Specifications - PINHOTI Trail Maintenance.docx

State Of Alabama Department of Finance Division of Purchasing RSA Union Building 100 N. Union St., Suite 192 Request for Bid for Alabama Forestry Commission

NO SUBCONTRACTING WILL BE PERMITTED

INVITATION TO BID PINHOTI TRAIL MAINTENANCE

NAME: Alabama Pinhoti Hiking Trail Maintenance TREATMENT AREA: The treatment area is the approximately 170 miles Alabama Pinhoti Trail corridor with includes the trail bed and its corridor of 2.5 feet either side of the trail center for a total of 5 feet. Vegetation in the trail corridor consists of pine with interspersed hardwood and pine midstory of various ages and sizes, shrubs, woody vines, and grasses. The trail is marked with blue blazes and in most places has an established trail bed. The boundaries of the trail corridor/treatment area are not delineated.

LOCATION: The Alabama Pinhoti Hiking Trail traverses the mountain tops and side slopes of the Appalachian Mountains in Coosa, Talladega, Calhoun, Cleburne, and Cherokee Counties. The length of the Trail is approximately 170 miles. Scheduled work may be in multiple locations along the trail. Maps provided in the Specifications Section.

SCOPE OF WORK: To perform trail maintenance/vegetation treatment services in up to three bid items in an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract over a period of 1 year, with options to extend an additional 4 years for a total of 5 years with a not to exceed date of 12/31/2029. Quantity of work to be determined annually with a minimum of 10 miles of “cut and remove” scheduled for 2024. All work must be deemed satisfactory for additional work items to be added to the contract. Bid items include (details included in Specifications Section): Generally given an opportunity to increase bid rate annually.

1. Cut and remove (Bid unit: hourly): Sever and remove, from the defined trail corridor, all designated woody (pine and hardwood) stems over 2 feet in height and up to 4 inches DBH.

2. Herbicide spraying/Treatment (Bid unit: hourly): Foliar and/or injection of approved herbicides, backpacks, and handheld applicators only, no aerial (drone or similar) or mechanical applications (drone or similar) or mechanical applications. NOT to be implemented on National Forest Property

3. Cut and Remove (Bid unit: hourly): Sever and remove trees that could impact the trail, all dead designated woody stems greater than 4’dbh. NOT to be implemented on National Forest property CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBILITIES: Furnish all labor, supplies (including herbicides), tools, transportation, proof of insurance (1 million general liability), and supervision to perform all work as described in the Specifications Section.

INSPECTION/ACCEPTANCE OF WORK: The AFC may delegate to its employees or those of another entity (through a specific agreement), the inspection and acceptance of work performed under this contract. Includes inspection of equipment and tools, and herbicide labels prior to access to site.

PAYMENT: Payment made by AFC upon receipt of invoice from contractor. Payment period to be determined at award of contract, but not to be more frequent than monthly.

RETENTION OF RECORDS: The contractor must maintain documentation of all payments charged to the AFC under this contract. Documentation must be maintained for 3 years from the date of payment. Payment documents are subject to audit upon reasonable request and notification by the State of Alabama.

CONTRACT SPECIFICATIONS

Bid Item 1: Cut and Remove Technical Specifications:

1. Time of Treatment: Work to be completed, throughout the year.

2. Vegetation to be Treated Within the Trail Corridor: All hardwood and pine species that are over 2 feet in height and up to maximum of 4 inches DBH in size shall be completely severed and removed from the stump. All shrubs and other woody vegetation except for vaccinium species, and grasses, shall be completely severed and removed from the stump.

3. Vegetation to be treated outside the trail corridor:

a. Downed timer, naturally felled, crossing the trail should be cleared. Tops and boles of these naturally felled trees should be lopped and scattered to ensure the severed vegetation is cleared within the trail corridor plus 5ft.

4. Vegetation NOT to be Treated:

a. Flowering dogwood trees greater than 4 inches DBH.

b. Broad-leaf evergreen trees (i.e., blueberry/sparkleberry, mountain laurel, and American holly)

c. Trees marked with paint or horseshoes (i.e., green/white diagonal paint-superior tree, red-property line, light blue-Pinhoti trail, blue-resource protection area, orange-SPB reserve tree, white or blue banded-RCW cavity trees, green-SMZ, horseshoe-horse trail.).

d. Naturally occurring snags (i.e., dead trees).

e. Other trees, species, or size classes as designated by the assigned contract inspector.

5. Treatment Description: Stumps from severed stems to be no higher than 6 inches, cut flat, and horizontal to the ground. All vegetation must be completely severed from the stump and moved outside the trail corridor (2.5 feet either side of the trail bed). No cut trees shall be left hanging in nearby trees or vines. All slash shall be pulled back out of intersecting roads, road ditches, around culverts, and creeks.

a. Refreshing of trail paint as needed (paint provided by Landowner)

b. Signage installed as needed (signs to be provided by Landowner)

6. Hiker Safety AFC should be notified when work is being performed so that users of the trail can be notified.

Bid Item 2: Herbicide Spraying/Treatment NOT to be implemented on National Forest property

Technical Specifications:

1. Time of Treatment: Work to be completed, throughout the year.

2. Herbicide application: Foliar or injection of broadleaf vegetation within 5-foot trail corridor/2.5 feet either side of trail.

3. Vegetation NOT to be Treated:

a. Flowering dogwood trees greater than 4 inches DBH.

b. Broad-leaf evergreen trees (i.e., blueberry/sparkleberry, mountain laurel, and American holly)

c. Trees marked with paint or horseshoes (i.e., green/white diagonal paint-superior tree, red-property line, light blue-Pinhoti trail, blue-resource protection area, orange-SPB reserve tree, white or blue banded-RCW cavity trees, green-SMZ, horseshoe-horse trail.).

d. Naturally occurring snags (i.e., dead trees).

e. Other trees, species, or size classes as designated by the assigned contract inspector.

4. Treatment Description: Stumps from severed stems to be no higher than 6 inches, cut flat, and horizontal to the ground. All vegetation must be completely severed from the stump and moved outside the trail corridor (2.5 feet either side of the trail bed). No cut trees shall be left hanging in nearby trees or vines. All slash shall be pulled back out of intersecting roads, road ditches, around culverts, and creeks.

a. Triclopyr 3 should be applied to broadleaf’s within the trail corridor of 2.5 feet. Herbicide should be used at a rate of 2.5-3% and be applied with a backpack sprayer. Other Herbicides and rates may be approved with AFC approval.

b. Manual injection should be at a rate of 50% herbicide and 50% surfactant. Other Herbicides and rates may be approved with AFC approval.

c. Refreshing of trail paint as needed (paint provided by Landowner)

d. Signage installed as needed (signs to be provided by Landowner)

5. Disposal of empty herbicide containers: Disposal of herbicide containers should follow the herbicide label.

6. Mixing herbicide: When mixing herbicide all PPE should be worn consistent with the herbicide label, all worker protection standards should be followed.

7. Applicators License: Contractor must be a license holder of a current Custom License from the State of Alabama Department of Agriculture for the following categories: Forest Pest Control and Ground Applicator. Supplier must provide a copy of the current Custom License from the State of Alabama for all required categories.

8. Hiker Safety AFC should be notified when work is being performed so that users of the trail can be notified.

Bid Item 3: Cut and Remove NOT to be implemented on National Forest property Technical Specifications:

1. Time of Treatment: Work to be completed, throughout the year.

2. Vegetation to be Treated: Trees to be identified at Contractors Discretion…All dead and dying (80% brown needles) pine trees that are over 4 inches DBH and of a height that would impact the trails corridor if the tree should fall naturally; all dead hardwood trees over 4” DBH and of a height that would impact the trail corridor if the tree should fall naturally; and all downed trees lying across the trail corridor.

3. Vegetation NOT to be Treated: Standing snags deemed unsafe for workers to cut.

4. Treatment Description: Stumps from severed stems to be no higher than 6 inches, cut flat, and horizontal to the ground. All vegetation must be completely severed from the stump and moved outside the trail corridor (2.5 feet either side of the trail bed). No cut trees shall be left hanging in nearby trees or vines. All slash shall be pulled back out of intersecting roads, road ditches, around culverts, and creeks. Tops and boles of these felled trees should be lopped and scattered to ensure the severed vegetation is cleared within the trail corridor plus 5ft.

5. Hiker Safety AFC should be notified when work is being performed so that users of the trail can be notified.

To view the areas of the Pinhoti trail representative to what is laid out to be maintained in the scope of this project are listed below. For more information go to https://www.pinhotiexperience.org/

Section 1: miles 4, 14 Section 3: miles 31, 32, 37, 38, 40 Section 4: miles 45, 49, 50, 51, 54, 58 Section 5: miles 61, 62, 68, 69, 70, 72 Section 6: mile 85 Section 7: miles 94, 95 Section 10: miles 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 135, 137, 139, 140, 142 Section 12: miles 155, 154, 164, 165, Section 13: miles 170, 171, 173, 174, 176, 177, 178