01_LosPinosDxP_Appendix A_12363N26Q4124.pdf

APPENDIX A

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR SERVICE WORK ITEMS

SECTION I – DESCRIPTION OF WORK:

The objectives of this project are to increase forest health and vigor, and reduce stand densities and crown continuity in order to reduce the threat of crown fires by accomplishing the following:

1. Cutting of conifer sawtimber-sized trees, and removal of material that meets the minimum tree specifications in Appendix B from the treatment area.

SECTION II – WORK ITEMS

Mandatory Item 1: Cut and Remove Included Timber:

Units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 (498 Acres)

Cut and remove from Contract Area sawtimber trees which meet the minimum tree specifications as identified in Appendix B. All Road Maintenance Requirements identified in Appendix C apply to the transportation of forest products.

Unit Number Acres Cut Acres 1 55 55 2 27 4 3 106 19 4 6 2 5 49 9 6 53 9 7 46 8 8 90 30 9 66 16

Total 498 152

Mandatory Item 2a through 2k: Road Construction:

Refer to Appendix D for work descriptions and specifications.

SECTION III – CONTROL OF WORK

The Contractor agrees to conduct its operations under this contract and other related business activities in compliance with Federal, State, and local statutes, standards, orders, permits and other regulations.

The Contractor shall meet all State and local environmental quality laws applicable to National Forest system lands.

Work may be done any time during the term of the contract, except under the following conditions:

(1) When conditions are such that operations shall be restricted or ceased due to increased fire risk.

(2) When soil moisture conditions create excessive risk of damage to the soil,

(3) When snow depth creates a situation where requirements cannot be met and/or work cannot be inspected, 12363N26Q4124 Los Pinos DxP IRSC

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(4) If any cultural or archeological sites are discovered during operations of this contract, work will be suspended in the immediate vicinity of the site until a reconnaissance survey is completed by the Forest Archeologist. Areas excluded from treatment shall be deleted from the contract.

SECTION IV – INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

For All Work Items:

At any point during the project, the Contractor and/or Project Manager may request (documented through email, text, or hand-written request) an in the field consultation with the Forest Service to inspect work progress, review contract specifications, or clarify issues. The Forest Service shall respond to Contractor’s request within 5 working days, excluding weekends and federal holidays.

GOVERNMENT QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN

Government Inspection Procedures - The COR, or a designated inspector (GTM), will make periodic inspections while work is in progress, usually daily at first, as needed to assure work is proceeding satisfactorily. The Contractor shall notify the COR when units are started, when problems are encountered and when contract work needs government oversight.

1. Each unit will be inspected as a separate unit. Unit will not be averaged with other units for acceptance or payment.

2. When units are completed and ready for government inspection, Contractor’s designated Project manager shall request unit inspection in writing, prior to moving out of the general area.

3. The COR, or designated inspector, will determine compliance with contract specifications through informal visual inspections. In the event visual inspection indicates work to be in non-compliance with specifications, prompt corrective action and/or rework shall be required.

Government Inspection Procedures – Items 1, 2, and 3

Table 1 – Minimum Acceptable Quality Levels (AQL) of Work

ITEM DESCRIPTION SCHEDULE UNIT Min AQL

1 Cut and Remove Included Timber MANDATORY ACRE NA 2 Road Construction

a) Mobilization MANDATORY Lump Sum 100%

b) Clearing and Grubbing MANDATORY Mile 100%

c) Excavation and Embankment - Coal Creek

Parking Grading MANDATORY Lump Sum 100%

d) Roadway Obliteration MANDATORY Mile 100%

e) Linear Grading - Compaction Method

(b)Reroute MANDATORY Mile 100%

f) Untreated Aggregate Courses - Surface Course Commercial Source, Compaction Method (b)

MANDATORY Ton 100%

g) Road Reconditioning - Aggregate Surface MANDATORY Mile 100%

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h) Road Reconditioning - Native Surface MANDATORY Mile 100%

i) Culverts and Drains MANDATORY Linear Foot 100%

j) FS Heavy Duty Double Closure Gate MANDATORY Lump Sum 100%

k) Temporary Traffic Control MANDATORY Lump Sum 100%

SECTION V – PAYMENT METHODS

Method of Measurement for Acreages

Acreages were determined by using Global Positioning Systems (GPS) or digitized using GIS mapping. Some unit boundaries are flagged, the majority of boundaries are virtual.

Discernable Boundaries are boundary locations that are readily identifiable features on the ground in locations shown on the Contract Area Map. A Geo-Fence is a location on the ground corresponding to the boundary location shown on a mobile mapping device using a Global Positioning System (GPS) Receiver using a digital vector file/shapefile. The digital vector file/shapefile will be provided as an attachment to the Contractor by the Forest Service at award. A digital list of the coordinates can be provided upon request.

Contractor is responsible for obtaining a GPS receiver(s) that is capable of determining the location of the geo-fence boundary within the contract tolerance. Allowable contract tolerance is 30 feet.

Forest Service inspection of treatment boundaries shall be conducted to determine treatments are within the allowable contract tolerance using the digital vector file/shapefile referenced above using a GPS Receiver with a minimum, tested accuracy in a Light- Medium canopy of 20 feet.

National Technology Development Program GPS Receiver accuracy reports by GPS manufacturer and model are available at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/gps/mtdcrept/accuracy/index.htm. Forest Service determination of boundary location will be final.

In case of a major disruption in GPS service, or lack of GPS coverage on the Contract Area beyond the control of the Contractor, as determined by the Contracting Officer, extension of time may be granted by Contracting Officer when requested in writing by Contractor in accordance with 52.212-4 (f) Excusable Delays. To resolve major disruption of GPS service, or lack of GPS coverage on the Contract Area, the Forest Service may elect to Mark Geo- Fence boundaries on the ground, in which case the Forest Service’s determination of boundary location will be final.

The acreage for each work item will be rounded to the nearest acre and is final unless:

a. The contract is modified or,

b. The Government makes a determination to remeasure or,

c. The Contractor exercises his/her option under the following Remeasurement provisions:

Remeasurement

1. The Contractor may request, in writing, remeasurement of any units under this contract if he/she feels that acreage stated on the project maps is incorrect. The remeasurement must be within the existing perimeter of the respective unit. No variance of the unit perimeters as laid out on the ground for this contract will be allowed. All requests for remeasurement must be made prior to payment for each completed unit. Remeasurement will be performed by the Government.

2. If remeasurement indicates that a variance of ten percent or less exists on units of 1 to 5 acres, five percent or less exists on units of more than five but less than 20 acres, or if three percent or less exists

12363N26Q4124 Los Pinos DxP IRSC

San Juan National Forest Page 3 of 6 https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/gps/mtdcrept/accuracy/index.htm on units of 20 acres or larger, the Contractor shall pay for the actual costs of the remeasurement. Under this condition, payment will be made on the acreage stated on the project maps. If the remeasurement indicates the actual acreage varies by more than the above factors from that stated on the project maps, the payment will be made on the remeasured acreage and the Forest Service will pay for the cost of the remeasurement.

Acceptance and Payment – Items 2a – 2k Road Construction

1. If informal visual inspection indicates acceptable work quality, the Contractor will be paid 100 percent of their bid rate.

2. Only one rework opportunity will be allowed for each item.

* Stewardship Credits will be earned first, whenever practical. Forest Service Funds will be used if the availability of Stewardship Credits is exhausted or if appropriated dollars are obligated to a specific item.

SECTION VI – DEFINITIONS

ACCEPTABLE QUALITY LEVEL (AQL): Acceptance of work will be based on compliance with all specifications corresponding to the appropriate task(s). A minimum AQL is required for all service work – hand or mechanical. The minimum AQL will receive a satisfactory performance rating.

BIOMASS TREES: Any conifer material 2 feet in height to 4.9 inches DBH.

BOLE SPACING: The horizontal distance in feet from the edge of one leave tree bole to another leave tree bole, measured from the outside bark of each tree.

BROWNS TRANSECT: A line intercept method for measuring the amount of fuel on the ground.

BRUSH: Vegetation consisting of shrub species with single or multi-stems originating at or near ground level not normally reaching more than 15 feet in height.

CIRCULAR PLOT: A sample plot within a thinning unit that is used to determine the number of desirable trees and other contract specifications.

COARSE WOODY DEBRIS: Woody material left on the ground to meet wildlife habitat requirements.

CROWN RATIO: The ratio of live crown length (tip of leader to base of the crown) to total tree length/height.

CROWN SPACING: The horizontal distance in feet between the dripline of a live crown to another live crown.

CLEARCUT: A cutting prescription in which all trees within a boundary are designated to be cut.

CROWN RATIO: The ratio of live crown length (tip of leader to base of the crown) to total tree length/height.

CROWN SPACING: The horizontal distance in feet between the dripline of a live crown to another live crown.

CUT TREES: Trees that do not possess the characteristics of desirable leave trees and are required to be cut.

As described by the contract or otherwise marked to be cut.

CUTTING UNIT: See Treatment Unit definition

DAMAGED TREES: Trees damaged beyond recovery. A tree that is larger than 2 feet in height, and has the top knocked out, is leaning more than 10 degrees, has less than one half of its original limbs, or has approximately 50% of bark removed from the circumference of the bole.

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DBH: Diameter at breast height, measured at a point of 4.5 feet above the ground level on the uphill side of the tree.

DECKING: Stockpiling of trees in a designated area.

DEAD/DYING TREES: Trees with the crown foliage changing from green to red, yellow, or needleless. Any tree that has pitch tubes indicating Mountain Pine Beetle infestation.

DESIGNATION BY SPECIES AND DIAMETER (DXSD): A cutting prescription in which species and diameter are used to determine which trees will be left and which will be cut.

DIB: Diameter inside bark.

HANG-UP TREE: Any cut tree suspended above ground level.

HEALTHY REGENERATION: Young, healthy, dwarf mistletoe free conifers, less than 4.9 inches in diameter, free of defect or characteristics.

LEAVE TREE: Trees that possess desirable characteristics and that serve to create the basis for designated spacing requirements or are otherwise designated to be left.

LOPPING AND/OR SCATTERING: Cutting limbs from trunks of cut trees, bucking, and moving and rearranging of slash concentrations to reduce the fuel bed height as specified.

NON-SAWTIMBER TREE: For all conifer species, minimum diameter of 5 inches DBH to minimum diameter by species identified in Appendix B, Division A.

OVERSTORY REMOVAL: A cutting prescription where all trees greater than a specified size are cut. Trees less than the specified size are protected.

PAYMENT UNIT: See Treatment Unit.

PILING: Gathering and stacking of downed wood and activity slash by hand or mechanical methods into piles constructed and located as indicated by technical specification and project maps.

PROGRESSION OF WORK: Work conducted in a progressive, workmanlike and orderly manner by the Contractor.

RESERVE CLUMPS: Groups of trees within a treatment area that are protected from cutting, may also include Individual Reserve trees.

SAWTIMBER TREE: Included timber meeting sawlog size specifications as defined in Appendix B, Division A.2.

SLASH: Woody material existing or created that has accumulated on the forest floor. Woody material includes logs, pieces of logs, tops, and branches.

UNIT: See Treatment Unit.

TEMPORARY ROADS: Non-permanent roads that are constructed by Contractor for the purpose of treatment unit access.

TREATMENT UNIT: An individual area on the ground in which activities will be performed and which may appear as a separate pay item in the Schedule of Items.

UNSATISFACTORY WORK: If work quality falls below the AQL, the COR will issue a work order or notice of noncompliance to the Contractor in writing. Untreated or unsatisfactory treated areas shall be reworked to obtain satisfactory work quality.

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VIRTUAL BOUNDARY: A unit boundary that is shown on the map but is not demarcated on the ground. The contractor must use mapping applications in order to locate these boundaries in the unit.

WHOLE TREE YARDING: Whole tree logging includes cutting tree and removing the entire tree, including tops and branches, to the landing.

WILDLIFE TREE: Standing tree marked to be reserved as a wildlife tree. Used by birds and small mammals for shelter, nesting, perching, etc.

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Government Inspection Procedures – Items 1, 2, and 3

SECTION VI – DEFINITIONS