SOW_McCluskey.pdf

140L3723Q0019

STATEMENT OF WORK

McCluskey Mule Deer Habitat Restoration

BLM-Mastication

September 2022

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in coordination with the Colorado Parks and Wildlife

(CPW), North Fork Habitat Partnership Program (HPP), and US Forest Service have identified a need for vegetation treatments in and around the McCluskey State Wildlife Area. The BLM-

Uncompahgre Field Office desires to remove pinion and juniper trees from deep soil sites that formerly supported sagebrush and to thin mature pinion juniper woodlands. As a result, the areas identified for tree removal are no longer as productive for wintering big game.

LOCATION OF PROJECT UNIT

Approximately 3 air miles south of the town of Paonia, Colorado in Delta County

T 14 S, R 91 W 6th principal meridian, portions of Section 21.

DESCRIPTION OF WORK

The project will be accomplished by the contractor using the Hydro-axe or Fecon type cutting head to grind/mulch pinyon and juniper trees within the designated areas. The pattern and shape of treatment areas is shown on the attached map with the edges identified by flagging.

In Unit 18 all Pinyon and Juniper trees taller than two feet will be removed. Oak and other shrubs (brush) will not be treated. In units 15 and 17 the canopy of pinyon and juniper shall be thinned by approximately 50%. In these units the operator shall strive to achieve an even mix of both young and old trees left with an average canopy spacing of between 10 and 50 feet.

Identified vegetation shall be reduced to a mulched material with a minimum of 80% of the woody material less than one inch in diameter and six inches long. The mulch shall be scattered evenly across the surface and not remain in piles deeper than six inches. Stumps shall be no taller than six inches as measured on the uphill side unless surface rock limits achievement of the six-inch standard. Tree density ranges between 250 and 350 trees/acre and height range between

5 and 20 feet tall across the treatment area, and juniper comprises more than 90% of the tree species composition. The size of this project will total approximately 184 acres.

Acres Prescription

Unit 15 66.4 Reduce pinyon juniper canopy by approximately 50%

Unit 17 11.3 Reduce pinyon juniper canopy by approximately 50%

Unit 18 106.3 Complete removal of all pinyon juniper taller than 2’

Total 184.0

BLM WILL FURNISH OR PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING

1. Designate the boundary of the areas to be treated with bright plastic surveyor’s ribbon

(flagging).

2. Clearly mark survey monuments to be avoided with a contrasting flagging to unit boundary flagging.

3. Provide maps and descriptions of the area and go with the operator around the boundary of the areas.

4. Conduct on-site inspections by a designated project inspector.

5. Measurement of the area treated by Global Positioning System (GPS) as portions of the contract area are completed. Note: All GPS measurements are taken on the horizontal plane not “slope” acreage.

6. Provide a pre-bid site inspection tour on Tuesday April 18, 2023 for all bidders (if requested) and a pre-work conference with the contractor awarded the job. The pre-bid site tour will meet at the Conoco Gas Station 282 CO-133, Paonia, CO 81428 at 1 p.m.

CONTRACTOR WILL FURNISH

1. An articulated tractor with an operator. The tractor will be equipped with a machine mounted, vertical-shaft (Hydro-Axe) or horizontal-shaft (Fecon flail) or similar type cutting, thinning and shredding machine containing large (flotation type) lugged rubber tires. The equipment described above is preferred but other types of machinery may be acceptable. Please provide documentation on equipment type and impacts to soil from operation including turning and forward and reverse travel.

2. Equipment must be of sufficient size and power to masticate piñon and juniper trees up to 8-10” diameter at the root collar.

3. Transportation for equipment and operator to and from the site. A four-wheel drive vehicle is recommended.

4. All fuels, lubricants, parts for repairs, and repairs to the machine.

COR/PI

Info to be supplied upon contract award.

CONTRACT PERIOD

This project will begin approximately July 15th, 2023, but no later than 15 days after the “notice to proceed” has been issued and shall be completed by October 1, 2023.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS

1) Surface Conditions - Equipment shall not be operated when the ground is muddy or the soil moisture is high enough for equipment to leave ruts over 3 inches in depth.

When/If such conditions are encountered, the Contractor shall stop work and notify the

COR/PI.

2) Contractor shall clean-up all generated litter and dispose of it at an approved sanitary landfill or other location and in a manner approved by the CO/COR.

FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND TOOLS ON EQUIPMENT

While in use, each internal combustion engine including chainsaws or brush cutter/clearing saw or comparable powered equipment shall be provided with at least the following at the refueling site:

1) One fire extinguisher, at least 5#ABC with an Underwriters Laboratory (UL) rating of

3A - 40BC, or greater. Extinguisher shall be readily available for use (not locked in a tool box or chained to a pickup seat, for example)

2) One shovel, sharp, size O or larger, round-pointed with an overall length of at least 48 inches.

3) One axe, sharp, double bit 3½#, or one sharp pulaski.

FUELING

Fueling equipment and operations will be inspected and approved prior to contract startup by the owner/ operator and PI/COR. Joint inspections will include checking for evidence of oil/fuel leaks at all piping, oil/fuel lines, hydraulic lines and seals, fuel tanks and other sources of leaks.

All evidence of leaks will be investigated and immediately repaired prior to equipment operation on the job. All non-manual fueling equipment will have an automatic shut-off switch installed to avoid fuel releases.

Fuel tanks greater than 201 gallons may only be used within a spill containment pit. The spill containment pit shall be constructed at a site designated by the PI/COR, with an impermeable liner capable of containing a released volume of one and one-half times the tank volume. Pits shall be rehabilitated after completion of the Hydro-axe operations.

Any on site fuel or oil release of two gallons or more is the contractor’s responsibility.

Containment, immediate reporting, documentation and cleanup is required and shall be at the direction of the PI/COR in accordance with State and Federal law and policy. The contractor may be subject to all or part of the cost for cleanup.

HAZARDOUS MATERIALS

1. Use of Hazardous Materials and/or petroleum products requires that all appropriate

State and Federal Regulations be complied with including, but not limited to, Material

Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) on hand and use of necessary Personal Protective Clothing

(PPE).

2. On-site disposal of Hazardous Materials or Waste including hydrocarbons is not authorized. On-site disposal will subject the contractor to at least the cost of reclamation and the appropriate disposal of contaminated soil.

3. Incidental (de minimus) leaks from fittings, gaskets or ruptured hoses will not subject the contractor to remedial requirements. They will be considered to be normal and unavoidable losses. Continual leaks will be noted on inspection reports and correction through maintenance required.

4. Maintenance and repair operations that require the draining of engines or hydraulic systems may be conducted on site only if the fluids are captured, containerized, and removed from public lands for proper disposal.

INGRESS/EGRESS

All support vehicle travel will be confined to existing roads or trails. No motorized equipment shall be driven off road without the approval of the COR or PI.

PROTECTION

The contractor is required to protect cadastral survey markers (brasscaps), bearing trees, benchmarks, project markers, and other markers and stakes from damage or removal. In case of destruction or removal by the contractor, they will be replaced by the BLM and the actual cost of replacement deducted from payments due the contractor. All cadastral survey markers will be clearly marked for avoidance by BLM.

REMEASUREMENT

Remeasurement of the acreage under a task order will be made upon written request by the

Contractor. The written request must be made within 10 calendar days after completion of the work. If measurement indicates a difference of not more than 5 percent from the original measurement, the contractor shall pay the actual cost of the Remeasurement. Payments will be based on the second measurement where the difference between measurements is more than 5 percent. Where the difference is less than 5 percent the results of the first measurement will be used.

SPARK ARRESTERS

It is prohibited to operate or use any internal or external combustion engine, on any timber, brush, or grass covered land, including trails traversing such land, without a spark arrester maintained in effective working order and meeting guidelines set forth in National Wildfire

Coordinating Group Publication NFES 1363 and 2363.

STATUS REPORT

Provided an onsite visit has not occurred during the period, the contractor is required to report status of work when any special situations or problems are encountered or once a week

(whichever is less). These reports may be made by telephone to the PI/COR.

In the event of extreme weather or early thaw, the Contracting Officer will determine the best course of action based on comments from both the Contractor and PI/COR.

WEED CONTROL

Prior to moving onto public lands, including the contract area, the contractor is required to remove all dirt and debris that could contain weed seeds by scraping off visible dirt and debris and then thoroughly washing all earth moving equipment with a suitable power washer. Earth moving equipment shall not include personal transportation (pickups) or tractors towing equipment trailers.

1. Prior to moving onto the site, cleaning and washing shall not occur on any public lands. We suggest a public car wash.

2. If earth moving equipment is moved from the contract area it shall be cleaned again prior to reentering the contract area.

3. To avoid having to return equipment back to some off-site location to be cleaned, the contractor may choose to have the equipment inspected for compliance with this section at an offsite location by the COR/PI provided that location is within a reasonable (two hours - one way) travel time of Montrose CO.

DELIVERABLES

Payment for work will be based upon the percent of acres completed, that have been inspected and accepted by the COR. That percent will be the percent paid against the obligated funds for this project.

DEFINITIONS

Bearing Tree - A tree which is used as a reference monument to locate a property corner.

Brush - Vegetation consisting of shrub species with single or multi-stems originating at or near ground level not normally reaching twenty feet in height. Examples include but are not limited to oakbrush, serviceberry, sagebrush.

Conifer - A pinyon or ponderosa pine or Utah or rocky mountain juniper

140L3723Q0019

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