CSE_StatementofWork.docx

Francis Marion National Forest Stand Exams Specifications- Price Landing Project

The performance period for this contract will be September 16, 2019 – February 28, 2020 Estimated beginning date will be September 16, 2019.

Contract time will be 150 Days.

Project Location This project is located on the Francis Marion National Forest in Berkeley and Charleston Counties, South Carolina.

Scope of Work The objective is to collect and record data from specified timber stands in order to accurately reflect existing stand conditions.

The Contractor shall furnish all labor, equipment, transportation, supervision, supplies (except those designated as Government-furnished), incidentals, and perform timber stand examinations plots on the Francis Marion National Forest. Data will be collected using the most recent version of Forest Service Common Stand Exam protocols. The CSE Field Guide, R8 Appendixes, and list of compatable data recorders can be found at http://www.fs.fed.us/nrm/fsveg/index.shtml . The contract pre-work conference will include a discussion of the proposed project work schedule, a work order, detailed stand / plot maps and plan work and inspection activities.

There are 190 stands in 14 compartments to be inventoried. The total number of plots to be taken is 965. (Total number of acres to be inventoried is 8,984.) Additional stands to be inventoried (not to exceed 5% of total) may be designated.

Accessibility There is the possibility that a four-wheel drive vehicle may be necessary to travel on some Forest Service roads. Some roads may be damaged and closed to vehicular traffic. Foot travel to and from stands of .1 to .5 miles will be common with the possiblility of 1+ mile walk-ins. Feral hogs and venomous snakes may be encountered. The Forest Service will issue a key for gated roads. The Contractor must return key upon completion of contract. The Contractor takes all responsibilty for driving down closed Forest Service roads, many of which are in poor condition.

Government-Furnished Property The Forest Service will deliver to the Contractor the following listed materials, supplies, property or services; hereinafter referred to as Government-Furnished Property, at the pre-work conference or at a mutually agreeable time thereafter but in any case prior to field work. The Contractor shall be liable for all loss or damage of such Government-Furnished Property until it has been returned. Completion and final acceptance of work required under this contract will be contingent on the return of all Government-furnished property in serviceable condition. The Contractor will be charged by a reduction in contract payments the replacement cost of Government-furnished property lost or damaged to the extent of becoming unserviceable.

*All PDF maps that are provided as part of this project are georeferenced

Contractor-Furnished Property

· Compatible data recorder to conduct CSE: http://www.fs.fed.us/nrm/fsveg/index.shtml

· Garmin type handheld gps unit for plot navigation.

· DBH tape.

· 10 basal area factor prism.

· Logger’s Tape.

· Clinometer.

· Increment Borer.

· Black indelible marker.

· Wire flags

· Flagging tape (blue or red) Performance Work Statement Number of Plots – This project is for the completion of 965 inventory plots. Plot design and information to be collected is described below

Distribution of Plots Plots will be predetermined for each stand. In order to maintain representation, the required number of plots will be well distributed and within the predominant species composition. If a plot falls in an area that is not representative of the stand (riparian hardwood bottoms, food plots, road prisms, etc), the plot is required to be offset one chain, 90 degrees to the linear feature deliniating the stand boundary, into the stand, in order to capture representative species. Plots taken less than one chain from the stand boundary, within one chain of a road traversible by motorized vehicle, less than ½ chain of a grown over road, in a food plot, or within ½ a chain of a food plot are required to be offset 90 degrees from the defining feature into the stand. Lat/long of new plot location will be taken and comments will be made in the CSE comment section.

The Forest Service will inspect for the distribution of plots within stands during field inspections. Plot data not representative of the stand will be handled in one of four ways. The Forest Service may:

1. recognize the plot(s) as being in an inclusion and satisfying the requirement for plotting inclusions therefore not necessitating replacement; or

2. recognize the plot(s) as being in an inclusion but being in excess of the requirement for plotting inclusions therefore affecting payments; or

3. require replacement plot(s) in the predominant vegetation community for those determined to be non- representative of the stand up to the required number of plots for that stand size; or

4. require the creation of a new stand of which the non-representative plot or plots become a part and supplemental plots will be required to be taken up to the required number for that new stand size.

Plot Identification The Government will supply the number and lat/long of plots in stands requiring stand exams.

The Contractor shall mark plot centers on the ground with materials and methods that ensure they can be recovered for a minimum of one year from the date established. The Contractor will be required to take a waypoint at each plot location and supply the waypoints to the Forest Service.

1. Identify each plot center with a wire flag. The stand number and plot number will be written on each flag. A flagging ribbon will be hung at least 4’ above the ground on a bush, shrub or tree nearest the plot center.

2. Additional flagging is required at approxmately 4.5 feet above the ground to mark the first tree measured on a plot with the tied knot in the flagging indicating the direction toward plot center. Any site trees shall also be flagged at breast height with the letters “ST” and shall include, DBH, height, and age,.written on the loose end of the flagging to indicate the tree is a site tree.

Recording Requirements The Forest Service will supply the CSE software. The Forest Service will set the sample design and form requirements. Modifications shall be made by the Forest Service, if necessary. Examples of the data settings in CSE are found in included attachments.

Setting Form (CSE) For each stand in the contract, the contractor shall record the basal area with a 10 factor prism (BAF) of all stems, live and dead, greater than 4.6” DBH within the plot, and a fixed plot size of 1/300th acre (6.8’ radius or 6’ 10”) for live stems less than 4.6” DBH within the plot, when applicable. The 1/300th acre fixed plot will only be used to account for longleaf seedlings/saplings. The BAF and fixed plot size will remain the same throughout all stands of the contract and are not to be changed by the contractor.

The contractor shall be responsible for collecting and filling out the Setting Form for all data items that are set to “YES” in the “Required” column of the table below.

Plot Form (CSE) The following items are required to be recorded at each plot on the Plot form (see Attachment): Example Plot Data Form). Detailed information and lists of valid codes for each data item are found in the Common Stand Exam Users Guide and Appendices and are available as ‘Help’ on the PDR within the software. The contractor shall be responsible for collecting and filling out the Plot Data Form for all data items that are set to “YES” in the “Required” column of the table below:

Field Num

Field Description

Required Data Source

Comments

Location

YES

Site List Four Digit Code, leading zeros, ie;

‘0042’

‘0005’, ‘0025’

Not collected

Not collected

Not collected

Not collected

Not collected

Not collected

Not collected

Not collected

Not collected

Not collected

Not collected

Not collected

Not collected

Not collected

Tree Form (CSE) Begin recording standing tree data on the Tree form at azimuth 360 (North), progressing in a clockwise direction around plot center. Trees shall be recorded in the following order:

A. All trees, live and dead, with a DBH of 4.6” or greater shall sampled on the variable radius (BAF 10) plot first. Starting with the first tree from due north (which shall be marked in accordance with above specifications listed in “Plot Indentification”), collect species and diameter, to nearest inch (for example, diameters 4.6” to 5.5” will be in the 5” category).

a. When a “border line” tree is encountered with the prism, use the procedures outlined in Appendix B under section titled “Measurement of Borderline Trees to Determine in or out Status”. Diameters of borderline trees will be measured to the nearest tenth inch to determine limiting radius and “in” or “out” status.

b. Species Codes. Use the following codes:

i. QUNI – Oaks

ii. CARYA- Hickories

iii. LIST2 …Sweetgum, Maple, all other hardwoods

iv. PITA ….Loblolly pine

v. PIPA2 ...Longleaf pine

vi. PIEC2...Shortleaf pine

vii. PISE ….Pond pine

viii. PIEL ….Slash pine

B. Any damage / defect noticed in live trees shall be recorded in the “Tree Damage Form” of the “Tree Data Form”

C. Dead trees should be estimated to within 2 inches DBH and species recorded if it can be determined. Amout of decay shall be recorded in the “Log / Snag Decay Field” in the CSE program.

D. All live longleaf stems with a DBH of less than 4.6 DBH shall sampled on the small fixed radius (1/300th acre) plot second.

a) All stems on small fixed radius plot that have heights that are below Diameter Breast Height (d.b.h.) are only recorded to the nearest foot by number and species (longleaf).

b) All stems on small fixed radius plots that have heights that are above d.b.h. are recorded to the nearest foot in height, actual diameter, and by number and species.

E. Details of tree data collection are in Common Stand Exam User Guide. That information is amended with the following:

Site Trees ( recorded as “B” for Site Trees/Growth Sample Trees) shall be located on plot, and marked with flagging. Information on flagging shall include, DBH, height, and age.

*Screen shot of “Site / GST Field” in CSE Program

F. Site- A minimum of 1 site tree per plot, up to a maximum of 3 site trees per stand, will be sampled. In stands having five or more plots, spread site trees as evenly among the plots as possible. Site trees selected will all have the following characteristics to the maximum extent feasible:

· Representative of the dominant pine species of the stand

· In the dominant or co-dominant crown class

· Showing no pronounced period of radial growth suppression in the increment core

· Showing no evidence of insect, disease, or physical damage that would affect the height over age relationship

· Growing in a representative site location

· Representative of the stand age. Do not select relict trees (trees that are 20 years or greater than the dominant stand) as height trees.

(a) DBH - Record the diameter at breast height to 0.1 inches

(b) Height. Total height in feet from the ground to the tip of the terminal leader of main stem will be required for all site trees recorded. Limbs will not be measured on broken tops. Sawtimber and pulpwood trees will also have heights recorded the same way.

(c) Age. Record the age of the site tree at the point it was increment cored. Record the age counted adding 3 years for loblolly and 5 years for longleaf to the growth ring count. Per the Region 8 Silvicultural Examination and Prescription Field Book a representative tree will:

A. be of the predominant species of the main canopy;

B. estimated to be of the predominant age class present in the stand based on species, diameter, height, and condition variables; and C. free of defect that makes growth rings unreadable or missing.

G. The following items, except as noted, are required to be collected by the Contractor for each tree on the plot, for the specified exam level. Detailed information and lists of valid codes for each data field are found in the Common Stand Exam User Guide and Appendices. The contractor shall be responsible for collecting and filling out the Tree Data Form for all data items that are set to “YES” in the “Required” column in the following table.

Source

Required for:

All tree data fields, whether required by this contract or not, are included on the tree data form provided in Attachment. Fields not specifically required by this contract are to be left blank (null) on any hardcopy forms used and in any subsequent re-entry into the software.

Field Notes Provide simple stand level notes in Tree Remarks column on last Tag# of last Plot recorded in stand. Identify any information not easily extrapolated from data, but might affect harvesting activities. For example, if a hardwood inclusion runs parallel to plots but no plots fall in inclusion. Also note if stand delineation needs to occur, based on changes in forest type, condition class, or other issues.

Data Transfer The data will be transferred to the ExamsPC program by the Forest Service. The contractor is responsible for data stored on the PDRs until the data is uploaded. The Contractor shall submit completed stand information in electronic form within seven (7) days after completion of each Compartment.

Other Considerations Some of the project area may be prescribed burned during the contract period. Close coordination with the COR will be necessary to prevent conflicts between the contractor and Forest Service prescribed burn crews.

INSPECTION PROCEDURES AND DETERMINATION OF ACCEPTABLE WORK

1. Field Inspections shall be based on stand and tree information collected within each stand. A minimum of five percent of all plots will be inspected for determining satisfactory performance.

2. At each inspection point, the Government will examine the stand and tree data and record the findings on a separate tally sheet. The total number of incorrect entries, divided by the total number of entries will determine the percentage of unacceptable work. One-hundred percent, minus the percentage of unacceptable work, equals the percentage of acceptable work.

3. An error of 10 percent shall be allowed without any loss in payment.

4. If the percentage of acceptable work falls below 90 percent for any individual stand, the Contractor shall rework the stand and notify the COR when the stand is ready for a re-inspection. Failure to correct work within 15 calendar days after notice of unacceptable work will result in no payment for that stand.

5. Inspections will be completed by the Government within 4 weeks after contractor turns in all .cse and GPS data files.

6. The contractor shall submit the .cse files to the COR upon completion of each compartment or the end of each work week. The name of the contractor’s examiner must be recorded in the “Examiner” field of the setting data for each stand.

The following are some examples of unacceptable work:

1. Locating the plot center more than 30 meters from the center of the designated plot point shall be deemed unacceptable work. The Contractor shall relocate the plot, and re-measure it.

2. Failure to record data for the plots as described above.

3. Failure to mechanically install the plot according to specifications described above such as not flagging the plot center, etc.

4. Failure to mechanically install and measure the required number of plots.

5. Failure to measure trees accurately within the following standards:

a. Diameter: plus or minus 1 inch.

b. Total height: plus or minus 10%

c. Age: plus or minus 10 %.

d. Missed “in” tree or “out” tree: plus or minus 1 tree.

e. Missed tree species identification.

Compliance Inspection

Failure of the Contractor to correct unacceptable work found upon inspection or continued failure to perform at least 90 percent of acceptable work, as determined by inspections, shall constitute work not conforming to contract requirements.

Corrections shall be completed within 15 calendar days after Government notification of unacceptable work. The Contractor shall pay the total costs for all re-inspections necessitated by any rework.

RE-INSPECTION UPON CONTRACTOR’S REQUEST

If the original compliance inspection results are unacceptable to the contractor, a re-inspection may be requested. Requests for re-inspection must be made in writing within 5 days after receipt of notice of initial inspection results. The same inspection procedure will be used but new plots will be selected.

Inspection Results to Determine Payment- The inspection results of the first examination will be used in determining payment and acceptability if re-inspection results are within 5% of the first inspection. If re-inspection indicates a variance of more than 5% from the first inspection, the results of the second inspection rounded to the nearest whole percent will be used.

Payment for Re-inspection by Contractor -If the results of the re-inspection rounded to the nearest whole percent are within 5 percentage points of the previous inspection, the contractor shall pay the actual costs of the re-inspection. The cost of the re-examination shall be salary, travel, plus 12 percent overhead for the inspector.

REWORK AND REINSPECTION AFTER REWORK

Any work which falls below 90% is unacceptable. The contractor must rework all stands which fall below 90% quality. Contractor will be notified of any failed units and reasons for failure. The Contractor shall notify the COR or designated inspectors when the unit is ready for re-inspection. No payment shall be made for any plot or stand that fails inspection until it is reworked by the contractor and re-inspected and passed by the Government.

Inspections on reworked stands and plots shall be made in the same manner as the first inspection, but new plots will be selected. These new plots must not overlap any of the initial plots. The Contractor shall pay the total costs for all re-inspections necessitated by any rework.

MEASUREMENT AND PAYMENT

Method of Measurement: Acres used in this contract are from the GIS database and are considered estimates.

Method of Payment: Payment will be made on a per-plot-basis for each stand submitted only after inspected stands and plots has been accepted. Unacceptable stands and plots must be reworked and passed before payment is made. Partial or progress payments may be made on completion and acceptance of a minimum of 300 plots of contract work.

Method of Award: Award will be made to one bidder with the lowest total quote. Offer will be executed on an AD-838 Purchase Order.

DELlVERIES AND PERFORMANCE :

The contractor shall maintain progress at a rate that will assure completion within the contract time indicated below. Using the contractor's progress schedule as a guide, the minimum acceptable rate of progress for each day must be maintained. If this rate is not maintained for seven consecutive days, the Government may terminate the contract for default.

The Government will issue a "Notice to Proceed". The count of contract time will start on the date specified on the "Notice to Proceed". In the event the Contractor fails to complete the contract within the allotted contract time and the Government allows the Contractor to continue work in lieu of terminating the contract, the Contractor shall be liable and charged for the actual excess administration costs which include Government inspection time and travel costs.

It is the contractor's responsibility to keep the Contracting Officer currently advised as to where the contractor or the contractor's representative may be reached by phone during periods of work suspension.

If the contractor cannot be reached at the phone number provided, or if the contractor fails to leave a number, a written Resume Work Order will be mailed and the count of contract time will resume on the date specified on the Resume Work Order.

Prework Meeting and Work Progress Plan -Prior to the start of work, the Contracting Officer or COR (Contracting Officers Representative) will contact the Contractor and establish a prework conference at a time & place mutually agreeable to the Contractor and the Forest Service to discuss the contract terms, work performance requirements, and the contractors plans for conducting the work. At the prework conference, the contractor will present a written work progress plan providing for the orderly completion of the work within the contract time. If the progress plan is not agreed to at the prework meeting, the Contractor must submit the plan prior to beginning work on the contract. If the Contractor is awarded more than one item then a progress plan must be presented showing how all work on the items is to be completed within contract time before beginning work on the contract.

Contracting Officers Representative (COR) -The Contracting Officer will designate a representative, hereafter referred to as the COR or Contracting Officers Representative who will provide on-the-ground administration of the contract. Before work starts, the Contracting Officer will advise the Contractor of the name and work address of the COR.

Notice to Proceed -A notice to proceed will be issued in writing by the Contracting Officer. No work shall begin until reciept of this notice. Contract time shall commence on the day indicated on the Notice to Proceed.

Contractor's Representative -The Contractor and any intended representatives should attend the prework meeting. Each representative shall be designated in writing by the Contractor, stating the representative's name and specific authority on this contract. Any designated representatives of the Contractor shall be able to fluently read and speak the English language.

Figure 1-Project Vicinity Map

APPENDIX A

CSE Stands List and Number of Plots

Compt. 121

Compt. 122

Compt. 123

Compt. 198

Compt. 202

Compt. 203

Compt. 204

Compt. 207

Compt. 208

Compt. 209

Compt. 210

Compt. 211

Compt. 213

Compt. 215

APPENDIX B: Variable Radius Plot

Introduction For information on the theory and mathematics of variable plot cruising; and formulas for determining the plot radius factor for any given BAF, the reader is referred to Log Scaling and Timber Cruising, 1973, J. R. Dilworth. OSU Book Stores, Inc., Corvallis, Oregon.

The experienced field person using a wedge prism, angle gauge, or relaskop can quickly tell in most cases which trees are "in" or "out" on the variable plot. However, there are certain trees which are questionable (borderline) for tally because they are located at the outer limits of the variable plot radius. This narrative deals with the procedures needed to ascertain if these borderline trees should be tallied: the mechanics of using plot radius tables in the field, the associated measurements, and corrections of variable plot radii for slope.

Measurement of Borderline Trees to Determine "In or Out" Status In variable plot sampling, the plot radius varies according to the DBH of each tree (Figure K-1). Therefore, to determine whether a tree is to be sampled requires measurement of its DBH and its distance from plot center.

Once the DBH of the borderline tree is taken, the limiting distance is found by multiplying the plot radius factor by the DBH (see example below). This limiting distance is then compared to the horizontal distance between plot center and the nearest face of the tree at breast height. If the measured horizontal distance from plot center is less than or equal to the limiting distance the tree in question is "in" and is tallied as a sample tree. However, if the measured horizontal distance from plot center is greater than the limiting distance, then the tree in question is "out" and is not tallied.

PLOT RADIUS FACTOR: for BAF 10 is 2.708

The limiting distance is determined by multiplying the diameter in inches and tenths by the plot radius factor. The answer will be in feet and tenths of feet.

Example: for a 10.5 inch tree when using a 10 BAF prism, the limiting distance is

10.5 X 2.708= 28.4 feet

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