!Stanislaus Fuel Reduction_ Hand Thinning Task Order 4.pdf

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

OFFEROR TO COMPLETE BLOCKS 12, 17, 23, 24, & 30 5

2. CONTRACT NO. 3. AWARD/EFFECTIVE 4. ORDER NUMBER 5. SOLICITATION NUMBER 6. SOLICITATION ISSUE

DATE

RFQ-S-05-SS-13-09-331

DATE

3-6-09

a. NAME b. TELEPHONE NUMBER(No collect 8. OFFER DUE DATE/

7. FOR SOLICITATION Nancy Ruggeri Calls)559-784-1500 Ext.

LOCAL TIME

INFORMATION CALL: 4-6-09 – 3:00pm

9. ISSUED BY CODE 10. THIS ACQUISITON IS

USDA Forest Service – Southern Sierra Province

UNRESTRICTED OR SET ASIDE: 100 % FOR

1600 Tollhouse Rd SMALL BUSINESS EMERGING SMALL

BUSINESS

Clovis, CA 93611

HUBZONE SMALL

NAICS: 115310 BUSINESS

SERVICE-DISABLED VETERAN- 8(A)

SIZE STANDARD: $7 million OWNED SMAL BUSINESS L

13b. RATING 11. DELIVERY FOR FOB DESTINATION

UNLESS BLOCK IS MA KED R

SEE SCHEDULE

12. DISCOUNT TERMS 13a. THIS CONTRACT IS A RATED

ORDER UNDER DPAS (15 CFR 700)

14. METHOD OF SOLICITATION

RFQ IFB RFP

15. DELIVER TO CODE

Southern Sierra Province 1600 Tollhouse Rd.

Clovis, CA 93611

16. ADMINISTERED BY CODE

SOUTHERN SIERRA PROVINCE

1600 Tollhouse Rd Clovis, CA 93611

17a. CONTRACTOR/ CODE FACILITY

OFFEROR CODE

18a. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BY CODE

USDA – National Finance Center P. O. Box 60075 New Orleans, LA 70160

TELEPHONE N0.

17b. CHECK IF REMITTANCE IS DIFFERENT AND PUT SUCH ADDRESS IN 18b. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN IN BLOCK 18a UNLESS BLOCK BELOW

OFFER IS CHECKED

SEE ADDENDUM

19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24.

ITEM N0. SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES QUANTITY UNIT UNIT PRICE AMOUNT

Fuel Reduction USDA Forest Service

Stanislaus National Forest Pinecrest Hand Thinning Task Order #4

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

25. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

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

27a. SOLICITATION INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-1, 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-3 AND 52.212-5 ARE ATTACHED. ADDENDA ARE ARE NOT ATTACHED

27b. CONTRACT/PURCHASE ORDER INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-5 IS ATTACHED. ADDENDA ARE ARE NOT ATTACHED

28. CONTRACTOR IS REQUIRED TO SIGN THIS DOCUMENT AND RETURN __2_____________ 29. AWARD OF CONTRACT: REF. OFFER

COPIES TO ISSUING OFFICE. CONTRACTOR AGREES TO FURNISH AND

DELIVER ALL ITEMS SET FORTH OR OTHERWISE IDENTIFIED ABOVE AND ON ANY DATED .. YOUR OFFER ON SOLICITATION ADDITIONAL SHEETS SUBJECT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SPECIFIED (BLOCK 5), INCLUDING ANY ADDITIONS OR CHANGES WHICH ARE

SET FORTH HEREIN, IS ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS: ____________________

30a. SIGNATURE OF OFFEROR/CONTRACTOR 31a. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (SIGNATURE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER)

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

Nancy Ruggeri 31c. DATE SIGNED

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION STANDARD FORM 1449 (REV.3/2005)

PREVIOUS EDITION IS NOT USABLE Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.212

RFQ-S-05-SS-13-09-331

Pinecrest Hand Thinning Task Order #4

19.

ITEM NO.

20.

SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES

21.

QUANTITY

22.

UNIT

23.

UNIT PRICE

24.

AMOUNT

Hand Thinning Pinecrest Units

Hand Thinning Strawberry Unit

For Site Information Contact:

Maria Benech – 209-965-3434 Ext. 5366

THE BIDDER SHALL BID ALL ITEMS.

Ac

Ac

TOTAL

32a. QUANTITY IN COLUMN 21 HAS BEEN

RECEIVED INSPECTED ACCEPTED, AND CONFORMS TO THE CONTRACT, EXCEPT AS NOTED: ________________________________________

32b. SIGNATURE OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT

REPRESENTATIVE

32c. DATE 32d. PRINTED NAME AND TITLE OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT

REPRESENTATIVE

32e. MAILING ADDRESS OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE 32f. TELPHONE NUMBER OF AUTHORZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE

32g. E-MAIL OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE

33. SHIP NUMBER 34. VOUCHER NUMBER 35. AMOUNT VERIFIED

CORRECT FOR

36. PAYMENT 37. CHECK NUMBER

|PARTIAL | |FINAL

COMPLETE PARTIAL FINAL

38. S/R ACCOUNT NUMBER 39. S/R VOUCHER NUMBER 40. PAID BY

41a. I CERTIFY THIS ACCOUNT IS CORRECT AND PROPER

FOR PAYMENT

42a. RECEIVED BY (Print)

41b. SIGNATURE AND TITLE OF CERTIFYING OFFICER 41c. DATE 42b. RECEIVED AT (Location)

42c. DATE RECD (YY/MM/DD) 42d. TOTAL CONTAINERS

STANDARD FORM 1449 (REV.3/2005) BACK

SOL NO.RFQ-S-05-SS-13-09-331

PROJ NAME: PINECREST & STRAWBERRY THINNING

UNIT: GROVELAND RANGER DISTRICT

Estimated Start Work: May 4, 2009

Contract Time: 30 calendar days

General Notes:

• This task order involves performing hand thinning, brush cutting, hand piling slash, and for Item 1 only Sporax fungicide application.

• Contractor will provide all equipment, labor, and materials required to accomplish all specified work on all units with the exception of waterproof paper for covering all hand piles, this will be supplied by the government.

• Separate detailed “Work Plan Schedule” will be required at the same time the bids are due.

• All equipment shall be cleaned and inspected prior to start of work.

The perimeters of the work areas have been identified on the maps contained in Section J. The perimeters of the work areas have been identified on the ground with painted yellow dots at DBH on trees facing the interior of the unit.

Yellow and blue flagging may also be located at the primary access corners.

Global Positioning System (GPS) was used to determine the size of work units in each item (see maps in section J).

Payment will be based on these acres.

GENERAL:

Tree Thinning Felling: Trees to be cut for this contract are between 2 feet tall (no DBH) and 12 inches DBH. Cut trees shall be felled away from the large water line running through Pinecrest units 7 and 8, established land corners, roads, established trails, control areas, meadows, drainage channels, and streams. No felled material shall lean against or be suspended by a leave tree. Felled trees shall be completely severed from the stump. All trees shall be bucked, limbed, and piled.

All stumps shall not exceed four inches above ground level measured on the uphill side, or 6 inches above obstacles.

Overall average tree spacing (based on all sizes of trees in the stand) should be 25 feet by 25 feet. Since many larger overstory trees exist in these units, it is estimated that most of the trees between 2 feet tall and 12 inches DBH will be cut and piled per this contract.

Leave Tree Selection: Where trees between 2 feet tall and 12 inches DBH will be left to meet the average spacing of 25 feet by 25 feet in the residual stand, they shall be selected on the basis of form and appearance, and the absence of disease. In selecting leave trees on the basis of form and appearance the following criteria shall be applied.

a) Damage: The top or leader shall not be broken. The root system shall be intact and the tree shall not be up rooting.

b) Defect: Defects such as crook or sweep of the bole shall be minimal. Lean shall not exceed ten degrees from vertical. Leave trees shall not have forked tops or limbs predominately on one side of the tree. A crown to bole ratio of 40% or greater shall be required of leave trees.

c) Disease: The evidence of disease such as blister rust, dwarf mistletoe or root rot shall disqualify a tree as a leave tree.

Sporax Fungicide Application (Item 1 ONLY) Fungicide specifics: Sporax Fungicide EPA #2935-501. Wilbur Ellis product. All required chemicals shall be provided in specific quantities to complete the job.

All safety equipment as listed on the herbicide label and as required by State and Federal regulations shall be used.

The contractor shall provide a specific spill and safety plan which outlines the safety procedures in fungicide application and spill prevention and clearly outline how any spill would be cleaned up.

The contractor shall comply with all applicable county, State, and Federal requirements including, but not limited to, the Federal Environmental Protection Agency Worker Safety Standards, EPA publication 735-B-93-001 and

PROJ NAME: PINECREST & STRAWBERRY THINNING

UNIT: GROVELAND RANGER DISTRICT

California EPA regulations found in the Series A publications. Each month the Contractor shall also complete and file all reports (CCR 6626) with the local County Agricultural Commissioner and supply a copy of each to the Contracting Officer.

The Contractor shall have a current State of California Pest Control Business License prior to bidding on this contract. At the time of bid, the Contractor shall designate, in writing, a person with a current State of California Qualified Applicators License (Brown Card) with category E (Forestry) endorsement.

The person(s) possessing the “Brown Card” for the contract shall be at the work site at all times during herbicide application. All such licenses shall be registered with the local County prior to any work.

No overnight storage of the fungicide on National Forest land will be permitted.

Treatment shall consist of removal of sawdust and other loose debris from the cut surface of the stump and application of a thin layer of Sporax uniformly over the entire cut surface at the rate specified on the product label. Any surface irregularities on the stump preventing application of a uniform layer of Sporax shall be cut level prior to treatment. Treatment should be done as soon as possible but shall be completed no later than 4 hours after felling, otherwise stumps shall be re-cut and treated.

The Contractor shall not apply Sporax during heavy rain fall or when such precipiation rate is predicted within 24 hours of application to cause Sporax to be flushed off the stump and become ineffective. In the event of rain after application, treatment shall be reapplied. Re-application shall be completed within 24 hours of the precipitation having ceased. Sporax shall also not be applied to stumps located within 10 feet of live streamcourses and meadows/wetlands.

Brush Cutting Remove all brush species greater than 1 foot high within the units with the exception of elderberry which will be left uncut. Brush shall be completely severed at ground level, at the root collar. All cut brush will be piled along with all cut trees.

Slash Treatment

Pile 100% of all cut material for future burning.

Hand pile specifications:

Sever all limbs completely from boles (stobs not to exceed 3 inches), and cut material, as needed, into pieces small enough to be stacked in a compact arrangement. Maximum length is 5 feet.

Locate piles in openings, as far from leave trees as possible. Piles must be a minimum of 5 feet (horizontal distance) from residual live tree crowns. Additional trees may need to be removed in order to attain a minimum of 5 feet between the pile and standing leave trees.

Do not locate piles on stumps.

Piles are not to exceed 5 feet in height or 5 feet in diameter.

Construct piles such that the fine fuels form the base of the pile with heavier larger fuels on top to provide for adequate consumption of all material.

Cover two-thirds of each pile with waterproof paper, provided by the Forest Service (government furnished property). The paper cover must be held down with adequate slash to keep it in place. The paper cover may be applied at any point after the pile has been at least one-half constructed.

Do not pile within 10 feet of the high water mark in drainages or meadows and other riparian areas. Do not pile within 20 feet of private land boundary (Item 2 only).

Firelines are required around each hand pile.

Fireline Specifications:

Firelines are to be constructed 2 feet away from the perimeter of the pile and must be cleared of all combustible material, to bare mineral soil. This includes all living vegetation.

Firelines must be a minimum of 1 foot in width.

PROJ NAME: PINECREST & STRAWBERRY THINNING

UNIT: GROVELAND RANGER DISTRICT

Specified Work:

Retain all oak trees where feasible.

Species Retention Priority - Conifer species to be favored by priority as leave trees are: 1) sugar pine, 2) Douglas fir, 3) ponderosa/Jeffrey pine, 4) red fir, 5) incense cedar, and 6) white fir. No apparently healthy sugar pine trees shall be cut, regardless of spacing.

A Limited Operating Period does exist for the Strawberry Unit (Item 2) from February 15th to September 15th. This LOP may be lifted if surveys indicate that there is no need to keep it in place for 2009.

A Limited Operating Period does exist for all Pinecrest Units (Item 1) from the beginning of Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day Weekend. For 2009, those dates would be May 21st through September 7th.

Unit Acceptance:

The Contractor shall submit a unit to the Contracting Officer for acceptance only when the Contractor’s inspections for quality control assure the work specifications have been met. Government inspection may be by work observation, measurement by pacing, tape, clinometers, prism, ocular estimation, and progress of work over time, or by formal inspection. Formal inspections will inspect at least one percent of the work unit on a systematic plot basis, plots will be 1/100th acre radius (11.8 feet) and will address the work specifications.

Formal Inspection:

The Government will accept a unit when all work has been completed and all work specifications have been met

Attachments:

Maps – 3 pages Wage Determination Fire Plan

Pinecrest Fuels Reduction Hand Thin

Legend

Hand thinning units

10-28-08

Unit 6 - 9 acres Unit 7 - 52 acres Unit 8 - 9 acres

Pinecrest Fuels Reduction Hand Thin

0 510 1,020 1,530 2,040255

Feet

Legend Hand thin: Acres = 15

Strawberry Unit 49

10-28-2008

REGISTER OF WAGE DETERMINATIONS UNDER THE SERVICE

CONTRACT ACT

By direction of the Secretary of Labor

Shirley F. Ebbesen Director Division of Wage Determinations

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS ADMINISTRATION

WAGE AND HOUR DIVISION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20210

Wage Determination No.: 1977-0727 Revision No.: 35

Date of Last Revision: 05/29/2008

State: California Area: California Statewide

**Fringe Benefits Required Follow the Occupational Listing**

Employed on service contracts for forestry, land management, the cleaning of public use areas and timber inventory services.

OCCUPATION CODE - TITLE MINIMUM WAGE RATE

08010 - Brush/Precommercial Thinner 13 .83

08040 - Choker Setter 14 .51

08070 - Faller/Bucker 32 .06

08100 - Fire Lookout 13 .83

08160 - Forestry/Logging Heavy Equipment Operator 16 .39

08190 - Forestry Technician 15 .36

08200 - Forestry Truck Driver 16 .62

08250 - General Forestry Laborer 13 .53

08280 - Nursery Specialist 19 .18

08310 - Slash Piler/Burner 13 .83

08340 - Tree Climber 15 .52

08370 - Tree Planter 12 .30

08400 - Tree Planter, Mechanical 12 .30

ALL OCCUPATIONS LISTED ABOVE RECEIVE THE FOLLOWING BENEFITS:

HEALTH & WELFARE: $3.24 per hour or $129.60 per week or $561.60 per month

VACATION: 2 weeks paid vacation after 1 year of service with a contractor or successor; 3 weeks after 5 years, and 4 weeks after 15 years.

Length of service includes the whole span of continuous service with the present contractor or successor, wherever employed, and with the predecessor contractors in the performance of similar work at the same Federal facility. (Reg. 29 CFR 4.173)

HOLIDAYS: A minimum of ten paid holidays per year, New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr's Birthday, Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans' Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. (A contractor may substitute for any of the named holidays another day off with pay in accordance with a plan communicated to the employees involved.) (See 29 CFR 4174)

** UNIFORM ALLOWANCE **

If employees are required to wear uniforms in the performance of this contract (either by the terms of the Government contract, by the employer, by the state or local law, etc.), the cost of furnishing such uniforms and maintaining (by laundering or dry cleaning) such uniforms is an expense that may not be borne by an employee where such cost reduces the hourly rate below that required by the wage determination. The Department of Labor will accept payment in accordance with the following standards as compliance:

The contractor or subcontractor is required to furnish all employees with an adequate number of uniforms without cost or to reimburse employees for the actual cost of the uniforms. In addition, where uniform cleaning and maintenance is made the responsibility of the employee, all contractors and subcontractors subject to this wage determination shall (in the absence of a bona fide collective bargaining agreement providing for a different amount, or the furnishing of contrary affirmative proof as to the actual cost), reimburse all employees for such cleaning and maintenance at a rate of $3.35 per week (or $.67 cents per day). However, in those instances where the uniforms furnished are made of "wash and wear" materials, may be routinely washed and dried with other personal garments, and do not require any special treatment such as dry cleaning, daily washing, or commercial laundering in order to meet the cleanliness or appearance standards set by the terms of the Government contract, by the contractor, by law, or by the nature of the work, there is no requirement that employees be reimbursed for uniform maintenance costs.

** NOTES APPLYING TO THIS WAGE DETERMINATION **

Under the policy and guidance contained in All Agency Memorandum No. 159, the Wage and Hour Division does not recognize, for section 4(c) purposes, prospective wage rates and fringe benefit provisions that are effective only upon such contingencies as "approval of Wage and Hour, issuance of a wage determination, incorporation of the wage determination in the contract, adjusting the contract price, etc." (The relevant CBA section) in the collective bargaining agreement between (the parties) contains contingency language that Wage and Hour does not recognize as reflecting "arm's length negotiation" under section 4(c) of the Act and 29 C.F.R. 5.11(a) of the regulations. This wage determination therefore reflects the actual CBA wage rates and fringe benefits paid under the predecessor contract.

The duties of employees under job titles listed are those described in the "Service Contract Act Directory of Occupations", Fifth Edition, April 2006, unless otherwise indicated. Copies of the Directory are available on the Internet. A links to the Directory may be found on the WHD home page at http://www.dol.gov/esa/whd/ or through the Wage Determinations On-Line (WDOL) Web site at http://wdol.gov/.

REQUEST FOR AUTHORIZATION OF ADDITIONAL CLASSIFICATION AND WAGE RATE {Standard Form 1444 (SF 1444)}

Conformance Process:

The contracting officer shall require that any class of service employee which is not listed herein and which is to be employed under the contract (i.e., the work to be performed is not performed by any classification listed in the wage determination), be classified by the contractor so as to provide a reasonable relationship (i.e., appropriate level of skill comparison) between such unlisted classifications and the classifications listed in the wage determination. Such conformed classes of employees shall be paid the monetary wages and furnished the fringe benefits as are determined. Such conforming process shall be initiated by the contractor prior to the performance of contract work by such unlisted class(es) of employees. The conformed classification, wage rate, and/or fringe benefits shall be retroactive to the commencement date of the contract. {See Section 4.6 (C)(vi)} When multiple wage determinations are included in a contract, a separate SF 1444 should be prepared for each wage determination to which a class(es) is to be conformed.

The process for preparing a conformance request is as follows:

1) When preparing the bid, the contractor identifies the need for a conformed occupation(s) and computes a proposed rate(s).

2) After contract award, the contractor prepares a written report listing in order proposed classification title(s), a Federal grade equivalency (FGE) for each proposed classification(s), job description(s), and rationale for proposed wage rate(s), including information regarding the agreement or disagreement of the authorized representative of the employees involved, or where there is no authorized representative, the employees themselves.

This report should be submitted to the contracting officer no later than 30 days after such unlisted class(es) of employees performs any contract work.

3) The contracting officer reviews the proposed action and promptly submits a report of the action, together with the agency's recommendations and pertinent information including the position of the contractor and the employees, to the Wage and Hour Division, Employment Standards Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, for review. (See section 4.6(b)(2) of Regulations 29 CFR Part 4).

4) Within 30 days of receipt, the Wage and Hour Division approves, modifies, or disapproves the action via transmittal to the agency contracting officer, or notifies the contracting officer that additional time will be required to process the request.

5) The contracting officer transmits the Wage and Hour decision to the contractor.

6) The contractor informs the affected employees.

Information required by the Regulations must be submitted on SF 1444 or bond paper.

When preparing a conformance request, the "Service Contract Act Directory of Occupations" (the Directory) should be used to compare job definitions to insure that duties requested are not performed by a classification already listed in the wage determination. Remember, it is not the job title, but the required tasks that determine whether a class is included in an established wage determination. Conformances may not be used to artificially split, combine, or subdivide classifications listed in the wage determination.