EN_Blairs_Cruise_Plan_Final.doc

CRUISE DESIGN

AND

IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

EN BLAIRS TIMBER SALE

ENOREE RANGER DISTRICT

SUMTER NATIONAL FOREST

Prepared by:

Krista Shelton

Timber Management Assistant

Enoree Ranger District

Date:

INTRODUCTION:

The Enoree Blairs Timber Sale is located in Comp 118 and 115 on the Enoree Ranger District of the Sumter National Forest. Access is state roads and Forest Service roads. The sale is located in compartment 118 stands 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13 on the Enoree Ranger District. The Decision Notice and NEPA documentation for this sale are found in the Lower Broad Analysis Area.

There will be Clear Cut with reserves of 104.92 acres and Sawtimber thinning of 16.64 acres on a 121.56 estimated acres. These acreage estimates are derived from the previous layout of the stand with GPS files. This sale will use a cut tree marking and clear cut with reserves for the units. The slopes in the cutting units are gentle 0 to 20%; they do contain shallow gully areas within the units. Elevation of the sale area is about 400 feet.

This sale will be sold as a Tree Measurement Sale.

WORK COORDINATION:

Krista Shelton is the designated check cruiser for this project – all questions regarding sample design, tree designation, and tree measurement are to be brought to Krista.

Krista Shelton is the designated individual to coordinate sale area boundary designations and layout.

LAYOUT AND BOUNDARY DESIGNATION:

Boundary line trees are to be marked at eye level with three (3) horizontal slash marks and a spot at ground level with the eye level marks facing into the interior of the Payment Unit, additional paint marks at eye level will be on sides of the tree following the run of the line, these marks may be spots or horizontal lines.

When a road is the Boundary on portions of the Payment Unit, no paint will be required.

Refer to the revised land management plan for guidelines on layout adjacent to streams and drainages.

All boundary paint is to be Forest Service tracer Orange.

In all Leave Tree Mark units inoperable ground, hardwood inclusions and other areas where no cutting is to be done must be excluded from the Unit with Orange boundary paint.

Along other ownership boundaries use Orange boundary marking paint to reinforce the property marking. Please take note if the boundary is in need of maintenance.

HERITAGE RESOURCES:

Approximate locations of heritage resources are shown on the work maps. In the field these boundaries are designated with two white painted bands on trees.

During layout paint a three stripe with stump mark using orange boundary tracer paint in order to exclude these areas from the sale unit. When the heritage site is on or near a boundary bring the unit boundary around the site – when the heritage site is within the unit completely encircling the site, check to insure any unit behind these sites are accessible.

Any questions concerning known or discovered heritage sites are to be brought to the attention of the COR.

SILVICULTURAL PRESCRIPTIONS AND MARKING GUIDELINES:

The Silvicultural prescriptions for these stands are to create open, early succession, woodlands and regenerate mature pine stands. The leave trees are to be left evenly distributed throughout the stands. The Unit Cross-Walk shows the tie from stands identified in the NEPA documents to the Payment Unit. The acres shown are the GPS determined acres after layout. The acres on the cutting cards and shown in tables in the NEPA document are map based estimates – differences are the result of field layout and GPS determination of Payment Unit boundary.

CTM/LTM/DXSPA

Acres

TOTAL

121.56

NOTE: Please refer to individual Cut Card information to determine what variability there is in Leave BA. Some stands may have an inclusion, which will have a different Leave BA.

SAMPLE INTERVALS:

DBH Range

*Sample Intervals are subject to change* Unit 1 – C 118 St 3 - 53.33 Ac.

Approx. 54 Plots Unit 2 – C 118 St. 8, 9, 11 – 51.59 Ac.

Approx. 52 Plots Unit 3 – C 118 St. 13 – 16.64 Ac.

PS: 1 – 20

ZP: 1 – 40

HS: 1 – 20

ZH: 1 – 40

CRUISE DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION:

Pre Cruise data was taken by forest service crews in the included sale compartments.

INDIVIDUAL TREE MARKING:

Cut Trees (CTM) are to be designated with Forest Service marking paint at or above eye level and at ground level.

· Cut trees will be marked on 270 degrees of the tree on both sides. The painted mark shall be a placed high on the tree above growing vegetation in order to be seen by logging equipment.

· Stump marks shall be at ground level on the down hill side of the tree. Often there will be a build up of pine straw or other material which will need to be kicked out of the way to get to ground level. Stump marks are to be placed inside fluted portions of the stem; two spots at least three inches in diameter are required for sawtimber trees; one spot for pulpwood trees.

Leave Tree or Reserve Tree Selection Preference:

· Dominate loblolly pines with live crown ratios 30% or better will be selected as seed trees. This may not necessarily be the largest tree – rather the tree with the fullest healthy crown.

· Hard mast-producing hardwoods (such as red oak) with full healthy crowns and stem diameters greater than 8 inches shall be retained.

· Retain all healthy dominate and codominate shortleaf pine.

· Hardwoods and shortleaf pines do not factor into the residual basal area in regeneration units.

· Leave Tree or Reserve Trees will be banded with a 2 inch wide band at eye level around the tree in the designated paint color provided.

Measure Trees

Each tree that is measured must be flagged. Write on the flagging with indelible marker:

· Marker’s initials

· Species

· Product

· DBH

· Sawtimber height for sawtimber trees

· Reference height*

· Date

· Tree number

*Reference Heights

· All Pulpwood trees will be measured to total height.

· Hardwood Saw is measured to a 9inch top.

· All Pine Sawtimber will be measured to total height but may have 2 heights – one at a stopper and then to total height.

INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE:

Check Cruiser: The responsible qualified advanced cruiser for the EN Blairs Timber Sale is Luke Wallace.

Acceptable work will be determined with completion of the Field measurement Evaluation – R8-FS-2400-62 Form and Plot or Tree Measurement Check Sheet – R8-FS-2400-61 Form. Form R8-FS-2400-63 will be used to evaluate satisfactory plot layout and marking.

MERCHANTIBILITY SPECIFICATION:

Minimum Specifications

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS:

GATES:

Some roads are gated or barricaded. Contractor shall have access through these gates. Contractor shall be responsible for insuring that gates are kept shut and locked at all times.

CHECK CRUISE:

This sale shall be check cruised. The Forest Service will document checks on R8-FS-2400-61 and R8-FS-2400-62. Examples are attached.

Contractor shall meet established standards.

Enoree Blairs Timber Sale Cruise Design and Implementation Plan

Sheet 8 of 8

_1202535924.doc USDA Forest Service

R8-FS-2400-63 (05/02)

TIMBER SALE CRUISE EVALUATION REPORT – PAGE 1

(Ref. FSH 2409.12,60)

FOREST:

CHECK CRUISER:

DISTRICT:

DATE INSPECTED:

SALE NAME:

CRUISE METHODS:

TYPE OF SALE: SCALE:

DATE CRUISED:

SALE PREPARATION ELEMENTS -

A. CRUISE DESIGN PLAN

OFFICE

FIELD

SATISFACTORY

UNSATISFACTORY

N/A

1. Harvest Guidelines

a. Stand marking guide

b. Minimum product merchantability specs.

2. Sample Method Analysis

a. Population stratification identification

b. Precruise sample documentation

c. Sampling intensity for strata

d. Sample error standards

3. Sample Controls

a. Sample tree/plot distribution & location

b. Plot monumentation

c. Cruise trees numbered

d. Supplemental samples

e. Proper application of plots near boundaries

B. TREE VOLUME DETERMINATION

1. Visible Defect Deduction Instructions

2. Tree Height Instructions

3. Special Measurement Techniques

C. TIMBER DESIGNATION & PRODUCT ACCOUNTABILITY

1. Unit Boundary

2. Quality of Tree Designation

3. Tracer Paint Analysis

D. TREE VALUE DETERMINATION

1. Approved Log/Tree Grade Instructions

E. AREA DETERMINATION

1. Traverse Notes Available/Source

2. Traverse Maps Available

3. Error of Course (N/A for GPS)

4. Traverse Boundary follows Posted Unit Boundary

F. FINAL CRUISE PRINTOUT AUDIT

1. Data Recorder Accurately

2. Sample Error Standards Met

3. Validate Volume Reports

TIMBER SALE CRUISE EVALUATION REPORT – PAGE 2

SALE PREPARATION ELEMENTS

OFFICE

FIELD

SATISFACTORY

UNSATISFACTORY

N/A

G. TIMBER SALE CHECK CRUISE

Met Field Measurement Evaluation Standards (attach copies of 62.1 – Exhibit #01 & #02)

H. CERTIFICATION OF CRUISE STANDARDS DOCUMENTED AND SIGNED

Following are comments on the performance or unsatisfactory work under the above cruise plan elements. Make reference in Item No. below for the element listed above.

Item No.

Description:

I. CRUISED BY CERTIFIED CRUISERS (list below)

Records of 2001 annual performance check on file at the My District Ranger District office