INTRODUCTION

The El Dorado County Fire Safe Council (EDCFSC) has received grant funding from the United States Forest Service through the California Fire Safe Council Clearinghouse. The purpose of this grant is to plan and perform strategic fuels reduction to reduce the threat of catastrophic wildland fire to the community of Grizzly Flats, California. This area is identified as a high priority fuels reduction area in the El Dorado County Community Wildfire Protection Plan.

BACKGROUND

Grizzly Flats has been identified as a community at Risk in the Federal Register. Access to the community is via a two-lane county road in the heart of a high fire hazard area. The road is the lifeline for the community and for the last 6 miles the road is flanked by heavy fuels. Within the community heavy fuels also flank the interior roads in the subdivision, many of which are the primary evacuation routes for the community.

Internally the problems are: violations of the California Public Resources Code (4291); the threat of fire cutting off evacuation routes and routes of travel for fire suppression equipment; and the elementary school being unable to evacuate. The Grizzly Flats Community Services District has numerous water production facilities, which are located in high fire fuels areas. Additionally, there is a threat of wildfire coming from the Consumnes River drainage area, located to the south, as well as a threat from the west and south west, as this is the predominate wind direction. There is also a threat from the north and northeast from a strong, northerly flow during the fall and late summer.

PROPOSAL

The project will treat brush and small trees along the evacuation routes providing the residents with a safer, external evacuation route greatly improving the current situation. It will also provide a greater degree of fire safety protection to the school and enable a safe evacuation. Treatment of fire fuels located on the property of the Grizzly Flats Community Services District will provide protection of the community water supply production facilities, as well as provide water to aid in fire suppression.

RESPONSIBILITIES / SCOPE OF WORK

Hand Thin: Hand thinning and chipping should be accomplished using a hand crew with chainsaws cutting material up to 6"dbh with 20'x20' spacing between leave trees unless otherwise designated by the landowner. Leave trees shall be limbed up to 8 feet. All Brush will be cut unless otherwise designated by the landowner. All dead and down material greater than 3 inches in diameter and up to 14 inches in diameter should be left for fire wood and all cut material and down material less than 3 inches in diameter should be chipped.

Chipping: Chipping redistributes forest vegetation that is cut by mechanical thinning or hand thinning. The chips may be removed from the site and converted to energy for other products or scattered throughout the project area at a depth no greater than 3 inches.

1. Fuels treatment on primary evacuation route (Project GF-1)
   Project will treat brush and small trees (less than 6" inches in diameter) for 100 feet on both sides of String Canyon Road and Grizzly Flat Road. The project will extend from Sciaroni Road to Caldor Road. Trees will be pruned up to 8 feet. Approximately 120 acres will be treated.
    
2. Fuels treatment on selected collector roads that feed into main evacuation routes Project GF-3
   Except for Logan's Grade, the projects identified along collector roads may overlap the 100 foot fuels treatment required of lot owners. This project should ensure some fuels treatment will occur in timely way once lot owner agreements are obtained.
    
   1. Grizzly Flat Road (Logan's Grade)
       
      1. Grizzly Flat Road from the intersection with String Canyon—treat 30 feet on both sides of the road to Blue Mountain.
      2. Blue Mountain to the cemetery –treat 20 feet on both sides of the road.
      3. From cemetery to Leoni road (includes the narrow portions) treat 25 feet on both sides of the road with Sciaroni Road-
      
       
   2. Sciaroni Road
       
      1. From Grizzly Flat Road to String Canyon Road—treat 30 feet on both sides of the road.
      2. String Canyon to Grizzly Flats Community Service District—treat 20 feet on both sides of the road.
      
       
   3. Capps Crossing Road—Treat 30 feet on both sides of the road to the Eldorado National Forest Boundary, and where the road crosses through the private property in Section 14 ( the old Gilbert's property).
       
   4. Winding Way—From Sciaroni Road to Meadow Glen, treat 20 feet on both sides of the road.
       
   5. Meadow Glen—Treat 20 feet on both sides of the road to Winding Way and then Winding Way to Capps Crossing.
       
   6. Forest Glen will be treated on both sides for 20 feet and lengthened to connect it with Capps Crossing Road. This route will require road construction and a special use permit from the Forest Service. Winding Way will not be treated east of either end of Meadow Glen.
       
   7. Tyler Road—Sciaroni Road to the School—treat 20 feet on both sides of the road.
       
   8. Blue Mountain Road—From Grizzly Flat Road to Pine Ridge Drive intersection—treat 20 feet on both sides of the road.
       
   9. Old Mine Road—treat 20 feet on each side down from Creekside Drive to the last house
       
   10. Creekside Drive—From Old Mine Road to Mt. Pleasant Drive—treat 20 feet on each side
        
   11. Woodridge Drive—From Mt. Pleasant Dr. to Grizzly Flat Road—treat 20 feet on both sides of the road
        
   12. Evergreen—From Grizzly Flat Road to String Canyon Road—treat 20 feet on both sides.

Final treatment areas will be dependent on property owner's permission. Please prepare bids for the project based on a cost per acre and a cost per hour for the crew and equipment (crew with chainsaws, transportation, and chipper).

Other responsibilities of the Contractor include:

1. Contractor will work with the El Dorado County Fire Safe Council and the Grizzly Flats Fire Safe Council to insure compliance with the guidelines, conditions and criterions of the grant.
    
2. Contractor will include enough layout time and supervision time in bid to assure public safety and compliance with property owner and FSC requirements.
    
3. Contractor will be sensitive to and responsive to property owner's desires within the objectives of the Grant and this contract.
    
4. Contractor will be responsible for crew's safety and sanitation needs.
    
5. Contractor shall comply with all established administrative processes (monthly contractor's reports and invoicing) of the EDCFSC. Payments will be made within 30 days of approval by the Project Coordinator of invoices submitted by the Contractor.
    
6. Contractor shall attend a pre-operations site visit. The meeting will start at the Grizzly Flats Community Church at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, June 13, 2007 with the Project Coordinator and representatives of the Grizzly Flats FSC to review job specifications.
    
7. Contractor will protect any areas from disturbance that have been identified as an archaeological site, endangered plant or animal habitat, or watercourses. These areas, if any, will be discussed at the pre-operations meeting and will be flagged with orange and black striped flagging as equipment exclusion zones.
    
8. Contractor will be responsible for ensuring protection of structures, property improvements, power lines and other utilities.
    
9. Residual trees will be pruned to reduce ladder fuels.
    
10. Residual trees will be protected from skin ups and damage.
     
11. Work under this Agreement shall be completed no later than April 30, 2008. The work is planned to occur during the summer, fall and winter of 2007/2008.
     

EVALUATION

Members of the El Dorado County Fire Safe Council, the Project Coordinator and members of the Grizzly Flats Fire Safe Council will evaluate the proposals.

AVAILABLE FUNDS

The maximum amount of funds available for contracted services in this grant is $167,665. The selected candidate must acknowledge and affirmatively indicate that he/she can provide the tasks outlined in the Scope of Work within this amount.

PROPOSAL FORMAT

A qualifying proposal must address all of the following items:

1. Letter of Interest, including a statement that the proposal will perform outlined services.
    
2. Cover Sheet with the following information:
    
   1. Title of Proposal
   2. Name and Address of Firm
   3. Contact person, Telephone Number and Fax Number.
       
3. Understanding of the Project: The contractor shall provide a brief response that demonstrates an understanding of the fuels treatment on primary evacuation routes and collector/feeder roads that connect to the primary evacuation roads and that clearly describes his or her ability to reduce hazardous fuel loads in the project locations.
    
4. Approach and Objectives: The contractor shall briefly outline how their proposal will be responsive to the Scope of Work.
    
5. Qualifications of Key Personnel: The contractor shall provide the names of the key people who will be working on this project, their role in the project, and a synopsis of their experience relevant to these roles. Expertise in the development of fuel breaks is highly desirable.
    
6. References: The contractor shall provide a minimum of three recent references from similar or related projects, including an appropriate contact name, telephone number and e-mail address (if available).
    
7. Cost Proposal: The contractor shall provide a total project cost that covers all work and responsibilities described in the Project Description and Scope of Work.
    
8. Driving Record and Insurance: Contractor must maintain a valid driver's license. The successful applicant must provide proof of current auto, liability, and workman's compensation insurance.
    
   1. Automobile Liability Insurance of not less than $500,000 is required in the event motor vehicles are used by the Contractor. One million dollars ($1,000,000) per accident for bodily injury and property damage combine single limit.
   2. Workers Compensation coverage: Contractor shall maintain workers' compensation insurance for all of its employees.
   3. Commercial General Liability Insurance of not less than One Million dollars ($1,000,000) combined single limit per occurrence for personal injury liability, bodily injury and property damage. One million dollars ($1,000,000) aggregate.
       
   
    

PROJECT MILESTONES

 
PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

One original and three copies must be mailed to the El Dorado County Fire Safe Council, P. O. Box 1237, Pollock Pines, CA 95726 and postmarked no later than July 3, 2007. Receipt of the proposal will be acknowledged via email, if available, or by fax. No proposals will be accepted after this deadline. Address any questions to the contact person listed on the first page.

NONDISCRIMINATION

The program or activities conducted under this agreement will be in compliance with the nondiscrimination provisions contained in Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987 (Public Law 100-259); and other nondiscrimination statutes: namely, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and the American's with Disabilities Act of 1990. They will also be in accordance with regulations of the Secretary of Agriculture (7CFR-15, Subparts A & B), which provide that no person in the United States shall on the grounds of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, marital or family status, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture or any agency thereof.