Section_J_-_Att_No__001_Statement_of_Work.pdf

Mineral King Road Reveg, Seed Increase Statement of Work

Project Description:

In Fall, 2023, a Federal Highways construction project will begin to rehabilitate and resurface

15.29 miles of the Mineral King Road (originally built in 1870) within Sequoia National Park.

Paved turnouts, scenic overlooks, failing retaining walls, culverts and other drainage structures will be replaced or reconditioned as required. Loose rock and other hazards will be scaled from the road cut-slopes. Areas disturbed by construction will necessarily be revegetated not only to maintain the scenic beauty of this corridor but also to preserve the healthy functioning of the watershed along with the wildlife dependent on it.

Plant Materials & Methods:

Re-establishing native vegetation will not only help conceal highly visible construction scars and stabilize slopes, it will additionally serve to deter, through competition, the spread of noxious weeds present on the site. If allowed to escape through the parade of construction equipment and workers, these invasive weeds have the potential to threaten the delicate balance of a very unique and untrammeled wilderness.

So, from the construction zone, seed of native grasses, annual and perennial herbaceous plants will be hand-collected by SEKI Resources staff beginning in 2020. This seed, cleaned by SEKI staff, will then be turned over to commercial growers who will plant it across broad acreage for seed increase. The first of a series of commercial plantings will occur in fall of 2021. A seed increase target amount for Y2022 is 100 pounds of the assorted species seen below. This seed will be used to hydroseed swaths of up to 9 acres affected by roadside construction repairs. As seed is harvested, it will be cleaned then be held in cold, dry storage to maintain viability at the highest levels.

Seed Increase Specifications:

1. Field acreage must be meticulously maintained and kept weed-free especially at seed harvest time.

2. Cross-pollination of plants from different project origins is unacceptable. Precautions should be taken to minimize the possibility of hybridization of like spatial separation of like species and genera.

3. Target seed increase amount is for 100 pounds of approximately one dozen species.

Half of those (denoted by *) will comprise the preponderance of the weight (species with quantities suggested below). If necessary, the approximate quantities and species may be changed with consultation of SEKI Restoration Ecologists.

RFQ 140P8621Q0077

Section J - Att No. 001

Grasses *Elymus glaucus (15#) *Melica californica (5#) Festuca octoflora (5#) *Poa secunda (10#)

Annual Wildflowers Claytonia perfoliata (5#) Collomia grandiflora (trace) *Drymocallus glandulosa (5#) *Lupinus benthamii (40#) Lupinus stiversii Salvia columbariae (10#)

Herbaceous Perennials Artemisia douglasiana *Eriophyllum confertiflorum (5#) Lessingia filaginifolia

4. Harvest time will occur late summer to fall 2022 or later, depending on whether species is annual or perennial.

5. Species are not to be inter-mixed rather, kept separate in individual, in clearly labeled containers.

6. Because of the perishable nature of seed, contractor will store it in temperature- and humidity-appropriate conditions to maintain the highest viability.

7. Contractor will be responsible for cleaning seed prior to shipping.

8. Contractor may be asked to refrigerate seed long-term until after construction concludes.

9. Seed will be tested by contractor for purity and germination prior to shipping seed to

SEKI NP.

10. Because of the perishable and fragile nature of this material, contractor will pre-arrange shipping dates with SEKI Staff.

Afterwards:

Once the target quantities have been produced and construction has been completed (projected to be 2024 or 2025), special formulations of individual species will be combined by SEKI staff. Site-specific formulations will be hydroseeded by Federal Highways contractor as identified by SEKI NP Veg Management staff to ensure the highest probability of establishment success. The total area to be hydroseeded is roughly equal to 9 acres. Some areas will additionally be planted with containerized woody trees or shrubs which will be grown at Sequoia National Parks' own revegetation nursery.

RFQ 140P8621Q0077

Section J - Att No. 001