MA arborists & climbers unite!

[Wortown Mick]

I just saw a story on the news how the USDS is bringing in more smokejumpers from out west to identify trees infected with ALB in Worcester .

Elite airborne firefighters are being shipped in from across the country to do our work for us. Even though we are more qualified, well excuse me the certified arborists are more qualified.. as well as local.

MA has more arborists than a great deal of other states and our work is being subcontracted out.

So , MA is going to be paying how many of us unemployment this winter, while its paying others ALOT more money id imagine to do OUR job?
Not to mention im sure the state is putting them up in a hotel..

ITS WRONG. Last I heard the two companies in the running for the removal contact were Dillon and Northern.. Id wager somone gets brought in to do it though since thats how it seems to work.

Im sitting here in my house in a winter coat because I cant afford heating oil quite yet. My trucks insurance is about to be cancelled, cant afford that either. Im goin to go repoint a chimney when it warms up enough for mortar, but WTF? Im a climber in training not a mason.

Im going to get the contact info for our senators and representatives, as well as anyone else who could potentially help.

Im asking for help, either from you men who are out of work, or soon to be out of work, or who know people out of work , to keep jobs that are opening up in this state from being subcontracted to some firefighters.

 

[Wortown Mick]

SENATOR HARRIETTE L. CHANDLER
State House
Room 312-D
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: (617) 722-1544
Fax: (617) 722-1357

STATE SENATOR
EDWARD M. AUGUSTUS, JR.
State House
Room 218
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: (617) 722-1485
Fax: 617-722-1066

STATE REPRESENTATIVE
ROBERT P. SPELLANE
State House District Office
Room 254 781 Pleasant Street
Boston, MA 02133 Worcester, MA 01602
Telephone: 617-722-2220 508-799-3948
Facsimile:
E-Mail: [email protected]

STATE REPRESENTATIVE
JAMES J. O'DAY
State House
Room 39

State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: 617-722-2014
Facsimile: 617-626-0884
E-Mail: Rep.JamesO'[email protected]

STATE REPRESENTATIVE
VINCENT A. PEDONE
State House District Office
Room 540 18 East Park Terrace
State House Worcester, MA 01604
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: 617-722-2090 508-791-7400
Facsimile: 617-626-0551
E-Mail: [email protected]

STATE REPRESENTATIVE
JOHN J. BINIENDA
State House District Office
Room 34
State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: 617-722-2320 508-753-5962

Those are the worcester reps. The infection is also in

Holden:
STATE REPRESENTATIVE
LEWIS G. EVANGELIDIS
State House
Room 473B
State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: 617-722-2263
Email: [email protected]

Shrewsbury:
STATE REPRESENTATIVE
KARYN E. POLITO
State House District Office
Room 167
State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: 617-722-2230 508-845-2300
Facsimile:
E-Mail:[email protected]

Northborough:
STATE SENATOR
PAMELA P. RESOR
State House
Room 410
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: (617) 722-1120
Fax: (617) 722-1089

STATE REPRESENTATIVE
HAROLD P. NAUGHTON, JR.
State House District Office
Room 472 200 High Street, 1st Floor
State House Clinton, MA 01510
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: 617-722-2013 978-365-1955
Facsimile: 978-368-8458
E-Mail: [email protected]

Auburn:
STATE REPRESENTATIVE
PAUL K. FROST
State House
Room 542
State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: 617-722-2489
Facsimile:
E-Mail: [email protected]



Those are the state reps. However the eradication effort also recieves federal funding.

 

[Wortown Mick]

Now for the feds.

Kennedy, Edward M.- (D - MA) Class I
317 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4543
Web Form: kennedy.senate.gov/senator/contact.cfm

Kerry, John F.- (D - MA) Class II
304 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2742
Web Form: kerry.senate.gov/v3/contact/email.html

Washington, D.C.

Congressman John Olver
1111 Longworth HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515

TEL: 202-225-5335
FAX: 202-226-1224

Neal.
WASHINGTON (202) 225-5601 2208 Rayburn House Office Building • Washington, DC 20515

McGovern
438 Cannon Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-6101

Congressman Barney Frank
2252 Rayburn Building
Washington, DC 20515
tel: (202) 225-5931
fax: (202) 225-0182

Niki Tsongas - Massachusetts (5th Cong. District)
2229 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202)225-3411

Tierney
2238 Rayburn House
Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-8020
Fax: (202) 225-5915

Markey
Washington, D.C.
2108 Rayburn House
Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
202-225-2836

Lynch
Washington Office
221 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
(phone) 202-225-8273 (fax) 202-225-3984

Delahunt
Washington, DC
2454 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-3111
Fax: 202-225-5658

Fax: (202) 225-5759

 

[moss]

USDA APHIS is hiring survey crew for the Worcester area, if you're interested PM me with your email and I'll send you the application/PDF that I have.
-moss

 

[Jovary]

The operation is completely inefficient. The USDA is wasting alot of money shipping smokejumpers and inspectors from out of state and then putting them up. Then they complain about not having enough money!

 

[Lawnmowerboy48]

Harriette, Harley, Chandler is my aunt-in-law she will be receiving a call from me tomorrow.

 

[moss]

The operation is completely inefficient. The USDA is wasting alot of money shipping smokejumpers and inspectors from out of state and then putting them up. Then they complain about not having enough money!

I'm sure there are inefficiencies but for something of this potential magnitude the feds can't leave it up to individual states or towns and cities to manage. War is very inefficient and this is a kind of war.
-moss

 

[treeslayer666]

ALB removal contract

ITS WRONG. Last I heard the two companies in the running for the removal contact were Dillon and Northern.. Id wager somone gets brought in to do it though since thats how it seems to work.

I dont think the bid is even out yet. Maybe I'm wrong but its not up on the comm-pass web site. Thats where the USDA said it would be posted.

If anyone knows where to find the bid please let me know.

Hopefully they use local companys that have been loosing work in Worcester due to the alb outbreak.

 

[treeslayer666]

Update ALB Removal Bid Worcester

After checking the comm-pass web site twice a day since August to get the bid form for the removal process ( still nothing posted ) I figured I'd give the ALB hot-line a call AGAIN to see whats going on. The last time I spoke with them they said it would be posted by mid November.

Well today they informed me that the bid WILL NOT be posted on the comm-pass site and that's all the info they have.

I asked who I could call to find out more info about whats going on. They told me to call Boston DCR. So I did. Of course I got a voice mail and I left a message. No call back as of yet.

I cant belive that this state is not going to give the local small businesses that specialize in residential tree removal, that have been removing trees on the same streets and backyards of the infested area for decades EVEN A CHANCE TO BID on the removal process.

Due to the economic situation my phone has not been ringing at all. I've been working a day or two a week for the past month. As I'm typing this I have over $300k worth of equipment sitting that could be put to use for the eradication effort but evidently the local small tree services are not good enough to even have a shot at the bid.

I'm not looking to make millions of dollars on this. I'm just trying to keep my employees going and my family fed. At the same time saving taxpayers millions of dollars by using local companies.

If anyone knows anything about this please let me know.

Thank You

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Last I heard the two companies in the running for the removal contact were Dillon and Northern.. Id wager somone gets brought in to do it though since thats how it seems to work.

They may be the primary contractors and will put the actual work out to bid to qualifying companies. You can get in on the third tier for $400 per tree.

Loose a little on each tree, but make it up on volume.

 

[OTG BOSTON]

There is lots of mis-information surrounding this ALB outbreak.

I went out to Worcester for compliance training last night, accidentally walked into the 'war room'. There are tons of good folks working there asses off on this problem which is expected to be an eight year operation BTW.

The compliance class was cool but quickly turned into a 'where can I bid on the contract' fiasco...

As far as giving it to local companies is concerned, I agree with you, unfortunately thats not how low bid contracts work.

There are 4000k identified infested trees and that only includes 10% of the quarantine area-no one company can handle that kind of volume in a timely fashion.

I also heard that the contract will NOT be posted on com-pass, it will be offered to companies that already do work for the state.

The best bet for small operators is to get yourself in compliance and offert o work as a sub....

 

[treeslayer666]

As far as giving it to local companies is concerned, I agree with you, unfortunately thats not how low bid contracts work.

There are 4000k identified infested trees and that only includes 10% of the quarantine area-no one company can handle that kind of volume in a timely fashion.

I also heard that the contract will NOT be posted on com-pass, it will be offered to companies that already do work for the state.

The best bet for small operators is to get yourself in compliance and offert o work as a sub....

OTG, I agree with you that no one company can handle the volume of trees that need to be removed in the time-frame.

MY point is if the state would use the 7 or 8 local, reputable, fully insured, fully equipped companies that have been in compliance since the first workshop back on October 10, we could wipe out 3400-4000 trees during the winter months NO PROBLEM. You have to remember these trees are in my backyard. I walked the greendale area, Ive seen the marked trees, walked into the yards, checked the setup situations. No problem. We do this every day.

So after being lied to for the past two months, now its only being offered to the companies that already do work for the state. THAT'S BS!

So now we know... Northern got it in the bag just like every other state contract.

Maybe Dillon has a shot and I hope to hell Joe gets it but I doubt it.

The bottom line is this. If the state uses local companies it will save the taxpayers money in the long-run. It will be much cheaper than the LOW BID.

OTG, just curious, being the tree warden of Boston why did you come to Worcester to enter into the compliance agreement to work in the quarantine zone?

 

[OTG BOSTON]

OTG, just curious, being the tree warden of Boston why did you come to Worcester to enter into the compliance agreement to work in the quarantine zone?

Its called due diligence. Heaven forbid we get it in the Bean, I want to be familiar with the practices and procedures. I am also planning on spending some time volunteering out there because I know I would want people to help me out if I need it.

As far as being lied to, I agree there is lots of misinformation going around, but I wouldn't go so far as to say anyone is getting preferential treatment.

I feel your pain, bro. Don't get me wrong, I'm on your side on this I just want to share info. At this point nothing is known for sure and all the speculation in the world isn't going to help anyone.

I will say that if you own a tree co in Worcester county, you'll probably see some work out of this.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

The best bet for small operators is to get yourself in compliance and offert o work as a sub....

I will say that if you own a tree co in Worcester county, you'll probably see some work out of this.

That is how it works, containment zones will expand there will be work enough to get you by. Be a squeaky wheel, but not a PITA and you will find out what you need to know.

These things evolve over time, info changes day to day. They may have intended to do it loacly, but then found out that they could not with current regulations and time constraints.

 

[JohnH]

I think a lot of us will get some work out of this.

 

[Dadatwins]

The smaller companies would be better to act as subs on a large scale job like this. They could get paid on a more timely basis as subs. The government takes forever to pay its bills and how many small companies can afford to wait 3-4 months for payment? I would let the big boys grab the load, of course they will get the bigger $$ but they will also be waiting the longest to get paid. Best thing to do is get yourself licensed , legal, certified or whatever else will be needed and have paperwork ready for when the contracts start going out.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

The smaller companies would be better to act as subs on a large scale job like this.

Form cooperative ad hoc corporation for the work so that you look better able to handle the work load on paper. This is how we have gotten some HOA contracts after big storms, being able to work hard to reach trees and the like. One guy would have the bigger bucket, another had the big chipper. Consolidated crews and ample ground staff along with qualified climbers....

 

[JohnH]

Doesn't California have a wild fire problem right now???? Should the goverment start hiring arborists to put out fires?? It doesn't sound very cheap to fly people 1/2 way across the country and put them in hotels.:monkey: And has anyone seen the contract yet?

 

[OTG BOSTON]

Bid package is out.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Bid package is out.

If anyone needs skilled labor, let me know.