1_Appendix A_ServiceSpecifications.pdf

Black Helicopters Stewardship IRSC Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest Page 1 of 7 Salmon River Ranger District

Revised 01.06.2022

ATTACHMENT 1 - APPENDIX A

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR SERVICE WORK ITEMS

SECTION I – DESCRIPTION OF WORK:

The objectives of this project are to reduce wildland fire threat to the Wall Creek Municipal watershed, to the towns of Clearwater and Harpster, and dispersed homes and structures in the wildland urban interface by accomplishing the following:

1. Thin from below in ponderosa pine, Douglas fir and mixed conifer stands.

2. Helicopter yard merchantable timber to landings to be removed from contract area.

SECTION II – WORK ITEMS

Mandatory Item 1: Cut and Remove Included Timber and Landing Pile Construction:

Units 26, 27C, 27F, 33 and 34. (264 Acres)

Cut and remove from Contract Area sawtimber trees which meet the minimum tree specifications as identified in Appendix B.

The estimated volumes stated in Appendix B Division A are not to be construed as guarantees or limitations of the timber volumes to be designated for cutting under the terms of this contract. Contractors should independently assess the ground and vegetation conditions prior to submitting quotes. The Forest Service makes no representation, warranty, or guarantee of the accuracy of the estimates of timber quantity. In no event shall a contractor’s reliance on USFS cruise data constitute grounds for a claim after contact award.

Logs not meeting merchantability specifications accumulated at landings shall be decked as agreed to in writing by the Forest Service. All slash accumulated at landings shall be piled.

Piles shall be reasonably compact and free of soil to facilitate burning. Piles will not be less than 5 feet in height.

Piles shall be of a size and location which will not impair road use or result in damage to residual timber. Piles shall be located at least 25 feet from residual timber. Piles shall not be more than 50 feet long.

Mandatory Item 2: Road Maintenance

Contractor shall maintain roads, commensurate with Contactor’s use, in accordance with Appendix C Road Maintenance Requirements. Performance of road maintenance work by Contractor may be required prior to, during, or after each period of use. Unless agreed in writing, prehaul maintenance shall be completed on any portion of road prior to hauling on that portion. Maintenance, as used in this contract, does not include road reconstruction or repairs of an extraordinary nature.

See Appendix C for Road Maintenance requirements.

Optional Item 3: Cut and Remove Included Timber and Landing Pile Construction:

Units 35C and 35D (68 Acres)

Cut and remove from Contract Area sawtimber trees which meet the minimum tree specifications as identified in Appendix B.

The estimated volumes stated in Appendix B Division A are not to be construed as guarantees or limitations of the timber volumes to be designated for cutting under the terms of this contract. Contractors should independently assess the ground and vegetation conditions prior to submitting quotes. The Forest Service makes no representation, warranty, or guarantee of the accuracy of the estimates of timber quantity. In no event shall a contractor’s reliance on USFS cruise data constitute grounds for a claim after contact award.

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Revised 01.06.2022

Logs not meeting merchantablility specifications accumulated at landings shall be decked as agreed to in writing by the Forest Service. All slash accumulated at landings shall be piled.

Piles shall be reasonably compact and free of soil to facilitate burning. Piles will not be less than 5 feet in height.

Piles shall be of a size and location which will not impair road use or result in damage to residual timber. Piles shall be located at least 25 feet from residual timber. Piles shall not be more than 50 feet long.

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 elk winter range would be disrupted by operations. As a result, no operations will be permitted from

November 15 – March 15, unless otherwise agreed to by the Forest Service in writing.

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

(4) Closures are expected on Mount Idaho Grade (Hwy 14) from approximately 4/1/2023-9/30/2023 due to

Grangeville Hwy District repaving. Access and/or log haul may be prohibited during that time affecting Units 33 and 34.

(5) Road construction would need to be completed prior to log haul on FS Roads 244 and 451. This is not a work item for this solicitation. Expected to be completed by September 2023 through Good Neighbor Authority Agreement.

(6) When snow depth creates a situation where requirements cannot be met and/or work cannot be inspected, as determined by the COR.

(7) The government reserves the right to prioritize the order in which Units are treated.

(8) 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.

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

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.

4. Road Maintenance will be inspected for acceptance on completion of pre haul, during haul and post haul performance.

Government Inspection Procedures – Formal (Plots)

1. In the event visual inspection indicates work and / or rework to be in non-compliance with contract specifications, a series of verification plots shall be installed by the Government to determine compliance with specifications and percent of satisfactory work for treatment of each unit not meeting specification as observed with visual inspection.

2. Government verification plots will consist of a series of 1/10th acre plots that will have four quadrants of pass or fail. Plots will be located along transects to record whether cutting , leave tree density, best tree selection, slash, utilization and other requirements are being met and to what extent.

3. Plots and grid will be distributed so that a representative sample is obtained.

4. The COR or designated inspector will mark the center of each plot on the ground using flagging, stakes, or pin flags. Additional flagging will be hung near the plot center so that it may be seen from a distance. The inspector will include the plot number, their initials and date on the flagging.

5. Plots will be numbered to correlate with the inspection form and transects on a unit map.

6. The minimum number of verification plots, per treatment unit, shall be as follows: 1 Plot per approximately 6 Acres.

Unit Number Number of Plots

26 7

27C 7

27F 22

33 3

34 6

35C 3

35D 9

7. Determination of acceptability of the work performed will be based on Government verification inspections and will be considered conclusive.

8. At each plot, the Government will examine the plot area and record findings of noncompliance for failing quadrants.

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Unsatisfactory Cutting

1. If the work quality falls below 90 percent, the COR will immediately notify the Contractor, in writing, and order him to improve the quality of subsequent tree cutting. If the quality of subsequent tree cutting is not raised above the 90 percent minimum acceptable standard within 24 business hours after receipt of such written notice, the Contractor’s right to proceed may be terminated and the contract considered in default.

2. If after rework has been performed and reinspected, and work quality still falls below minimum AQL percent, payment will either be made at a reduced rate, or not at all, as determined in SECTION V below.

3. Repeated failure to produce work quality at or above the 90 percent minimum acceptable standard will be considered reason for contract termination and default action.

Reinspection Upon Contractor Request

1. If Government inspection results are unacceptable to the Contractor, a reinspection may be requested, in writing, within 5 business days after receipt of notice of said inspection results. The same inspection procedure will be used; however, the inspection pattern will be shifted so that new inspection plots will not overlap previously inspected plots.

2. If reinspection results – rounded up to the nearest whole percent – indicate a variance of more than 5 percent from the first inspection, the results of the second inspection will be used to calculate work quality and payment, and the Government will bear the cost of reinspection.

3. If reinspection results – rounded up to the nearest whole percent – are within 5 percent of the first inspection, plots from the initial inspection and the reinspection will be combined and used to calculate work quality and payment, and the Contractor shall bear the cost of reinspection.

Government Inspection Procedures -Road Maintenance

1. For road maintenance a visual inspection will be made to verify completion of requirements in Appendix C.

Work not meeting specifications during any phase (pre, during, post haul) will be reworked by the contractor to meet requirements.

Government Inspection Procedures – Items 1, 2, 3

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

ITEM DESCRIPTION SCHEDULE UNIT Min AQL

Cut and Remove Included Timber and Landing Pile Construction: Units 26, 27C, 27F, 33, and 34

MANDATORY ACRE 90%

2 Road Maintenance MANDATORY LUMP

SUM 100%

Cut and Remove Included Timber and Landing Pile Construction: Units 35C, 35D

OPTIONAL ACRE 90%

SECTION V – PAYMENT METHODS

Method of Measurement for Acreages

Acreages were determined by using Global Positioning Systems (GPS). The acreage for each work item will be rounded to the nearest acre and is final unless:

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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 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

1. Percentages as calculated herein shall be rounded to the nearest whole percent.

2. No allowance for variation or portion of a variation will be added which will create a percentage greater than 100 percent.

Acceptance and Payment – Item 1 Cut and Remove Included Timber and Landing Pile Construction

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

2. In the event that formal inspections are used, the rate of payment to the Contractor will be calculated as follows:

(a) For work quality of 90 percent or higher, the Contractor will be paid 100 percent of their bid rate.

(b) For work quality from 85 to 90 percent after rework, the Contractor will be paid the total multiplied by the bid rate.

(c) For work quality 84 percent and less after rework, there will be no payment made to the Contractor.

Acceptance and Payment – Item 2 Road Maintenance

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 this item.

Acceptance and Payment – Optional Item 3 Cut and Remove Included Timber and Landing Pile Construction

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

2. In the event that formal inspections are used, the rate of payment to the Contractor will be calculated as follows:

(a) For work quality of 90 percent or higher, the Contractor will be paid 100 percent of their bid rate.

(b) For work quality from 85 to 90 percent after rework, the Contractor will be paid the total multiplied by the bid rate.

(c) For work quality 84 percent and less after rework, there will be no payment made to the Contractor.

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* 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); refer to the Performance Requirements Summary in Section E.4 of the contract. 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.

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.

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 listed in Section II, 2.2.2.

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.

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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.

PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS SUMMARY (PRS): Identifies the key service outputs of the contract that will be evaluated by the Government to assure contract performance standards are met by the Contractor.

PILING: Material moved to an agreed upon location shall be piled for future treatment by Forest Service.

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.

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.