Statement of Work 2025 2026 Bareroot and Container Lift and Pack.pdf

2025/2026 JW Toumey Lift and Pack

STATEMENT OF WORK

Scope:

The contractor is to furnish all labor (including minimum of one English speaking supervisor per crew, this also includes each operating grading table), equipment, supervision, transportation, quality control and incidentals other than the items specified as Government-furnished, to provide services to lift, grade, and pack containerized and bareroot seedlings at the J. W. Toumey Nursery. Performance period is estimated to be September 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026, but changes to this timeline could happen due to environmental and seedling conditions factors. It is anticipated that this contract will comprise of four stages. One starting mid-September for about 400,000 holdover bareroot seedlings (consisting of 3- and 4-year-old stock) and about 5,000 container stock. This bareroot lift and pack will be non-dormant stock and will require additional care and will be slower to lift, grade and pack and delays in lifting should be expected due to weather conditions. For this reason, this will be a separate line item for pricing. The second stage will be a dormant late fall bareroot lift starting around the end of October or early November and is estimated to consist of about 15,000 seedlings and timelines should roll right into the third stage. This third stage is anticipated to start early November and is expected to consist of about 600,000 container stock. The anticipated fourth stage is expected to begin mid-April and consist of about 4,700,000 seedlings (consisting of 1–3-year-old seedlings), 1,300,000 holdover seedlings (consisting of 3-and 4-year-old stock), and about 20,000 container seedlings. The anticipated timelines and estimated stock types and number of seedlings are all subject to change due to weather conditions, seedling conditions and client seedling needs. The intent of this contract is to provide flexibility for the Nursery to meet the needs of its clients. See Table below for estimated dates, description and amounts.

Estimated Timming Description Estimated Amount (M) Early to Mid-September Holdover non-dormant1 bareroot stock

3-0 & 4-0

Greenhouse container stock 5 Late October/Early November

Bareroot stock 2-0 and 3-0 15

Early November Greenhouse container stock 600 Mid-April Bareroot stock 1-0, 2-0 and 3-0 4,700

Holdover bareroot stock 3-0 & 4-0 1,300 Greenhouse container stock 20

1) Bareroot stock during this lifting stage will be actively growing and additional care will be needed. Seedlings will not be packed as tight in tubs during lifting, stock will have to be immediately tubbed as they are lifted. Also, any hot days will delay activity and cause delays in lifting.

Location:

The project is located within Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, in Watersmeet on the Ottawa National Forest.

The specific location is JW Toumey Nursery, USDA Forest Service, E23985 Old US 2 East, Watersmeet, MI 49969.

The J. W. Toumey nursery will be lifting and packing approximately 6,415,000 bareroot seedlings and 625,000 containerized seedings as the weather permits. Weather conditions in Watersmeet during Spring and Fall Packing season can be below freezing in the morning to temperatures in the 50's and 60's in the afternoon. Wet cold conditions tend to be the norm for this time of season. Lifting bareroot seedlings will consist of approximately 300,000 to 500,000 seedlings per day due to storage capacity and shipping schedules. The nursery has two coolers, one for lifted seedlings (capacity 500,000 ungraded tubbed seedlings) and one for shipping (capacity 750,000 bagged/boxed seedlings). However, for the mid-September non-dormant bareroot lift, lifting will likely be closer to 100,000 – 150,000 seedlings per day. Seedlings must be graded and packed from the lift cooler before more seedlings can be lifted from the field. Packed seedlings must be shipped prior to grading additional seedlings. Shipping dates are set by the clients based on weather conditions, storage capacity, and planting contracts. This will dictate the scheduling of lifting and packing seedlings. Seedling temperature and moisture must be maintained to provide healthy vigorous seedlings for our clients. Shipping schedules will be determined as weather conditions are conducive to out-planting on the Lake States Forests. Generally, 6-9 workers are needed for lifting and loading. The grading facility is not heated and has 3 grading tables that can occupy 12-14 workers per table. Generally, 2 tables will need to be running at all times; and the third table will need to be ran when shipping schedules demand higher production in the packing shed. For container packing operations, generally only one table will be utilized. These seedlings are either stored in the coolers for later deliveries or sent directly to clients. Normal working hours will be regular Government working hours of operation (7:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday), unless otherwise mutually agreed to by the contractor and the Government. Weekend work is usually not anticipated but may occur depending on weather conditions and other circumstances. During the seedling pack operation, there may be instances of late morning start-ups or early afternoon shutdowns due to unsuitable weather or soil conditions in the fields.

Technical Requirements For Bareroot Operations

Crew supervisors shall be actively engaged in the supervision of their crew and always ensure seedling quality when the crew is working with the seedlings. The Contractor or the Contractor's designated representative shall remain on the Nursery work site while seedling processing is in progress. Crew supervisors shall always remain with their designated crews.

Lifting and Loading

The Contractor shall furnish at least one fluent English-speaking non-working supervisor for every 12 workers that will be used for crew supervision only. Typically, 6-9 workers are needed for lifting/loading.

The work shall include pulling seedlings from the seedbeds after they are undercut by the government, retrieving empty tubs from trailer, loading the seedlings properly into field tubs, and stacking the tubs onto trailers. The government will provide the tractor operator to move the trailer through fields and back to processing facility.

Undercutting Seedlings – Seedlings will be undercut in the beds by Forest Service personnel prior to hand lifting. The Contractor shall not begin to lift seedlings from the beds until directed by the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) or government representative.

Pulling Seedlings - Seedlings will be pulled from the seed beds by grasping 2 handfuls of seedlings at the soil line in the same seedling row and lifted with a steady pulling motion (not jerking motion) until the seedlings are free from the soil. Extreme care must be taken to avoid kinking or bending the stem of the seedling during lifting. The workers will shake the lifted seedlings to remove the excess soil from the root systems. Seedlings will not be beat or knocked against any object in an attempt to remove excess soil from the roots.

During wet soil conditions, extra effort will be needed to remove this soil from the roots in the field so that it is not brought into packing shed where it can create additional maintenance needs on conveyor belts, and adds additional weight to packaged seedlings.

Seedlings with excess soil will need to be brought back to the fields and shaken again until at acceptable level. Seedling beds are to be completely pulled. Leaving hard-to-pull or partially buried seedlings in the beds will not be permitted unless authorized by the COR on site.

Seedlings into Tubs – The Government will transport the empty seedling tubs to the lifting site. The Contractor will retrieve empty tubs from the trailers and distribute the empty seedling tubs with wet burlap in them along the seedling bed for use by the lifting crew.

After shaking the seedlings to remove all loose soil, the seedlings shall be immediately placed in the field tub and covered with burlap. All layers of seedlings in each tub will be placed in the same direction with no mixing of tops and roots. The seedlings must not be exposed to the open air for more than 20 seconds from the time they are free of soil to the time they are placed in the tub and covered with burlap.

Stockpiling of seedlings on the ground will not be allowed. The burlap will be placed in the seedling tub so that they cover the roots of the seedlings. All the roots and some of the shoot must be covered with moist burlap. The burlap will be tucked in on all sides of the tub when the tub is full. Filled tubs will be stacked on pallets on the trailer. Seedling lots will be labeled by Government employee on site.

Loading of Filled Tubs – The Contractor will load filled seedling tubs and properly stack them on pallets located on Government furnished trailers for transportation to packing facility. Tubs must not be over filled with seedlings. This will cause tubs to not stack properly and can cause the stacks to tip over while in transport. This will include, but will not be limited to, the following steps:

• When authorized by the COR, the Contractor will separate full tubs by individual seedling lots.

• Full tubs will be loaded onto pallets on the hauling trailer. Loading will be done when authorized by the COR or Government representative to maintain seed lot identity.

• The Government Inspector on site will track and label seedling lots prior to transporting for quality assurance.

• Filled tubs will be loaded onto trailers within 25 minutes when directed by the COR or Inspector to do so.

• The maximum number of tubs per trailer will be 144.

• At the end of each workday the empty tubs will be collected by the Contractor and loaded onto the hauling trailer. This tub pickup will be authorized by the

COR.

• There will be at least one fluent English-speaking Contractor’s rep with the lifting/loading crew.

• Workers are expected to dress appropriately for any kind of weather.

Grading, Sorting, and Packaging

The Contractor shall furnish at least one fluent English-speaking, non-working supervisor for each sorting belt. The Government plans to have the Contractor operate 2-3 sorting belts.

The bareroot seedling work shall also include grading, counting, root pruning, packaging, and keeping an accurate tally of the work completed. Tubs of seedlings will need to be loaded from back of the processing facility on to tables for grading. Once tubs are emptied, they should be refilled with burlap and stacked onto pallets. Once containers are emptied and returned, they will need to be stacked by size on available pallets. Any seedling not meeting standards will be discarded onto the floor or dumpster. Standards for each seedling lot will be provided when starting each seedling lot.

The Government recommends that each sorting belt includes the following positions:

Delivery of Seedlings to Sorting Tables -The Government will transport seedlings from the pre-cooler to the loading end of the sorting tables on pallets. The Contractor shall distribute the seedling tubs to the sorters on each belt either by hand carrying the tubs or by transporting them on the top belt of the sorting table. The Government will deliver containerized seedlings to the loading area. The Contractor shall distribute containerized seedlings to workstations.

Return of Empty Tubs with Burlap -The Contractor shall return the empty tubs with burlap to the loading ends of the packing shed. The Contractor shall dump excess soil from the tubs

Positions: Table 1 Table 2 Table 3 Sorters/graders 8-13 8-13 8-13 Buncher 1 1 1 Root Pruners 1-2 1-2 1-2 Bander 1-2 1-2 1-2 Bagger/Boxer 1-3 1-3 1-3 Inspector 1 1 1 Sweeper 1 into the dumpster provided, place one sheet of wet burlap back into the empty tub and stack them on pallets provided. Pallets will have 6 stacks of nested tubs. Each stack will contain 18 tubs, or amount specified by Government representative. The Government will transport completed pallets to the field.

Grading of Seedlings

• Seedlings will be graded to customer height and caliper specifications and Toumey Nursery grading standards for each seedling lot. The specifications will be displayed on white board suspended above each sorting table. Printed specifications will also be given to each belt supervisor upon request. Grading specifications will be subject to adjustment by the COR or table inspector at any time during the grading process.

• Each bareroot seedling will be completely separated from other seedlings in a manner that branches and roots will not be stripped or otherwise damaged. Seedlings need to be separated completely, to allow shoots and roots to untangle and straighten.

Seedlings will be grouped so that roots are straightened to facilitate root pruning.

Work will cease and be considered unacceptable if seedling roots are not adequately separated from other seedlings and not straight, to facilitate proper root pruning.

• Each seedling in the tub will be graded to ensure that it meets acceptable standards. Any seedling not meeting standards will be discarded onto the floor or dumpster.

• Acceptable bareroot seedlings will be placed in groups of five or ten, depending on species, on the sorting belt with the roots and tops properly oriented. The graders will cover unsorted bareroot seedlings with moist burlap when sorting ceases for any reason.

• Seedling counts, of five, ten, or twenty-five are considered critical to the operation and are required to be inspected by Contractor. If Government inspections yield incorrect counts, operations will cease and may result in deductions. This includes the counts of bundles placed in bags/boxes.

• Once a seedling order has been met, the COR or table inspector will direct the Contractor to either save remaining tubs or containers of seedlings or dump them in the dumpster at the end of the pack shed. Excess un-graded seedlings that are to be saved will be returned to the loading end of the pack shed in the tubs with burlap covering the root systems. The Contractor shall consolidate partial tubs. All tubs or containers will be stacked on pallets and the lot identification tag will be inserted into one of the tubs or containers to maintain identity of the seedlings. The Government will transport stacked tubs to the pre-cooler or move stacked containers.

• There is no heat in the packing shed building, so workers will need to dress appropriately.

• On occasion the Government may require Contractor to discard seedlings into provided tubs.

Bunching, Banding, and Pruning Seedlings

• Groups of graded bareroot seedlings will be root pruned at the end of and/or along the sorting belt and gathered into bunches of 25 or 50 seedlings, depending on species, unless otherwise directed by the COR or table inspector. Each bunch should be aligned for proper root pruning. If roots are not properly pruned, they will need to be redone. Unless agreed upon by COR, contractor will need to dedicate one person solely to root pruning per table.

• Bareroot seedlings will be pruned based on the customer’s specification for the seedling lot. The specifications will be displayed on the white board suspended above each sorting belt. Pruning specifications will be subject to adjustment by the COR or table inspector at any time during the grading process.

• Seedling roots will not be abused in any manner during the bunching and pruning operations. This includes striking them against person or objects to straighten them, combing them with fingers, or allowing the root systems to dry out. No bareroot seedlings will be left uncovered during breaks, down time or any other work stoppage. When work stoppage occurs, bunches of seedlings may be completed and placed in the seedling tub or covered with moist burlap.

• Bunches that have been root pruned, will be banded using Government provided rubber bands and a plastic banding tube, also provided, at the end of each sorting table.

Packaging of Seedlings - The Contractor will carefully count and package seedlings at the end of each sorting table. If the number of bundles placed into boxes are not correct, the entire lot may need to be recounted by the contractor. Specifications on the number of seedlings to be packaged in each bag or box will be given to each belt supervisor. Packaging specifications will be subject to adjustment by the COR or table inspector at any time during the packing process.

• Seedling bunches will be received at the end of each sorting table and carefully placed into bags or boxes.

• The number of seedlings packaged must be accurately counted, tracked, and recorded for each seedling lot.

• Seedlings must be handled with care. Bunches of seedlings should be placed into bags or boxes gently. Seedlings should not be dropped, thrown, or placed on the ground.

• When using boxes, the Contractor must build the box using staples to secure the bottom flaps, then line the inside of the box with a polybag liner.

• Appropriately seal bags/boxes after filling with seedlings. Bags are sewn shut with a sewing machine. When using boxes, the liner must be tucked around the seedlings to prevent moisture loss, then the box must be stapled shut on top (majority of the seedlings will be put into boxes). Seedlings will be entirely enclosed within the bag/box.

• A pre-printed sticker label must be affixed to the outside of each bag/box.

• Filled bags/boxes must be carefully loaded onto pallets.

• Move irons and pallets for easy loading. Load pallets with appropriate number of bags/boxes, per COR instruction. Once pallet is filled, adjust the irons so pallets can be stacked and moved with forklift.

• Handle bags/boxes of seedlings with care. Do not drop or throw bags/boxes onto the ground or pallet. Set them gently to maintain seedling viability.

• Keep different seedling lots separate when packing into bags/boxes and when loading onto pallets.

Sweeping Cull Seedlings and Cleanup - Cull seedlings and soil shall be swept from the floor throughout the work shift to provide a safe working environment for all personnel in the packing shed. Material shall be swept and loaded into dumpsters provided or piled at the end of pathways. The Government will transport and empty dumpsters as needed throughout the shift. After packaging the last seedlings, a final clean-up will involve a thorough clean-up of the packaging shed, sorting tables, and drains. Scrapers and water hoses should be utilized to clean the facility.

Additionally, all lifting tubs must be cleaned (scraped, and rinsed with hose) and all burlap should be removed from tubs and neatly laid onto pallets. Daily cleaning of the packing shed and restrooms is required. Packing shed will need to have discarded seedlings and debris loaded into dumpsters or trailer. Restroom facilities will need to be wiped down, floors swept and mopped, and garbage removed. The government will remove and empty dumpsters, and trailers, from grading facility.

Crew supervisors shall be actively engaged in the supervision of their crew and ensure seedling quality, at all times while the crew is working with the seedlings. The Contractor or the Contractor's designated representative shall remain on the Nursery work site while seedling processing is in progress. Crew supervisors shall always remain with their designated crews.

Work stoppages due to bad weather (heavy rain, snow, excessive mud, wind, frozen soil) or plant moisture stress; as well as work stoppage associated with the change to a new seedling lot, changes in specifications, multiple sorts, unacceptable performance, clean up, or other administrative work changes will not be considered as downtime.

Moving Seedlings

The Contractor may assist with moving seedlings, as requested by the COR. Duties may include the following:

• Load trucks with seedlings: Bags or Boxes of packaged seedlings are moved from a pallet and gently stacked into a refrigerated semi-truck trailer.

Miscellaneous Requirements

• The Contractor’s and Contractor's employees' vehicles shall not be permitted anywhere on the Nursery site other than in the designated parking area. However, the Contractor may use one crew bus or similar vehicle per crew to transport employees and required supplies between the parking area and the crew work area.

While traveling to the work site on the nursery property the Contractor’s vehicles will not exceed the 15 MPH maximum speed limit.

• The Contractor and Contractor's employees shall use service roads only and will not drive or walk in fields, unless specifically directed to do so by the Contracting Officer Representative.

• Contractor and Contractor's employees shall perform work in a safe manner. A daily safety briefing with the work crew is the responsibility of the Contractor. The Contractor will provide a first aid kit for his/her employees to use in the case of an injury. The Contractor will also be responsible for administering first aid to injured employees or providing someone who is trained to administer first aid.

• No firearms or controlled substances are permitted on the nursery site. No warming or cooking fires will be permitted in the parking lot or elsewhere on the Nursery site.

• No smoking will be permitted in the packing shed or other buildings. Smoking is permitted outside, at least 25 feet from a building.

• The contractor and contractor's employees shall maintain a clean work site. Lunch sacks and other debris shall be placed in Contractor-furnished garbage receptacles.

Cigarette butts shall also be disposed of in the garbage receptacles (not in fields or roads).

• Government-furnished equipment shall not be misused or abused by Contractor or employees.

• Only the Contractor and employees shall be permitted in designated work areas.

Family members and acquaintances of the Contractor or employees are not permitted to loiter on the Nursery site. Employees of the contractor are not permitted to bring their children to the work site when daycare and/or supervision of the children by other means are not available.

• Routine phone messages for the Contractor and their employees will not be accepted by the Nursery Receptionist. Only emergency phone calls should be directed to the Nursery front office.

• The Contracting Officer may require dismissal from the contracted work for any employees whom he/she deems incompetent, insubordinate, or otherwise objectionable.

Inspections and Acceptance

Government inspections are for the purpose of satisfying the Government that the services are acceptable and do not relieve the Contractor of the responsibility for maintaining quality control. The Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) or designated inspector will conduct all inspections. The Contractor (or designated representative) is encouraged to be present to observe inspections. Summary results will be made available on request.

The COR will notify the Contractor (or representative) of infractions as encountered. Infractions will be documented on the Lifting Inspection Form and used to determine damages.

Inspection of the sorted and graded seedlings will be done by COR or a designated Government inspector. Correct sorting, grading, and counting are critical to meeting contract requirements, a 0-10% sample will be taken from each seed lot. The root system, stem and foliage of the seedlings will be visually inspected for compliance with the nursery grading standards. Stem caliper and top height will also be measured for compliance with the grading standards for the product age and species. Seedlings which have defects will be counted and recorded by defect type. Seedling counts which are incorrect will be incorporated into acceptable seedling payment by number of seedlings over or under the designated count. The percentage of defective and acceptable seedlings sampled will be used to calculate the total number of defective and acceptable seedlings in the seed lot.

Defects include:

Lifting/Loading

1. Excess soil on seedling roots.

2. Abuse of seedlings while removing excess soil.

3. Failure to properly cover lifted seedlings.

4. Piling seedlings on the ground rather than placing them in a seedling tub.

5. Exposing root systems for more than 20 seconds.

6. Leaving any seedlings in the seed beds.

7. Walking on seedlings.

8. Over or under filling seedling tubs.

9. Failure to place seedlings in the same direction (mixing tops and roots) in the field tub.

10. Pulling seedlings with a jerking motion.

11. Failure to load filled tubs on the hauling trailer within the 25 minutes of lifting.

12. Mixing seed lots on the ground or on the trailer.

13. Tubs not stacked correctly allowing for potentially damaged seedlings or unsecure.

Grading/Sorting/Packaging

1. Seedling counts over or under the designated quantity.

2. Seedlings too short or too tall (plus or minus ½ inch)

3. Caliper too small (plus or minus .25mm)

4. Missing or broken terminal bud

5. J rooting

6. Forked or multiple stems

7. Discolored, diseased, or dead seedling.

8. Roots pruned too long or too short (plus or minus 1 inch)

9. Number of seedlings in bundle not specified amount required.

10. Mechanical damage to seedling or roots

11. Stripped roots.

12. Maintain seedling integrity.

Note: any of these defects may be deemed acceptable or changed by the COR on an individual seed lot basis.

Government-Furnished Property

The Government shall provide the Contractor the following listed materials, supplies, property, or services, for use in the performance of this contract, hereinafter referred to as Government-Furnished Property. This property shall be used and maintained by the Contractor in accordance with the provisions of the “Government Property” FAR clause, (Reference Clause 52.245-1 (Jan 2017)).

(1) Sorting Tables: The Government will furnish three (3) Sorting Tables for seedling processing. The tables can accommodate up to 13 sorters.

(2) Root Pruning Tables: The Government will provide manual root pruners (paper cutters) on stands for pruning seedling roots. Accommodate 2-4 root pruners depending on the type seedlings and speed of processing.

(3) Rubber bands, plastic bander: The Government will supply the rubber bands for banding the bundles of seedlings and a plastic bander that holds the rubber bands on each sorting table. Accommodate 1-2 banders.

(4) Packing material: The Government will furnish seedling bags/boxes.

(5) The Government will provide seed lot projections and write lot specifications on the white boards suspended at the end of each sorting table.

(6) Cleaning Equipment: The Government will furnish push brooms and scrapers, shovels, pitchforks, broom, and hose needed to clean the packing shed.

(7) Measuring equipment: Government will furnish rulers and caliper gauges at each workstation on the sorting table.

(8) Equipment Maintenance: Except for contractor performed clean up, the Government will maintain and repair all Government–furnished property.

(9) Restroom facilities: The Government will provide restrooms for the contractor’s employees along with necessary equipment to clean the restroom facility.

(10) Dumpsters: The Government will provide at least one dumpster for the placement of cull seedlings and soil that is swept up from the packing shed by the Contractor. The Government will empty the dumpsters as needed.

(11) Storage pallets and iron stackers: The Government will furnish storage pallets with iron bars for stacking filled seedling bags to be stored in the tree cooler.

(12) Tubs: The Government will provide tubs for transporting seedlings (20 3/4” x 17” x 12” in size).

(13) Burlap: The Government will provide burlap for the field tubs.

(14) Two (2) stock trailers: The Government will furnish 2 stock trailers with a tarp for hauling stacked tubs from the field and delivery to the pre-cooler. The Government will transport the filled trailer and return with empty tubs on pallets.

Technical Requirements For Container Stock Operations

Crew supervisors shall be actively engaged in the supervision of their crew and always ensure seedling quality while the crew is working with the seedlings. The Contractor or the Contractor's designated representative shall remain on the Nursery work site while seedling processing is in progress. Crew supervisors shall always remain with their designated crews.

The Government will deliver containerized seedlings to the loading area (tunnel). The Contractor shall distribute containerized seedlings in containers (styro-block and/or cone-tailer) to workstations. A minimum of one grading table will be used. If the contractor or government requests to use more tables, that must be agreed upon by COR along with number of additional workers to efficiently operate the second table. 9 graders,1 boxer, 1 box builder, and 1 inspector/paper cutter is generally needed to run one table.

Container seedlings will be carefully pulled from the container (styro-block and/or cone-tainer) to maintain the root plug. Seedlings will not be abused in any manner, such as beating them against person or objects, ripping them apart, or handling the root systems during the separation process. Each seedling in a container will be graded to ensure that it meets acceptable standards. Any seedling not meeting standards will be discarded onto the floor or dumpster. Standards for each seedling lot will be provided when starting each seedling lot.

The Contractor shall empty remaining contents of container (styro-block and/or cone-tainer) into the dumpster and stack on pallets in the loading area. The containers will be separated by size and stacked 11 containers to a layer and 12 rows tall for a total of 132 emptied containers per pallet. As pallets are filled, the Government will remove them from the loading area and provide additional pallets for stacking. Container seedlings will be “jelly- rolled” in wax-lined paper or plastic and held together with a rubber band at each workstation, with 25 seedlings to a bundle, unless otherwise directed. Seedling counts of twenty-five are considered critical to the operation and are required to be inspected by Contractor. If Government inspections yield incorrect counts operations will cease and may result in deductions and/or reworking.

The Contractor will carefully count and package seedlings at the end of each sorting table. Specifications on the number of seedlings to be packaged in each box will be given to each belt supervisor (generally 300

– 12 “jelly-rolls” of 25 seedlings). Packaging specifications will be subject to adjustment by the COR or table inspector at any time during the packing process.

Seedling “jelly-rolls” will be received at the end of each sorting table and carefully placed into boxes. The number of seedlings packaged must be accurately counted, tracked, and recorded for each seedling lot.

Seedlings must be handled with care. Bundles of seedlings should be placed into boxes gently. Seedlings should not be dropped, thrown, or placed on the ground.

The Contractor must build the boxes using staples to secure the bottom flaps, then line the inside of the box with a polybag liner. Appropriately seal boxes after filling with correct number of seedlings. The liner must be tucked around the seedlings to prevent moisture loss, then the box must be stapled shut on top.

A pre-printed sticker label must be affixed to the outside of each bag/box. (1 label on the small end of each box and 1 label on long end of a box per iron/pallet. Filled boxes must be carefully loaded onto pallets. Move irons and pallets for easy loading. Load pallets with appropriate number of boxes, per COR instruction. Once a pallet is filled, adjust the irons so pallets can be stacked and moved with a forklift.

Handle boxes of seedlings with care. Do not drop or throw boxes onto the ground or pallet. Set them gently to maintain seedling viability. Keep different seedling lots separate when packing into boxes and when loading onto pallets.

Cull seedlings and soil shall be swept from the floor throughout the work shift to provide a safe working environment for all personnel in the packing shed. Material shall be swept and loaded into dumpsters provided or piled at the end of pathways. The Government will transport and empty dumpsters as needed throughout the shift. After packaging the last seedlings, a final clean-up will involve a thorough clean-up of the packaging shed, grading tables, and drains. Scrapers and water hoses should be utilized to clean the facility.

Inspections and Acceptance

Government inspections are for the purpose of satisfying the Government that the services are acceptable and do not relieve the Contractor of the responsibility for maintaining quality control. The Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) or designated inspector will conduct all inspections. The Contractor (or designated representative) is encouraged to be present to observe inspections. Summary results will be made available on request.

The COR will notify the Contractor (or representative) of infractions as encountered. Infractions will be documented on the Lifting Inspection Form and used to determine damages.

Inspection of the sorted and graded seedlings will be done by COR or a designated Government inspector. Correct sorting, grading, and counting are critical to meeting contract requirements, a 0-10% sample will be taken from each seed lot. The root system, stem and foliage of the seedlings will be visually inspected for compliance with the nursery grading standards. Stem caliper and top height will also be measured for compliance with the grading standards for the product age and species. Seedlings that have defects will be counted and recorded by defect type. Seedling counts that are incorrect will be incorporated into acceptable seedling payment by number of seedlings over or under the designated count. The percentage of defective and acceptable seedlings sampled will be used to calculate the total number of defective and acceptable seedlings in the seed lot.

Defects include:

- seedling counts over or under the designated quantity

- seedlings too short or too tall (plus or minus 1/2 inch)

- caliper too small (plus or minus 0.25mm)

- missing or broken terminal bud

- forked or multiple stems

- discolored, diseased, or dead seedling

- number of seedlings in bundle not specified amount required

- maintain seedling/soil plug integrity

Note: any of these defects may be deemed acceptable or changed by the COR on an individual seed lot basis.

Government-Furnished

The Government shall provide the Contractor the following listed materials, supplies, property or services, for use in the performance of this contract, hereinafter referred to as Government-Furnished.

(1) Sorting Tables: The Government will furnish three (3) Sorting Tables for seedling processing.

The tables can accommodate up to 9 graders.

(2) Rubber bands: The Government will supply the rubber bands for banding the bundles of seedlings.

(3) Wax-lined paper: The Government will provide the wax-lined paper required for wrapping container seedlings.

(4) Packing material: The Government will furnish seedling boxes.

(5) Cleaning Equipment: The Government will furnish push brooms and scrapers, shovels, pitchforks, broom, and hose needed to clean the packing shed.

(6) Measuring equipment: Government will furnish rulers and caliper gauges at each workstation on the grading table.

(7) The Government will deliver full containers of seedlings on pallets to the processing area.

(8) Equipment Maintenance: Except for contractor performed clean up, the Government will maintain and repair all Government–furnished property.

(9) Restroom facilities: The Government will provide restrooms for the contractor’s employees along with the necessary equipment to clean the restroom facility.

(10) Dumpsters: The Government will provide at least one dumpster for the placement of cull seedlings and soil that is swept up from the packing shed by the Contractor. The Government will empty the dumpsters as needed.

(11) Storage pallets and iron stackers: The Government will furnish storage pallets with iron bars for stacking filled seedling bags to be stored in the tree cooler.