit will be defined by the contractor adequately releasing 95% or more of the target number crop trees without unnecessary damage to the crop tree or the surrounding residual trees in the stand. Adequate release is defined in Section 212-Trees to be Cut.

320 - Acceptance Upon completion of work, the contractor shall notify the COR who shall make an overall inspection of the work completed. If the work is not accepted by the COR, the contractor shall complete any remedial work required for acceptance.

DIVISION 400 - MEASUREMENT AND PAYMENT

410 - Method of Measurement Acreage listed in the bid schedule was determined by GPS instruments and is considered actual acreage and not an estimate. Any acreage deleted will be measured using the same method.

420 – Basis of Payment Payment will be made at contract unit price for the number of acres satisfactorily completed by the contractor and accepted by the Government.

Figure 1. Examples of individual canopy position, including Dominant (D), Co-dominant (C), and Intermediate (I). Most trees released should be in the Co-dominant position.

VARIOUS RANGER DISTRICTS

How should crop trees be released?

Apply a crown-touching crop tree release by cutting all trees except other crop trees, whose crowns touch the crop tree crown. Normally, it is not necessary to cut overtopped trees (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Crop tree guidance. A crop tree crown is free to grow if no other crowns from adjacent trees are within 5 feet of the crop tree crown.

Figure 3. Any competing tree which is within 5’ of the upper half of the crop tree (shaded crown) shall be cut (red slashes). In many cases, small trees with crowns below the crop tree crown do not need to be cut. These small trees actually help to prevent epicormic branching on the bole of the crop tree.

Figure 6. Exception to the 4-sided release. Two crop trees crowns with adjoining crowns may be considered as one crop tree and a 4-sided release will be completed around both crowns.

AGAR 452.211-73 Attachments to Statement of Work/Specifications (FEB 1988)

The attachments to the Statement of Work/Specifications listed in Section J are hereby made part of this solicitation and any resultant contract.

VARIOUS RANGER DISTRICTS

GLENWOOD AND PEDLAR RANGER DISTRICTS (GPRD) – STAND

TENDING

120 - DESCRIPTION AND LOCATION

The contract treatment areas consist of non-commercially thinning, an already commercially thinned timber harvest units to promote the growth of desirable species. All areas are located within the boundaries of the Glenwood and Pedlar Ranger District, George Washington and Jefferson National Forest in Amherst and Rockbridge Counties, VA.

Treatment Units #1-2: From Buena Vista, VA take US 60 east 4 miles to the Blue Ridge Parkway entrance on the left. Head north on the Blue Ridge Parkway for about 7.8 miles until you come to Irish Gap intersection. Take a right onto FSR 605 and in 1.2 miles take a right onto FSR 1603. Units 1 and 2 are accessed at the end of FSR 1603 (about 0.8 miles).

Treatment Unit #3: From Natural Bridge Station, VA take US 130 east 3 miles to State Route (SR) 759. On SR 759 travel south, cross the James River, and drive for 2.8 miles to SR 781.

Take a right onto 781 and drive .7 miles to SR 790. Take a right onto SR 790 and drive 1.3 miles to FSR 280. Take a left onto FSR 280 and drive to the end of the road (2.5 miles) to Unit #3 on the left.

SUMMARY OF AREAS TO BE TREATED

Treatment Area

Number

Timber Sale Name

Harvest Unit

Number

Acres of Treatment

1 Clarks Gap 3 22 2 Clarks Gap 2 42 3 Gilmore Hollow 2 23

TOTAL 87

210 - TREES TO CUT

Cut all stems greater than 1 inch at diameter breast height (DBH) and less than 6 inches at DBH.

Cut all existing fallen trees not completely separated from stump if their stems when standing were greater than 1 inch DBH.

Cut any stem that is still standing which has been broken off by wind or as a result of logging damage, which have no living limbs.

VARIOUS RANGER DISTRICTS

Stems shall be cut as close to ground level as possible, but not higher than 6 inches above the ground level.

Streamcourse protection areas designated on the ground by three PINK slashes are to be treated like the rest of the unit.

No trees displaying poor form or mechanical damage from logging operations should remain after completion of site preparation work.

211 - TREES TO LEAVE

Leave all stems less than 1 inch at DBH and greater than 6 inches at DBH except as noted below.

• Do not cut any oak species, hickory or American Chestnut sprouts, unless they show damage from logging operations or display poor form (ie ‘flat-topped’).

• All dogwood and serviceberry shall be left regardless of size for soft mast production.

• Wildlife trees designated with white marking paint band at eye level shall also be left.

• Do not cut any painted trees in the unit.

212 - CUTTING METHODS

Trees shall be severed by chainsaw at a height not to exceed 6 inches from the ground. It is desired that trees be cut as close to ground level as possible. Ground level is considered from the uphill side of the stump.

213 - DISPOSITION OF FELLED TREES

• Felled trees shall not be piled or windrowed but shall be left scattered on the ground throughout the treatment areas.

• Felled trees shall not be left lodged in standing trees.

• Felled trees shall be kept out of landings and roads, concurrent with site preparation operations.

• Felled trees shall be kept out of adjacent private ownership.

• Contractor does not have salvage rights.

220 - RESOURCE PROTECTION

All cut trees and vegetation will be removed from road shoulders, cut and fill slopes.

221 - STREAM, LAKE AND RESERVOIR POLLUTION PREVENTION

VARIOUS RANGER DISTRICTS

The contractor shall take sufficient precautions to prevent pollution of lakes and streams by fuels, oils and other harmful materials. All streams will be kept free of all contractor generated slash and debris.

230 - ACCESS

The contractor will protect all trails, roads, ditches, fences and other improvements in the project area.

Roads, trails (including bladed revegetated skid trails), and log landings will be kept free of logs, slash and debris. Roadways include ditches and road banks. The road area prism to be kept free of slash is defined as the top of the cut bank on the uphill side of the road to the bottom of the road bank below the road.

Any road or trail used by the contractor that is damaged by his operation will be promptly repaired by him. Access guidelines will be provided by the COR.

Access into some areas requires some walking. The gate to the treatment areas are locked and not open to the general public and will remain closed and locked whenever the contractor is working in units located behind the gate.

240 - PROTECTION OF TREES

The contractor will use every precaution necessary to prevent damage to trees not to be treated.

250 - FINAL CLEANUP

Before final acceptance, all trash, rubbish, and debris generated by the contractor's operation will be removed from National Forest land.

260 - PROTECTION OF ARCHEOLOGICAL /HISTORICAL RESOURCES

The contractor, upon discovery of suspected archeological or historical materials, will cease work in the vicinity of such material and immediately notify the COR. Areas of archeological significance will be designated with 3 WHITE bands. There are no sites designated as such in the project area.

DIVISION 300 - INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

320 – INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

Inspection of work performed under this contract will be made by the COR or designated field inspectors as the work progresses at such intervals as are necessary to insure compliance with the contract specifications. At a minimum, the contractor will be required to contact the COR or field inspector prior to leaving each individual unit to facilitate prompt and timely inspections and the efficient operation of the contractor and their crew.

COR will accept contractor work unit by unit. In addition, any roads or trails in the work area must be free of contractor created slash and any materials used by the contractor must be cleaned up and removed from National Forest land.

DIVISION 400 - MEASUREMENT AND PAYMENT

410 - METHOD OF MEASUREMENT

The acreage of cutting units was determined by a global positioning system before the logging contractor harvested the units. The GPS used to determine such acreage was a Garmin 62xtc unit.

420 - BASIS OF PAYMENT

Payment will be made at the unit (acre) bid price for the number of acres successfully treated to standard.

GLENWOOD AND PEDLAR RANGER DISTRICTS (GPRD) – SITE PREP

120 - DESCRIPTION AND LOCATION

The contract treatment areas consist of harvested timber sale units requiring site preparation for natural regeneration. All areas are located within the boundaries of the Glenwood and Pedlar Ranger District, George Washington and Jefferson National Forest in Rockbridge County, VA.

Treatment Unit #1: From Natural Bridge Station, VA take US 130 east 3 miles to State Route (SR) 759. On SR 759 travel south, cross the James River, and drive for 2.8 miles to SR 781.

Take a right onto 781 and drive 2 miles to a 4 way intersection and go straight onto FSR 812.

After about 1.5 miles Unit #1 will be on the right.

To access Unit #2 keep following FSR 812 for another 2.5 miles and take a right onto FSR 907.

In about 0.6 miles take the right fork onto FSR 316. Unit #2 will be on the left in about 0.3 miles.

SUMMARY OF AREAS TO BE TREATED

Treatment Area

Number

Timber Sale Name

Harvest Unit

Number

Acres of Treatment

Boundary Paint Color

1 Gilmore Hollow 3 38 Orange

VARIOUS RANGER DISTRICTS

2 Hoop Pole 2 38 Orange

TOTAL 76

210 - TREES TO CUT

Cut all stems greater than 2 inches at diameter breast height (DBH) and less than 10 inches at

DBH.

Cut all existing fallen trees not completely separated from stump if their stems when standing were greater than 2.0 inches DBH.

Cut any stem that is still standing which has been broken off by wind or as a result of logging damage, which have no living limbs.

Stems shall be cut as close to ground level as possible, but not higher than 6 inches above the ground level.

Streamcourse protection areas designated on the ground by three PINK slashes are to be treated like the rest of the unit.

No trees displaying poor form or mechanical damage from logging operations should remain after completion of site preparation work.

211 - TREES TO LEAVE

Leave all stems less than 2.0 inches at DBH and greater than 10 inches at DBH except as noted below.

• Do not cut any oak species, hickory or American Chestnut sprouts, unless they show damage from logging operations or display poor form (ie ‘flat-topped’).

• All dogwood and serviceberry shall be left regardless of size for soft mast production.

• Wildlife trees designated with white marking paint band at eye level shall also be left.

• Do not cut any painted trees in the unit.

212 - CUTTING METHODS

Trees shall be severed by chainsaw at a height not to exceed 6 inches from the ground. It is desired that trees be cut as close to ground level as possible. Ground level is considered from the uphill side of the stump.

213 - DISPOSITION OF FELLED TREES

• Felled trees shall not be piled or windrowed but shall be left scattered on the ground throughout the treatment areas.

VARIOUS RANGER DISTRICTS

• Felled trees shall not be left lodged in standing trees.

• Felled trees shall be kept out of landings and roads, concurrent with site preparation operations.

• Felled trees shall be kept out of adjacent private ownership.

• Contractor does not have salvage rights.

220 - RESOURCE PROTECTION

All cut trees and vegetation will be removed from road shoulders, cut and fill slopes.

221 - STREAM, LAKE AND RESERVOIR POLLUTION PREVENTION

The contractor shall take sufficient precautions to prevent pollution of lakes and streams by fuels, oils and other harmful materials. All streams will be kept free of all contractor generated slash and debris.

230 - ACCESS

The contractor will protect all trails, roads, ditches, fences and other improvements in the project area.

Roads, trails (including bladed revegetated skid trails), and log landings will be kept free of logs, slash and debris. Roadways include ditches and road banks. The road area prism to be kept free of slash is defined as the top of the cut bank on the uphill side of the road to the bottom of the road bank below the road.

Any road or trail used by the contractor that is damaged by his operation will be promptly repaired by him. Access guidelines will be provided by the COR.

Access into some areas requires some walking. The gate to the treatment areas are locked and not open to the general public and will remain closed and locked whenever the contractor is working in units located behind the gate.

240 - PROTECTION OF TREES

The contractor will use every precaution necessary to prevent damage to trees not to be treated.

250 - FINAL CLEANUP

Before final acceptance, all trash, rubbish, and debris generated by the contractor's operation will be removed from National Forest land.

260 - PROTECTION OF ARCHEOLOGICAL /HISTORICAL RESOURCES

VARIOUS RANGER DISTRICTS

The contractor, upon discovery of suspected archeological or historical materials, will cease work in the vicinity of such material and immediately notify the COR. Areas of archeological significance will be designated with 3 WHITE bands. There are no sites designated as such in the project area.

DIVISION 300 - INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

320 – INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

Inspection of work performed under this contract will be made by the COR or designated field inspectors as the work progresses at such intervals as are necessary to insure compliance with the contract specifications. At a minimum, the contractor will be required to contact the COR or field inspector prior to leaving each individual unit to facilitate prompt and timely inspections and the efficient operation of the contractor and their crew.

COR will accept contractor work unit by unit. In addition, any roads or trails in the work area must be free of contractor created slash and any materials used by the contractor must be cleaned up and removed from National Forest land.

DIVISION 400 - MEASUREMENT AND PAYMENT

410 - METHOD OF MEASUREMENT

The acreage of cutting units was determined by a global positioning system before the logging contractor harvested the units. The GPS used to determine such acreage was a Garmin 62xtc unit.

420 - BASIS OF PAYMENT

Payment will be made at the unit (acre) bid price for the number of acres successfully treated to standard.

EASTERN DIVIDE RANGER DISTRICT (EDRD) – CROP TREE

RELEASE

SITE CONDITIONS

The stands range from 27 to 32 years old. They are mostly made up of hardwoods with a small component of pine interspersed throughout some of the stands. Site indexes range from 60 to 70 with one at 80. There are a total of 226 acres in the 12 stands designated for treatment. A few of the stands have multiple subunits. The terrain is mostly gentle to moderate. Understories are generally easy to travel through with scattered patches of mountain laurel in some units. Trees to be cut average about 4 to 7 inches Diameter Breast Height (DBH) in most stands.

DIVISION 100 - GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS

110 - Scope of Contract

Contractor shall furnish all labor, materials, equipment, tools, transportation, supervision and supplies necessary to perform crop tree release. Contractor shall fell designated trees by use of power chainsaws or axes, in accordance with specifications, maps, and provisions of the contract. No materials or labor will be furnished by the Government unless specifically identified in the "Government - Furnished Property Clause."

120 - Description and Location

Crop Tree Release The contract areas are located on the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, Eastern Divide Ranger District, in Craig County, Virginia. See attached maps for location and other information. All of the areas are in mountainous terrain that can be steep and rocky. Caution should be exercised while operating power saws in these and all of the areas to be treated in this contract.

CC Road: From New Castle: take Route 615 east for 0.5 miles. Turn left onto State Rte. 617 and proceed for 1.5 miles towards Forest Service land. FS 5025 (Nutters Mountain South Road) is on your left and the road is gated. The two units are located between 1-2 miles up the road near the top of the mountain. This FS road accesses both units.

Tub Run East: From New Castle: take US 311 north for approximately 4.1 miles. You will skirt just east of Johns Creek Mountain and come down to the junction with Tub Run road (FS 257). Turn left onto FS 257 and proceed for 0.7 miles. The road on your left that is gated is FS 50361 (Tub Run East road) and it accesses 5 of the 6 Units. The other remaining unit (Unit 1) is located in three pieces along FS 257.

Larkin Line: From Newport: take Route 42 east for 9.4. Turn left onto state Rte 658 (Johns Creek Mountain Road or Happy Hollow road). In 3.1 miles turn right onto FS 5048 (Larkin Line road) and go for aprroximately 0.7 miles. One unit is located behind the gate on the right.

That road is FS 50441 (Larkin Line spur road). The other three units are located further up FS 5048 past the gate at the end of the road. That gate is located another 0.5 mile up the road.

VARIOUS RANGER DISTRICTS

CC Road

UNIT APPROXIMATE

ACRES

BOUNDARY COLOR DESIGNATED

CROP TREES

1 8 TWO BLUE SLASHES 127

2 8 TWO BLUE SLASHES 127

Tub Run East

UNIT APPROXIMATE

ACRES

BOUNDARY COLOR DESIGNATED

CROP TREES

1* 18 TWO BLUE SLASHES 348

2 12 TWO BLUE SLASHES 224

3 5 TWO BLUE SLASHES 103

4 13 TWO BLUE SLASHES 301

5 20 TWO BLUE SLASHES 297

6 6 TWO BLUE SLASHES 105

*No high stumps in areas near the road will be permitted in these units due to visual concerns

Larkin Line

UNIT APPROXIMATE

ACRES

BOUNDARY COLOR DESIGNATED

CROP TREES

1 27 TWO BLUE SLASHES 612

2 33 TWO BLUE SLASHES 626

3 49 TWO BLUE SLASHES 744

4 27 TWO BLUE SLASHES 601

130 - Crew Organization The contractor shall work during normal working hours of the week, Monday through Friday. Weekend and holiday work is allowed but must be coordinated and approved by the COR or the Field Inspector to ensure timely inspections of completed work.

All temporary roads that have been closed, tank trapped, and/or seeded will remain closed to vehicular access unless opened under prior written agreement.

VARIOUS RANGER DISTRICTS

DIVISION 200 - TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

210- Selection of Crop (leave) Trees Crop trees are marked in all of the units. These units have designated crop trees marked by ORANGE bands. The Forest Service has selected the crop trees in these units to meet silvicultural objectives. All of these trees will be treated for release.

211-Spacing- Spacing is not critical for the crop tree release The goal is to successfully release 15 to 20 trees per acre in crop tree release units. If the stand is very uniform (ie. There are good crop trees distributed evenly over the entire unit) the spacing would be approximately 50 feet in the CTR units.

Crop trees were chosen based on species preference, the quality of the tree and its potential to produce hard mast and cover for wildlife in the future as well as for quality forest products. Some crop trees might be located close to one another.

212-Trees to favor Contractor and employees must know Southern Applachian Hardwood tree species.

The following trees were not selected as crop trees and SHOULD NOT BE CUT at any time: Dogwood, Eastern Hemlock, Shagbark Hickory, Serviceberry and American Chestnut.

Trees to be Cut – A four-sided crown-touching crop tree release will be applied (see figure 1). Selected crop trees should have a ‘free to grow rating’ of 4. This means that a crown is free to grow on ALL four sides. If a crop tree has less than 5 feet (with leaves on) between the upper one-half of the crown and a neighboring crown (non-crop tree) then it is not free to grow in that quadrant. The competing tree should be removed (see figure 1).

One exception to this rule is when two crop trees have adjoining crowns (see figure 2).

The two adjoining crop trees will be treated as a single crop tree and all trees surrounding the two crowns shall be removed until the dual crown has a ‘free to grow’ rating of 4.

Cutting of larger trees to release a smaller Forest Service selected crop tree will be required, unless the interfering tree is an oak species that has a DBH 3 inches or larger than the DBH of the selected crop tree. If this does occur, then the contractor can leave the “interfereing tree” and only release the selected crop tree on 3 sides instead of all 4 sides. Occasionaly, trees to be cut will exceed 10 inches DBH. In most cases, the Forest Service has identified these trees and painted an ORANGE dot on the tree facing toward the designated crop tree. This indicates that although the tree is “interfering” with the crown of the desiganted crop tree, it should not be cut. Only the other 3 sides should be released in these situations.

If trees are connected by grapevines, cut only those which do not pose a safety risk. Trees that pose a safety risk shall be girdled if possible. The contractor shall provide hazard ribbon and tie on all trees inside the scope of the contract that are unsafe to cut. All grapevines in crop trees shall be severed.

VARIOUS RANGER DISTRICTS

Due to past practices and future safety concerns, the contractor will not be allowed to girdle trees to achieve the objectives of the contract.

213- Cutting Methods Trees shall be severed by chainsaw at a height not to exceed 12 inches from the ground.

Ground level is considered from the uphill side of the stump. High stumps will only be allowed in designated units. Visual objectives and safety considerations will drive where this is allowed. Those units will be determined solely by the COR and communicated to the contractor in the Pre Work meeting. Trees to be cut shall be felled all the way to the ground and not left leaning against other trees.

The designated Contracting Officer Representative (COR) or designated Field Inspector will determine on a tree by tree basis whether or not to leave a “hung” tree because of potential hazard to the contractor.

When Contractors encounter a selected crop tree (or more than one) that is a part a multi stem “stump sprout”, they are to proceed with proper release of those stems that are interfering with the crown development of the crop tree. However, they have the option of felling that stem or sprout at a height not to exceed 3 feet in height-leaving a “high stump”. Further, they are to leave a slanted cut if they choose the higher than 12 inches stump height. This high stump will slow the pace of any stump rot into the selected crop trees that will develop over the subsequent years.

214 - Disposition of Felled Trees

Felled trees shall not be piled or windrowed, but shall be left scattered on the ground throughout the area. Felled trees shall not be left lodged in standing trees unless they are hung up by grapevines and briars. If trees are hung up they should be bucked up if it does not pose a safety hazard to try and get the tree to lie on the ground. Felled trees shall be kept out of main haul roads, which can be used for access through the areas. Contractor does not have salvage rights unless coordinated with the COR.

220 - Resource Protection

NA

221 - Stream, Lake and Reservoir Pollution Prevention

The contractor shall take sufficient precautions to prevent pollution of lakes and streams by fuels, oils and other harmful materials. All streams will be kept free of all contractor generated debris.

230 - Access

• The contractor will protect all trails, roads, ditches, fences and other improvements in the project area.

VARIOUS RANGER DISTRICTS

• Trails shall be kept free of logs, slash and debris, including any felled trees overhanging the trail way prism.

• Roadways (includes closed or “tank-trapped” roads), ditches and road banks shall be free of all contractor-created slash and limbs. The road area prism to be kept free of slash is defined as the top of the cut bank on the uphill side of the road to the bottom of the road bank below the road.

• Any road or trail used by the contractor that is damaged by his operation will be promptly repaired by him.

• Access guidelines will be provided by the COR. Access into some areas requires some walking or high clearance 4 wheel drive vehicles.

• Gates that are locked and not open to the general public will remain closed and locked whenever the contractor is working in units located behind the gate.

240 - Protection of Trees

• The contractor will use every precaution necessary to prevent damage to trees not to be treated.

• The contractor will NOT have the option of girdling trees to release the designated crop trees.

250 - Final Cleanup

Before final acceptance, all trash, rubbish, and debris generated by the contractor's operation will be removed from National Forest land.

260 - Protection of Archeological /Historical Resources

The contractor, upon discovery of suspected archeological or historical materials, will cease work in the vicinity of such material and immediately notify the COR or designated field inspector.

DIVISION 300 - INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

320 – Inspection

Inspection of the work performed under this contract shall be made by the COR or the designated Field Inspector. The inspections shall be made as the work progresses, at such intervals as necessary to insure compliance with the contract specifications and provisions.

Upon completion of work in an area, the contractor shall notify the COR that work in the area is completed. If the completed work is acceptable under the terms of the contract, the contractor shall be allowed to proceed with work in the next area. If the work is not acceptable under the terms of the contract, the contractor shall complete any corrective work and gain the COR’s acceptance prior to commencing work in the next area.

VARIOUS RANGER DISTRICTS

311 – Acceptance As the basis for payment, the COR will inspect for compliance with specifications on areas reported as completed by the Contractor. Each work unit, as designated on the attached maps and described in the Schedule of Items, will be inspected as a separate unit and will not be averaged with any other area for acceptance or payment.

Acceptable work in a unit will be defined by the contractor adequately releasing 95% or more of the target number crop trees on four sides without unnecessary damage to the crop tree or the surrounding residual trees in the stand. Adequate release is defined in Section 210, Trees to be Cut. However, it is important to note that ALL designated crop trees must show an attempt at release. In addition, any roads or trails in the work area must be free of contractor created slash and any materials used by the contractor must be cleaned up and removed from National Forest land. Roads and trails are defined above in Section 230 – Access.

DIVISION 400 - MEASUREMENT AND PAYMENT

410 - Method of Measurement

Crop Tree Release

The acres traversed for each unit were completed using a Garmin GPS unit. The data was downloaded into GIS map where acres were recalculated (corrected) to account for slope and landform convexity.

420 - Basis of Payment

Crop Tree Release

Payment will be made at the unit bid price for the trees treated to standard.

How should crop trees be released?

Apply a crown-touching crop tree release by cutting all trees except other crop trees, whose crowns touch the crop tree crown. Normally, it is not necessary to cut overtopped trees (See Figure 2).

Figure 1. Crop tree guidance. A crop tree crown is free to grow if no other crowns from adjacent trees (with leaves on) are within 5 feet of the crop tree crown.

SECTION D--PACKAGING AND MARKING

{For this Solicitation, there are NO clauses in this Section}

SECTION E--INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

52.246-4 Inspection of Services-Fixed-Price (AUG 1996)

(a) Definition. “Services,” as used in this clause, includes services performed, workmanship, and material furnished or utilized in the performance of services.

(b) The Contractor shall provide and maintain an inspection system acceptable to the

Government covering the services under this contract. Complete records of all inspection work performed by the Contractor shall be maintained and made available to the Government during contract performance and for as long afterwards as the contract requires.

(c) The Government has the right to inspect and test all services called for by the contract, to the extent practicable at all times and places during the term of the contract. The Government shall perform inspections and tests in a manner that will not unduly delay the work.

(d) If the…