Appendix C Mastication.doc

2020 CORP 2.0

APPENDIX C

MASTICATION

2020 CORP 2.0

Appendix C

Mastication

1. SCOPE OF CONTRACT

The purpose of this request for quotes is to secure services to perform mechanical services for small-tree thinning, slash treatment and/or brush removal on specified treatment units. The contractor shall furnish all labor, equipment, supervision, transportation, supplies and incidentals to perform all work.

2. LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION

(a) Location

The current project work areas will be located on the Deschutes, Ochoco (including the Crooked River National Grasslands) and Fremont-Winema National Forests.

(b) Boundaries

Boundaries shall be plainly marked by the Government with contract boundary tags and supplemented where needed with plastic ribbon when BPA call is issued. Flagging is generally blue and white striped. BPA calls will contain specific descriptions of flagging.

3. ACCESSIBILITY

The general areas of work can be reached by Forest Service roads that are accessible by standard pickup truck, weather permitting. However, it is advisable that the Contractor have a high clearance 4X4 vehicle for spring and late fall work. If roads become inaccessible due to snow, fallen trees, slides, washouts, etc. the Government may direct the Contractor to use an alternative route under the Changes clause of the BPA call.

The Government assumes no obligations to do special road maintenance to keep roads open. In order to minimize soil erosion and damage to National Forest lands and roads, all roads are subject to closure during spring and fall break up or whenever soil or weather conditions require.

At times spur roads shown on project maps may not be accessible by vehicle but show a previously known road to the work area. No vehicles will be permitted to operate off system roads without approval of the Contracting Officer.

Some access roads are subject to seasonal closures or restricted use due to wildlife concerns such as nesting or fawning. Restrictions will be listed in the BPA calls.

4. MOTORIZED EQUIPMENT

Use of motorized equipment other than approved project equipment, shall not be driven off designated roads without approval of the Contracting Officer.

Equipment will not be allowed to travel across country from one unit to another without prior approval of the Contracting Officer.

5. LIABILITIES

The Contractor shall assume all risk and loss or damage to Contractor equipment and personal injury to Contractor or their employees and shall hold the Government and its employees harmless from liability of any nature or kind resulting from Contractor performance under this contract, except for negligent acts by the Government employees.

6. DETAILED THINNING UNIT INFORMATION

Details on the treatment units will be on a Detailed Information Sheet attached to each BPA call.

7. DEFINITIONS OF TECHNICAL SPECIFICATON TERMS

Average Spacing: The average of the distance between all leave trees necessary to provide the desired number of leave trees per acre.

Calendar Days: Every day shown on the calendar.

Cull Trees: General: Any tree which is infested with dwarf mistletoe throughout its crown, has visible indicators of insect attack, has major mechanical damage such as broken tops, trees with bole cankers, severe sweep, or crook. Additional: Additional cull definitions may be identified in the BPA call.

Culturing: The cutting of all trees in a diameter range within a specified distance from a leave tree.

Cut Trees: Trees within the minimum - maximum cut range not selected as leave trees.

Damaged Trees: Any tree during work on this contract that is scraped or barked so that wood is exposed, or a tree that has been pushed over, leaning or partially uprooted.

DBH: The diameter of the stem at breast height, measured at a point 4 ½ feet above ground level on the uphill side.

Deficient Trees: Cut trees that should have been left to maintain average spacing.

Excess trees: Uncut trees not needed to meet average spacing specifications. Stumps with live limbs and stumps higher than specified are also considered excess trees.

Select Trees: Individual trees that have been previously identified as being phenol-typically more desirable than others and are marked with tree number tags, orange paint band, and/or yellow protection sign.

Slash: Woody material, suspended or down, including broken tops, limps, branches, stems, chunks, brush, dead or down logs, and standing trees designated with pink ribbon tied around the bole.

Wildlife Reserve Tree: Trees that have been reserved for wildlife use and are designated with an orange painted WL and/or have a metal wildlife sign attached to the bole.

8. 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.

The Government may specify a priority of work by item(s), or sub-units within the Item(s), during the performance period of the BPA call.

Within the general project area, the Government may exclude non-work areas, such as rocky and other special areas. Non-work areas may be designated prior to work on that segment of the project area. Non-work areas may be flagged, and posted and shown on maps provided prior to work beginning.

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.

Project work may be done at any time during the Performance Period of the BPA call except under the following conditions:

Weather predictions indicate a hazardous fire condition warranting curtailment of operations, as specified elsewhere in this contract.

Seasonal wildlife restrictions may apply.

9.

MECHANICAL TREATMENTS

(a) Standing trees may be designated with pink ribbon around the boles (or by prescription based on detailed unit information sheets) shall be severed below lowest live limb or within 6 inches of the ground surface. Trees vary in size from 3 inches to 7 inches dbh.

(b) Cut trees shall be severed below lowest live limb or within 6 inches of the ground surface. Cut trees may vary in size from 2 feet in height – 7 inches dbh for excess trees and up to 10 inches dbh for cull trees.

(c) The units range from 0-30 percent slope and the slash is expected to be heavy over most of the areas. Units may have a mixture of the following tree species: ponderosa pine, douglas fir, western white pine white fir, incense cedar, sugar pine, shasta red fir, western white pine, lodgepole pine, western juniper, larch or other coniferous species. Units have a variety of brush and shrubs species that may include bitterbrush, manzanita, snowbrush, sagebrush, chinquapin, mountain mahogany, and squaw currant.

(d) BPA calls may specify areas of no treatment within unit boundaries. The size of these areas will vary from spot size to 5 acres. For those areas that require Contractor selection, areas should be normally selected that are detrimental to machine treatment (i.e. areas of rock, areas next to meadows, etc.).

10. SELECTION OF LEAVE TREES

(a) Leave trees shall be selected by the Contractor, provided that the Government may mark individual leave trees.

(b) Leave trees shall be selected by priority listed in individual BPA calls.

(c) Spacing shall be determined by the amount of leave trees per acre listed in the BPA calls. In order to favor selection of the best leave trees, spacing may be varied +/- 25 to 50 percent provided average leave tree per acre is maintained.

11. CONTRACTOR OBLIGATIONS

(a) Furnish all labor, equipment, supplies, materials, supervision, and incidentals to perform the contract work as set forth in the specifications.

(b) Obtain permission to use or reopen closed roads and access units through fences or other improvements from the Contracting Officer. After completion of work, and prior to acceptance of a unit, these improvements shall be repaired and restored to original condition.

12. EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS

Restriction of equipment is necessary to protect the soil resource and the residual stand. To minimize impact to soil, equipment shall be capable of accomplishing work without making multiple passes in the same area. Equipment shall meet the following:

(a) Have a power driven rotary head with capabilities of chopping, chewing or grinding small trees up to 7 inches in diameter, and residual existing slash up to 10 inches in diameter.

(b) The rotary head needs to be able to articulate in a manner that can best facilitate the requirements of the contract.

(c) For excavator type equipment, the machine shall have a minimum 15 foot horizontal arm reach.

(d) Excavator type equipment shall be a tracked machine with a maximum ground pressure of 10.0 pounds per square inch. Rubber tired equipment such as Skid-Steer or other, shall not exceed 8.0 pounds per square inch.

(f) Machine head shall be capable of reaching between trees spaced as little as 11 feet apart and treating slash between and beyond those trees with minimal damage to standing trees.

(g) All equipment shall comply with OSHA, State and local safety standards.

13. SLASH TREATMENT

(a) Slash depth shall be reduced to a level as defined elsewhere in this contract (see Detailed Unit Information Sheet specifications)

14. PROTECTION OF OTHER RESOURCES

(a) Vehicles used for transporting equipment, personnel, or supplies will be restricted to established roads.

(b) The contractor shall exercise extreme care to prevent damage to all structures and improvements in the work areas. The Contractor will be held liable for all damages caused by his/her personnel and/or equipment to any existing structures or other improvements. Repairs to these structures and improvements shall be accomplished in a timely manner at no additional cost to the Government.

Examples of structures and improvements are, but not limited to:

(1) Fences and gates.

(2) Roads, spurs, and firelines.

(3) Water bars.

(4) Posted monuments, corners, and accessories.

(5) Select Trees.

(6) Crop Trees and Leave Trees.

(7) Wildlife Trees.

(8) Electrical lines.

(c) Contractor shall not drive off an open system road, except with low ground pressure vehicles.

(d) Treatment of slash shall be accomplished with the least possible damage to ground cover, soil, and standing leave trees.

(e) No more than four (4) damaged trees per acre will be permitted. If in the opinion of the Contracting Officer damage is excessive, the Contractor shall be required to alter his operations to prevent the occurrence of such damage. If more than four (4) trees per acre exist a cost of $50.00 per tree will be charged with the exceptions indicated below for superior select trees.

(f) Trees knocked over or uprooted shall be cut leaving a stump no higher than 6 inches above the ground and shall be treated as any other slash in the unit.

(g) Riparian Areas are to be protected from machinery as follows:

(1) No mechanical equipment will be operated within 50 feet of any drainages unless specific to an individual task order (Class I to IV).

(2) Equipment will not be permitted to cross meadows, stream channels, or other non-work areas except as approved by the Contracting Officer.

(3) Areas flagged and tagged will be avoided in order to protect resources.

(4) Or by Detailed Information Sheet

(h) Select trees, shall be protected from damage or destruction. In the event select trees are unnecessarily or negligently damaged or destroyed by the Contractor, such damage will cause serious and substantial silviculture or other damage to the National Forest. Therefore, the Contractor shall pay $1,000.00 for each damaged superior select tree and $100.00 for each wildlife reserve tree damaged.

Damaged as defined herein includes any injury to the living crown, bole, or roots of the select trees. If areas are marked on the ground around select trees, operation of any heavy equipment within the area shall be considered to be root damage to the trees. If areas are not marked on the ground equipment shall not operate under the crown of the select trees.

15. INSPECTION OF EQUIPMENT

The contractor shall furnish equipment to be used prior to beginning work under this contract for Government inspection.

The Contractor shall assure the offered equipment meets all contract specification prior to the inspection.

If the equipment is found to be in such a condition as to indicate the need for frequent repairs and delays in performance, it shall be rejected. The decision of the Contracting Officer on equipment acceptance is final.

The Contractor shall be responsible for any cost associated with making equipment available for inspection. Equipment which is deemed as unacceptable by the Government will receive no payment of transportation costs or other associated costs. If the Contractor provides less than acceptable equipment twice in a field season, the Contractor may be found in non-compliance with the requirements and the BPA call may be terminated for default.

16. NOXIOUS WEED CONTROL

(a) In order to prevent the potential spread of noxious weeds onto National Forest lands, the Contractor shall be required to furnish the Forest Service with proof of weed-free equipment.

(b) Noxious weeds are defined as any exotic plant species established or that may be introduced in the State, which may render the land unfit for agriculture, forestry, livestock, wildlife, or other beneficial uses and which is designated by the Oregon Department of Agriculture or the Deschutes, Crook, Wheeler, or Grant County Weed Board or by other appropriate agencies having jurisdiction.

(c) All equipment and vehicles to be used at the job site shall be cleaned and certified free of noxious weeds and their seeds prior to entrance onto the National Forest (use Equipment Cleaning Inspection/Verification Form). The restriction shall include equipment and vehicles intended for off-road use, as well as on road use, whether they are owned, leased, or borrowed by the Contractor or subcontractor.

(d) Cleaning shall consist of the removal of all dirt, grease, debris, and materials that may harbor noxious weeds and their seeds. This may require the use of a pressure hose. Cleaning shall occur off Federal lands.

(e) Equipment, materials and vehicles shall be visually inspected by a designated Forest Service Officer, and certified in writing to be reasonably clean and weed free. Inspections will take place at a location off Forest lands designated by the Forest Service in advance of equipment arrival. Equipment and vehicles are expected to proceed directly to the job site following the inspection.