Tamarack Chimney Stewardship IRSC, Plumas National Forest, R5 CA

Background: The Tamarack Chimney Stewardship IRSC shall be awarded under the following authority.

Stewardship Authority:  Section 604 (16 USC 6591c) of Public Law 108-148 as amended by Section 8205 of Public Law 113-79, the Agricultural Act of 2014—Grants the U.S. Forest Service (Government) permanent authority to enter into stewardship contracts or agreements to achieve land management goals for the National Forests or public lands that meet local and rural community needs. Section 8205 supersedes the temporary authority granted to the Forest Service (Government) in section 347 of Public Law 105-277, the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Appropriations Act, 1999. 

Project Location: The project area is located near Little Grass Valley Reservoir off the 22N94 and 22N27 roads and lies entirely on National Forest System lands within the administrative boundaries of the Feather River Ranger District, Plumas National Forest in California.  Tamarack Flat area is located 55 miles from Oroville, CA via Lumpkin Road.  Legal land description: T. 22N, R 8E., Sections 15,22-26 and T 22N, R 9E, Sections 19 and 30, Plumas County, CA.  (See draft maps uploaded as attachments to this notice.)

Description: The Plumas National Forest is currently preparing the Tamarack Chimney Stewardship IRSC which aims to restore forest health, treat hazardous fuels adjacent to roads and neighboring landscapes, reduce the future risk of high severity wildfire, and perform meadow enhancement. Goals will be accomplished through a series of silvicultural and fuels management activities designed to reduce the hazardous fuel on the landscape.

The following work activities are anticipated as mandatory work items:

Item 1. The resultant contract will include Forest product removal on 250 acres with an estimated volume of 53 mbf of Douglas Fir, 71 mbf of Incense Cedar, 16 mbf of Ponderosa Pine, 424 of Sugar Pine, 1,442 mbf of White Fir. A total of 2,006 mbf of sawlogs, (10,389 tons) is included in the project. This includes the volume of the mandatory Units 1-6.

Volume will be sold in tons. The minimum merchantable dbh for product removal will be 20 inch for all species.

 Item 2.  Road maintenance (estimated 6 miles) to facilitate hauling of included timber.

The costs for Items 1 and 2 have been appraised for in the timber value; therefore, separate payment for this work will not be made.

Item 3.  Treat hazardous fuels along roadsides. Mechanically cut and pile unmerchantable material in all timber salvage units that can reach roadsides (8.0 inch to 19.9 inch dbh conifers and hardwoods) – Units 1-6. (250 acres)

Optional work items are anticipated to include:

Item 4.  Mechanically cut and pile all dead conifers and hardwoods (8.0 inch dbh and above) in meadow units 7-10 with option to remove timber as subject to agreement. (90 acres)

Item 5. Handcut/handpile all dead conifers and hardwoods (8.0 dbh to 24.0 dbh) in stream buffers in meadow units 7-10. (25 acres)

Items 6. and 7. Transport surplus timber products via truck or rail to be paid for by the ton.  These optional items are part of a PILOT project intended to:

1. Deliver products to other markets when local industry does not have the capacity to process the products prior to deterioration.
2. Deliver products to other markets when local industry is highly limited or does not exist.

The tentative plan is to require Items 1, 2 and 3 to be completed by June 2024 and optional items 4 and 5 by June 2025.
 

*A performance incentive/bonus may be included within the solicitation terms and conditions to encourage early completion of the mandatory and optional items awarded.  

Pre-solicitation Site Visit Date and Time:   A site visit is tentatively planned for early May (when snow is melted off project site) with prospective contractors to facilitate dialogue on contractual requirements that are anticipated in the contract and any operational limitations foreseen by attendees. The initial meeting location is the Intersection of 22N94 and 22N27 roads in unit 5 of the project. 

The complete solicitation is anticipated to be posted in mid-May 2022 with all final technical specifications, maps and attachments provided at that time.