STATEMENT_OF_WORK-rw27June.docx

STATEMENT OF WORK

Timber Stand Improvement United States Military Academy (USMA)

Purpose The USMA Natural Resources Branch proposes to contract for technical forestry services to conduct timber stand improvement operations. Its purpose is to improve growing conditions for commercial timber, reduce competition from undesirable forest vegetation, remove invasive and exotic vegetation and improve, safety, line of sight and maneuverability through forest understory for military training.

Work Methods The contractor shall remove selected tree species under 3 inches diameter at breast height (dbh) and all shrubs within the approximately 20-acres of project area, except those designated to remain by the government. Contractor shall remove individual trees marked by government officials up 6-inches dbh. Individual trees to be removed will be marked with flagging or timber marking paint of an agreed upon color. All trees and shrubs will be mulched in place; that is, the mulch from each tree or shrub will be left on the specific location, generally within twenty feet of the stem, occupied by that tree or shrub. Mulch will not be placed in piles or distributed elsewhere in the project area. All tree stumps and brush stubble must be mulched down to within no more than three inches from the ground. No debris shall remain that exceeds two feet in length or three inches in diameter.

Equipment Specifications Contractor must have a machine that meets the following requirements:

1) Ground pressure less than 8 psi;

2) Negotiate tight spots without damaging residual and desirable vegetation.

3) Ability to mow over and around mower hazards such as rocks or wire;

4) Be able to mulch/mow woody stems up to 6" dbh.

Use of hand tools and hand power towers may be necessary for portions of the project area to ensure minimal impact to surrounding environment.

Equipment Restrictions All mechanized equipment must be free of leaks in fuel and hydraulic lines during the course of this operation and must be removed from the site at the conclusion of the operation. Further, all mechanized equipment must carry spill response equipment, such as oil-absorbent pads at all times to be used in the event of a fluid spill. Additionally, machine operators must exhibit due diligence in making sure all machines are free from seeds or parts of invasive plant species prior to transport onto government property. Exotic plants are frequently spread through the use of heavy machinery. Cleaning machines prior to transport will reduce the possibility of spreading these nuisance species. Nuisance exotic plant species in the northeast include Asiatic bittersweet, bush honeysuckles, autumn and Russian olive, multiflora rose, buckthorns and others. Cleaning is generally accomplished with a high-pressure sprayer.

Permits All permits regarding transfer of machinery to and from the work site, and loading and unloading of machinery at the work site are the responsibility of the contractor.

Environmental Control The Contractor shall undertake every reasonable measure to minimize erosion and soil damage in connection with any operations under this contract. Further, the Contractor shall comply with all applicable state and federal laws pertaining to water quality in connection with any operations under this contract. The Contractor shall take every reasonable precaution not to pollute or obstruct the flow of any stream. No hazardous materials, including but not limited to oils, fuels, and hydraulic fluids may be deposited on government lands. In the event that hazardous materials are deposited on Installation lands through an accidental spill or otherwise, the Contractor agrees to immediately contain report the spill to the Contracting Officer Representative (COR). The Contractor shall be liable for all costs incurred resulting from the cleanup of all spills and leakages of hazardous materials from the Contractor's equipment. The Contractor agrees to correct the situation to the satisfaction of the government, including but not limited to removal and appropriate disposal of contaminated soil based on the Installation's determination.

Storage and Handling of Hazardous Materials All petroleum products, industrial chemicals and similar materials shall be stored in durable containers in areas so located that any accidental spillage shall not drain into any river, watercourse, lake, or reservoir.

Waste disposal The Contractor shall, to the satisfaction of the COR, remove or otherwise dispose of all garbage, trash, litter, discarded equipment or parts, waste materials or other refuse resulting from the operation including used oil absorbent pads. Waste materials such as oil, grease and similar substances shall not be disposed of on site, but shall be removed from the site in a durable container and disposed of in a manner that will prevent their entry by drainage, high water or other means into any river, watercourse, lake or reservoir.

Safety and Health The Contractor shall conduct all operations in connection with this contract in compliance with applicable provisions of Federal, State and Local labor safety, health and sanitation laws, codes, and regulations.

Government Site Preparation The government will mark the boundary of the project area with flagging ribbon.

The government will mark all trees and shrubs that are to remain within the project area with flagging of a color different than that used for boundary marking.

Contracting Officers Representative (COR) /Point of Contact (POC) The Government COR/POC for this contract is will be identified with the award of the contract.

Government Furnished Property The Government will furnish the following to the Contractor:

Contractor Furnished Property Except for the government furnished property listed above, the Contractor shall provide all equipment, materials and vehicles needed to complete the requirements of this contract.

Period of Performance There will be a site visit after contract award.

The Contractor shall begin brush removal as early as practical, no earlier than 12 August 2016 and complete work no later than 31 March 2017 The contractor will complete work within 30-days of project initiation; that is, from first day of actual brush removal. The Contractor shall complete all mowing, clean up and other work required under this contract within this time frame. The parties here to agree that the time specified herein for completion is adequate and includes ample allowance for delays normally encountered in this type of operation.

The Contractor shall not work during the first week of the New York State (NYS) ‘Regular’ or ‘Early Bow’ deer hunting seasons.

Extension of Time The Contracting Officer may by a Change Order extend allocated time for removal:

a. When the Contractor desires a reasonable extension of time for his own convenience, provided (1) the Contracting Officer determines that the extension will not endanger required installation deadlines, and (2) the consideration for the extension is mutually agreed upon by Contractor and said Officer.

b. For delays due to fires, floods, earthquakes, epidemics, quarantine, strikes or unsatisfactory soil and work area conditions, provided, that the contractor shall within 10 days from the beginning of any such delay, notify the Contracting Officer in writing of the dates and causes of delay. Delays resulting from weather will not normally be justification for an extension of time.

Hours / Days of Operation The Contractor shall restrict work to daylight hours. The Contractor shall not work on weekends or holidays, unless a waiver is obtained in advance from the COR/POC.

Access The Contractor shall coordinate all access to USMA through the COR/POC. Access to various sections of USMA is often restricted due to military training activities, so the Contractor shall maintain close coordination with the COR /POC to schedule access times. Access to work area may be shut down due to inclement weather or unsatisfactory work conditions. COR/POC will monitor the areas and determine when work may continue. In cases when weather prevents work for long durations, extensions to work period for performance will be extended.

Identification The Contractor shall have an identification letter (provided by the POC) in his possession at all times when on USMA.