Annual Mowing and Trimming for Land Conservation

Additional Bid Open Note: If you have a disability and need an accommodation in order to participate, please contact the Alachua County ADA Coordinator at ADA@alachuacounty.us or Equal Opportunity Office at 352-374-5275 at least 7 business days prior to the event. If you are unable to notify the Office prior to the event, please inform an Alachua County employee that you need assistance. TDD/TTY users, please call 711 (Florida Relay Service) 5.1. Mowing and Trimming Scope of Services Provide mowing, vertical trimming and other services to maintain existing trails, roads, firebreaks, levees, trailheads, and recreation infrastructure within Alachua County Environmental Protection Department (EPD)- Managed Properties as needed. All equipment must be free of vegetative debris prior to entering the preserves to avoid introducing invasive species to the preserves. County staff may inspect equipment at any time. Contractor must notify site managers of intent to mow and the scheduled date at least one business day prior to mowing. Mowing must not be conducted under conditions which result in the mowing equipment causing damage to roadways, trails, firebreaks, trailheads, or infrastructure. (e.g., too wet). Contractor will be held responsible for repairs to roadways, infrastructure or other resources should mowing be conducted under conditions that cause damage. Mowing, weed eating, vertical trimming and other services shall not result in collateral damage to trees and non-targeted vegetation. (e.g., hitting trees with mowers, tractors, or damaging bark with weed eaters). Contractor may be required to submit to the site manager within 1 week of each mowing event a GPS file showing the track of mowing efforts. Contractor will submit to the project manager within 1 week of the completion of each monthly round of mowing an itemized invoice reflecting the acres or miles mowed as specified in the Work Order. If all mowing specified in the Work Order is not completed (due to wet conditions or other events), Contractor will account for the un-mowed acres or miles on the invoice and adjust the invoice amount accordingly. Contractor will correct deficiencies in the work product should work not be completed in accordance with requirements of the Work Order and Contract, as determined by County staff review, at no additional cost to County. Provide the above-listed services to additional ACEPD-Managed Properties in the future as determined by County staff. Generally, the amount of work will increase over time as new properties are acquired. 5.2. General Road, Trail, Firebreak, Levee Mowing Specifications Mow roads, trails, firebreaks, levees, clearings, and recreation infrastructure. Maintain boardwalks and bridges. County staff will provide contractor with maps showing the location, length, and width of areas to be mowed. Contractors will be compensated per mile for each width class (see Pricing Form) Roads/Trails greater than 6 feet in width will be mowed with a tractor/bush hog setup or equipment that won't damage the county resources. Trails less than 6 feet in width will be mowed using a walk-behind brush mower, weed-trimmer or in some cases, if conditions permit, a riding or zero-turn mower. Mow groundcover to the shortest possible height without soil disturbance - avoid scalping. Mow groundcover to the edge of the trail/roadway (i.e., as bounded by large woody vegetation, or to the extent that mowing has occurred in the past). Contractor is responsible for removing downed trees and debris that must be moved to mow roads, trails, firebreaks, and levees EXCEPT for downed trees/limbs that exceed 18" in diameter within the mowed area (roadway, trail, firebreak). In such cases the contractor must contact the project manager to arrange for clearing. In addition to mowing, Contractors will be required to blow/sweep debris off boardwalks and bridges, weed trim around structures along trails (signs, benches, and recreation infrastructure, etc.), trim around blaze trees, and pick up trash. 5.3. Trailhead/Parking Area Mowing and Maintenance Provide mowing services for trailhead and parking areas. There will be 6 or more natural or manmade obstacles such as trees, signs, parking stops, kiosks, fences, and other infrastructure per half acre inside these areas. These types of obstacles may be numerous. County staff will provide work order maps and acreage for each trailhead/parking area. Contractors will be compensated on a per acre basis. The Contractor shall pick up and dispose of all trash/litter at trailhead. The Contractor shall mow the trailhead/parking/ areas as depicted on work order maps and/or per provided written instructions. Height of vegetation shall be no more than 3 inches upon completion of mowing. The Contractor shall weed trim around all items (all sides) within mowing areas such as trees, posts, trash cans, curb stops, fences, benches, signs, etc. 5.4. Mowing of Clearings Provide mowing of clearings. There will be 5 or less natural or man-made obstacles per half acre inside these areas and no fences to weed eat around. County staff will provide work order maps and acreage for each clearing. Contractors will be compensated on a per acre basis. The Contractor shall mow the clearing as depicted on work order maps and/or per provided written instructions. Height of vegetation shall be no more than three (3) inches upon completion of mowing. The Contractor shall weed trim around all man-made obstacles (all sides) within mowing areas such as posts, trash cans, benches, signs, etc. 5.5. Vertical Trimming Specifications Utilizing Hand Tools And Small Power Tools Provide vertical trimming services utilizing hand tools, pole saws, and small power tools. Staff will provide location maps with length, height, and width measurements. Hand trim roads, firebreaks or trails utilizing hand tools, pole saws, and small power tools to specified widths and heights. Larger equipment may be used in designated areas such as non-trail firelines and boundaries with written permission from County Staff. Prune tree limbs back to branch collars to provide a clear road/trail corridor height of 12 feet. Trim saplings back to root collar. Do not leave stubs (punji sticks, staubs). Remove trimmed debris from roads and scatter it within the preserve's wooded areas. No debris piles may be created. At the Contractor's discretion debris smaller than two inches in diameter may be left in the adjacent road to be mulched by Contractor's mower within 1 day of trimming. Vertical trimming a portion of recreation trails is performed on a roughly 3-year schedule. Vertical trimming a portion of service roads/firelines is performed on an approximate 3-year schedule. 5.6. Toe of Slope Mowing Complete mowing to the toe of slope (farther down slope than the routine mowing) as specified on the Toe of Slope Mowing Work Order Map: 11 miles (7.5 miles with no obstacles, and 3.5 miles with tree obstacles). Contractor shall complete one mowing between July 1st and August 15th, annually unless written permission is obtained to change the date due to weather. Slope/ditch mowing will be conducted using a side or rear mount mower with an arm (or equivalent equipment approved by EPD staff). Levee Slope mowing at Barr Hammock Levy Prairie. Mow to the toe of the slope or to the surface of the water whichever is nearer as shown on maps. Should the surface of the water be nearer, then mowing should extend out over the surface of the water as far as possible. Mow around trees larger than 4 inches in diameter or around vegetation that is located such that it cannot be mowed without damage to surrounding larger trees. Areas to be mowed are generally as follows, but will be depicted more specifically on maps: Mowing shall occur to the toe of the slope on the inside slope of the entire levee (many large trees are present and must be mown around on the east, south and west levees). Elevation difference between the water surface and the surface of the levee varies from 3 feet to 6+ feet. Slopes are 3:1 or steeper. Mow to the toe of the slope on the outside of the north and west levee (no large woody vegetation to mow around). The elevation difference between the water or ground surface and the surface of the levee varies from 3 feet to 8+ feet. Slopes are 3:1 or steeper. Equipment must only be driven on the flat surface of the levee. No driving on levee sides except the west levee south of the central water control structure. Equipment will not traverse the levee in the rain or after significant rainfall (greater than 1" in the last 2 days) to avoid damage to the levee. Avoid scalping. May be subcontracted but must adhere to standards set above. 5.7. Sweetwater Preserve Trailhead Mowing Provide mowing services for the trailhead, retention area slopes, and the parking area. There are numerous natural and manmade obstacles such as trees, signs, parking stops, kiosks, fences, and other infrastructure inside this area. County staff will provide a Work Order Map. The area to be mowed is about 0.33 acres in size. The Contractor shall pick up and dispose of all trash/litter within project area. The Contractor shall mow the trailhead/parking areas as depicted on work order maps and/or per provided written instructions. Height of vegetation shall be no more than 3 inches upon completion of mowing. The Contractor shall weed trim around all items (all sides) within mowing areas such as trees, posts, trash cans, curb stops, fences, benches, signs, etc. 5.8. General Provisions Work performed will consist of furnishing all labor, equipment, and supplies and performing all operations necessary to complete tasks as described in the scope of work. Staff will mark and/or communicate to vendor the perimeters of the treatment area and any vegetation, trees, tortoise burrows or other features to be excluded from treatment within the designated area. Equipment entering the project site will be free of all plant debris. County staff may inspect equipment prior to entry and at any time. Preserve gates should be kept locked. The footprint of the work should be kept to the treatment area to the greatest degree possible. Any preserve infrastructure damaged by the contractor shall be repaired or replaced by the contractor to its original condition as determined by EPD staff. Do not remove, damage, destroy, or harass any animal, plant, wood, soil, sand, rocks, fossils or stones, or cultural resources including but not limited to pottery, chert flakes, arrow heads, pitch pine pots, old bottles, or bricks on conservation lands. Should cultural resources be encountered, leave them in place and report the location to the Project or Preserve Manager. Question Submission Deadline:October 15, 2023, 12:01am

Division 01 -	General Requirements.
Division 10 -	Specialties.
Division 11 -	Equipment.