F -- TREE CUTTING AND THINNING

Notice Date

March 19, 2001

Contracting Office

University Of California, Los Alamos National Laboratory, P.O. Box 1663, Mail Stop M991, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545

ZIP Code

87545

Solicitation Number

CGRP 01

Response Due

April 6, 2001

Point of Contact

W. Schattschneider, email schatts@lanl.gov, 505-665-2253

E-Mail Address

schatts@lanl.gov (schatts@lanl.gov)

Description

1. Ten thousand acres of Los Alamos National Lab property are to be treated under the fire mitigation plan. This land area covers low-lying grassland up to high elevation mixed conifer forests. Five ecotones are represented within the range of lab treated acreage; these are grasslands (5500ft-6100ft), pinion-juniper savannas (6200ft-7200ft), ponderosa pine forests (6300ft6-7800ft), mixed conifer forests (6900ft-10000ft), and aspen patches (8900ft-9950ft). 2. Using treatment acreage, a calculated estimate was produced for each ecotone. This estimate was the amount of acreage that each zone encompasses within the 10000 acres. These estimates show that grasslands cover 5ac. of area, pinion-juniper covers 4600ac. of area, ponderosa pine covers the entire treatment area, aspen covers 48ac, and mixed conifer covers 3455ac. in the higher elevations. Within canyons and steep slopes (60% of greater) 550.5 acres are present, most of which are ponderosa pine and gamble oak species. 3. Fire risk and fuel reduction efforts will require forest stands to be maintained at tree densities of about 50 to 150 trees per acre, in order to drastically reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire within LANL boundaries (EA for wildfire hazard reduction and forest health improvement program at Los Alamos National Lab 2000). To meet this reduction standard extensive logging will be implemented. This will require both mechanized and manual logging. In steep slope areas, helicopter or air logging will be conducted. 4. As efforts are made to reduce fire risk, so too will efforts be made to reduce the impact of logging actions. These efforts are based of the equipment that will be used and the areas they will be used on. In order to treat the amount of acreage proposed in a timely fashion, mechanized logging will be implemented to a greater extent over manual logging. The type of machinery used consists of feller bunchers, forwarders, and a helicopter. Chainsaws will be used for manual logging in areas where machine logging is not applicable. To get a better idea of what the machinery to be used looks like and what they are capable of doing, view this website, www.franklin-treefarmer.com 5. To prevent any ecological impact or damage within areas under logging operations, mechanized equipment used should have rubber tires to decrease soil compaction and disturbance. This will also reduce the spread of exotic seeds because it will be harder for seeds to attach themselves onto the rubber tires. Operations should be conducted during dry weather when the soil is dry and halted when it is wet or soaked, to prevent erosion and rut damage. Also, defined tracks for machines to follow in and out of logging areas should be implemented to reduce to amount of soil disturbance and unnecessary roads in an area. 6. Chainsaw loggers should be aware of the placement of fuels and oils used for their equipment and whether there are any leaks or spills of these liquids. They should pick up any trash they accumulate and use general common sense when conducting logging activities. 7. Helicopter logging, restricted to steep slopes, is relatively environmental friendly and causes minimal impact to areas used for this type of logging. A designated land zone should be specified and no other areas should be used as a landing zone, except in emergencies. Loading equipment for logs cut should also have a designated loading area to reduce impacts to soil and vegetation. Also, to prevent construction of unnecessary roads. 8. There should be minimal impacts to environments if the proper procedures and steps are followed in logging operations. As always, worker safety is the number one priority and following proper precautions and worker alertness is a must for a safe working environment. The ten thousand acres that are to be treated on lab property encompasses a wide range of tree species and ecotones and the logging equipment to be used to accomplish wildfire hazard reduction will suite this purpose. 9. The Laboroatory has developed a procurement initiative for conducting business to further support Northern New Mexico Economic Development The firms considered for this work must commit to utilizing existing labor market for the work described above. A formal commitment from the selected firm shall be required. 10. Firms interested in this project shall submit information regarding your firms experience and past performance to provide similar type of service as described above. Include with your qualification statement, the equipment that you presently have for conducting this type of work. Provide a list of three (3) references, contact name, phone number and address regarding work that your firm performed that is similar in nature to the work described above. Provide any additional pertinent qualifications. Firms must provide a letter of qualification no later than April 6, 2001 to Los Alamos National Laboratory, Attn: W. Schattschneider, M/S M878, P.O. Box 1663 Los Alamos, NM 87545 (email:schatts@lanl.gov). Overnight delivery documentation can be sent to Los Alamos National Laboratory, Attn: W. Schattschneider, M878, Receiving Dept. Bldg SM-30, Bikini Atoll Rd, Los Alamos, NM 87545

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010321/FSOL001.HTM (W-078 SN50G677)