NORTH ZONE/REGION 5 MECHANICAL MASTICATION

Amendment 3: The new Contracting Officer POC for this sources sought announcement is Toinette Aranda. toinette.aranda@usda.gov. Please reach out to her with any questions or concerns. Amendment 2: Extends Respose Date to 2/21/25. Adds schedule of items with estimated acreage for each forest under R5 North Zone, California. Reminder to submit ALL documents as requested in SECTION 12 below. Amendment 1: Extend Response Date to 2/17/25. We are working on providing acreage information and answers to Q&A received.We will post this information within the next week or so. REQUEST FOR INFORMATION NORTH ZONE/REGION 5 MECHANICAL FUELS REDUCTION 1.0. Description 1.1. Overview The United State Department of Agriculture, Forest Service in support of (6) six forests in the California North Zone/Region 5 (Klamath National Forest, Lassen National Forest, Mendocino National Forest, Modoc National Forest, Shasta-Trinity National Forest and Six Rivers National Forest) is conducting a market survey to determine the interest, capability of Industry, expectant cost, necessary timeframe, and recommendations to provide mechanical vegetation manipulation essential for timber stand improvement and fuel reduction treatments. Vicinity maps identifying forest locations shall be included in the project task orders. Tasks may be located on the following forests listed above. 1.2 Request for Information Limitations THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a Request for Quote (RFQ) or Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. This RFI does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service. Respondents are advised that the U.S. Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI; all costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested party's expense. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFQ or RFP, if any is issued. 2.0 Background The North Zone of Region 5 in California encompasses a diverse range of national forests that represent the rich ecological, cultural, and recreational resources of the region. These forests include the Klamath National Forest, Lassen National Forest, Mendocino National Forest, Modoc National Forest, Shasta-Trinity National Forest and Six Rivers National Forest. Spanning across Northern California, these forests offer a diverse array of landscapes, from rugged mountain ranges and volcanic plateaus to lush river valleys and dense old-growth forests. Home to diverse ecosystems supporting a wide variety of unique wildlife and plant species, including several rare and endangered varieties. These forests also provide critical watershed functions, ensuring clean water for surrounding communities and habitats. In addition to their ecological significance, the North Zone forests have deep cultural and historical importance, with ties to Indigenous tribes who have inhabited the area for thousands of years. They also offer abundant recreational opportunities, such as hiking, camping, fishing, and winter sports, making them valuable for both residents and visitors seeking to experience the natural beauty of Northern California. The importance of mechanical vegetation manipulation and fuel reduction treatments has become increasingly evident. These practices are vital for maintaining forest health and resilience, especially in the face of climate change and the growing intensity of wildfires in California. Mechanical thinning, prescribed burns, and other fuel reduction treatments help to reduce the build up of hazardous fuels, decrease wildfire severity, and protect communities and critical infrastructure. Additionally, these treatments promote growth of native vegetation, enhance wildlife habitat, and improve overall forest ecosystem function. Through sustainable forest management and conservation efforts, the forests in the North Zone of Region 5 collectively support biodiversity, environmental health, fire resilience and fostering community engagement with the natural world. 2.1. Technical Definitions Brush Stem: Any brush or forbs, 1/2 inch diameter or larger, 12 inches from the ground. Conifer: A cone-bearing tree with needles or leaf scales. Examples are fir, pine and cedar. Crop Tree/ Leave Tree: Trees selected in the stand to be left to meet the technical specifications. Cut Tree: Trees that are to be removed from the stand not needed to meet the technical specifications. Damaged Tree: Any tree with a broken cambium layer. Diameter at Breast Height (DBH): The diameter of a tree measured at breast height, 4 - feet from ground level on the Uphill side. Hardwood: Trees with broad leaves rather than needles. Examples are oak, madrone and chinquapin. Masticate: Chipping, Shredding or grinding to an average size and distributed evenly over whole area, Specifications will be identified by task order. Riparian Habitat Conservation Area (RHCA) or Riparian Reserve: A zone established for the protection of riparian areas in which the use of mechanized equipment is restricted. Maps showing RHCA locations and widths will be provided with each task order. Sanitation Tree: Tree wounded by animals or infected with disease. Stump Height: Stump height shall not exceed 4 inches from the ground on the uphill side or 4 inches above natural obstacles. Tractor Pile: A soil-free pile of vegetative and/or slash material, constructed to allow for obstacle free- burning. Unit or Individual Treatment Area: Unit boundaries will be designated by, flagging, roads, timber and/or other obvious on-the-ground features. Boundaries may be digitally designated using georeferenced maps suitable for uploading into applications such as Avenza or other compatible applications. 2.2. Technical Requirements/Performance Specifications The Forest Service expects to improve forest health by reducing stand density, vegetative and tree to tree competition, as well as rearranging fuel concentrations. The Contractor(s) will be expected to use silvicultural and forestry knowledge to identify and adjust to changing conditions within stands and notify the Contracting Officer and/or their Representative of any conditions not addressed in the treatment prescription(s). Treatment prescriptions can be found in the Detailed Unit Information Sheets (DUIS) attached to each Task Order. The Contractor(s) shall be able to demonstrate an ability to interpret and carry out the requirements prescribed in the DUIS and recognize any insect, disease, or animal damage problems and report them to the Contracting Officer. Work under this contract is subject to requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), fire restrictions under Project Activity Levels (PAL), wildlife considerations under Limited Operation Periods (LOP), resource protection Best Management Practices (BMPs) and Wet Weather Operations Protocol. This list is not necessarily conclusive. Please note these requirements are subject to change and/or updating as determined by State and Federal regulations. It is anticipated the following mechanical vegetation treatment/fuel reduction efforts will be performed: Mechanical brush mastication Mechanical brush and pre-commercial tree thinning mastication Precommercial tree thinning mastication Mastication by task order Mastication site preparation Mechanical site preparation (tractor) Ripping of furrows The following are general explanations of anticipated work that will be expected by the Government: Brush Mastication: Cut all brush within the project area to the specifications negotiated at time of task order award. Brush Mastication and Precommercial Thinning: Masticate all brush and precommercial thin conifers to the specifications negotiated at time of task order award. Mechanical Precommercial Thinning: Precommercial thinning to be performed with mastication equipment. Spacing and conifer size will be negotiated at time of task order award. Mastication by Task Order: Includes specialized work not described in the above. Work may include cutting of larger material such as trees (maximum 12'DBH) and mastication of post-harvest timber sales to reduce slash loads. Specifications will be provided for each task order. Mastication for Site Preparation: Mulching of live (including but not limited to natural seedlings, saplings, brush and forbs) or dead vegetation and logging slash into the ground to create an area suitable for planting of seedlings. Specifications will be negotiated at time of task order award. Mechanical Site Preparation: Construct piles of slash, in such a way as to not accumulate topsoil and allow it to burn cleanly. Specifications will be negotiated at time of task order award. Ripping of furrows: Rips will be parallel and follow the natural contour of the unit areas. Specifications will be negotiated at time of task order award. Contractor shall provide all equipment, labor, materials, supervision, transportation and any incidental services to perform all required work. Contractor shall be required to supply and maintain a quality control plan and self-inspection of work to be performed. Contractor's performance shall be in accordance with an approved work plan and schedule that will be required on every task. 2.2.1 Site Conditions Site conditions can vary greatly from site to site. Contractors are highly encouraged to visit all sites prior to quoting. Mechanical treatments are limited to slopes less than 50%. Brush is expected to be heavy over most work areas. Vegetation consists of mixed tree species, such as Ponderosa Pine, Douglas fir, White Fir, Incense Cedar, Sugar Pine, Shasta Red Fir, Western White Pine, Lodgepole Pine, Knobcone pine and Juniper. Hardwood tree species include Oregon White Oak, California Black Oak and Pacific Madrone and California Live Oak. Brush species such as Green Leaf Manzanita, White Leaf Manzanita, Snowbrush, Sagebrush, Chinquapin, Mountain Mahogany, Whitethorn, Bitter Cherry, Bitterbrush, Ceanothus, Tanoak, and Chemise exist throughout the treatment areas. Most units have a variety of brush and shrub species mostly made up of Manzanita, Snowbrush, Sagebrush, Chinquapin, Mountain Mahogany, Whitethorn, Bitter Cherry and Bitterbrush. More specific stand information is provided on the DUIS in each Task Order. Site Conditions may include, but are not limited to the following: Slope ranges from 0% to 50% Trees per acre in plantations ranges from 130-600 Rock cover ranges from 10% to 50% Brush cover ranges from 0 - 100%, brush heights vary from site to site, average vegetation height will be provided in the DUIS Windrows, berms, and side casting inside some units Manmade hazards such as wire, old logging cable, and cattle fencing may be present 2.2.2. Boundaries Unit boundaries will be designated on maps, aerial photos and/or in GPS shape files. On the ground boundary designation may be by obvious roads, timber lines, vegetation type changes and/or other features. Boundaries, other than for easily identifiable cutting lines as listed above may be marked by the Government with contract boundary flagging and tags. Perimeters of the work areas could be identified on aerial photos, as well as reference maps, included with Task Orders. Where possible, the gross size of work units in each item has been determined via (GPS) Global Positioning Systems and/or Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Accessible reference points along the perimeter of work areas are identified with boundary flagging, i.e., corners. The entire perimeters of inaccessible work areas may not be flagged. Where aerial photos or maps and the on-ground designation conflict, the on-ground designation shall govern unless otherwise directed by the Contracting Officer. Contractors shall have a GPS receiver unit on each piece of shredding equipment compatible with National Forest GIS Systems capable of meeting current tested accuracies for Distance-Direction Methods, pursuant to Forest Service Handbook (FSH) 2409.12 - TIMBER CRUISING HANDBOOK, Chapter 50 - Area Determination. Chapter 50 and meet the standards set forth in: R5 supplements to FSH 2409.12, Chapter 50. Shape files of the perimeters of work areas will be downloaded to Contractor owned GPS receiver(s) units which are compatible with National Forest GIS Systems. Unit Shape - The Contractor's mapped unit shall be similar to that of the Government. There should be no obvious or significant differences in unit shape that could occur if GPS position fixes are too far apart to portray a true representation of unit shape. The perimeter distance traversed by the Contractor shall be similar to that of the Government. Payment will be based on Actual Treatment Acres determined by GPS after the Contractor has completed the unit. 2.2.3 Archaeological Sites Areas, identified by the Forest Service to be of archaeological interest will be flagged and noted on the contract map prior to commencement of work on the site. If a contractor is working in an area and notices an unidentified area that may be of archaeological interest, contractor shall stop work in that area until Forest Service can inventory the site. 2.2.4. Accessibility Accessibility is by all-weather and seasonal roads. Project area may be reached via County and Forest Service roads and are accessible by standard pickup during the normal operating seasons. Four-wheel drive vehicles equipped with snow tires and chains may be necessary when snow, mud or ice is abundant in the project area or on four-wheel drive roads. Inaccessibility due to snow, fallen trees, slides or washouts on roads may or may not be corrected at the option of the Government. The Government may direct the Contractor to use an alternative route under the Changes Clause of this contract. Additionally, if road access is blocked, the Government may require walk-in to units that are inaccessible by road. However, it is advisable that the Contractor have a high clearance 4X4 vehicle for spring and late fall work. Vehicles shall not operate off system roads without prior written approval of the Contracting Officer. The Government assumes no obligations to do special road maintenance to keep roads open. At times spur roads shown on project maps may not be accessible by vehicle but show a previously known road to the work area. 2.2.5. Equipment Cleaning Contractor shall clean all off road equipment prior to arrival on the work site, making sure that equipment is free of soil, seeds, vegetative matter, or other debris that could contain or hold seeds. Areas identified by the Forest Service as being infested with invasive species of concern must not move equipment off-site without first taking reasonable measures to make each such piece of equipment is free of soil, seeds, vegetative matter, or other debris that could contain or hold seeds. Contractor must advise Forest Service of measures taken to clean equipment prior to moving equipment off-site. Reasonable measures shall not require the disassembly of equipment components or use of any specialized inspection tools. 3.0 Safety Contractors shall have, and maintain, a written Safety Plan for the duration of the contract. The Safety Plan is due to the Contracting Officer within 10 days of award. The Safety Plan must be available on-site and must be updated for project specific information by task. The Contracting Officer Representative will obtain a copy of the site-specific Safety Plan from the Contractor on the first day of work. Fuel reduction activities are known to have inherently hazardous conditions associated with working in the woods, e.g.: sharing the road with log trucks, private and government vehicles; ticks, snakes, and bees; working below someone else on steep and rocky terrain, chainsaw operations, and hazard trees that are susceptible to wind throw that could lead to serious injury or loss of life. Some Task Orders may contain a government Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) in order to convey to the contractor known hazards. The site-specific safety plan shall comply with the JHA and the contractor shall provide the Project Safety person who shall be responsible for enforcing the Safety plan. 4.0. Protection, Use and Maintenance of Improvements The Contractor, in all phases of contract operations shall protect insofar as practicable all land survey corners, telephone lines, ditches, fences and other improvements. If such improvements are damaged by contractor operations the contractor shall restore them immediately to condition existing immediately prior to Contractor's work. When necessary, the Government may require the Contractor to move such telephone lines, fences or improvements from one location to another. All roads and trails designated by the Forest Service as needed for fire protection shall be kept free of logs, brush, and debris resulting from Contractor operations. 5.0. Landscape Preservation The Contractor shall give attention to the effect of contract operation upon the landscape, shall take care to maintain natural surroundings undamaged, and shall always conduct the work in compliance with the following requirements. a. Prevention of the Landscape Defacement. The Contractor shall not remove, deface, injure, or destroy trees, shrubs, lawns, or other natural features or any other improvements in the work area unless specifically authorized by the Contracting Officer. Unless otherwise provided herein, the Contractor shall confine contract operations to within the areas designated in contract documents. b. Protection of Streams, Lakes, and Reservoirs. The Contractor shall take sufficient precautions to prevent pollution of streams, lakes, small ponds, and reservoirs with fuels, oils, bitumens, calcium chloride, silt, or other harmful materials. Mechanical equipment shall not be operated in live streams without written approval of the Contracting Officer. 6.0 Endangered Species The Government may direct the Contractor to discontinue task order operations in the event that listed or proposed threatened or endangered plants or animals protected under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, are discovered to be present in or adjacent to the project area. Actions taken under this paragraph shall be subject to the Stop-Work Order clause FAR 52.242-15. 7.0 Preservation of Historical and Archaeological Resources If, in connection with operations under this contract, the Contractor, subcontractors, or the employees of any of them, discovers, encounters or becomes aware of any objects or sites of cultural value on the project area, such as historical or prehistorical ruins, graves or grave markers, fossils, or artifacts, the Contractor shall immediately suspend all operations in the vicinity of the cultural value and shall notify the COR in writing of the findings. No objects of cultural resource value may be removed. - Operations may resume at the discovery site upon receipt of written instructions. Actions taken under this paragraph shall be subject to the Stop-Work Order clause FAR 52.242-15. 8.0. Special Situations Some project areas may have limited periods where work can occur, zones where no soil disturbing activity can occur, or special access rules due to noxious weeds or other types of diseases (such as Port-Orford Cedar or Sudden Oak Death areas). Any such limitations will be identified on the applicable task order. 9.0. Environmental Interruption of Work Environmental - The Contracting Officer, by issuance of a suspend work order, may direct the Contractor to shut down any work that may be subject to damage due to weather conditions or fire danger. The Contractor will be given a resume work order that will document the date the work suspension ends. An allowance will be included in each task order for short-term environmental delays up to one day at a time. The count of contract time will therefore continue during work interruptions of one day or less, but the count of contract time will stop during work interruptions in excess of one day at a time. All periods of interruptions directed by the Government will be documented. The Contractor will not be entitled to additional monetary compensation for such suspensions regardless of duration. Endangered Species - The Government may direct the Contractor to discontinue all operations in the event that listed or proposed threatened or endangered plants or animals protected under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended, or Federal candidate (Category 1 and 2), sensitive or state listed species, identified by the Forest Service, are discovered to be present in or adjacent to the project area. Actions taken under this paragraph shall be subject to FAR 52.242-14 Suspension of Work. 10.0 Permits The Contractor shall, without additional expense to the Government, be responsible for obtaining any necessary licenses and permits, and for complying with any Federal, State, and municipal laws, codes, and regulations applicable to the performance of the work. The Contractor shall also be responsible for all damages to persons or property that occur as a result of the Contractor's fault or negligence. The Contractor shall also be responsible for all materials delivered and work performed until completion and acceptance of the entire work, except for any completed unit of work which may have been accepted under the contract. 11.0. Schedules Prior to starting work, the Contractor shall present a written plan of work providing for the orderly and timely completion of the requirements. This plan is subject to the approval of the Contracting Officer. The schedule may be modified in writing during the course of work if conditions warrant. Work shall not occur on Sundays without written permission of the Contracting Officer. If the work progress falls behind schedule, the Contractor shall take such action as necessary to ensure that the timely completion of the contract is not jeopardized. In addition, the Contracting Officer may require the Contractor to submit a revised plan of work showing by what means they intend to complete the project on time and in compliance with all contract requirements such as increasing the number of crews or overtime operations. 11.0.1. Season of Operation Project activities will occur when roads are open in the project area. Project activities will not occur when roads are closed seasonally, and during periods of wet weather, this varies seasonally and generally occurs between October 15 to April 15. 11.0.2. Limited Operating Period A limited operating period (LOP) may apply and will be identified at task order level. 12.0 Requested Information Responses are requested with the following information: Vendor's name, address, UEI, points of contact with telephone number(s) and e-mail address(es) Business size/classification (NAICS 115310, Support Activities for Forestry) to include any designations as Small Business, HUBZone, Woman Owned, Service-Disabled Veteran Owned and/or 8(a), etc. Description of capability to perform services listed above in Section 2.2. Provide at least three (3) recent examples. Recency must be within the last three (3) years. Vendor's interest in submitting a quote if the requirement is solicited. Any feedback, comments, and/or questions pertaining to the above Sections 2-11 and related contracting issues. Location(s) capable of performing services (All forests listed above, or select forests listed above). Schedule of Items containing price estimates. 13.0. Submission Interested parties are to submit questions to this RFI no later than 18 February 2025 at 4:00 PM Pacific Standard Time (PST). All responses shall be submitted no later than 21 February 2025 at 4:00 PM Pacific Standard Time (PST. All questions and responses shall be submitted to Veronica Beck at veronica.beck@usda.gov.