Attachment_B_Specs.docx

8/02/2018 Attachment B

SECTION C--DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF WORK

C.1 Introduction

C.1.1 Scope of Contract It is the intent of this contract to establish one contract for common stand exams for the Superior National Forest. The Contractor shall furnish all labor, equipment, transportation, supervision, supplies (except those designated as Government furnished), incidentals, and perform all work necessary to conduct Common Stand Exam (CSE) and supplemental data collection in compliance with terms, specifications, conditions, and provisions of this solicitation.

C.1.2 Location and Description This project will be located on all five districts of the Superior National Forest (Forest).

1. General location and vicinity map are available (see Attachment Map).

1. Government housing is not available.

C.1.3 Accessibility The Contractor shall be responsible for obtaining all necessary permission to gain access to sample locations. If the Contractor cannot obtain permission to access a sample location, the Contractor must notify the Government in writing.

Vehicle access may be difficult or restricted. Stand locations may necessitate that the Contractor walk to the stand or acquire some other means of travel.

C.1.4 Program of Work See discussion in Section G (Contract Administration Data) regarding program of work if multiple bid items are awarded to one Contractor.

Upon request by Contractor, the Government will provide a “courtesy” demonstration on data collection protocol and procedures.

C.2 Contractor Work Requirements and Standards/Technical Specifications C.2.1 Stand Examination Instructions

1. A list of sample plot locations (latitude and longitude coordinates) within each stand will be provided by the Government at the prework conference. Plots may be allocated as following:

Survey Technique – A global positioning system (GPS) shall be used to locate plot centers. Acceptable error is +/- 10 meters (30 feet) from plot center. Recurring errors in plot location that are greater than the acceptable error will make the plot data unsatisfactory, and the Contractor shall re-located and re-measure the unsatisfactory plots.

1. Flagging: To facilitate inspection, the Contractor shall

· Mark all plot centers with a fluorescent pink wire flag. This wire flag will have the compartment, stand and plot identification written on it with black permanent marker. The point at which the wire flag intersects the ground shall be used as plot center.

· Sufficient fluorescent pink flagging will be hung on surrounding vegetation, at eye level, to facilitate visual identification of the plot from a distance.

· Site/Growth trees will be marked with fluorescent pink flagging. The flagging will have the compartment, stand, plot and “Site Tree” written on it with black permanent marker.

· Borderline “In” trees will be marked with fluorescent pink flagging. The flagging will have the compartment, stand, plot and “Borderline In” written on it with black permanent marker.

1. During field examination, the Contractor should note if originally delineated stand boundaries are incorrect. If so, stand boundaries will be corrected to reflect actual site conditions (Note: A paper map, with current stand boundaries/background image, will be provided to Contractor for this purpose. Changes to stand boundaries will be made with permanent ink on the map and turned into the Government at completion of contract). All maps should be returned to Government at completion of contract.

In the event a plot center falls outside a corrected stand boundary, proceed using reciprocal of previous heading, back into the original stand 4 chains (264’). Re-establish the plot and document actual latitude and longitude in Plot Remarks

Within stands, in the event a plot center falls within either: 1) A linear opening (road, right-of-way, etc) that is 33 feet or greater in width (includes maintenance clearing on both sides of a road); or 2) An opening greater than 2 acres, use the following procedure to re-establish the plot within the original stand:

Proceed 2 chains (132’) into the original stand using previous heading or reciprocal heading. Re-establish the plot and document actual latitude and longitude.

In both of the above situations, reference Plot # and reason for re-establishment in Plot Remarks.

C.2.2 Recording Instructions Plot data and location data will be entered directly into a handheld personal data recorder (PDR) provided by the contractor. The PDR software used for data entry must be the “ExamsPC” software designed for collecting common stand exam data (version in effect as of the date of this solicitation will be required). A .cse ‘template” file with the Superior National Forest’s CSE protocols for this contract will be available from the Forest to enable successful completion of this contract. This template file is available, if requested, prior to award. Plot and location data will be sumitted electronically.

ExamsPC can be downloaded at: https://www.fs.fed.us/nrm/fsveg/ and loaded onto any PDRs used for data collection prior to starting the contract.

C.2.3 Qualifications The success of this field inventory is dependent primarily on the Contractor's professionalism and expertise. It is necessary that the Contractor's staff meet certain standards. A crew can consist of one or more individuals. Specific technical experience may be substituted for a given educational requirement. Minimum qualifications are specifically defined as follows:

1. Each crew must have a crew leader with undergraduate courses in mensuration, tree identification, plant (shrub/forb) identification, silviculture, and ecology, and three months prior experience collecting data for Forest inventory or vegetation classification.

1. Each crew member must be able to use GPS technology.

1. Each crew member must have undergraduate courses in mensuration, botany, or other related natural resource course work or equivilant experience.

1. Each crew member must be able to satisfactorily interpret aerial photographs.

The Contractor shall designate crew leaders for each crew. The crew leader shall be the individual responsible for ensuring plot measurements are taken in accordance with the accuracy standards.

The Contractor agrees to use only personnel meeting these qualifications for performance of the work specified herein.

C.2.4 Data Collection Specifications Specific protocols for the collection of data are found in the current (as of the date of this solicitation) CSE User Guide.

The examination level is considered “1000”. This indicates “quick plots” for the Tree data. The Quick Plot concept allows grouping of trees when they are of the same species and within a 2-inch diameter class (large tree plot). Plot data will be collected using a variable plot for live trees >=5” DBH (diameter at breast height) and dead trees >=8” DBH.

Note: Contractor will use 20 BAF within each stand on the variable radius plots.

Limited supplemental information to include insect/disease, fuels, potential vegetation and wildlife data will also be collected at the Setting level (see discussion for the Setting form).

The following understory data will be collected:

a. For each setting contractor will estimate balsam fir density as high, moderate, low. High = >1000 TPA (trees per acre), moderate 400-999 TPA, and low is <400 TPA.

b. If a stand is dominated by trees <5” DBH, the contractor will walk thru the stand to estimate stand averages for DBH and TPA by species. Small-diameter stands will not be common but may be in the contract.

Vegetation Composition, Surface Data, and Down Woody Material Data will not be collected.

Setting Data Fields that must be completed on the setting form include the following:

1. Project Name – Forest-wide Red Pine CSE (default)

2. Administrative Region (09)

3. Administrative Forest (09)

4. Proclaimed Region (09)

5. Proclaimed Forest (09)

6. District - Laurentian (01), Gunflint (02), Kawishiwi (05), LaCroix (06), Tofte (07)

7. Location (compartment)

8. Stand (stand number)

9. Owner (USFS)

10. State (MN)

11. County (St. Louis County, Lake, or Cook)

12. Date (the date of the actual field data collection.)

13. Exam Level (1000)

14. Exam Purpose (SE)

15. Examiner (name of person conducting the exam)

16. Precision Protocol (CSE_Q)

17. Damage Category, Agent and Severity - Record after plot data has been collected and before leaving setting form – Document top three significant damage categories in the Setting (see Figure 1). For Damage, the category, agent and severity are recorded by selected codes with definitions from dropdown menus. See Figure 1 Damage Recording at the Setting Level. The lists are limited to general groups with the purpose being able to key in on stands with problems rather than using the CSE as a means of diagnosis.

Figure 1. Damage Recording at the Setting Level

18. Setting Remarks.

a. For each setting contractor will estimate balsam fir density as high, moderate, low. High = >1000 TPA (trees per acre), moderate 400-999 TPA, and low is <400 TPA.

b. If a stand is dominated by trees <5” DBH, the contractor will walk thru the stand to estimate stand averages for DBH and TPA by species. Small-diameter stands will not be common but may be in the contract.

c. Supplemental wildlife data -stick nests. Document nests made of twigs or sticks (“stick nests”) whenever encountered in a stand/settings. A “stick nest” is defined as: Nests constructed of twigs or sticks, 24” or more in diameter and at least 20 feet high in a tree. Documentation requirements – Record tree species, diameter of nest (to nearest foot), height in the tree (+/- 5 feet) and latitude/longitude (identify datum used). Document stick nests in Setting Remarks. Note: Contractor will be paid a bonus of $50.00 for each documented stick nest.

Plot Data Fields that must be included on the Plot form include the following:

1. Plot Number

2. Plot latitude, collected electronically

3. Plot longitude, collected electronically

4. Plot remarks

Predetermined plot locations (with corresponding latitude/longitude coordinates) will be provided to the contractor at the prework conference.

Note: For “null” plots (plots with no “large” trees present), contractor must document in Plot Remarks. Use the following format: Plot xx – Null plot.

Sample Design Large tree data shal be collected in variable radius plots:

· Live trees with a DBH of >=5”

· Dead trees with a DBH of >=8” and a height of greater than 30 feet.

· Contractor shall use 20 basal area factor (BAF)

Tree Data The intent of this contract is to collect information on all tree species which are defined as “trees” in in the R9 Appendicies (Glossary section). Fields that must be completed on the Tree forms include the following:

6. DBH - Record for trees with a DBH of >=5.0”. Diameters for same tree species may be grouped in 2-inch diameter classes. For example, trees in the 5.0-6.9” diameter class will be recorded as 6.0”.

7. Height – Total height, recorded to the nearest foot

8. Site trees – Co-dominant or dominant red pine that are representative of the stand as a whole

· Measure 3 growth trees per stand

· Measure DBH, age, and height

Vegetation Cover Data No vegetation cover data is being collected on this contract.

Format Data is to be Provided The Contractor shall provide data to the Government in the file format created by the ExamsPC software (*.cse). No adjustments will be made due to personnel or program errors that result in data errors or loss of data. File names should correspond to the data blocks being submitted.

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