Airstrip QandA.docx

Airstrip Q&As

1) When will this project be advertised? The Forest Service has hired an engineering firm to design this project. If all goes well it will be ready to advertise in mid-January. Most likely this project will be split into 2 separate contracts (backcountry and frontcountry) that will be advertised separately as they will require different equipment and have different rules:

A) Front country airstrips: Idaho City, Krassel, and Landmark B) Back country airstrips: Cabin Creek, Chamberlain, and Cold Meadows

2) At Idaho City will the asphalt repair include and overlay or seal? The repairs will likely be a crack seal and a slurry seal. The damaged asphalt on the edge of the runway will likely just be removed instead of being patched

3) For the backcountry airstrips will it be required to import material or just use the native material? Final design of the Chamberlain culvert will likely not import any rock or backfill but will likely include placing some type of geotextile fabric under the native fill. All other sites will use native material.

4) Are the trails into the wilderness airstrips maintained? Most of the trails are maintained once a year. However storms can blow down trees at any time, and maintenance usually does not occur more than once a year so contractors should be prepared to clear trail if they are bringing in a pack train.

The Payette National Forest hosts a website that gives basic information on when trails were last maintained:

https://www.arcgis.com/apps/StoryMapBasic/index.html?appid=772b621492c4487fa93ed7e038d3a53a 5)Which airstrips have cabins? Are they open for contractors to use? Cabin Creek, Chamberlain, Cold Meadows and Krassel all have Forest Service cabins at/near the airstrip. Those cabins are strictly for FS personnel as there are fire and trail crews that utilize the cabins. Contractors should bring in their own camping gear, food, tents, etc..

6) What type of tools are allowed at the wilderness airstrips, what regulations apply in the wilderness? The simple answer is the only non-motorized and non-mechanized tools may be used. The following website has a good summary of the wilderness and the regulations that apply: Salmon-Challis National Forest - Special Places For past projects exceptions to the non motorized, non mechanical rule have been made, such as allowing a horse drawn wheeled grader. Use of non-comforming tools would have to be approved thru a minimal tool analysis that shows the work cannot be completed without a simpler tool and would not include considerations for time or cost.

7) Will this project include any follow up maintenance? No, any follow up maintenance would be flown in a separate contract.

8) Will excavation be required below the new culvert? What type of footers will be used? Will there be compaction requirements? The design isn’t finalized but it is expected that the new culvert will be a bottomless arch resting on corrugated metal footers instead of concrete footers. There will likely be a geotextile fabric with native fill about 1’ below the corrugated footers. There will be compaction requirements, likely thru hand tamping. A hose can be connected to the water system at the cabins to help achieve proper moisture content for compaction.

9) When the toilets are replaced do the sanity waste also need to be hauled away? No, the sanitary waste can remain in the existing hole and backfilled with fill from the new hole location.

10) When trees are cleared, where does the slash need to be placed? Do the stumps need to be removed? The final plans will include specification and where to place slash and logs. Most likely the slash and logs will need to be moved outside of the runway. Most of the trees to be cleared are in the glide slope, so they may remain. Inside the clear zone any stumps will need to be removed, however most trees inside the clear zone are saplings that can easily be dug up.

11) I missed the site visit, will there be another one? No more formal site visits are planned before solicitation. Contractors may visit the sites on their own, but should be aware that most sites are typically covered in snow from Nov-Apr. Idaho City is the easiest site to visit as it is drivable and at a relatively low elevation.

12) Is dewatering required at the Chamberlain culvert? Can the new culvert be adjusted so its is fully constructed before the existing culvert is removed? The selected contractor will submit a sediment control plan. Construction needs to minimize turbidity as much as possible. The current draft of the plans show a new bottomless culvert being constructed over the existing culvert, so one option would be to install the footers and bottom plates of the new culvert before removing sections of the existing culvert so that no work is being completed in the water.