Grizzly Creek Post Fire Recovery

Contractors interested in the below must provide the following: SAM UEI: Business size/socioeconomic categories: Estimated work implementation period upon award (Example: 30 days, 45 days, etc.) Have you done this type of work before? Yes/No? If so, explain in capabilities. The Government is not soliciting, nor will it accept proposals as a result of this posting. If a competitive solicitation is issued in the future, it will be announced via The System for Award Management (SAM) at SAM.gov, and interested parties must comply with that announcement. The Government will not reimburse respondents for any questions submitted or information provided as a result of this notice. This is not a solicitation or promise to issue a solicitation. This information is subject to modification and in no way binds the Government to solicit or award a contract. Grizzly Creek Post Fire Recovery SECTION I. BACKGROUND, OVERVIEW, AND GOALS A. Background In 2020, The Grizzly Creek Fire burned 32,631 acres in Glenwood Canyon, Colorado. Impacts from fire caused soils to be prone to surface runoff, instead of allowing for soil infiltration. In addition to impacts to soil from the fire, monsoon rains in 2021 led to loss of topsoil in areas with “moderate” and “high” burn severity, further reducing the soil infiltration capacity. These conditions culminated in substantial debris flows within the drainages, causing millions of dollars of damage to Interstate 70 and local infrastructure. With funding authorized under the Emergency Watershed Protection Program, which provides funds for hazards created by natural disasters that cause a sudden impairment of a watershed, locations for soil restoration have been identified for treatments. B. Overview Using the United States Forest Service (USFS) soil burn severity assessment, the USFS identified treatment polygons located in areas that are predominantly in “moderate” and “high” soil burn severity classes with slopes that range from 15% to 40%. Further assessment identified 396 acres suitable for restoration in the Wagon Gulch, Blue Gulch, Grizzly Creek Watersheds in the Grizzly Creek Fire burn perimeter. Two separate treatment applications will be implemented. One treatment of wood mulch and a separate treatment of soil amendments. Mulching with wood chips influences soil water retention and plant colonization by reducing surface water runoff and shading the soil surface. Soil amendments are designed to promote soil aeration, water penetration, microbial populations, and nutrient absorption by plants. Because of the remote locations of these locations, aerial application of products is proposed. C. Goals The goals of these post-fire treatments are to increase soil moisture holding capacity of soils, which is intended to prevent soil loss and sedimentation, improve soil health, and re-establish native vegetation communities. The proposed project seeks to aerially apply wood mulch and soil amendments to areas of moderate and high soil burn severity in the Wagon Gulch, Blue Gulch, Grizzly Creek Watersheds in the Grizzly Creek Fire burn perimeter. Two hundred and fifty (250) acres are proposed for treatments, 125 acres with wood mulch and 125 acres with soil amendments. SECTION II. STATEMENT OF WORK Scope of Services The proposed work will be completed at various locations within the Wagon Gulch, Blue Gulch, Grizzly Creek Watersheds in the Grizzly Creek Fire burn area (Figure 1). The work will be managed and conducted on behalf of the White River National Forest (WRNF) and will be limited to aerial application. This request for proposal is product specific. The selected contractor shall supply all necessary labor, equipment, and material to perform the work. This will include all preparatory work, applications, acquisition and/or generation of cover materials, staging, pertinent traffic control/signage, and shall follow all specifications and protocols as set forth in the following sections. A. Wood Mulch Material Specification: Cover Purpose: The mulch material shall vary in size to allow interlocking to provide the most resistance to surface runoff, soil erosion, and wind removal. Wood Shred Size and Composition: The size shall consist of a relatively even composition of smaller and larger length strands. At least 70% of the total wood shred volume will have stubble lengths of 4-8 inches typical, have less than 1” diameter and have minimal fines. Woodshred shall be covered during transportation and when staged to prevent material from blowing around on site. Targeted Areas: The contractor will mulch 125 acres of the targeted acres (see additional notes on aerial and broadcast application) with wood mulch. Targeted acres are on “moderate” and “high” severity polygons with slopes between 15% to 40% as delineated on the treatment map. Final detailed treatment maps will be developed by WRNF Soil Scientists based on field observations of natural vegetation re-growth in summer 2023. Wood Shred Cover: Application rate is approximately 4 tons/acre. The objective is a coverage rate of at least 70% of the soil surface with an evenly distributed interlocking wood shred within each delineated polygon identified on the treatment map. Application rates (tons/acre) of wood shred may fluctuate due to the variable moisture content (e.g. live versus dead trees) in order to achieve the desired cover of 70%. The helicopter netting will be small enough such that the vast majority of the mulch will not fall through and be lost in flight. Additional Notes on Aerial and Broadcast Application: Dropping mulch in drainages and over areas covered with substantial rock cover (greater than about 50%) will be avoided, since large rock cover adequately protects the soil from accelerated erosion. A certain amount of pilot discretion is recognized to be necessary while in the air to determine appropriate application. B. Soil Amendment Material Specification: Cover Purpose: The soil amendment material is developed to increase soil organic matter, increase water holding capacity with microbially available carbon sources, balance the mineral and chemical profile of the soil for optimal revegetation, increase germination of native seed, and decrease erosion. Soil Amendment: The contractor shall use “Forest Floor Regenerator” sourced through Triton Environmental and adhere to manufacture’s product specifications (Attachment A). if requested product is becomes unavailable, similar product may be sourced with the approval of WRNF Soil Scientist". Targeted Areas: The contractor will apply soil amendments to 125 acres of the targeted acres (see additional notes on aerial and broadcast application). Targeted acres are on “moderate” and “high” severity polygons with slopes between 15% to 40% as delineated on the treatment map. Final detailed treatment maps will be developed by WRNF Soil Scientists based on field observations of natural vegetation re-growth in summer 2023. Soil Amendment Cover: Per the manufacturer's suggested application rates; amendments will be applied at 1 cubic yard/450lbs per ¼ acre, or approximately 4 cubic yards/1,800lbs per acre. Additional Notes on Aerial and Broadcast Application: Avoid dropping amendments in drainages and over areas covered with substantial rock cover (greater than about 50%). C. Application Timing Application of mulch and soil amendments should occur after summer monsoon season (approximate monsoon end date August 15th). Applications will not occur during hunting season. Archery season is Sept 2nd, 2023 – September 30th, 2023, and rifle season begins October 14th, 2023. Pre-staging of material may begin sooner if needed. D. Staging Locations and Traffic Control Preliminary options for staging locations have been Identified by the WRNF. Final staging location will need to be confirmed by the contractor. The contractor will also need to provide appropriate traffic control and signage based on final staging area determination. Depending on final determination of staging, semi-truck traffic will not be allowed on Coffee Pot Road Friday afternoon through Sunday. The contractor and WRNF Soil Scientist will coordinate with Eagle-Holy Cross Ranger District for road closures. Aerial work may operate 7-days/week. Potential Staging Areas: 39.646968°; -107.073253° 39.638213°; -107.094736° 39.654553°; -107.167821° 39.676423°; -107.189452°