Sheridan_Reforestation_Statement of Work_02052023.docx

STATEMENT OF WORK

1.1 SCOPE OF WORK. The Contractor shall furnish all expertise, supervision, labor, tools, equipment, supplies (except those designated as Government furnished), transportation, lodging, and incidentals to perform all work necessary to complete tree planting services on the Prescott National Forest.

All aspects of the work program shall be performed in an organized, systematic manner to assure services shall be performed over the entire project area. The Contractor must be registered with the Department of Labor under the Migrant and Seasonal Workers Protection Act. Some work items were burned in a recent wildfire.

1.2 BACKGROUND. The Prescott National Forest is in need of tree planting services to restore and reforest lands that were burned after wildfire. The purpose of this contract is to secure tree planting services in a manner that insures tree survival and growth. Tree survival and growth is dependent on the initial health of the tree seedlings, the manner in which trees are handled and planted, environmental conditions such as soil moisture and weather, and animal damage to the seedlings. The services secured with this contract will focus on the need to provide appropriate tree handling and planting techniques during a period of time when environmental conditions are most favorable to insure tree survival. Please note that there are snags and burned trees present in the planting units that create a potential for blow down trees or falling woody debris that increases during windy conditions.

1.3 LOCATION. The project is located on the Prescott National Forest in west-central Arizona. The project area is located approximately 28 miles west of Chino Valley, AZ. The project is located within Township 16 North, Range 6 West, sections 2, 3, and 4; and Township 17 North, Range 6 West, sections 35 and 36.

1.4 DESCRIPTION. The Sheridan Fire Reforestation project includes the planting of 45,000 ponderosa pine seedlings on approximately 225 acres within the over 367 acre project area, in 2-4 acre planting groups. Planted areas will be scalped to remove competing vegetation in a 24x24in area around the seedling. No tree shelters will be installed.

1.4.A DETAILED SPECIFICATIONS

Timing Restrictions

Wildlife – No timing restrictions. However, if planting Sept 1 – Oct 1, start on eastern units.

· Complete Unit 6 last due to nearby Goshawk

Resource Protection Measures

Archaeology – Heritage sites will be excluded from planting. Sites must be flagged before implementation starts

Flagging: Contractor supplied with PDF Maps & GPS shapefiles, No Boundary Flagging.

· Heritage sites will be flagged in white.

Planting Specifications:

· Planting will be carried out between September to November 2023, dependent on precipitation

· Planned start date is October 2, 2023.

· A total of 225 acres will be planted out of a total acreage of 367 acres. A total of 45,000 seedlings will be planted within the priority 225 acres, at 200 trees per acre. All trees must be planted. If additional trees are left over, these may be planted outside to the priority 225 acre areas.

· Planting spacing will be variable. Planters will follow the most plantable ground and best suitable growing space. Spacing will average 14x14 ft

· Junipers, Oaks and shrub are not counted for spacing, only ponderosa pine

· Spacing may be varied as much as 25 percent in any direction to attain the best plantable spot

· Plant outside of drip line of existing shrubs as these compete for water

· No trees shall be planted closer than 14 feet from the dripline of healthy live ponderosa pine trees

· Multiple trees will not be planted in one hole. Contractor will make sure one tree is being planted per hole.

Unit Description

Best plantable ground, average 14x14 ft

Total project area is 367 acres, but only approximately 225 acres will be planted.

Bid contract based on tree cooler in Williams, AZ

Proper planting techniques:

· All seedlings should be planted using hoedads or a comparable tool.

· Seedlings must be put in dug holes straight with no damage to plug and then properly compacted to reduce air pockets and ensure seedling remains straight. (See Figure 2 & Figure 3)

· Penalties for incorrectly planted seedlings are listed in contract.

· Trees shall be planted satisfactorily both above and below ground

· Contractor shall not alter the trees. This includes no root or top pruning.

· Trees shall be planted in moist soil, free of foreign debris, and in a hole deep enough to accommodate the fully extended tree roots

· Planting hole shall be consistent with the depiction in Figures 2, 3 and 4

Tree Shelters:

· No tree shelters will be required to be installed for this contract.

Tree Cooler/ Seedling Management

· Seedlings from Lucky Peak Nursery will be packed in boxes of approximately 200 trees

· The closest tree cooler is in Williams, Arizona at 742 S Clover, Williams, AZ 86046. The drive time to the planting site is 1 hour 52 minutes for 88 miles.

· It is possible that by the time the contract is implemented, the Prescott National Forest will have a tree cooler installed at 4000 Katahn Drive, Prescott AZ 86303. The drive time to the planting site is 1 hour 3 minutes for 36 miles.

· The contractor should bid based on a pickup location of Williams, AZ with a 1 hour 52 minute drive time.

· The planters shall have appropriate vehicles, trailers and equipment that will be able to transport seedlings. Boxes are either 2ftx2ftx3ft or 2ftx1ftx1ft in size.

· Staging trees at the planting site for work the next day is prohibited. All trees removed from the tree cooler for work that day will be planted at the planting site. The seedlings cannot be put back in the cooler once removed.

· The planters are responsible for proper protection during transportation and care once the seedlings are stored at each unit. The Forest Service will provide reflective shade tarps for use at the planting sites. It is very important that seedlings in boxes are to be taken out of the back of trucks/trailers on site and covered by reflective tarps. This is a requirement will be enforced by inspectors.

· Trees not properly cared for may be considered wasted trees.

Scalping Requirements

· Areas for planted trees shall be scalped for a 24 inch x 24 inch area at the location of planting.

· All competing live vegetation and surface debris will be cleared down to mineral soil to a depth of 1 to 2 inches

· Contractor shall remove all root mats of grasses and other herbaceous plants

Shading Requirements

· Shading material shall be placed by planted trees to shade the root collar of the tree and reduce heat stress.

· Trees shall be planted on the north side of shading material.

· This can be an existing stump or small pieces of wood at least 3 inches in diameter so they shade the base of the seedling from the afternoon sun.

· Preference is for small material, place in an X on the downhill south side of the seedling, not touching the seedling

· Do not place this material on the uphill side of trees. Material can roll onto tree

· Do not use rocks for shade material as these get hotter in the afternoon sun.

Government-furnished property

· The government will provide 45,000 FT-128 size seedlings packed in cardboard boxes containing 200 seedlings.

· The government shall provide enough reflective tarps to cover one working day’s amount of seedlings

1.5 ACCESS. From Chino Valley, AZ head north on Williamson Valley Road for 12.8 miles. Turn left on Camp Wood Road and continue for 14.7 miles. The project area is centered around the intersection of Camp Wood Rd and Forest Road 705. See map.

1.6 BOUNDARIES. PDF Maps and GPS shapefiles of the project perimeters and avoidance sites will be provided to the contractor. Exterior perimeter boundaries will not be physically marked in any way. Heritage sites will be flagged within the project area using white flagging. Contractor must reference GIS data.

1.7 SHUTDOWN PERIODS. Timing restrictions is a management practice on the Prescott National Forest. These restrictions may cause shutdown periods or limit periods of operation. Operations within all or some of the project area may be contingent on the presence of sensitive species. Shut down will also occur at the discretion of the Government for fire hazard, red flag warnings, and undesirable road/ground conditions.

Timing Restrictions: There are currently no official timing restrictions on this project for wildlife concerns. However, if planting occurs from Sept 1 – Oct 1, start on eastern units and complete Unit 6 last due to nearby Goshawk

1.8 CONTRACTOR REPRESENTATIVE. The Contractor shall provide a Contractor Representative for the performance of the work. The name of this person and an alternate(s) who shall act for the Contractor when the Contractor is absent shall be designated in writing to the contracting officer. The Contractor Representative or alternate shall have full authority to act for the Contractor on all contract matters relating to daily operation of this contract. The Contractor Representative and alternate(s) must be able to read, write, speak, and understand English.

1.9 CONTRACTOR’S QUALITY CONTROL PLAN

The Contractor shall provide a Quality Control Plan. The Quality Control Plan must demonstrate how the Contractor will assure quality will meet the requirements and specifications of the contract. It shall describe (1) how quality will be monitored to assure the performance standards are met, (2) the supervision of the work, and (3) the personnel that will be performing the quality control.

1.10 GOVERNMENT QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN

The Contracting Officer, Contracting Officer’s Representative, or Government Inspector will inspect the services to be provided under this contract; however, the Contracting Officer has the sole authority to accept services on behalf of the Government. The COR/Inspector may recommend acceptance of completed work to the Contracting Officer.

The objective of this plan is to provide a quality surveillance plan for tree planting performed on the Prescott National Forests. This plan provides a basis for the Contracting Officers Representative to evaluate the quality of the Contractor’s performance. The oversight provided for in the contract and in this plan will help ensure that quality levels reach the required levels of performance.

1.10A VISUAL INSPECTION

The government will make periodic inspections while work is in progress to assure that work is proceeding satisfactorily. These inspections will initially be done daily but may vary if work progresses in a satisfactory manner. Inspection for acceptance of work will be accomplished by a visual or random plot inspection of each unit and will be based on adherence to the specifications. If the work quality is determined to be 90 percent or higher, payment will be made at 100 percent of unit price.

1.10B VISUAL INSPECTION INDICATING LESS THAN QUALITY WORK

In the event visual inspection indicates that work quality is less than 90 percent and the operator will not re-work the unit voluntarily, then the Government shall, by formal inspection, determine if the specified methods of work have been used. Failure to use specified methods shall require prompt corrective action. Repeated failure to follow the specified methods of work may be cause for termination of the Contractor’s right to proceed and the contract considered in default.

The inspections will be made on a series of plots. At least 1 percent of the total area will be sampled using a systematic grid. This will constitute a minimum inspection for determining satisfactory performance. All plots will be assigned a number. That number will be marked on the ground and will correspond with plot numbers on the inspection forms.

The inspection of this project will be completed using a 1/20 acre plot or larger to measure specifications. The above information will be written on an inspection form. A sample inspection form is in included with this scope of work in Exhibit 1.

1.10C UNSATISFACTORY WORK

The minimum acceptable standard for full payment is 90%. Reduced payment will be made for quality 80 to 89.9%. If the percentage falls below 90%, the Government will inform the Contractor in writing. The Contractor shall then rework all units that fall below 80% and bring the work up to satisfactory levels.

Payment, will be made for completed bid items, or sub-items of work at the unit contract price wherever the quality of planting is 90 percent or above, based on inspections as outlined above. Where inspection determines thinning quality is 80 percent and above but below 90 percent, the work will be accepted at a rate reduction of 3 percent for each 1 percent the quality of work is below 90 percent. Where quality falls below 80 percent, no payment will be made for the work.

1.10D RE-INSPECTION UPON CONTRACTOR’S REQUEST

If the original inspection results are unacceptable to the Contractor on either a completed or partially completed unit, re-inspection will be completed upon written request. The same inspection procedures will be used, but different plots will be measured. If the re-inspection confirms the original inspection is not meeting standards, the Contractor will reimburse the Government for the cost of the re-inspection. If the work meets acceptable standards, the Government assumes the cost of re-inspection and payments will be based on the results of the re-inspection.

1.10E EXHIBIT 1 – PLANTING INSPECTION SHEET

PLANTING INSPECTION SHEET – CONTRACT AND FORCE ACCOUNT

(FSH 2409.17)

FOREST

DISTRICT

INSPECTOR

CONTRACT NUMBER

COR

PLOT

SIZE

STAND

NUMBER

CONTRACTOR

SUB ITEM

NUMBER

ACRES

AVERAGE

SPACING

MAX TREES/

PLOT

NUMBER OF

Trees

*First line for above ground.

Second line for below ground.

TOTALS

FINAL %

1.10E EXHIBIT 2 – PLANTING INSPECTION INSTRUCTIONS

1. Locate and mark the plot center on the ground.

2. Locate and examine planted trees for above ground criteria. Record results in column 2 of inspection form.

Above Ground

Satisfactory Planting spot selection

3. Determine the average number of desired plantable spots for the plot based on the specified average spacing. Record results in column 3.

4. Determine and record in column 4 the number of spots void of planted trees that are unplantable due to acceptable existing natural regeneration or on-the-ground conditions. (Refer to definitions in supplement to the General Provisions.)

5. Subtract column 4 from the average number of planting spots and record the difference as the actual number of plantable spots on which trees should be planted on the plot in column 5.

6. Determine the maximum number of allowable trees from table 2 and record in column 6.

7. Record the number of trees planted on the plot from column 2 in column 7.

8. Determine wasted trees by subtracting the maximum number of allowable trees in column 6 from those planted (column 7) and if more than zero, record in column 8.

9. Record the number of planted trees meeting the above-ground contract specifications from column 2 in column 9. The maximum number of satisfactory trees to be credited shall not exceed the maximum number recorded in column 6.

10. Determine and dig at least the minimum number of trees from those determined satisfactory above ground in accordance with table 3 and record in column 10. The trees will be dug starting with those closest to the plot center and progressing outwards.

11. Tabulate below ground results in column 2 and record the number of trees meeting below-ground contact specifications in column 11.

Below Ground

12. Planting Quality Percent = Col. 9 x Col. 11 x 100 Col. 5 Col. 10