RFQ 1291S820Q0045 - CNF MECH SITE PREP MH PM.pdf

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OFFEROR

91S8

VALLEJO CA 94592-1110

1323 CLUB DR

PACIFIC SOUTHWEST REGION

USDA FOREST SERVICE

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X

X

X

115310

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RFPIFB

10. THIS ACQUISITION ISCODE

RFQ

14. METHOD OF SOLICITATION

13b. RATING

NAICS:

SMALL BUSINESS

07/30/2020 1500 PT

07/09/2020

707-562-8756JEREMY BEDNER

(No collect calls)

INFORMATION CALL:

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

4. ORDER NUMBER3. AWARD/ 6. SOLICITATION

1291S820Q0045

5. SOLICITATION NUMBER

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

1 52 OFFEROR TO COMPLETE BLOCKS 12, 17, 23, 24, & 30

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VALLEJO CA 94592-1110

1323 CLUB DR

PACIFIC SOUTHWEST REGION

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VETERAN-OWNED

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EDWOSB

24.

AMOUNT

23.

UNIT PRICE

22.

UNIT

21.

QUANTITY

20.

SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES

19.

ITEM NO.

Mechanical Site Preparation. Morgan Hill, Palomar Mountain, Palomar Ranger District, Cleveland National Forest.

REQUEST FOR QUOTES

SITE VISIT INFO: SEE SECTION C.4

REFER TO SECTION L AND M FOR OFFER/QUOTE

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS AND EVALUATION

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

HEREIN, IS ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS:

X

XX

DATED

JEREMY B. BEDNER

. YOUR OFFER ON SOLICITATION (BLOCK 5),

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STANDARD FORM 1449 (REV. 2/2012) BACK

24.

AMOUNT

23.

UNIT PRICE

22.

UNIT

21.

QUANTITY

20.

SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES

19.

ITEM NO.

32f. TELEPHONE NUMBER OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE

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52 2 of

RFQ no. 1291S820Q0045 Mechanical Site Preparation

Morgan Hill, Cleveland National Forest

PART I – SCHEDULE

SECTION B – SCHEDULE OF ITEMS / PRICE SCHEDULE

B.1 BID SCHEDULE

Mechanical Site Preparation Project. Morgan Hill, Cleveland National Forest

ITEM

NO.

DESCRIPTION

PAY

UNIT

EST.

QTY.

UNIT

PRICE

TOTAL

PRICE

Unit 0260001

ACRE

Unit 0260002

Unit 0280002

Unit 0280003

TOTAL ACRES

TOTAL BID

B.2 NOTES

1. The Offeror must submit a price on all items. If Offeror does not intend to charge for a bid Item, a price of "0" or "NO COST" should be shown. Offers/quotes without prices for each item and sub-item may be rejected. Responses for quantities less than those listed in the numbered items may be rejected.

Morgan Hill, Cleveland National Forest

SECTION C – STATEMENT OF WORK

C.1 DESCRIPTION

The USDA Forest Service Cleveland National Forest has a project requirement for mechanical site preparation services for tree planting on Morgan Hill – within the Poomacha Fire Area which occurred in fall 2007.

Project / contact / work objectives are to reduce fuel loads and competing vegetation to crop trees while increasing safety within the treatment areas. Mechanical site preparation requires clearing standing and down woody debris, pulling out live brush competition, piling and covering materials for burning. Clearing and piling is to be accomplished while maintaining some ground cover, residual snags, large down woody material, live shrub component, and stream buffers to meet wildlife and hydrologic requirements. Work unit boundaries and exclusion areas are virtual; contractor will need GPS for successful implementation.

The contractor shall provide all labor, materials, supplies, equipment, supervision, transportation, and incidentals not otherwise provided by the Government in order to meet work and contract requirements. Work shall be performed in compliance with the contract terms, conditions, specifications, and clauses and adhere to all local, state, and Federal regulations.

C.2 PROJECT LOCATION & DESCRIPTION

Location

Forest Cleveland National Forest District Palomar Ranger District County San Diego

The Palomar Ranger District Office is located at:

1634 Black Canyon Rd. Ramona, CA 92065

The project area includes an estimated 169 acres split between the Long Creek and Pauma Creek headwaters located in the Palomar Mountains of San Diego County.

The project is located northeast of the intersection of Interstate 5 and Interstate 210 and northeast of the intersection of Interstate 5 and State Route 14 on Santa Clara Truck Trail (3N17) east of US Forest Service Bear Divide Fire Station and just past the gate near Sand Canyon Road.

REFER TO ATTACHMENT 1 – PROJECT AREA MAPS X 3.

Morgan Hill, Cleveland National Forest

Included in Section J – List of Attachments.

Section 19 and 30, T.9S. R.1E. San Bernardino Baseline and Meridian

Maps show the general vicinity and/or specific work areas. Maps are general in nature and are not to be considered as definitively identifying locations

Electronic files (geo-referenced PDF’s) will be emailed to contractor prior to commencement of work. Foremen will be expected to use geo-referenced maps to identify boundaries and predetermined leave areas as shown on the contract area maps. These areas may not be flagged in their entirety or flagging may be disturbed by other forest users and wildlife.

Description Work unit boundaries will be signed where the forest road enters the project area and as it exits onto the adjacent landownership with yellow forest service signs. Beyond these two points, the unit boundaries are virtual in nature and will require a GPS to identify borders of work areas. The District will supply contractor with geo-referenced maps, shapefiles, or other geo-referenced files suitable for Contractor supplied GPS.

The units consist mainly of palmers’ ceanothus ranging from 4 to 12 feet in height and covering approximately 75 percent of the project area. Small pockets of mature trees exist sporadically though out the project area and generally have the highest occurrence of natural regeneration within 300 feet of these pockets. The majority of small to medium size snags have fallen naturally as well as some trees exceeding treatment specifications. No other management has occurred at this site since the 2007 wildfire.

Exclusions (non-work areas): Control areas may be designated with pink and black checkered flagging, stream buffers may be designated with blue and white striped flagging, noxious weed populations may be designated by orange flagging printed with the words “NOXIOUS WEEDS”. All excluded areas are to be avoided by mechanical equipment at all times.

There is acreage within all unit boundaries that are estimated to be unworkable by mechanical equipment due to slope limitation, based on Lidar data. Additionally, there are required stream buffers in which equipment will be excluded. These areas are identified on maps and the estimated acreage is deducted from the work unit quantity. Refer to Table 1 and Attachment 1 Maps for details.

Table 1. Estimated Work Area

Work Unit 0260001 0260002 0280002 0280003

Total Acreage 53 81 108 4

Est. Slope Acreage ≥ 35%

22 38 17 .5

Est. Work Acreage 31 43 91 3.5

Accessibility: Work site access instructions are given here for information only.

All units are accessible via Cleveland National Forest System Roads [NFSRs] by 2-wheel drive vehicles during the field season. 4-wheel drive may be required during wet weather. The contract area can see snow accumulations in excess of one foot in winter months – late November through February.

The project units are northwest of the Forest Service Palomar Mountain Fire Station, accessible via Forest Road 9S07 (Palomar Divide Rd). The road traverses National Forest System lands and adjacent private ownership; therefore, gated and locked at the fire station. The road is not suitable for equipment transport, i.e. semi and lowboy trailer; access and equipment would have to be walked in from the fire station, approximately 3 miles to the eastern edge of the project area.

The Palomar Fire Station is located at:

35604 S Grade Rd, Palomar Mountain, CA 92060. [33.359472, -116.871953]

Morgan Hill, Cleveland National Forest

C.4 SITE VISIT

The Forest Service highly recommends that bidders visit the project site / work area to ensure complete understanding of the requirement and knowledge of site conditions and operational challenges.

IAW FAR 52.237-1 SITE VISIT (APR 1984)

Offerors or quoters are urged and expected to inspect the site where services are to be performed and to satisfy themselves regarding all general and local conditions that may affect the cost of contract performance, to the extent that the information is reasonably obtainable. In no event shall failure to inspect the site constitute grounds for a claim after contract award.

An organized guided site visit has been scheduled for-

TUES JULY 21, 2020. @ 930A.

Participants will meet at:

Mothers Kitchen, 33120 Canfield Rd, Palomar Mountain, CA 92060

Interested contractors shall RSVP intent attend the site visit in advance to the Cleveland National Forest Supervisor’s Office designated point-of-contact and project Contracting Officer’s Representative [COR]. This notification is required for the purpose of providing advanced notification to the District Ranger of contractors traveling to the site.

POC/COR as follows:

Andrew Weinhart 858-674-2934 andrew.weinhart@usda.gov

Site Visit attendees shall practice health and safety mitigation measures related to Coronavirus/COVID-19 including social distancing and the wear of PPE such as face masks.

General questions about visiting the site may be addressed to the above POC or:

Jeremy Bedner, Contracting Officer. Jeremy.bedner@usda.gov. 707-562-8756

C.3 DEFINITIONS

The following terms are defined for this contract:

Competing Vegetation: Refers to any of several woody shrubs that are potential competitors to existing live trees or future plantation trees, e.g. ceanothus, manzanita, scrub oak.

Damaged Tree: Any injury caused by the contractor’s performance of work exposing the cambium (i.e. the bole, cut limbs in the upper 50% of the tree, cut tops) and/or any conifer buried or partially buried by soil, rock, humus, litter, or slash. Potential leave trees which are uprooted are also considered damaged trees. Burned trees with less than 10% live crown or damaged sufficiently to pose a safety hazard are also considered damaged trees.

DBH: Diameter at Breast Height (4 ½ feet above the ground, measured on the uphill side).

Down Woody Material: Any piece(s) of dead woody material, including freshly cut material, dead boles, limbs, and large root masses, on the ground.

Effective Ground Cover: Any material on or near the soil surface that protects the soil against the erosive action of raindrops and overland flow (e.g., loose surface stones, duff, vegetative material, woody debris, leave trees, stumps, snags, down logs).

Hardwood: A tree with broad leaves rather than needles (e.g., black oak, canyon live oak, interior live oak)

Large Down Woody Material: Any log 10 feet long and 18 inches diameter at the mid- point on the ground, regardless of its state of decomposition.

Leave Tree: Regardless of size, ALL live hardwoods and any live conifer with >10% green crown remaining which do not pose a threat to safety. This includes all natural regeneration seedlings and saplings.

Slash: The woody residue left on the ground after logging or accumulating as a result of natural or other human activities.

Snag: Any standing dead tree greater than 15 inches DBH and 10 feet tall.

Windrow: A line of woody material and pulled vegetation heaped to form rows.

C.4 PRIMARY TASKS

1. Uproot and pile competing vegetation. Retain average 15% shrub component.

2. Fell or push over damaged trees and snags up to 15 inches DBH.

3. Pile felled trees and down woody material.

4. Retain 3-5 snags per acre across the treatment unit, clumped where possible.

5. Retain a minimum of 6 down logs per acre for large down woody material

Morgan Hill, Cleveland National Forest requirements when available.

6. Retain >50 % effective ground cover. See Definitions. Distribute concentrations of down woody material to ≥50% effective ground cover and less than 6 inches depth.

7. Avoid damage to retention features, including leave trees and saplings, snags, large downed logs, and stream buffers.

C.4-1 Standards:

(a) Uproot and pile competing vegetation:

1. Within mechanically treated areas, competing vegetation shall be uprooted below the root crown whether it is alive or dead, then shaken to remove soil and piled.

2. Any competing vegetation that meets specifications for uprooting but is not able to be pulled, shall alternatively be crushed by walking over the vegetation with the mechanical equipment.

3. Retain 15% live shrub component over each treatment unit. This may include vegetation within stream buffers and portions of treatment units not workable due to steep slopes. In identifying shrub patches to retain outside of those stated above, contractor shall key into areas that lack evidence of past forest cover such as old stumps, existence of snags, down woody material, and natural regenerating trees to identify where shrubs may have dominated the site historically prior to the wildfire disturbance. See Table 1 for estimates of unworkable slope acreage by unit.

4. Within 50 feet of the road, an estimated 30 individual shrubs will be flagged with orange flagging. These shrubs shall be pulled, shaken to remove dirt from root ball and then set neatly adjacent to the road for removal by Forest Service. Damage to above and below ground portions of each flagged shrub shall be minimized by Contractors operations.

Fell or push over damaged trees and snags up to 15 inches DBH:

Dead and damaged trees shall be cut or pushed over and prepared for piling to the following standards:

5. Damaged trees up to 15 inches DBH shall be cut or pushed over, except selected leave trees based on species and amount of fire damage. Any size live conifers with >10% green crown remaining shall be retained as Leave Trees (See Definitions). Selected leave trees shall not be damaged by the Contractor’s operations. All work units contain varying amounts of naturally regenerated conifer and hardwood trees. Care shall be exercised in avoiding damage to

Morgan Hill, Cleveland National Forest naturally regenerated trees, which may include NOT pulling brush emerging within three feet of smaller leave trees so as not to damage the root system of the leave tree. Leave trees damaged by the Contractor’s operations may incur charges for liquidated damages.

6. Bucking is only required to the extent needed for efficient piling of cut material. Trees and snags left on ground to meet woody debris retention and 50% effective ground cover guidelines should not be bucked.

7. All snags up to 15 inches DBH shall be cut or pushed over except those needed for minimum snag retention. Retain 5 snags per acre and clump where possible. The tallest and largest diameter snags are preferred for retention.

Minimum snag DBH is 16 inches if needed to meet retention guidelines.

Minimum snag height is 40 feet. In areas where it is unfeasible for safety concerns to leave 5 snags per acre, reducing snag retention to 3 snags per acre is acceptable as the minimum.

8. Leave all trees or snags within equipment exclusion zones adjacent to stream channels. Equipment may not “walk” within 50 feet intermittent streams and within 25 feet of ephemeral streams or riparian areas. Equipment crossing ephemeral or intermittent streams may be allowed only in areas designated by Cleveland National Forest Staff Hydrologist. Hydrologist shall be given 24 hours to respond.

9. Trees and snags to be cut may be pushed over for reasons of safety, or when disturbance to soil from such action will be minimal.

(b) Pile felled trees and down woody material:

Piles shall be neat, compact and sufficiently free of dirt to allow at least 85% consumption of the piled debris when burned. Pile slash, competing vegetation, felled trees, and down woody material to the following standards:

1. Pile size shall be dictated by the residual forest cover post treatment adjacent to the pile location, e.g. if pile location is adjacent to crop trees or natural regeneration pile sizes shall be kept to a minimum versus in large openings where piles may built to maximums as follows. Pile size shall range up to 25 feet in diameter, with no maximum height.

2. Piles shall be located to minimize damage to residual trees (at least 25 feet from the dripline) and other retained features (saplings, snags, live brush, large down woody material) when piles are burned. No piles shall be located within 25 feet of ephemeral stream channels, nor within 50 feet of intermittent streams. (See Table 2)

3. Piling shall be accomplished with minimal disturbance to top soil and effective

Morgan Hill, Cleveland National Forest ground cover (See Definitions). Retain 50% effective ground cover. Minimize turning of tracked equipment within 100 feet of intermittent or ephemeral streams and riparian areas.

4. Cover all piles with 70-weight or greater heavy duty paper. Paper shall be located and be of size sufficient to cover finer materials within the pile in order to promote ignition and at least 85% consumption of the pile when lit. The finer materials should be located in the middle to lower portions of the burn pile for maximum efficiency. The paper must be visible and readily accessible to the lighting crew.

Table 2. Equipment exclusion zones and burn pile restriction widths (full bank width, measured horizontal from both sides of stream channel) for ground-based mechanical equipment operations.

Stream Type

Minimum Distance to Burn Pile

Equipment Exclusion Zone - Slope <35%

Equipment Exclusion Zone - Slope >35%

Intermittent 50 feet 50 feet exclude d

Ephemeral 25 feet 25 feet exclude d

(c) Retention of large downed woody material:

To meet Cleveland National Forest standards and guidelines, where available, a minimum of 6 down logs per acre (minimum 12 inch diameter and 120 total linear feet) of large down woody material shall not be disturbed or piled. The Contractor shall leave all large woody material greater than 18 inches diameter to enhance soil productivity and wildlife habitat and to insure effective erosion control. Logs retained for this requirement generally shall be the largest diameter available in any length.

Distribution of slash and down woody material:

The contractor shall create piles and/or disburse woody material to achieve ground cover at 50 to 60% of treatment area and less than 6 inches depth.

1. All woody material exceeding 3 inches in diameter at the large end and 6 feet in length shall be piled, except for material left to meet retention guidelines.

2. Where there are concentrations of woody debris greater than 6 inches deep by 20 feet diameter, pile or scatter the material to a depth of less than 6 inches.

3. Concentrations of material left shall be equally distributed throughout the unit and not exceed 60% of the unit’s area. Down woody material is only one component of overall effective ground cover. (See Definitions)

Morgan Hill, Cleveland National Forest

4. Wherever possible, use existing old roads for movement of equipment and place piles on skid trails.

C.5 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE [POP]

POP shall be 62 calendar days from the issuance of the Notice to Proceed [NTP].

Estimated Start: AUGUST 2020 – dependent on date of award.

C.6 RESTRICTIONS ON WORK

Work may be performed at any time during the period of the contract, except as outlined here.

Restrictions are as follows:

1. In accordance with the Fire Plan / Project Activity Level [PAL]. See Section J Attachment 2.

2. When the Contracting Officer (or designated representative) determines that adverse weather has made access too dangerous or that continued vehicular travel would cause unacceptable road damage.

3. Wet weather soil restrictions shall apply. Operations may occur unrestricted up thru the first large winter storm, typically around November 1st of any given year.

Operations after this event or date will be dependent on COR approval after each significant rain event; significant is ≥ 0.5 inch of precipitation in 24 hours. Once soils are deemed wet by COR, operations shall cease until the winter season has passed, typically April 1st of any given year. No over the snow operations shall be permitted in conjunction with this project.

4. Operable slope restrictions shall apply to mechanized equipment. Ground-based mechanized equipment will operate on slopes up to 35 percent, and on short steep pitches up to 50 percent. Short, steep pitches are defined as no greater than 100 feet in length.

5. Mechanical equipment would be excluded from operating within 25 feet from the center line of identified ephemeral and 50 feet from identified intermittent stream channels. No perennial streams exist. However, equipment may park on the outside of the buffer and pull shrubs in a mosaic fashion within the stream channel buffer. No shrubs would be pulled from the centerline of the stream up to the outer edge of the stream bank to maintain stability to the bank.

Additionally, large wood material may be left inside the RCA when providing bank and stream stability, i.e. in contact with the forest floor or stream substrate.

Morgan Hill, Cleveland National Forest

6. No work would be performed under Red Flag Warnings, regardless of the PAL level; as forecasted by NOAA using the following:

https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lon=- 116.92146835033783&lat=33.36786970435391#.XmvdBWaWyUk

C.7 DAYS AND HOURS OF OPERATION

Work activity may be performed Monday through Saturday (except legal holidays) and between the hours of 7a (0700) to 7p (1900) unless alternate hours are approved in writing by the CO and COR. No work will be allowed on Sundays or Federal Holidays unless approved by CO/COR in writing in advance.

C.8 CONTRACTOR-FURNISHED EQUIPMENT

The Contractor shall provide everything--including, but not limited to, all equipment, supplies, transportation, labor, and supervision--necessary to complete the project, except for that which the contract clearly states is to be furnished by the Government.

All equipment used within the contract stands shall be in such mechanical condition and of an appropriate type to meet with the requirements of the work and to produce and maintain a satisfactory quality of work. All equipment used will meet or exceed OSHA specifications.

Ground-based equipment used by the Contractor shall have a factory rated ground pressure of

7.8 psi or less and a grapple or thumb and bucket with articulating boom capable of reaching at least 20 feet. The power head on the equipment shall be able to complete all work within each item and task, including completing project area by minimizing ground impact with tractor and power head. The power head will need to accomplish multiple tasks within each unit, including but not limited to grapple piling, removing competing vegetation, pushing over snags, scattering small woody material, and constructing fire line around piles.

Fire Plan Requirement

On days of Project Activity Level (PAL) “Ev” a tractor or other equipment with a blade capable of constructing fire line must be located within ¼ mile of the operating equipment in order to operate after 1:00 PM under a PAL Variance Agreement.

C.9 GOVERNMENT-FURNISHED PROPERTY

NONE.

https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lon=-116.92146835033783&lat=33.36786970435391#.XmvdBWaWyUk https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lon=-116.92146835033783&lat=33.36786970435391#.XmvdBWaWyUk

C.10 LICENSES, PERMITS, AND INSURANCE

The contractor shall be required to secure all required licenses, permits, fees, and insurance required for the performance of this project. Including Federal, State, county, and local requirements.

Contractor is responsible to provide all regulatory notifications and obtain all applicable permits in order to perform work under this contract.

The Contractor shall, without additional expense to the Forest Service, be responsible for obtaining any necessary licenses and permits, and for complying with any applicable Federal, State and local laws, codes, and regulations in connection with the execution of the work.

Required Notifications and Permits are subject to change as new Federal, State and local laws and regulations are implemented and existing Federal, State and local laws are revised.

MSPA Card (Form WH510): This contract [ ] does [ ] does not require the contractor to be registered with the US Department of Labor as a Farm Labor Contractor.

C.11 CAMPING AND HOUSING

Camping is not permitted in US Forest Service campgrounds. Contractor will not be permitted to camp elsewhere on US Forest Service land. Camping on Forest Service land is not a right;

permission may be revoked for failure to comply with the terms of the permit.

Camping Permit Compliance Contractor shall comply with all terms and conditions of any camping permit issued to allow use of premises. Any non-compliance will result in suspension of work until compliance is achieved.

C.12 PUBLIC SAFETY

Warning signs of adequate size and amount shall be posted at the edge of the units while working in order to alert oncoming traffic of the safety hazards associated with this operation.

Morgan Hill, Cleveland National Forest

C.13 SALVAGE RIGHTS

No salvage rights exist under this contract.

C.14 ROAD MAINTENANCE

Road maintenance is not required.

All roads shall remain open, unobstructed, and free of trees and/or slash at all times during the Contractors’ operations.

Any damage caused by contractors’ activities to gates, drainage structures or deleterious road bed re-shaping shall be repaired at the contractors’ expense and under the direction of the Contracting Officer.

SECTION D – PACKAGING AND MARKING

N/A; NONE

SECTION E – INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

E.1 52.252-2 Clauses Incorporated by Reference (FEB 1998)

This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at these addresses:

Federal Acquisition Regulations http://www.acquisition.gov/far

Agriculture Acquisition Regulations http://www.usda.gov/procurement/policy/agar.html

Clauses requiring information to be filled-in shall be included in individual task orders in full text with the appropriate information added.

FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION (48 CFR CHAPTER 1) CLAUSES

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

E.2 AGAR 452.246-70 INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE (FEB 1988)

(a) The Contracting Officer or the Contracting Officer's duly authorized representative will inspect and accept the supplies and/or services to be provided under this contract.

(b) Inspection and acceptance will be performed at the project site(s) or Forest Service units/facilities as necessary.

E.3 QUALITY CONTROL PLAN

The Contractor shall conduct inspections on all units in accordance with his/her Quality Control Plan (QCP). The Contractor’s Quality Control Plan shall be submitted and accepted by the Government prior to any work starting.

http://www.acquisition.gov/far http://www.acquisition.gov/far http://www.usda.gov/procurement/policy/agar.html http://www.usda.gov/procurement/policy/agar.html

E.4 GOVERNMENT INSPECTIONS

Government inspections are for the purpose of satisfying the Government that the services are acceptable and do not relieve the Contractor of the responsibility for maintaining quality control.

The Contracting Officer's Representative or designated inspector will conduct all inspections. The Contractor (or designated representative) is encouraged to be present to observe inspections.

Summary results will be made available on request.

Compliance Inspections. Visual compliance inspections will be made on a periodic basis. Such inspections are not final and do not constitute acceptance by the Government.

Final Inspections. Final (formal) inspections for payment will be made on completed sub-items only.

Contractor shall request final inspections in writing and give the Forest Service at least two working days advanced notice. Inspections will be completed within four working days after the notice is received If the work is not ready for inspection at the time specified by the Contractor, the cost associated with the inspection attempt may be charged to the Contractor.

Disputed Inspection. The Contractor may request reinspection without rework if the results are unacceptable. Reinspection must be requested in writing within 48 hours after receiving written notice of the inspection results. Reinspection will be accomplished within five working days after receipt of the contractor's written request.

The same sampling and inspection procedures will be used, but new samples will be taken. The inspection pattern will be shifted so that new samples will not overlap previously inspected samples.

Results will be rounded to the nearest whole percent.

If reinspection results are within five percentage points of the first inspection, the original inspection result will be used in determining acceptability and payment. If reinspection results are greater than five percentage points above or below the first inspection, the reinspection results will be used.

If the reinspection results are within five percentage points of the first inspection, the Contractor shall pay the actual costs of the reinspection.

Reinspection after Rework. Where rework after a failed inspection may improve the inspection results, the Contractor may rework the area and request (in writing) a second inspection. The Government will charge to the Contractor the cost of this additional inspection. Reinspection will be accomplished within five working days after the notice is received. The results of the second inspection will be final, and no further rework will be permitted. Areas not ready for reinspection at the time specified by the Contractor will not be reinspected, and the results of the first inspection will be final.

Morgan Hill, Cleveland National Forest

E.4-1 Sampling – Government’s Inspection System.

[] Plots. At least one percent of each treatment area will be sampled by a random series of plots distributed over the entire area. Plot size will be:

[ ] 1/250 acre [ ] 1/100 acre [ ] 1/50 acre [ ] 1/10 acre [] other – 1/5th acre

E.4-2 Specific Inspection Procedures

The following protocol will be used:

1.1 Competitive Vegetation

Purpose: To determine whether the operator met the contract specification of 15 percent residual competing vegetation. Stream buffers, untreated steep slopes, and snag leave islands will factor into amounts of residual competing vegetation. Critical Inspection Element

Protocol:

1. Locate pre-determined location of plot center using GPS.

2. Determine physical extent of the plot boundary on the ground.

a) Plot size is 1/50 acre.

b) Plot radius is 16.7’ horizontal distance from plot center.

c) Use cardinal directions to divide plot into quadrants. (See Figure 1)

d) Estimate how much of each quadrant is occupied by competitive vegetation and record the amount in the data sheet as a whole number (e.g. “60” instead of “0.60”). Record estimates in increments of 5 percent.

e) Add the observed values of each quadrant, then divide the sum by 4 for an average per plot.

f) Target 0-15 percent, with tolerance of 15-30 percent of unit; payment deduction of 1 percent for each 5 percent above or below tolerance.

Figure 1. Plot radius size and quadrant designation

1.2 Effective Ground Cover

Purpose: To determine if the target of minimum 50 percent ground cover was left by the operator.

Protocol:

1. Use same size plot radius as Competitive Vegetation, 1/50 acre.

2. Use cardinal directions to divide plot into quadrants. (See Figure 1)

3. Estimate how much of each quadrant is covered by material (other than bare soil) and record as a whole number. Vegetation is included in estimation of Effective Ground Cover.

(See Definitions)

4. Total observed values of each quadrant and divide by 4 for an average per plot.

5. Target 50 percent, with tolerance of 50-60 percent; payment deduction of 1 percent for each 10 percent above or below tolerance.

6. Observe and record the average depth (in inches) of the woody debris in each quadrant, divide the total by 4 to determine the average depth per plot.

7. Target <6 inches, with tolerance <8 inches; payment deduction of 1 percent per inch over tolerance.

Morgan Hill, Cleveland National Forest

2.3 Large Down Woody Debris (DWD)

Purpose: To determine how much large woody debris was left by the operator. Contract specifies a minimum of 6 logs per acre wherever available.

Protocol:

1. Use plot radius of 1/5th acre, nesting plot over the same center as 1/50 acre plots.

2. Only tally DWD that meet the following criteria: (See figure 2)

a) Minimum overall length of 10’

b) Minimum diameter of 12.0” at midpoint

c) Large end of DWD must be in plot radius

3. Tally and measure the average diameter and total length of each piece of DWD that fits the criteria and record in data sheet.

4. Calculate the total amount of plot DWD using instructions provided on data sheet.

5. Target 6 logs per acre (minimum 12 inch dbh and 120 total linear feet), with tolerance of 4-8 logs per acre; payment deduction of 1 percent per 1 log over or under tolerance.

Figure 2. DWD plot diagram

Morgan Hill, Cleveland National Forest

Grapple Pile Inspection

Purpose: To determine whether piles were constructed properly per contract specifications.

Critical Inspection Element

Protocol:

1. Use the same size plot as DWD, 1/5 acre

2. Inspect grapple pile if any portion of the pile falls within the plot boundary.

3. Inspect the pile using the following criteria and tally results in data sheet:

a) Placement: Critical Inspection Element – Improper pile placement is an automatic fail for that pile.

i. Piles shall be located to minimize damage to residual trees (at least 25 feet from the dripline) and other retained features (saplings, snags, live brush, large down woody material) when piles are burned.

ii. No piles shall be located within 25 feet of ephemeral stream channels, nor within 100 feet of perennial or intermittent streams.

b) Pile Construction:

i. Piles shall not exceed 25 feet diameter. Windrows shall not exceed 100 feet length per segment.

ii. Piling shall be accomplished with minimal disturbance to top soil and effective ground cover (See Definitions). Piles shall be relatively dirt free.

iii. The finer materials should be located in the middle to lower portions of the burn pile for maximum efficiency.

iv. Minimize turning of tracked equipment within 150 feet of intermittent or ephemeral streams and riparian areas, and within 300 feet of perennial streams.

c) Covering of Piles and Windrows:

i. Cover all piles with 70-weight or greater heavy duty paper.

ii. Paper shall be located and be of size sufficient to cover finer materials within the pile in order to promote ignition and at least 85% consumption of the pile when lit.

iii. Paper shall be visible and readily accessed by lighting crew.

iv. Windrows shall be covered on both ends of each segment.

4. Record the result of each pile on Pass/Fail basis according to the following criteria:

a) A “Fail” of the critical element (Placement) results in a “Fail” of that pile.

b) A “Fail” of two or more non-critical elements results in a “Fail” of that pile.

c) A “Pass” of the critical element and at least two of the non-critical elements results in a “Pass” of that pile.

5. Tally results at the end and calculate passing percentage of piles by dividing “Total

Morgan Hill, Cleveland National Forest

Pass” by “Total Number Piles” in plot.

6. Target 100 percent, with tolerance of 80-100 percent; payment deduction of 1 percent for each 1 percent below tolerance.

1.4 Snags

Purpose: To determine the number of residual snags per acre. Snags should range from approximately 4-6 snags/acre and be the largest available in the treatment unit.

1. Use the same size plot as DWD, 1/5 acre.

2. Snags must be a minimum of 10’ tall, recorded in two height classes.

3. Separate snags into two DBH classes: above and below 15” DBH.

4. Tally how many snags are within the plot and enter under proper category.

5. Target 4-6 per acre, tolerance is variable depending on availability.

1.5 Plot Summary

1. Record results from each inspection element as indicated under “Plot Value”.

2. Apply the appropriate expansion calculation as indicated on form, and record resulting score under “Final Result”.

3. “Final Result” of each plot will be combined with other plot data for that payment unit and the average scores for each inspection element will be assessed for payment.

4. The two critical elements (Competitive Vegetation and Pile Construction) and three of four non-critical elements must pass within the tolerance levels to achieve full payment.

E.5 ACCEPTANCE

The standard for acceptance on this project is 90 percent or higher.

E.5-1 Acceptance Level Work on this contract will be deemed acceptable when the above measurable performance standards are met.

(END OF SECTION)

SECTION F – DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE

F.1 FAR 52.252-2 CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998)

This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at this/these address(es):

F.2 AGAR 452.211-5 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE (FEB 1988)

62 calendar days from the issuance of the Notice to Proceed [NTP]. Estimated work start is AUGUST 2020.

F.3 AGAR 452.215-73 POST-AWARD CONFERENCE (NOV 1996)

PRE-WORK MEETING

A post-award conference / pre-work meeting with the successful offeror/contract awardee is required.

Meeting shall include Contracting Officer [CO], Contracting Officer Representative [COR], and designated representative of the contractor/firm. The conference will be held at a mutually agreeable date/time and location. The pre-work meeting may be waived at the discretion of the CO.

NOTICE TO PROCEED

The Notice to Proceed [NTP] shall be provided following the pre-work meeting and prior to work start.

No work may begin on this contract until the Contracting Officer has issued the NTP.

http://www.acquisition.gov/far http://www.usda.gov/procurement/policy/agar.html

SECTION G – CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

G.1 GOVERNMENT CONTRACT REPRESENTATIVES

A. Contracting Officer [CO]

Jeremy Bedner Region 5 Regional Office [R5 RO] Acquisition Management [AQM] 1323 Club Drive Vallejo, CA 94592 707-562-8756 Jeremy.bedner@usda.gov

B. Contracting Officer Representative [COR] and Project Point-of-Contact

Andrew Weinhart Vegetation Management Planner Cleveland National Forest Supervisor’s Office 10845 Rancho Bernardo Road San Diego, CA 92127 858-674-2934 andrew.weinhart@usda.gov

G.2 CONTRACTING OFFICER’S REPRESENTATIVE DESIGNATION

The Contracting Officer will designate a Contracting Officer's Representative [COR] at the time of contract award.

The CO shall designate a COR who is responsible for administering the performance of work under this contract. In no event, however, will any understanding, agreement, modification, change order, or other matter deviating from the terms of this contract be effective or binding upon the Government unless formalized by proper contractual documents executed by the Contracting Officer prior to completion of the work.

The COR will act as a liaison between the U.S. Forest Service herein referred to as "Service" and the Contractor, and, when necessary, will provide technical direction to the Contractor. The COR, however, is not authorized to change any of the terms and conditions of the contract, issue new assignments of work, make decisions concerning disputes arising under the contract, or resolve differing site condition matters. Neither the presence nor absence of a government representative shall relieve the Contractor of its responsibilities under the contract.

Morgan Hill, Cleveland National Forest

The performance of the work required herein shall be subject to the technical direction and surveillance of the COR. As used herein, "technical direction" is direction to the Contractor which requires pursuit of certain lines of inquiry, filling in details or otherwise serving to accomplish the contract specifications. The technical direction, to be valid:(a) Must be issued in writing consistent with the general scope of the work set forth in the contract;(b) May not constitute a new assignment of work or changes to the expressed terms, conditions, or specifications incorporated into this contract;

(c) Shall not constitute a basis for extension of the contract delivery schedule. Nothing contained in this part authorizes the Contractor to incur costs in excess of the contract price or other limitation of funds set forth in the contract due to extra work performed in response to informal directions, suggestions, or instructions (oral or written) given by representatives of the CO, unless prior to commencing such work, the Contractor: 1) directly notifies the CO; 2) requests a formal contract modification; and 3) receives written authorization to proceed from the CO

The Contracting Officer should be informed as soon as possible of any actions or inactions by the Contractor or the Government which will change the required delivery or completion times stated in the contract, and the contract will be modified accordingly. (This does not apply to individual task assignments which were issued by the COR provided they do not affect the delivery schedule or performance period stated in the contract).

On all matters that pertain to the contract terms the Contractor must communicate with the Contracting Officer. Whenever, in the opinion of the Contractor, the COR requests effort outside the scope of the contract, the Contractor should so advise the COR. If the COR persists and there still exists a disagreement as to proper contractual coverage, the Contracting Officer should be notified immediately, preferably in writing if time permits. Proceeding with work without proper contractual coverage could result in nonpayment or necessitate submittal of a contract claim.

NOTE. Only a US Forest Service warranted Contracting Officer may change or modify the terms of this contract. All such actions must be formalized by a proper contractual document executed by the Contracting Officer.

G.3 CONTRACTOR INFORMATION AND POINT OF CONTACT

TBD AT CONTRACT AWARD

G.4 INVOICING

INTERNET PAYMENT PLATFORM [IPP] / ELECTRONIC INVOICING AND PAYMENT REQUIREMENTS

Payment requests must be submitted electronically through the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Invoice Processing Platform (IPP) System. “Payment request” means any request for contract financing payment or invoice payment by the Contractor. To constitute a proper invoice, the payment request must comply with the requirements identified in the applicable Prompt Payment clause included in the contract, or the clause 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions – Commercial Items included in commercial item contracts. The IPP website address is: https://www.ipp.gov.

https://www.ipp.gov/

The Contractor must use the IPP website to register access and use IPP for submitting requests for payment. The Contractor Government Business Point of Contact (as listed in SAM) will receive enrollment instructions via email from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston (FRBB) prior to the contract award date, but no more than 3 – 5 business days of the contract award date. Contractor assistance with enrollment can be obtained by contacting the IPP Production Helpdesk via e-mail ippgroup@bos.frb.org or phone (866) 973-3131.

Invoices shall be submitted not more frequently than once every two weeks.

The “Submit Invoice-to” address for USDA contracts/orders is the Department of Treasury’s Invoice Processing Platform (IPP). All invoices shall be submitted via the electronic Invoice Processing Platform.

This platform is managed by the U.S. Department of Treasury and additional information is available at this website: https://www.ipp.gov/index.htm. Vendors register at:

https://www.ipp.gov/vendors/enrollment-vendors.htm to establish an account.

G.5 MEASUREMENT

Methods of Measurement.

[ ] Acreage was measured by dot grid method from aerial photographs.

[ ] Acreage was measured on a horizontal plane using compass and chain.

[] Acreage was measured on a horizontal plane using a Global Positioning System.

[ ] Linear measurements have been taken with a wheel on the centerline of the trail or road.

[ ] Estimated acreage: Actual acreage worked will be measured by the method(s) indicated above.

Remeasurement. Unless otherwise indicated by this contract, the contractor may request remeasurement of any quantities in Part B, when the units are acres or any linear measurement. The request must be made in writing and must be made within 10 calendar days of completing work on the unit in question. If remeasurement indicates a variance of five percent or less from the stated quantity, the Contractor shall pay for the actual cost of remeasurement and no adjustment will be made in the quantity as stated in Part B. If remeasurement indicates a variance more than five percent from the stated quantity, payment will be based on the remeasured quantity, and the Contractor will not be liable for the costs of remeasurement. All remeasurements will be done by the Government. Remeasurement of acreage will be done with two people using a hand compass and ground measurement or by means of a Global Positioning System. This clause is not applicable to quantities listed as estimated quantities.

https://www.ipp.gov/index.htm

Morgan Hill, Cleveland National Forest

G.6 PAYMENT

Payments and Deductions. Payment will be made for fully acceptable work at the prices bid in the schedule of items. In the event of extended non-work periods because of adverse weather, the Contracting Officer may authorize progress payments for partially completed sub-items on a case-by- case basis. In accordance with the inspection clause, payment may be made for less than fully acceptable work at a reduced price. Other exceptions are noted below:

Payment will be made in full if inspection results are 90 percent or higher. If inspection results are below 90 percent, a deduction will be made equal to 2 percent for every 1 percent below

90. For example, if inspection results are 87 percent, the bid price would be reduced by 6 percent. No payment will be made if results are less than 80 percent.

Liquidated damages will be charged as follows: Damage beyond recovery to conifer and hardwood trees which have regenerated natural since time of fire will be charged based on seedling/sapling height as shown in the table below:

Height of damaged tree

0-3 feet 3-5 6-8 9+

Cost borne by Contractor

No Charge $75/individual $125/Individual $175/individual

RETAINAGE

Applicable to service contracts where work accomplishments are measured in units other than time.

The following supplements Clause 52.232-1, Payments:

The Contracting Officer may retain up to 10 percent of the invoiced amount if the contractor is behind schedule at the time the invoice is presented. “Behind schedule” means that the percentage of work completed is less than the percentage of time used.

G.9 CONTRACT RELEASE

When submitting final payment, Contractor shall provide a signed and dated contract release that includes the following information: "In consideration of receipt of final payment in the amount of

$ Contractor hereby releases the United States of America from any and all obligations arising under this contract and any modifications thereof except as reserved herein.

Reservations: "

G.8 GOVERNMENT-FURNISHED PROPERTY

NONE

SECTION H – SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

H.1 FIRE PLAN AND PREVENTION

Contractor is required to adhere to the work restrictions in accordance with the attached Fire Plan. Refer to Attachment 3, Section J.

All welding and cutting (spark producing) activities will require a permit from the Palomar Ranger District Office. All equipment must have approved spark arrestors and be inspected by a Forest Service Fire Prevention Officer.

Area of Responsibility for Fire.