statement_of_work.docx

SECTION C

DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATION/WORK STATEMENT

BDO BLM FY25 Broadcast Seeding #1

I. GENERAL

A. Requirement - The Contractor shall furnish all necessary supervision, management, labor, equipment, materials, and incidental services to perform broadcast seeding for the BLM Boise District area of responsibility as specified herein.

Contractor shall be required to utilize a Differentially Corrected Global Positioning System (DGPS) for electronic navigation. System must be capable of utilizing ArcGIS ESRI shapefiles created by the government and provided in digital format to the contractor on a USB compatible flash memory stick.

1. On the ground flaggers and an auto-flagger system can supplement the DGPS system, but not substitute for it.

B. Navigation - DGPS is required for tracking and data collection. The Contractor shall provide all guidance equipment, materials, computers, printers, personnel, and services required for the system to be used. The system shall be sufficiently sensitive to provide immediate deviation indications (real-time).

The DGPS system must be capable of determining a differentially corrected location with an error of no more than one to two meters in the horizontal plane. The guidance system shall be capable of updating current position at a rate of a minimum of one time per second. Differential correction must cover the complete operational area. During operation differentially corrected signal must be accurately recorded at least 90% of the operational time. Differential correction may be provided by a portable differential station, FM radio fixed towers or satellite.

Software provided with DGPS must be designed for parallel offset in increments equal to the assigned swath width of the application equipment.

Contractor shall be required to provide Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) or Project Inspector (PI) a downloadable copy of software and instructions, if necessary, to view provided project log files. Copy of software will be returned after project completion upon request of Contractor.

II. EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS

A. Software - Software provided with DGPS must be designed for parallel offset in increments equal to the assigned swath width of the application equipment.

B. Log – Log must be capable of a minimum rate of one-second logging intervals. Full record includes position, time, altitude/elevation, speed track application system on/off, equipment number, operator, job name/number, and differential correction status. Must be capable of calculating and showing total acres treated during the seeding operation. Must be capable of downloading to a computer for post-application analysis and review. When viewed on a computer monitor or printer the seeding application log must show the entire seeding pattern of the equipment from the loading area, and differentiate between when equipment is en route to project area and when equipment is seeding on the project area. Export files of each seeding operation shall be provided and must be compatible with ARCGIS ESRI system. Contractor will provide export files on a USB drive. The DGPS system must be capable of zooming in on any portion of the treatment to view a specific area with greater detail.

C. Hardware:

i. Visual display monitor – Must be: (1) capable of displaying swath width over seeding path; (2) mounted in seeding equipment in a location that will allow the operator to view the screen with direct or peripheral vision without looking down; (3) have a method to display nested polygons to indicate sensitive or no-seeding areas within or adjacent to treatment blocks; (4) have a feature that allows the operator to return to the exact location of application shutdown and complete application without omitted or doubled treated areas.

ii. Control Keypad - The keypad must: (1) be able to input reference waypoints (A-B line); (2) have a feature which alerts the operator when they are about to enter or exit a specific treatment block or an exclusion area within a block; (3) have a method to display nested polygons to indicate sensitive or no-seeding areas within or adjacent to treatment blocks; (4) have a feature that allows the operator to return to the exact location of application shutdown and complete application without omitted or doubled treated areas.

ii. Course Deviation Indicator (CDI) - The course deviation indicator or course deviation light must have the capability to display both cross-track error and intercept angle to desired heading. The CDI must be installed on the seeding equipment in a location that will allow the operator to view the indicator with direct or peripheral vision without looking down. Cross-track error shall be adjustable down to 0.3 meters (1 foot).

iii. Memory - Must be capable of storing up to 8 hours of continuous equipment operation log data.

III. BASE OF OPERATIONS

The Contractor shall provide such seed loading sites as may be required for competent performance of contract. Use of any loading site shall be arranged by and at the discretion and risk of the Contractor, and the Government shall not be held responsible for any loss, mishap, or accident due to conditions of any loading facility used. If Contractor wishes to use BLM land this must be approved in advance by the COR. The Contractor shall provide appropriate warning signs for traffic if roads are used as loading sites.

IV. SEEDING

A. General - The Contractor shall seed designated areas in conformance with these specifications and the Detailed Specifications. Unless otherwise specified, the Contractor shall furnish at work sites applicator(s) experienced in applying seed in rough, rocky or mountainous terrain with varying topography and elevation, and all equipment, labor, supplies, and materials required to complete the job. The Contractor shall maintain equipment as necessary to maintain satisfactory operations and continuous progress on work.

B. Equipment - Contractor shall furnish sufficient equipment to satisfactorily seed the designated areas in the time specified as required in the Detailed Specifications. Equipment shall be capable of traveling at moderate speed and at a low altitude to give proper control and distribution of seed such that uniform seeding is achieved.

C. Communication - The Contractor shall furnish sufficient equipment to have communications with the Government either by using radio frequencies designated by the COR or designated representative, or by providing a radio to the COR or designated representative.

D. Seed Tanks/Buckets - Sagebrush seed presents unique problems due to its bulkiness and its tendency to bridge in the seed tank/bucket. In addition, it is anticipated that a majority of the sagebrush seed will have a high moisture content which causes seed to compact, clump and bridge even more severely. Therefore, seed tanks/buckets shall include mechanical or pneumatic agitation systems or loading techniques to prevent the seed from bridging in the bucket and allow for continuous flow of seed for even distribution.

i. Seeding equipment shall be equipped with suitable hoppers for carrying seed with an approved distribution mechanism complete with release, shutoff, and spreading device which can be calibrated for spreading seed at the required pounds (lbs) per acre rate in a satisfactory manner and uniform pattern. Seed hoppers or buckets shall include lids which fasten securely to prevent seed from blowing out during operation.

E. Seeder Calibration - The Contractor shall initially calibrate seeding equipment to each individual mix at the required lbs/acre seeding rate prior to application on specific project areas. The Government will supply seed for calibration. However, the seed may not be available until approximately two days prior to the approximate start date of the project. Seed used for calibration shall be recovered for use on the project.

F. Seed – Contractor may be responsible for field mixing certain seed mixes or portions of seed mixes, refer to Detailed Specifications section. Seed of the species required for the contract will be issued by the Government to the Contractor. The seed will be furnished at the Boise BLM Regional Seed Warehouse located in Boise, Idaho, Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. and require 24 hour advanced notice. Alternate hours of pickup may be arranged with the COR but cannot be guaranteed. Pickup times shall be coordinated between the COR and Contractor. Seed will be issued to the Contractor, or their authorized representative, and signed for on a receipt of property (DI-105) form.

Once the Contractor has been issued the seed, Contractor has accepted possession and shall be responsible for the transportation and protection of seed from loss or damage due to weather, rodents, insects, theft, or any other hazard. Any seed damaged or lost while in the custody of the Contractor will be replaced by the Government and actual cost to the Government for replacement will be deducted from payments due the Contractor. All unused seed shall be returned to the Boise BLM Regional Seed Warehouse by the Contractor upon completion of work or termination of the contract. All empty seed bags shall be tied in bundles of 25 bags each and returned to the Government by the Contractor.

G. Seeding Operation

i. Seeding Rate - Seed shall be distributed at the required seeding lbs/acre rate. Swath width will be established at time of equipment calibration and based on meeting the required lbs/acre seeding rate as stated in the Detailed Specifications or as directed by the COR. Periodic spot field checks throughout project implementation will be performed to ensure continued distribution at specified rates. Some seeding rates may be slightly reduced due to availability of seed and PLS ratings.

ii. Seeding Conditions - Seed shall not be applied when any wind gusts exceed 15 mph at the application site, at the altitude of the application equipment. Written permission by the COR prior to work being performed is required to allow work to continue in conditions where wind gusts exceed 15 mph. It is also desired by the Government that the ground be covered by a minimum of two inches of snow during seeding operations. Therefore, seeding may be delayed a few days if there is no snow on the ground and snow is predicted within the two-day weather forecast.

iii. Coverage – The entire ground surface within the treatment area shall receive uniform coverage at the specified rate unless otherwise specified, and except for exclusion areas as specified by the Government. Areas excluded from seeding operations within the work site boundaries shall not be included in the acreage computed for payment. Such areas will be specified in advance of seeding operations on work maps. Seeding strips shall be patterned and applied to achieve the highest possible uniformity of seed distribution. Such distribution shall not vary more than fifteen (15) percent above or below the average distribution of seed per unit on ground surface for the particular project seeding area.

Seed application shall be at the appropriate altitude above ground level to obtain proper distribution, uniform coverage, and seeding rate in lbs/acre of seed. Field checks will be made as operations progress to determine uniformity of application at the required lbs/acre rate. Any areas missed by the Contractor or seeded to less than the specified rate shall be re-treated and brought up to specifications, compensated by seeding additional acreage, or by suitable deduction from the contract price, at the option of the Government and at no additional cost to the Government.

Seed openings of the distribution mechanism shall be checked at sufficient intervals to ensure proper functioning and even distribution of seed at all times. If at any time of inspection equipment is found to have seed openings not properly operating or feeders that are blocked by trash the Contracting Officer may require re-seeding of that portion of the area that the Government determines was not properly seeded at no additional cost to the Government.

iv. Land Ownership Patterns - Project sites include varying land ownership patterns. State and/or private land can be surrounded by BLM lands or BLM lands may be surrounded by private and state lands. Contractor shall be capable of seeding small irregular shaped areas in difficult terrain while avoiding lands not managed by the BLM that are not included in this contract.

v. Terrain - Project sites may be located in hilly to steep terrain of differing elevations. Contractor shall be capable of applying seed in contouring patterns as influenced by topography. Contractor shall be capable of distributing the seed in varying elevations while maintaining applicable above ground level application height based on varied terrain below (i.e. not at one fixed height for all varying terrain). Contractor will not be allowed to apply the seed at one fixed height above ground level in varying terrain contours and elevation.

vi. Ground Damage - Project sites may be located in steep hilly inaccessible terrain, and may be muddy, frozen or snow covered. Contractor cannot apply seed if seeding equipment or ground support equipment would result in sustained and visible damage to ground (e.g. damaging existing vegetation, creating ruts). Any wheel, track or other marks will not be allowed.

vii. Application Inspections - The Government will test at the beginning of operations, and periodically throughout project implementation, to ensure seeding uniformity and consistency of lbs/acre seeding rate are being met. Inspection method for lbs/acre requirements will be determined through ground-based measurements of seed applied for each seed mix/bid item. Seed samples from application will be collected on inspection trays and measured through seed counts for proper distribution and lbs/acres seeding rates. Additionally, pounds of seed distributed and acres seeded will be tracked to ensure required application rates are being achieved. Should the Contractor wish to object in any way to the inspection sampling done at any particular time by the Government, the Contractor or authorized representative shall be present in person to voice said objections when said weight recording and/or ground recovery samplings are accomplished, and to agree upon new records and/or samples at the time, after which the weight recording and ground recovery sampling done by the Government shall be final and binding in the settlement of the contract.

H. Work stoppages – In accordance with clause 52.242-15 Suspend Work Order, the Government may stop seeding operations at any time when seeding conditions are considered sufficiently unfavorable to warrant stoppage. Contractor shall not proceed until a Resume Work Order is authorized by the Contracting Officer. Any time for which work is suspended by the Government because of unsuitable seeding conditions will be counted against the contract completion time. The performance period includes work stoppages and partial work days anticipated due to adverse weather or ground conditions.

I. Completion of Contract - The Contract will be considered completed and payment due when all seed furnished to the Contractor by the Government has been seeded to the standards specified above and when all areas designated under the contract have been seeded to the said standards, or if performance under the contract is ordered terminated by the Government.

J. Safety Hazards - Any ground or above ground hazards that would pose a danger to Contractor’s personnel or operating equipment must be identified and mitigated by the Contractor prior to commencing operations.

K. Payment - Measurement for payment for seeding will be the actual area, in acres, within the designated boundaries satisfactorily seeded in conformance with these specifications. Measurement will be made from the ArcGIS polygons provided by the government. Acreages will be computed from horizontal distances as shown on maps. Payment will be made at the unit price per acre specified in the Bid Schedule and shall include the cost of all work described in this paragraph and the Detailed Specifications, including any re-seeding, if such work is required. Acreages will not be computed from DGPS acreages covered. Contractor must factor in additional seeding application time required for coverage of the polygons, strip seeding, and any contour application that may be required to properly cover the area and varying terrain.

L. Licenses and Permits – The Contractor is required to possess and hold throughout the duration of the contract any and all required licenses and permits.