SOLICITATION NOTICE
R -- Angelus Oak Underburn NEPA Project
- Notice Date
- 7/20/2009
- Notice Type
- Presolicitation
- NAICS
- 541620
— Environmental Consulting Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, R-5 Southern California Province, San Bernardino N.F., 1824 South Commercenter Circle, San Bernardino, California, 92408-3430
- ZIP Code
- 92408-3430
- Solicitation Number
- AG-9A14-S-09-0019
- Point of Contact
- David B. Hallen, Phone: 9093822635
- E-Mail Address
-
dbhallen@fs.fed.us
(dbhallen@fs.fed.us)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- Partial HUB-Zone
- Description
- Angelus Oaks Understory Burn Project, Decision Document with FONSI or Decision Memo. A. Introduction This performance-based Work Statement defines the effort required to secure professional services to manage an Inter-disciplinary Team (IDT), conduct environmental analysis and public involvement, and prepare a NEPA Decision Document with FONSI or Decision Memo for a project to reduce fire hazard on the San Bernardino National Forest, Front Country Ranger District, surrounding Angelus Oaks, California. The project will be analyzed using Forest Service Categorical Exclusion FSH 1909.15, 31.2 (6) in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). However, should analysis of cumulative watershed impacts and cumulative impacts to spotted owls indicate the need for an Environmental Assessment the project may be changed to an Environmental Assessment (EA). This requires two bid estimates one for Categorical Exclusion and the other for Environmental Assessment for the project. Background: The Angelus Oaks Understory burn is located in an area classified as Wildland-Urban-Interface by the San Bernardino National Forest. Under the National Fire Plan and the Healthy Forest Initiative, emphasis is placed on reducing the risk of wildfire within the urban interface around communities at risk. The area is approximately 535 acres in size. The suppression of low intensity fires for the past 100 years has resulted in a forest condition where the vegetation is denser, ladder fuels are abundant, and there are accumulations of woody material. Some parts of the project area are exceeding the carrying capacity resulting in vegetation mortality. In addition, the San Bernardino National Forest has experienced drought in recent years, the effects of which are still evident. A drought is a natural phenomenon; however, when vegetation density exceeds the carrying capacity, many trees and shrubs are unable to withstand drought conditions. This leads to mortality resulting in the current forest conditions with high levels of fuel loading. Project Location The Angelus Oaks Understory Burn Project is located along Highway 38 in the San Bernardino National Forest, San Bernardino County, California. The 535 acre project area surrounds the community of Angelus Oaks in Township 1N, Range 1W, Sections 21, 22, 27, 28, 33, and 34. Purpose and Need for the Project The Front Country Ranger District of the San Bernardino National Forest is proposing to understory burn the shaded fuel break areas created during the implementation of the Angelus Oaks Community Defense Project initiated in 2004. The objectives are to reduce fuel loading due to post-implementation activity residue, resprouting shrub and herbaceous vegetation, as well as improve the overall forest health of the treated areas using prescribed fire to help restore ecological balance. Existing Conditions The project consists of mixed conifer of primarily Ponderosa Pine, Sugar Pine, White Fir, Incense Cedar, Coulter Pine and Big Cone Douglas Fir with an oak component of Black Oak, and Live Oak. Mortality removal and thinning from below have been previously implemented. This material was stacked and has been or will be burned in piles. Mechanical treatment by mastication also occurred in some units with residual activity fuels remaining on site. Post-treatment re-sprouting of the understory vegetation is occurring and will increasingly degrade the integrity of the fuel breaks. Desired Conditions The project will result in a mosaic of differing vegetative age classes within the project area. The project will maintain an open stand appearance with variable density and structure restoring a low intensity fire regime; more closely resembling the historic norms. The open stand conditions are sought to: limit hazardous fuels conditions; and maintain visual enjoyment for local residents and tourist. Overall species composition will remain through natural regeneration and sprouting after treatment activities have been conducted. The uneven age classes will aid in controlling future wildfires by breaking up vertical and horizontal continuity of fuels and reducing the fire severity. Project Objectives The major objectives of this performance-based Task Order are to: a)Procure a proposed action within constraints identified in this Scope of Work that is economically feasible and can reasonably be implemented. b)Manage public involvement for the project, including content analysis of public comments and documenting response to comments. c)Procure specialist reports necessary to support a Decision Document with FONSI or Decision Memo. d)Procure a technically and legally defensible NEPA Decision Document with FONSI or Decision Memo in 100% compliance with law, regulation and policy, so that the Deciding Officer may make an informed decision on how best to accomplish the management objectives described in the Forest Plan, as amended, regarding the reduction of hazardous fuels on NFS lands. The NEPA document must document compliance with the Forest Land Management Plan (LMP) and with FSH 1909.15, 30.3(2) regarding “extraordinary circumstances”. The NEPA Document must document, and the specialist reports must support, the following: i.Whether “extraordinary circumstances” exist; ii.Whether there is a cause-effect relationship between the proposed action and the potential effect on the resource conditions covered by “extraordinary circumstances”; and iii.If such a relationship exists, the degree of the potential effect on these resource conditions. Project Proposed Action The Front Country Ranger District of the San Bernardino National Forest is proposing to understory burn the shaded fuel break areas created during the implementation of the Angelus Oaks Community Defense Project initiated in 2004. The objectives are to reduce fuels loading due to post-implementation activity residue, resprouting shrub and herbaceous vegetation, as well as improve the overall health of the treated areas while re-introducing fire as an ecological process. Prescribed Burn: Chaparral would be burned to maintain 40%-60% vegetation ground cover providing a continuous mosaic of fuels. Prescribed burning would be generally of low intensity using hand firing devices and heli-torch methods. The project includes analysis of additional treatments to maintain desired conditions over time.. This is a cascading Hubzone Set-Aside. HubZone and Service-disabled Veteran-owned Businesses will be evaluated equally. Both will be given a 10% price differential over other Small Businesses. The solicitation will be avaialble on FEDBIZOPS on or about August 3, 2009
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/USDA/FS/9A14/AG-9A14-S-09-0019/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: Front Country Ranger District, Angelus, California, 92305, United States
- Zip Code: 92305
- Zip Code: 92305
- Record
- SN01880488-W 20090722/090720234945-c312c71d1815f7291245cd02ac6c8080 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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