SOW - Camp Edwards Firebreak Mowing 15 Sep 26.pdf

Camp Edwards Impact Area Road Maintenance

Road Restoration and Maintenance – Public Safety

Camp Edwards, Massachusetts Army National Guard (MAARNG)

Scope of Work

Concept: This project is the first stage of a multi-year effort to restore overgrown roads within and surrounding the Camp Edwards Impact Area. The project will mow densely regenerated pitch pine and scrub oak within and alongside historic roadbeds to reestablish proper road width and reduce fuel volatility and fire behavior in the event of a wildfire. This work will greatly increase access for the Joint Base Cape Cod fire department and supporting agencies in the event of wildfire and will further ongoing efforts to mitigate risk from military training.

Project Description: The work to be accomplished under this contract, without limiting the generalities thereof, consists of providing all labor, equipment and supervision required to mow vegetation (primarily immature pitch pine and scrub oak) on 7.2 miles of road (as determined by GIS software) and reduce hazardous fuels and fell standing dead trees (snags) from up to 150 acres of legacy ranges and shrubland on the Massachusetts Army National Guard Training Site, Camp Edwards. The work includes but is not strictly limited to the following:

1. Treatment 1: Impact Area Roads: Mow vegetation along 38,000 linear feet (~7.2 miles) of overgrown/encroached roads within and adjacent to the impact area. This roadbed/roadside mowing is within the surface danger zones (SDZs) of all active small arms ranges on Camp Edwards, so the worksite will be inaccessible while training units have scheduled/occupied the ranges. The contractor will coordinate with Camp Edwards Range Control and the project manager to plan site access.

a. The contractor will mow all vegetation within original roadbeds to reestablish proper width and travelability.

b. The contractor will mow a 15-foot buffer on both sides of the designated sections of road.

Because of obstacles such as boulders and mature trees, it will not be practical to reach 15 feet along the entire break. The contractor will mow around these obstacles to target as much vegetation as possible within the assigned buffer.

c. Within the 15’ buffer, the contractor will mow all trees, regardless of species, with a diameter at breast height (DBH) of five inches or less. The contractor should mow vegetation no lower than 1 vertical foot to prevent striking the ground with the cutting head.

d. Within the 15’ buffer, the contractor will maintain a 1-2’ standoff distance when mowing around pine trees with a DBH larger than 6 inches, to prevent scrapes that might attract pine beetles.

e. While mowing within the impact area, the contractor will keep all ground contact of personnel and equipment within the limits of the pre-existing roadbeds. Off-road travel of any kind is forbidden within the impact area and the contractor should avoid striking the ground with the cutting head. This treatment requires a boom-mounted cutting head.

f. All mowing debris will be left in place. The contractor is not responsible for collecting or removing debris.

2. Treatment 2 - Legacy Range Forestry Mowing: Mow densely stocked regenerating pitch pine encroaching on roads and range floors in up to 52 acres of historical range areas along the eastern boundary of the impact area. This safety improvement reduces risk of torching and downwind spotting, risk to firefighters, and removes obstacles to reaching defensible lines with equipment.

The legacy range area is within the SDZs of most active firing ranges on Camp Edwards so the worksite will be inaccessible if training units have occupied those ranges

a. The target trees are densely stocked and mostly immature. The contractor will mow all pine trees with a DBH of 6” or less.

b. Trees larger than 6” DBH can be left untouched, although the contractor can mow them if it is helpful for site access, etc.

c. The contractor will maintain a 1-2’ standoff distance when mowing around pine trees with a DBH larger than 7 inches, to prevent scrapes that might attract pine beetles.

d. The legacy range areas may have uneven terrain in areas (old range berms, spoil piles, or target mounds). In these areas, the contractor need not risk their equipment for 100% vegetation clearance. The priority in these areas is disrupting high-risk canopy continuity.

3. Northern Range Area Forestry Mowing: The contractor will mow up to 100 acres of scrub oak/pitch pine shrubland south of Training Area E-5 and Sierra/Tango Ranges. The worksites are large, flat, open areas of scrub oak with scattered trees, alive and dead. All northern area mowing is within the SDZs of active firing ranges on Camp Edwards so the worksites will be inaccessible if training units have occupied those ranges.

Treatment 3 is necessary because current fuel loading increases the challenge of using Wheelock Road to hold a southbound wildfire moving towards the impact area. The same challenges apply to the road network south of Sierra Range. Thick vegetation increases fire behavior, impedes firetruck access and obstructs vision of depressions or obstacles that can strand a vehicle in a burning unit.

Increased fire activity immediately next to a break can make it unsafe or untenable to actively fight fire. In their current condition, Treatment 3 worksites cannot be maintained with in-house resources. Once this vegetative fire hazard contract is complete, Camp Edwards staff can maintain these areas using current equipment inventory.

a. Training Area E-5 is the western of two units. The roadside mowing will be along the northern side of Jefferson Road, with a maximum buffer of 650’. The central and eastern units are predominantly scrub oak and should be mowed as close to the ground as feasible. The presence of snag trees poses an elevated risk of downwind spotting and an unacceptable falling debris hazard for personnel and equipment working a fire within E-5.

i. The southwestern/western 30 acres of E-5 has many standing snags resulting from a 2016 wildfire. The contractor will put snags on the ground. The boles of the trees do not need to be processed but any upward protruding branches should be masticated. The contractor should assume an average of 20 snags per acre within these 30 acres.

ii. Throughout the entire E-5 unit, the contractor may leave any living pine or oak trees taller than 10’ but should fell or mow any obviously dead trees.

b. Sierra Range is the eastern of the two units. This treatment will mow a 175’ buffer within the existing road network to disrupt wildfire spread.

i. Within the designated areas, the contractor will mow all vegetation except living mature trees. All dead trees should be felled or mowed, depending on their size and the capabilities of contractor equipment. When cutting large dead trees, the boles do not need to be processed but upward protruding branches should be masticated.

4. There are some special considerations when executing this contract:

a. The contractor will conduct work during relatively dry conditions to minimize rutting and erosion. MAARNG may elect to suspend work during unusually wet conditions.

b. To minimize impacts on species of concern, the contractor may not begin work on this project before November 15th, 2026. The project should be completed by March 1st, 2027.

c. The winning contractor will conduct a site visit with the MAARNG project manager prior to Jan 2027 to determine logistical requirements, site access, staging areas, and landing sites.

d. All mowing within the central impact area will require coordination with the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The MAARNG project manager will arrange the initial coordination, but the contractor will be responsible for daily scheduling and compliance with USACE requirements.

e. All mowing conducted as part of this project occurs within the Surface Danger Zones of most small arms ranges on Camp Edwards. The contractor will be required to coordinate with Camp Edwards Range Operations every day to ensure no ranges are active. Project sites will be inaccessible while ranges are active.

f. A significant amount of this mowing will be conducted within the Camp Edwards Central Impact Area. The roads and roadsides have been surface-cleared for unexploded ordnance in the past but there is always a chance of munitions being freshly exposed by erosion or frost heaving. Before beginning work, the contractor must attend UXO training provided by Range Operations and the USACE or their contracted representatives and comply with all guidance and recommendations.

g. Because of the increased likelihood of unexploded ordnance in the impact area and adjacent worksites, the contractor selection process will favor contractors with prior experience on Camp Edwards in general, and near/within the impact area in particular.

5. Rehabilitation extents (see map) – The final extent of this project will be determined by the per unit cost of mowing treatments. Regardless of cost, no acreage will be added to this scope of work. Based on cost, MAARNG may elect to remove acreage. Should that happen, lowest priority acres would be removed first. Priorities are as follows:

a. Highest priority: Road maintenance/restoration mowing within the impact area.

b. Medium priority: Roadside maintenance and fuel reduction in Legacy Ranges.

c. Lowest priority: Fuel reduction mowing in Training Area E-5 and Sierra Range.

Standard Considerations:

1. This bid solicitation requires that the vendor provides a per linear foot or per acre price for each treatment. Depending on the winning bid and available funding, MAARNG may elect to decrease the extent of the project. The total project bid will be determined by using the per unit price plus any additional costs submitted on the mandatory bid sheet.

2. To bid on or be awarded any timber management project on Camp Edwards, the contracting person, firm or corporation must have a valid Massachusetts Timber Harvesting license.

3. Where safety permits, MAARNG will clearly mark accessible limits of all project boundaries with high visibility flagging or paint. The project manager will provide a georeferenced PDF map with final treatment boundaries, suitable for common smartphone mapping apps, so operators can track their location.

4. Camp Edwards has hosted decades of military training. In addition to UXO awareness, the contractor should anticipate the presence of old timber structures, target mounds, derelict fences, craters, wire/cables, pipes, stakes, and other hazards.

5. To prevent introducing invasive species, the contractor is required to thoroughly clean the exterior, undercarriage, and tires/tracks of all equipment with a high-pressure washer prior to bringing the equipment on site.

6. All mechanized equipment shall carry a working fire extinguisher at all times to be used in the event of a fire. Camp Edwards’ vegetation is dominated by high-risk fuel types – no torch cutting or welding can be conducted without a permit from the Joint Base Cape Cod Fire Department.

The MAARNG project manager will serve as liaison between the contractor and fire department and must individually approve any open flame operations.

7. All mechanized equipment must be free of leaks in fuel and hydraulic lines during the course of work and must be removed from the site at the conclusion of work. Further, all mechanical equipment must carry oil-absorbent pads at all times, to be used in the event of a fluid spill.

8. The contractor shall comply with all federal, state and local laws and regulations controlling pollution of the environment, including the Environmental Performance Standards (EPS) under Chapter 47 of the Acts of 2002. EPS information can be found at:

https://www.mass.gov/doc/environmental-performance-standards-march-19-2026/download

9. The contractor shall be responsible for the cleanup of any trash, spills, or other debris associated with or originating out of work done by the contractor. In the event of a spill or leak, the operator must immediately cease operations and notify the MAARNG project manager.

10. Contractor personnel must be able to pass security screening to access the base for a site visit or to conduct work on this project. The project manager may request limited personal information for any contractor personnel accessing the site to pre-clear them with base security.

11. Refueling: The base fire department will perform an initial inspection of the contractor’s refueling process. At a minimum, the contractor should be able to display the following for the inspector: fire extinguisher, absorbent pads and a 5-gallon plastic bucket.

12. Permitting: The MAARNG will arrange for any review and permits for the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act, Forest Cutting Practices Act, Camp Edwards Environmental Performance Standards, and will perform initial liaison with the Joint Base Cape Cod Fire Department. All other necessary permits are the responsibility of the contractor and shall be obtained and paid for by the contractor.

13. Site visit: It is mandatory for all vendors to attend a site visit prior to submitting a bid. The site visit will be conducted on Tuesday, 13 Oct 2026. To attend the visit, contact Rob Crevey at Robert.crevey@mass.gov or 317-525-0691.

14. If the contractor with the lowest-priced suitable bid does not have a history of previous projects on Camp Edwards, the MAARNG may request a list of similar jobs they have completed in the past two years, with addresses and contact numbers for managers/owners of the job sites.

15. Bids for this project will be submitted through COMMBUYS. Any questions about COMMBUYS access or functionality should be directed to Mia Kochka at Michaela.A.Kochka@mass.gov.

mailto:Robert.crevey@mass.gov

Current Situation:

The ~2,000-acre impact area in the center of Camp Edwards is largely inaccessible to fire fighters, prescribed fire operations, and mechanical fuel treatments. In the absence of ecological disturbance, it has accumulated significant amounts of vegetative fire hazards and has an elevated risk of extreme fire intensity and rate of spread. In particular, roads within the impact area that could provide firefighter access are overgrown and encroached, blocking travel and vision.

Because firefighters have limited means of accessing the impact area, it is necessary to reclaim pre-existing roads and set the conditions for ongoing in-house maintenance. Of particular concern is the regenerating pitch pine along roadsides, which is extremely flammable and serves as ladder fuels that can lead to a running canopy fire, threatening facilities on base and in surrounding communities.

North of the impact area, the downrange areas of Sierra Range and Training Area E-5 have been relatively recently disturbed by a combination of wildfire and prescribed fire. This activity has reduced fuel loads but enough time has passed that it requires further disturbance to maintain that benefit. This is particularly necessary because this area adjoins the impact area and has elevated fire ignition risk from tracer ammunition.

Finally, there are ~200 standing dead trees along Jefferson and Pocasset Roads in Training Area E-5, resulting from a 2016 wildfire. In the event of another wildfire, these snag trees can smolder for days or weeks and pose a serious risk of lofting embers that can cause downwind spot fires. They should be laid on the ground where they can decompose as coarse woody debris.

Proposed Actions and Outcomes:

This contract focuses on reclaiming pre-existing but neglected roads that should provide firefighter access in and around the impact area. Once this contract has reset vegetative fire hazard conditions, these roads will be viable for ongoing maintenance using in-house Facilities Engineering personnel and equipment.

This contract will cut vegetation growth in the middle of pre-existing roadbeds in the impact area, to make them accessible to firefighting and maintenance vehicles. It will mow vegetation on either side of these firebreaks, especially regenerating pitch pine, to reduce fire intensity on holding lines and reduce the likelihood of ladder fuels causing running crown fires.

This contract will mow densely regenerated pine in historic (legacy) ranges along the eastern boundary of the impact area. This dense pine is highly receptive to fire and can easily torch and loft embers downwind. Swiftly and heavily torching pines in this area pose the greatest fire risk to the impact area, on-base facilities, and surrounding communities.

Finally, this contract will conduct fuel maintenance downrange of Sierra Range and Training Area E-5, which are likely recipients of tracer ammunition and have an increased chance of firefighters making active use of roads. Because of their proximity to the impact area, it is advisable to keep these fuels periodically mowed to reduce fire intensity and spread, buy time for firefighters to respond, and allow firefighters to avoid obstacles, identify spot fires, and drive vehicles into the unit to suppress fire.

Mandatory Bid Sheet

Camp Edwards Impact Area Roadside Mowing

Road maintenance and fire risk mitigation in and around the Impact Area

Camp Edwards, MA.

This bid includes addenda no(s): _____________________________

Project Costs:

1. Treatment 1: Impact Area Roadside Mowing

Mowing cost per mile = $____________________

2. Treatment 2: Legacy Range Roadside/Forestry Mowing

Mowing cost per acre = $____________________

3. Treatment 3: Northern Area Roadside/Forestry Mowing

Mowing cost per acre = $____________________

4. Additional Costs

5. Logistics: Contractors must list the equipment and methods proposed to complete this harvesting/clearing (use additional pages if needed).

Wood Rd

Ba rlo w R d

Jefferson Rd

Tu rpe nti ne

Rd

Gree nway

Rd

Burgoyne Rd

Wheelock Rd

Goat Past ure Rd

Mitton Rd

Pocasset-Sandwich Rd

Pocasset-Forestdale Rd

Knot Hollo w Rd

Ch adw ick Rd

Whip Rd

Po cas set Rd

MassGIS

¯Impact Area

Legend IA Road Maint/Resto Legacy Range Maint/Resto TA E-5 Roadside Maintenance TA E-5 Roadside Maint. & Snags Sierra Roadside Maintenance

Camp Edwards Impact Area Roads Maintenance/Restoration Legacy Ranges Roadside Maintenance

TA E-5 and Sierra Range Roadside Maintenance

0 0.5 10.25 Miles

Impact Area

Barlow Rd

Greenway Rd MassGIS

¯Impact Area

Legend IA Road Maint/Resto Legacy Range Maint and Fuels

Legacy Range Roadside Maintenance & Fuel Reduction

0 0.1 0.20.05

Gibbs Rd

Jefferson Rd

Goat Pasture Rd

Po cas set Rd

Sa nd wic h R d

Sp ruc e S wa mp Rd

Pocasset-Sandwich Rd

Wood Rd MassGIS

¯Impact Area

Legend E-5 Roadside Maintenance E-5 Roadside Maintenance and Snag Felling Sierra Roadside Maintenance

Treatment 3a Training Area E-5 Roadside Maintenance

0 0.25 0.50.125

Jefferson Rd

Po ca sse t R d

MassGIS

¯Impact Area

Legend E-5 Roadside Maintenance Sierra Roadside Maintenance

Treatment 3b Sierra Range Roadside Maintenance

0 0.1 0.20.05