SoW For Tree Felling Sitka AK.pdf

STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)

Tree Felling Services – MH-60T Aircraft Mishap Site Harbor Mountain, Sitka, Alaska

1. Background The Government requires professional tree-felling services to establish safe operating areas and helicopter flight corridors necessary to facilitate the recovery of the aircraft and associated major components. This requirement is limited solely to tree removal activities and does not include aircraft recovery or wreckage removal. The military's recovery assessment identified tree removal and site preparation as the primary prerequisite to the recovery mission.

2. Objective Provide all labor, supervision, equipment, tools, transportation, materials, and incidentals necessary to safely remove Government-designated trees to support future helicopter recovery operations while minimizing risk to personnel, Government property, and the integrity of the aviation mishap site.

3. Scope of Work The Contractor shall furnish all labor, supervision, equipment, chainsaws, rigging equipment, transportation, personal protective equipment (PPE), and all other resources necessary to safely perform tree-felling operations.

Primary Aircraft Recovery Area:

The Contractor shall remove Government-designated trees located within approximately 40 feet, measured from the outermost extent of any major aircraft component designated for external helicopter recovery, including but not limited to:

• Main fuselage

• Tail section

• Other major aircraft assemblies identified by the Government

Trees shall be directionally felled away from the aircraft whenever terrain, safety, and site conditions permit. Trees may be topped, limbed, sectioned, or bucked as necessary to safely complete removal while preventing damage to the aircraft.

Various types of trees ranging from Hemlock’s, Cedar’s, and Sitka Spruce

Diameter of trees range from 6” to approx. 48”

Height of trees range from 10’ to approx. 100’

Contingency Tree Removal

Following completion of the initial tree removal, additional Government-designated trees may be identified by United States Coast Guard personnel or designated Army and Air Force aviation recovery Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) if additional clearance is determined necessary to safely execute aircraft recovery operations.

Upon direction of the Contracting Officer (KO) or the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR), the Contractor shall remove those additional designated trees. Tree removal outside the general recovery areas identified in this Statement of Work shall require written authorization from the Contracting Officer.

4. Period of Performance The Period of Performance (PoP) shall begin upon contract award and continue for fifteen (15) calendar days unless otherwise modified by the Contracting Officer.

Due to rapidly changing weather conditions common to Southeast Alaska, the Contractor shall diligently prosecute the work to completion. Weather-related schedule extensions may be considered only upon written approval by the Contracting Officer.

5. Site Access & Logistics

First Location needs approx. two trees fell near the tail gear box at the below location.

Primary location of trees needing to be fell are at the below location. Approx. number of trees is near 100.

The Contractor shall be solely responsible for transporting personnel, tools, equipment, and supplies to the work site.

The Government will provide site access coordination through the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR); however, the Government will not furnish contractor transportation, equipment, or logistical support.

The nearest vehicle access point is the Harbor Mountain Road picnic area. All personnel, equipment, and materials required to perform the work shall be transported by the Contractor from this location to the work site.

6. Contractor Responsibilities The Contractor shall:

• Provide qualified personnel experienced in steep-terrain tree-felling operations.

• Furnish all equipment necessary to safely complete the work.

• Conduct daily safety briefings.

• Coordinate all activities with the Government Contracting Officer’s Representative

(COR).

• Maintain positive control of all felling operations.

• Utilize industry-standard directional felling techniques.

• Suspend work whenever unsafe conditions exist.

• Immediately report hazards or changing site conditions to the COR.

7. Site Conditions The Contractor acknowledges that work will occur in mountainous terrain characterized by:

• Steep slopes, dense timber, and loose/uneven footing.

• Limited maneuvering space and restricted equipment access.

• Variable and severe weather conditions.

• Standing and fallen hazard trees.

• Aircraft wreckage located within forested terrain.

7A. Emergency Procedures

The Contractor shall immediately notify the COR of any:

• Injury or illness requiring medical assistance

• Damage to Government property

• Environmental spill or release

• Near-miss incident

• Emergency requiring outside assistance

The Contractor shall maintain emergency communication capability throughout the duration of work.

The Contractor is responsible for evaluating site conditions and conducting operations in a safe manner.

8. Protection of Government Property & Security The aircraft and associated wreckage are Government property and are part of an active aviation mishap investigation.

• Physical Protection: The Contractor shall exercise extreme caution to prevent additional damage to the aircraft, avoid disturbing aircraft wreckage or associated evidence, and immediately notify the COR of any accidental contact with Government property.

• Information Security & Non-Disclosure: No photography, video recording, or digital mapping of the aircraft wreckage, military equipment, or mishap site is permitted by contractor personnel, except as explicitly authorized in writing by the COR for documenting work progress. Release of any site imagery, location data, or operational details to the public or social media is strictly prohibited and constitutes a material breach of contract.

9. Safety Requirements The Contractor shall comply with OSHA regulations, State of Alaska safety requirements, and applicable industry standards for logging and tree-felling operations.

• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): At a minimum, personnel shall utilize hard hats, eye/hearing protection, chainsaw protective leg protection, gloves, appropriate logging boots, and additional fall protection when warranted by terrain.

• Hazard and Hung-Up Trees: The Contractor shall safely address any hung-up trees, lodged limbs, or partially felled trees created during contract performance. No tree shall be left in an unstable condition.

• Activity Hazard Analysis (AHA): Prior to commencing work, the Contractor shall submit an AHA to the Contracting Officer and COR for review. The AHA shall specifically address steep-slope operations, chainsaw safety, hung-up tree mitigation, and emergency medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) procedures from the remote site.

10. Environmental Protection The Contractor shall minimize disturbance to surrounding vegetation beyond that necessary to accomplish the required work.

• Fuel, lubricants, trash, and Contractor-generated waste shall not be left on site.

• The Contractor must maintain on-person or on-site portable spill kits.

• Any accidental spills shall be immediately reported to the COR.

11. Government Responsibilities The Government will:

• Identify trees designated for removal.

• Establish work boundaries and identify aircraft exclusion areas.

• Provide on-site coordination and oversight through the COR.

12. Work Exclusions This contract does not include:

• Aircraft recovery, disassembly, or stabilization.

• Wreckage or fuel removal.

• Debris removal unrelated to tree-felling.

• Excavation, road construction, or environmental remediation.

• Helicopter operations.

• Site restoration beyond that required for safe completion of tree-felling operations.

Any work outside the scope described herein shall require written authorization by the Contracting Officer.

13. Deliverables & Acceptance Criteria Work shall be considered complete and ready for final Government inspection when:

• All Government-designated trees identified by the COR have been removed.

• Required helicopter operating clearance has been established around the aircraft and tail gearbox recovery areas.

• No unauthorized damage has occurred to Government property.

• The work area is left in a safe, stable condition.

• The COR determines that all work has been completed in accordance with this Statement of Work.

14. Contractor Coordination

• The Contractor shall coordinate daily with the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) before commencing work.

• The COR shall identify the trees designated for removal and establish the daily work limits.

• No tree outside the designated work area shall be removed without prior approval from the COR.

• Should United States Coast Guard personnel or designated Army and Air Force aviation recovery Subject Matter Experts determine that additional tree removal is necessary to safely complete aircraft recovery operations, the Contractor shall perform such work only upon direction from the COR and within the scope of this contract or as otherwise authorized by the Contracting Officer.