OHV Jones Meadow

The Department of Agriculture, US Forest Service, Central California Acquisition Services Area, Stanislaus National Forest has a need to place barrier boulders along the Jones Meadow area. This is a combined / solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotes are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. It is the contractor's responsibility to be familiar with the applicable clauses and provisions. The clauses may be accessed in full text at these addresses: https://acquisition.gov/far. This is solicitation no.AG-9A63-S-14-0105 a Request for Quotations (RFQ) and is a 100% Total Small Business Set-Aside. The NAICS code is 115310 - Support Activities for Forestry. The size requirement for this NAICS code is $7 million. The government intends to award a Firm Fixed Price Contract. Projects is made up of several options. Closing date of Solicitation is July, 1 2014 at 3:00 pm. Projected Award Date is July 7, 2014 B.1 Supply, Delivery, Place 4'x3'x3' Boulders tiny_mce_marker____________ Stock Pile Excess Boulders tiny_mce_marker____________ Total: tiny_mce_marker____________ AS PER THE GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS IN ATTACHMENT 1 AND THE FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS: GENERAL: The intent of this contract is to supply, deliver and place (approximately 500) boulders along both sides of Cherry Lake Road along Jones Meadow to create a barrier against OHV and stockpile excess boulders. Using terrain and other natural barrier features place boulders to prevent admittance to meadow. Boulder placement will be no less than 6 inches apart and no farther than 12 inches when placed alongside the road. Contractor Responsibility: The Contractor shall provide everything--including, but not limited to, all equipment, supplies, transportation, labor, and supervision--necessary to complete the project, except for that which the contract clearly states is to be furnished by the Government. Estimated Start Date & Contract Time The estimated start date: August 4, 2014 . Licenses and Insurance: The contractor shall obtain the insurance and licenses listed here; (see also Section L, Notices to Offerors and Respondents). Other: Worker's Compensation Insurance: The Contactor shall provide evidence of Worker's Compensation Insurance or a written explanation as to why the Contractor is exempt from the requirement. NOTE: The Contractor working alone is not required to carry the insurance. DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES C.1. Supply Deliver and install, 4'x3'x3' boulder barriers at one dispersed site (table 1) Strategically place boulder barricades incorporating natural barriers at site 1 and stock pile excess boulders at site 2. Work shall be done in a manner that does not cause damage to adjacent sensitive resources. Work shall be performed on the Groveland Ranger District Stanislaus NF. DELIVERY LOCATION: C. 1-2 Project Location & Description Location: The project is located on the Stanislaus National Forest, Groveland Ranger District, Tuolumne County, CA. See the General Site Location maps. Site one is boulder supply, delivery and place and site 2 is the stockpile of excess boulders. The Maps are intended to show the only the general size, shape and location of the area. If the maps and field boundaries conflict, the field boundaries shall govern. Positions of the features shown on the maps are approximate. Accessibility: Access instructions as given here are for information only. It shall be the responsibility of the Contractor to determine the most suitable route to the project area. The Government will not provide special maintenance or snow plowing to open roads or keep roads open. All transportation of equipment, personnel, and supplies shall be the responsibility of the Contractor. Under normal condition, the delivery site can be accessible with a 2-wheel drive vehicle and can be accessed on State Highway 120 and Forest roads. The Groveland Restoration III project is located near the Jones Meadow areas and can be accessed on Forest roads. a) To access Site 1 (Jones Meadow) from the Groveland Ranger Station, drive east on State Highway 120 to Cherry Lake Road approximately 3.5 miles. Turn left onto Cherry Lake Road continue approximately 4.0 miles to Jones meadow. b) To access delivery Site 2 from the Groveland Ranger Station, drive east on State Highway 120 1.6 miles and turn left on Spur road located on left. Description: Access will be through mountainous terrain which can have varying ground conditions, soil types, vegetation types, and overhead utility lines. Work will be undertaken within relatively level ground along secondary roads. Ground conditions can contain surface and below surface rock, stumps, and other debris that will vary in size, density, and depth. Vegetation types at the sites may vary in size and density and include conifers, hardwoods, brush, and historic black locust trees. The mixed conifer stands comprise mostly of ponderosa pine, sugar pine, incense cedar, and black oak. Manzanita and ceanothus are the dominant understory species. With the exception of any known or discovered archaeological or sensitive plant sites, non-work areas that are not identified on the map or the ground, identified by the Contractor on the ground, shall be excluded from treatment. These areas include, but are not limited to, areas with springs or marshes and patches of elderberry plants. Work areas have been identified on the maps contained in Section J. The perimeters of non-work areas that have been identified on the ground are marked with blue flagging. Engineer wheel was used to estimate the amount of linear feet needed for treatment at each segment of the project sites (see Site Data Table in Section J). Payment will be based on completion of prescribed treatment at project sites. C.4 INSPECTION OF EQUIPMENT. Prior to award, the Government reserves the right to inspect the equipment to be furnished by the Contractor. If the equipment is found to be in such condition as to indicate the need for frequent repairs and delays in performance, it shall be rejected. C.5 CLEANING OF EQUIPMENT The Contractor shall ensure that equipment (as described below) moved on to National Forest Land is free of soil, vegetative matter or other debris that could contain or hold seeds. The Contractor shall employ whatever cleaning methods necessary to ensure compliance with the terms of this provision, and shall notify Forest Service prior to moving each piece of equipment onto National Forest Land. Notification will include identifying the location of the equipment's most recent operations. Upon request of Forest Service, arrangements will be made for the Forest Service to inspect each piece of equipment prior to it being placed into service. This will prevent the introduction of the seeds of noxious weeds onto National Forest Land. Contractor shall certify in writing, compliance with the terms of this provision prior to each start-up of Contractor operations. Measures taken to ensure compliance for equipment present at start-up, and planned to be taken for equipment to be moved in later, will be identified in the certification. For the purposes of this provision, "equipment" includes all heavy machinery (such as back hoes and excavators) and their attachments, transports used for hauling machinery and boulders, pickup trucks, cars or other vehicles used to daily transport personnel and/or materials. Sources for gravel and boulders imported from outside of the project area should be inspected for weed contamination to ensure that weeds are not introduced into the project area. If sources are contaminated with weeds, then the boulder material needs to be either cleaned of weeds and seeds, or other weed-free sources for these materials need to be utilized. Consult with the District Botanist for assistance if needed C.6 CONTRACTOR-FURNISHED PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS. Boulders (1) The Contractor shall furnish the boulders necessary for the job as specified. Boulders shall consist of rock meeting the requirement specified in this section with a minimum boulder size of four by three feet by three feet. No boulder shall have any one dimension greater than two times its minimum specified dimension. (2) Boulder sources to be used on this project are subject to written approval from the Project Contracting Officer. Contractor shall use quarry rock that is sound and durable against disintegration under conditions to be met in handling and placing, and is hard and tenacious and otherwise of a suitable quality to ensure permanency in the specified kind of work. There is no specific color requirement for rock, but Contractor shall use quarry rock that is typical of the project area. (3) Once approved, the rock shall be kept consistent through the project. No change may be made to the rock source unless specifically approved by the Project Contracting Officer. Equipment - The Contractor shall provide all tools and equipment for self and employees that are necessary for accomplishing the job as specified. Primary work shall be accomplished through the use of a backhoe or suitable equipment capable of digging, lifting, and handling individual boulders which meet project specifications. - Equipment shall be furnished on a fully operational basis, of modern design, and in good operating condition, with a competent, fully qualified operator. The required primary equipment is expected to be used on secondary roads in areas of low to moderate concentrations of conifers and hardwoods. - All equipment must be in good running condition with no excessive fluid leaks or overheating. The Contractor shall be responsible for all fuel, lubrication, repair, and replacement for equipment. All equipment shall be equipped with the tools and supplies necessary for making emergency and routine repairs and servicing. (7) All equipment and service/transport vehicles shall be equipped with the required fire tools. See Section H. (8) All chainsaws or other motorized equipment shall be equipped with Forest Service approved spark arresters. Spark arresters are not required on equipment powered by exhaust-driven turbo-charged engines or motor vehicles equipped with a maintained muffler as defined in California Public Resources Code, Section 4442 and 4443. C.7 WORK SPECIFICATIONS. General (1) The Contractor shall manage the delivery and stockpiling of rock at the site to assure that adequate supply of rock meeting the specification is available for installation when required. Stockpile locations shall be arranged to avoid interference with other project operations. Rock which does not meet specifications or is not installed shall be removed from the site. (2) Machine place boulders into position through the use of a backhoe or suitable equipment for digging and handling individual boulders. See Data Table in Section J for site specific treatments. Rock placement shall meet the following specifications: - Horizontal placement. Boulders shall be arranged in a linear fashion to function as barricade boulders. Boulders shall be placed no closer than 6 feet from any roadside. The Contractor, in consultation with the Contracting Officer or representative, shall seek opportunities for the integration of natural barriers. The distance between may range from 6 inches to 12 inches between edges of one boulder. Diagram shows minimum distance. - Vertical placement. All boulders shall be placed so as to have a 2.5 foot minimum height above ground and a 1 foot minimum depth below ground. See Section J for a Boulder Placement Diagram. When placement areas have been treated and there are boulders left over, these shall be stock piled at the quarry located on Hwy 120 as determined by the Contracting Officer or representative. (3) Equipment shall be operated such that work material stays within the treatment site and is not distributed on roads, structures, private property, protected sites, improvements, telephone lines, established trails, stock driveways, fence lines, established land corners, or other improvements. (4) The contractor shall remove all debris resulting from contract operations that is distributed outside of treatment site or on roads, structures, private property, protected sites, improvements, telephone lines, established trails, stock driveways, fence lines, established land corners, or other improvements. Any trees falling on or into such areas shall be removed if possible, and any resulting damage shall be immediately reported to the Contracting Officer. - Contractor shall restore topsoil, curbing, and any other items disturbed during operations, to a condition equal to that before work began, furnishing all labor, material, and equipment necessary for this work. Cultural Resources (5) Equipment shall stay outside of the flagged site boundary. (6) A cultural resource specialist shall be monitoring the undertaking for the presence of exposed cultural material. If the monitor believes he or she has made a discovery and requests work in the area come to a halt, the Contractor shall stop all work within a 50 meter distance from the discovery until the monitor evaluates the find and determines how the Contractor shall proceed. (7) The Contractor shall keep the Contracting Officer informed of work days and hours (or cancellations of), who in turn shall keep the cultural resource specialist monitor informed of work schedules. (8) There are known noxious weed infestations near many of the project sites. There are known infestations of yellow star-thistle, tocalote, Italian thistle (Carduus pycnocephalus) and medusahead grass (Taeniatherum caput-medusae) near project area). - The Contractor shall clean equipment and service vehicles so that they are free of soil, seeds, vegetative matter, or other debris prior to being moved from infested sites to uninfested sites and prior to being transported out of project area. Clothing, particularly footwear should be free of soil, mud (wet or dry), seeds, vegetative matter, or other debris that could contain seeds. Contractor is required to clean his equipment before a move. - All tools, off-road (heavy equipment, clothing, particularly footwear, and other equipment, including the transport vehicle should be free of soil, mud (wet or dried), seeds, vegetative matter or other debris which could contain seeds in order to prevent new infestations of noxious weeds in project area. - Clean tools, off-road ("heavy") equipment, and boots after working in weed infestations to prevent spreading seed to new areas. Fuels/Fire (10) Equipment shall be kept free of debris accumulations that may result in fire starts. Watershed (11) Boulders shall not be placed at stream channels. (12) Any operation created debris shall keep clear of stream channels. . C.8 PROTECTION OF IMPROVEMENTS (a) Use of Improvements. The Contractor shall comply with the rules and regulations governing the operation on premises, which are occupied, and shall perform the contract in a manner that shall not interrupt or interfere with the conduct of Forest Service business. Before any quarry, borrow pit, storage, or service area is constructed, opened, or operated on National Forest land or lands administered by Forest Service, written permission shall be obtained through the Contracting Officer. (b) Protection of Improvements. The Contractor shall be responsible for determining the location of and shall protect National Forest System Roads and other improvements, such as trails, telephone lines, buried utilities, quail guzzlers, water troughs, ditches, and fences, existing in the operating area and determined to have a continuing need or use. Roads and trails needed for fire protection or other purposes shall be kept reasonably free of equipment and products, slash, and debris caused by The Contractor's operations. All slash and debris shall be removed from roadside ditches and culverts. The Contractor shall make timely restoration of any such improvements damaged by the Contractor's operations. (c) Protection of Land Survey Monuments. The Contractor shall protect all known survey monuments, witness corners, reference monuments and bearing trees against avoidable destruction, obliteration or damage during The Contractor's operations. If any known monuments, corners, or accessories are destroyed, obliterated or damaged by the Contractor's operations, the Contractor shall hire the appropriate county surveyor or registered land surveyor to establish or restore at the same location the monuments, corners or accessories. Such surveyors shall use procedures in accordance with the Bureau of Land Management of Instructions for the Survey of the Public Lands of the United States for the General Land Office surveys, and in accordance with the State law for others. The Contractor shall record such survey in the appropriate county records. C.9 PROTECTION OF RESOURCES. (a) Protection of Cultural Resources. Discovery of new sites or objects by either party shall be promptly reported to the other party, and may result in contract modification. The Contractor shall protect all known and identified historic or prehistoric sites, buildings, objects, and properties related to American history, architecture, archaeology and culture against destruction, removal or damage during the Contractor's operations. If such damage is negligently or willfully caused by the Contractor's operations, the Contractor shall be required to bear costs of restoration, provided that such payment shall not relieve the Contractor from civil or criminal remedies otherwise provided by law. In such a case, the Contractor shall cease operations immediately and notify the Contracting Officer. The Contractor shall protect non-work cultural areas by AVOIDANCE and shall protect all known and identified or discovered historic or prehistoric sites, buildings, objects, and properties related to American history, architecture, archaeology and culture against destruction, obliteration, removal or damage during the Contractor's operations. The Contractor shall immediately halt and notify the Contract Officer if damage occurs to any cultural resources and immediately halt operations in the vicinity of the Resource where damage occurred until the Contract Officer authorizes the Contractor to proceed. If such damages are negligently or willfully caused by the Contractor's operations, the Contractor shall bear the costs of investigation and restoration in accordance with 36 CFR 296.14, provided that such payment shall not relieve the Contractor from civil or criminal remedies otherwise provided by law. All cultural resource non-work areas are identified on the ground with blue/black and orange/white candy-stripe flagging. All non-work areas shall be avoided unless agreed in writing by the Contracting Officer. (b) Erosion Prevention and Control. The Contractor's operations shall be conducted to minimize soil erosion. Equipment shall not be operated when ground conditions are such that excessive damage will occur. The kinds and intensity of erosion control work done by the Contractor shall be adjusted to ground and weather conditions and the need for controlling runoff. Erosion control work shall be kept current immediately preceding expected seasonal periods of precipitation or runoff. If the Contractor fails to do seasonal erosion control work prior to any seasonal period of precipitation or runoff, the Contracting Officer may temporarily assume responsibility for the work, at the Contractor's expense. Damage resulting from the failure to perform required work will be repaired by the Contractor at the Contractor's expense. (e) Service and Repairs. The Contractor shall take all reasonable precautions to prevent air, soil, and water pollution from the Contractor's operations. When service and repairs are required, it will be the contractor's responsibility to place all fluids into closed containers that will prevent any contamination of ground soils. No fluids that originate from contractors activities will be allowed to be drained onto soils. Soil contaminated by the Contractor's operations shall be removed from National Forest System land and disposed of properly. Contractor shall make every effort to protect all resources from contamination and damage as result of his activities. (f) Sanitation. It shall be the contractor's responsibility to properly dispose of all fluids and other trash created as a result of operations. All waste and refuse from the Contractor's use, servicing, repair, or abandonment of equipment shall be continuously removed from National Forest lands and placed in an approved disposal site. (g) Prevention of Oil Spills. If the Contractor maintains storage facilities for oil or oil products in the contract area, the Contractor shall take appropriate preventive measures to insure that any spill of such oil or oil products does not enter any stream or other waters of the United States or any of the individual states. If the total oil or oil products storage exceeds 4996 liters (1320 gallons) or if any single container exceeds a capacity of 2498 liters (660 gallons), the Contractor shall prepare a Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures (SPCC) Plan. The plan shall meet applicable EPA requirements (40 CFR 112) including certification by a Registered Professional Engineer. C.10 CONTROL OF OPERATIONS. (a) Work Plan. At the pre-work conference, the Contractor shall furnish the Contracting Officer a written general plan of operation. The plan shall set forth planned periods and methods for accomplishing contractual requirements. The Contractor's operations may be conducted outside the "Normal Operating Period" only upon approval by the Contracting Officer. The Normal Operating Period is May 10 to June 30. (b) Safety. The Contractor's operations shall facilitate Forest Services' safe and practical inspection of the Contractor's operations and conduct of other official duties in the contract area. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, when the Contractor's operations are in progress adjacent to or on Forest Service controlled roads and trails open to public travel, the Contractor shall furnish, install and maintain all temporary traffic controls which provide the forest user with adequate warning of hazardous or potentially hazardous conditions associated with the Contractor's Operations. A specific traffic control plan for each individual contract work area shall be agreed to by the Contractor and Contracting Officer prior to commencing operations. Devices shall be appropriate to current conditions and shall be covered or removed when not needed. Except as otherwise agreed, flaggers and devices shall be as specified in the "Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highway" (MUTCD). The Contractor shall have road signs indicating warning of work in progress at the beginning of any dirt road while the Contractor is working in the vicinity and material from the Contractor's work might cause a hazard to the general public using these roads. The Contractor shall have a flag person to direct traffic while working along roads. If it is determined, a buffer is needed for protection of vehicle traffic the operating distance shall be determined on a case-by-case basis by the Contracting Officer and the Contractor. (c) Conduct. The Contractor's operations shall be conducted in an orderly manner. The Contractor's operations shall include activities of or use of equipment of the Contractor, the Contractor's employees or agents, subcontractors, their employees or agents, acting in the course of their employment in operations hereunder on National Forest System lands or within the Forest Service protection boundary, unless acting under the immediate supervision of the Forest Service. C.11 TRANSPORTATION. (a) No transportation for the equipment will be furnished by the Government. (b) The Contractor shall be responsible for obtaining all permits necessary for the transportation of equipment on state, county, and private roads. (c) The Contractor shall provide all transportation for self and employees. C.12 MOTORIZED EQUIPMENT. Use of motorized equipment other than hand-held equipment such as power saws and brush cutters will not be permitted off the project area without prior approval of the Contracting Officer. C.13 WORK PRIORITIES. The Government may specify the priority of work by site or by work area within sites during the period of the contract. INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE E.1 CONTRACTOR INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS (FAR 52.246-01) (APR 1984) The Contractor is responsible for performing or having performed all inspections and tests necessary to substantiate that the supplies or services furnished under this contract conform to contract requirements, including any applicable technical requirements for specified manufacturers' parts. This clause takes precedence over any Government inspection and testing required in the contract's specifications, except for specialized inspections or tests specified to be performed solely by the Government. E.2 INSPECTION OF SERVICES--FIXED-PRICE (FAR 52.246-04) (AUG 1996) (a) Definitions. "Services," as used in this clause, includes services performed, workmanship, and material furnished or utilized in the performance of services. (b) The Contractor shall provide and maintain an inspection system acceptable to the Government covering the services under this contract. Complete records of all inspection work performed by the Contractor shall be maintained and made available to the Government during contract performance and for as long afterwards as the contract requires. (c) The Government has the right to inspect and test all services called for by the contract, to the extent practicable at all times and places during the term of the contract. The Government shall perform inspections and tests in a manner that will not unduly delay the work. (d) If the Government performs inspections or tests on the premises of the Contractor or a subcontractor, the Contractor shall furnish, and shall require subcontractors to furnish, at no increase in contract price, all reasonable facilities and assistance for the safe and convenient performance of these duties. (e) If any of the services do not conform to contract requirements, the Government may require the Contractor to perform the services again in conformity with contract requirements, at no increase in contract amount. When the defects in services cannot be corrected by re-performance, the Government may (1) require the Contractor to take necessary action to ensure that future performance conforms to contract requirements and (2) reduce the contract price to reflect the reduced value of the services performed. (f) If the Contractor fails to promptly perform the services again or to take the necessary action to ensure future performance in conformity with contract requirements, the Government may (1) by contract or otherwise, perform the services and charge to the Contractor any cost incurred by the Government that is directly related to the performance of such service or (2) terminate the contract for default. E.3 INFORMAL VISITS The Contracting Officer and/or his/her appointed representative may visit the work units to observe the Contractor's work and progress. E.4 COMPLIANCE WITH SPECIFICATIONS If, during the performance of the contract, the Contracting Officer determines that work performance fails to comply with a specification or specifications, the Contracting Officer may issue a work order to the Contractor. The Contractor shall immediately correct performance to comply with the work order and the referenced specifications and shall rework as necessary all area worked that does not comply with the referenced specifications. Failure to correct unsatisfactory conditions may be considered non-compliance with the terms of the contract and may be grounds for contract termination. E.5 SITE ACCEPTANCE The Contractor shall submit a site to the Contracting Officer for acceptance only when the Contractor's inspections for quality control assure the work specifications have been met. Government inspection may be by work observation, measurement by pacing, tape, ocular estimation, and progress of work over time, or by formal inspection. Formal inspections will inspect 50% of the work accomplished at the site and will address the work specifications. E.6 FORMAL INSPECTION Each project site shall be inspected separately and inspection results shall not be averaged with those of other sites. The Government will accept the project when work at all three sites has been completed and all work specifications have been met. DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE F.1 CONTRACT TIME Item Estimated Starting Date Calendar Days 1. Site #1-Jones Meadow Purchase, Delivery and August 4, 2014 14 Days Installation of boulders 2. Option Item Site #2- Purchase August 4, 2014 2 Days and delivery of boulders. Contract time shall begin on the date stipulated on the Notice to Proceed, or 10 calendar days after the Notice to proceed is mailed, whichever is later. Work shall progress at a rate, which will insure job completion within the calendar time specified above. CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA POST AWARD CONFERENCE (AGAR 452.215-73) (NOV1996) A post award conference with the successful offer or is required. It will be scheduled within 5 days after the date of the award. The conference will be held at the following location: At this time, a spill plan in conformance with the details in the section dealing with Contractor Furnished Property and a work schedule showing dates, locations, equipment and number of crews working on this project shall be provided by the Contractor to the Contracting Officer. G.2 SCHEDULES (a) The Contractor shall, at the post award conference or another period of time determined by the Contracting Officer, prepare and submit to the Contracting Officer for approval three copies of a practicable schedule showing the order in which the Contractor proposes to perform the work, and the dates on which the Contractor contemplates starting and completing the several salient features of the work (including acquiring materials and equipment). The schedule shall be in the form of a progress chart of suitable scale to indicate appropriately the percentage of work scheduled for completion by any given date during the period. If the Contractor fails to submit a schedule within the time prescribed, the Contracting Officer may withhold approval of progress payments until the Contractor submits the required schedule. (b) The Contractor shall enter the actual progress on the chart as directed by the Contracting Officer, and upon doing so shall immediately deliver three copies of the annotated schedule to the Contracting Officer. If, in the opinion of the Contracting Officer, the Contractor falls behind the approved schedule, the Contractor shall take steps necessary to improve its progress, including those that may be required by the Contracting Officer, without additional cost to the Government. In this circumstance, the Contracting Officer may require the Contractor to increase the number of shifts, overtime operations, days of work, and/or the amount of construction plant, and to submit for approval any supplementary schedule or schedules in chart form as the Contracting Officer deems necessary to demonstrate how the approved rate of progress will be regained. (c) Failure of the Contractor to comply with the requirements of the Contracting Officer under this clause shall be grounds for a determination by the Contracting Officer that the Contractor is not prosecuting the work with sufficient diligence to ensure completion within the time specified in the contract. Upon making this dete...