2020 Swauk Pine Machine Mastication, Pre-Commercial Thinning, and Handpiling

AMENDMENTS TO THE SOLICITATION

Amendment 01: Issued 5/26/2020*

        *Remember to acknowledge amendment(s).

PROJECT LOCATIONS

Note: Refer to attached "Project Maps" in this BetaSAM posting The project locations are on the Cle Elum Ranger District of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Due to closures of temporary roads or other blocked access, distance, and geographic location of units walk-in access may be required. It is up to the contractor to know the contract areas and bid accordingly to available access.

UNIT BOUNDARIES AND FLAGGING

Unit boundaries are definable by orange boundary tags labeled with the unit name and number and flagged with pink/black striped flagging. Riparian areas will be flagged along with no treatment zones in advance with black/yellow striped flagging. Forest Service will monitor soil moisture and advise the contractor when soils are dry enough for work.

SCOPE OF CONTRACT

The purpose of this contract is to secure services for mechanical slash treatment, pre commercial thinning and handpiling on the Cle Elum Ranger District, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Item 001 includes sapling thinning and handpiling and items 002 and 003 includes machine mastication. Treatments will require both hand felling and machine mastication; Work shall commence a􀃎er seasonal restrictions. 

SERVICES TO PERFORM

Work shall include sapling thinning, handpiling, mechanical mastication and associated treatments in compliance with the terms, specifications, and provisions of this contract. This includes furnishing labor, equipment, supervision, transportation, operating supplies and incidentals except those items, if any, listed as government furnished property (GFP).

MACHINE MASTICATION

Mastication will be done with a single pass of low ground pressure maneuverable tracked equipment, rating of 8 psi or less and with an articulating arm capable of reaching at least 20 feet. Machinery shall use designated skid trails. Passes off designated skid trails shall be limited. The slash material would be shredded and scattered for natural incorporation into the soil.

The desired outcome is to prevent detrimental soil conditions and prevent harvest/fuel treatment units from exceeding 20% detrimental soil conditions per “Soil Quality Standards.’’ Slash treatment operations shall not begin until soil moisture levels are sufficiently low to prevent soil rutting, displacement and soil compaction from equipment operations. Slash treatment shall be suspended if soil moisture levels subsequently exceed standards and guides due to adverse or unusual weather conditions.

PRE-COMMERCIAL THINNING AND HANDPILING

Objectives are to support crown expansion and accelerate growth of residual trees, and shift species composition to Douglas-fir and western larch. Trees up to 10” DBH will be non-commercially thinned, tree topping for wildlife snags may also occur in the 8”-10” class. Approximately 50-70 trees per acre would be retained, including some clumps of 2-6 trees.

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance is thirty-three (33) calendar days from date of Notice to Proceed (NTP) for all line items.  This performance time does not include the seasonal restrictions listed below. Performance time will cease during the seasonal restriciton and commence after those timeframes.

SEASONAL RESTRICTIONS

Unless a special waiver is granted (based on spotted owl surveys) all activities are prohibited between March 1 and August 31. Activities are prohibited between March 1 through July 15 for mule deer and elk calving restrictions.

ROAD ACCESS

Contractor is encouraged to look at the sites to determine road access, and conditions of the road. The Forest Service assumes no obligations to plow snow or perform special maintenance on roads. Contractor is responsible for removal of wind falls. To minimize soil erosion and damage to National Forest land and roads, all roads are subject to closure during spring and fall, or whenever soil or weather conditions require it. Inaccessibility due to slides or washouts of roads or other unexpected conditions may or may not be corrected at the option of the Government.  If road access has been significantly altered from that which has been described above, or on the contract unit maps, the Government may provide an alternate route or delete the inaccessible unit(s).

ESTIMATED ACRES

An estimate of 30 acres of east side pre-commercial thinning and handpiling and an estimate of 90 acres of machine mastication.

OBLIGATIONS OF THE CONTRACTOR

At all times during performance of this contract and until the work is completed and accepted, the contractor shall directly superintend the work or assign and have on the project site a foreman who is conversant in the English language, who is satisfactory to the Contracting Officer and who has authority to act for the contractor.

CONTRACT TYPE

This will be a stand-alone, firm-fixed-price (FFP), commercial service contract.