Landscape Services for USDA-FS Region 5 Regional Office Building

Request for solicitation of interested vendors in landscaping services for the Region 5 Regional Office landscape.This renewal requires removal of trees and shrubs, planting of ground covers, shrubs, and trees, tree pruning, mulching, fertilizing, and removal and replacement of irrigation system. The Regional Office is located on Mare Island at 1323 Club Drive, Vallejo, CA 94592. The Services shall commence on April 1, 2024 and shall continue through June 28, 2024. Scope of Work Contractor shall provide the Services and Deliverable(s) as follows: 1. Contractor shall provide all materials, labor, and supervision to renew landscape areas outlined in Appendix A. 2. The Contractor's landscaping shall at a minimum meet the following requirements. 3. Existing Conditions: Protect existing site and plants not to be removed or replaced. 4. Damages created and not repaired to original conditions will be repaired and separately expensed to the contractor. 5. All materials removed shall be appropriately disposed of off-site by the contractor. 6. Areas, larger than 1 foot in diameter, where water pools shall be identified and brought to elevation high enough to drain properly. 7. IRRIGATION a. Installers: Entity that employs a Certified Irrigation Designer qualified by the Irrigation Association or Professional Technical Class member of the American Society of Irrigation Consultants. b. Electrical Components, Devices, and Accessories: Listed and labeled as defined in NFPA 70, by a qualified testing agency, and marked for intended location and application. c. Remove existing irrigation drip lines throughout site. d. Evaluate existing irrigation water supply equipment for repair, removal, or replacement. e. Provide detailed line item costs to repair or replace existing water supply equipment to irrigate existing and new irrigation areas. f. All removed components shall be properly disposed of at proper off-site disposal centers. g. Design 100 percent coverage drip irrigation system including new and existing trees and shrubs and back of building areas where no irrigation currently exists. h. Install drip tube system and all necessary items for a fully functional irrigation system. i. Do not interrupt existing water service to facilities. j. Provide Irrigation Zone Control: Automatic operation with controller and automatic control. k. Submit irrigation plan, water flow data, manufacturer cut sheets, and shop drawings for all irrigation components and irrigation system to COR for review and approval. l. Irrigation system shall minimize power and water use. m. Components shall be of recycled materials and/or able to be recycled. n. Irrigation system shall use BAA (Buy American Act) product approvals. 8. PLANT MATERIALS a. Remove all dead, dying, or diseased vegetation in existing landscape beds identified in Appendix A. b. Remove or grind all existing stumps and protruding roots flush with soil level to prevent trip hazards. c. Grind or remove all roots from newly removed shrubs and trees. d. Design and plant new landscape areas at significant points around facility including but not limited to (reference planting areas as noted in Appendix A). i. Employee entrance drive both sides. ii. Front visitor entrance both sides including concrete planter bed. Design planting so that front entrance is visible, inviting, and attractive. iii. Back of building full length of north building and around equipment building. Utilize ground cover with plantings at employee entrances. iv. North employee entrance near employee entrance drive. v. Delivery entrance and around equipment by delivery entrance. vi. Employee picnic area on back side of building. vii. Instead of mulch, provide and plant native ground covers along sloped areas that cannot hold mulch. e. Landscape areas shall be planted with drought resistant perennial shrubs and ground covers and provide a uniform and healthy appearance throughout the USFS Campus. f. Plant material shall be drought resistant, non-invasive, nonpoisonous to animals or humans, and native to the local ecosystem. g. Plant material shall be sized with full consideration for mature height and width. h. Overall plant palette shall be limited in type of plant material for ease of maintenance and cohesive design around facility. i. Plant material shall be that without fruit, messy seed pods, and frequent shedding of branches. j. Select trees with few or no insect and disease problems. k. Plants with thorns or prickly burrs are not to be used. l. Provide healthy plants from a commercial nursery. m. Provide a limited variety of trees and shrubs: i. Evergreen and deciduous ii. Columnar, oval, round iii. Loose open structure iv. Textural variety from fine to coarse n. Provide planting plan showing shrub and tree (see notes below) locations, plant key, species and variety, quantities, container size, botanical names, and common names for review and approval. TREES a. Existing trees to be removed as noted in Appendix A, approximately 3 trees, including one large tree and two 6-8 feet trees for reuse. Number to be verified on site. b. Remove or grind protruding stumps and tree roots from all removed trees and shrubs, including those remaining from earlier removal. c. All remaining trees to be pruned by an arborist currently credentialed by International Society of Arborists. Trained employees of this ISA credentialed arborist may perform the work under the close supervision of this arborist. d. Trees are to be pruned in accordance with the current ISA Best Management Practices and guidelines. e. Trees to be pruned to promote their health, remove suckers, crossing branches, and weak branches. f. No pollarding of trees is allowed. g. Trees are not to be topped or deliberately cut back to reduce their central leaders and height. h. Include new trees in planting plan as noted above in Plant Material for review and approval. COMPOST a. Use compost as needed for infill at low areas, drainage, etc. b. Prepare planting holes with compost. c. Compost shall be a well decomposed, stable, weed free organic matter derived from food waste, yard trimmings, manure, bio-solids, and other recovered organic materials. d. The product shall contain no substances toxic to plants and shall be reasonably free (1% by dry weight) of manmade foreign matter. e. The compost will possess no objectionable odors and shall not resemble the raw material from which it was derived. f. The product shall be certified through the U. S. Composting Council's (USCC) Seal of Testing Assurance (STA) Program. 11. FERTILIZER a. Apply slow-release fertilizer to all new and existing plants and trees. b. Fertilizers shall be made from recovered organic materials such as alfalfa meal, blood meal, cottonseed meal, fish meal, seaweed, meat and bone meal, poultry manure. c. It shall contain the highest percentage of recovered materials practical while maintaining a satisfactory cost and level of competition. d. Submit recommended fertilizer data for review and approval. MULCH a. Install mulch in all landscape beds on regional office grounds. i. Mulch shall be applied uniformly around the regional office grounds. ii. Mulch shall be natural, undyed large wood nuggets. iii. Mulched areas shall be at an even minimum depth of 3 with a uniform appearance. iv. Mulch shall be organic in nature. No synthetic mulch shall be used. v. Mulch must be free from deleterious materials and suitable as a top dressing for trees and shrubs. vi. Mulch must consist of shredded hardwood. vii. There is mulch on site, approximately 80 yards, that should be used by the contractor. This mulch can be used as a base or in remote areas where visibility is low. Coordinate locations with COR. This on-site mulch will not be replenished. Contractor shall be responsible for providing all additional mulch once this on-site mulch is exhausted. b. Install continuous and uniform mulch containment borders around the entire perimeter of all landscape beds on the regional office grounds. i. Borders shall be at a height no less than 4 inches above finished grade and width no less than 3/32 to contain mulch in designated areas and out of pathways, parking areas, and sidewalks. ii. Borders shall contour with existing sidewalks, walkways or traffic ways and not impede foot or vehicle traffic or create an unsafe condition for pedestrians or vehicles traffic. iii. Borders shall be properly anchored into existing ground cover to prevent movement and not impede irrigation system components. iv. Wood material or wooden landscape timbers shall not be used as border material. v. Submit border material sample at least 8 in length for review and approval. 13. SITE a. Access to the campus and parking will be provided to crew and for up to three vehicles to all areas required to perform the work. b. The Contractor may request permission to store equipment, tools, and materials on site at the Regional Office Building parking area. Any on-site storage must be reviewed and approved by the COR. Items left on USFS property are solely the responsibility of the contractor. c. The Contractor shall be provided Visitor Access badges while performing the work under this contract. d. The Contractor shall meet the Forest Service COR or facilities operation specialist for Visitor Access badges. e. Visitor Access badges shall be returned to the COR or facilities operation specialist at the end of each business day. f. The work will be conducted at the Pacific Southwest Region, Region 5, Regional Office Building, located at 1323 Club Drive, Vallejo, California 94592. g. The work will be conducted during the business day, Monday through Friday between the hours of 7:30am and 4:30pm and shall exclude all Federal Holidays.