Attachment 1 pre-bid tour questions 040825.rtf

Contract Pre-bid Meeting Questions and Answers 2024 Disaster Relief GAOA Byway Recreation Site Preparation Hazard Tree Removal Sol #127EAS25Q0021 Date 04/08-09/2025 0800 hrs meeting at the Bass Lake Ranger District Office at North Fork CA Questions in black font, answers in purple bold font

1)Description of Services, section c1. on pg 2 states "Maintain a minimum of 50 % ground cover for erosion prevention and soil protection in campgrounds not receiving Phase 2 rehabilitation..." Which campgrounds are these? Only the fire effected?

GAOA Campground not receiving a Phase 2 rehabilitation is:

Rock Creek Campground.

For eroison prevention and soil protection, completed work for the Rock Creek campground and 100-foot buffer will maintain a minimum of 50% ground cover.

2) Erosion Prevention and Control, on page 8, states that 25% ground cover to be retained in campgrounds, is this the remaining campgrounds not receiving phase 2?

Page 8 states “Where the natural vegetation has been cleared, fine fuels, twigs, grass, leaves organic mulch, slash, and woody debris shall provide a 25% ground cover within campgrounds and rest areas, and 50% minimum ground cover within the trails, vista and 100-foot buffer.” For clarification, all campgrounds will have a 25% ground cover except Rock Creek Campground.

Ground cover within trails, vista and 100-foot buffer will have 50% minimum ground cover.

3) Which worksites contain heritage resources and approx. how many acres for each? I understand exact maps cannot be shared electronically, however, a general idea of how much of the project is impacted by these and their treatment requirements is important for deriving a cost to treat.

To best address the concerns for question #3. Hertiage sites within the campgrounds and their 100-foot buffer will have operational guidelines from the District Heritage Manager. Guidelines will include methods to extract felled trees, down logs and woody debris while protecting the site(s). As mentioned at the field trip, some Heritage sites may welcome rubber/belted tracks and or tires, or use of an excavator boom with an attachment to reach, grab and aerial lift material out of the site. The Heritage sites at the Rock Creek Campground and 100-foot buffer will require a designated Heritage Site Monitor.

The Heritage site maps, location and polygon shapes will be provided to the awarded Contractor on an Avenza map.

General comment: It would be very helpful to have a minimum piece size to be removed defined in the contract terms. For example, if a hazard tree is fell and the top breaks out of it, what is the size cutoff on what can be left and what will be required to be removed?

The goal of this project is for hazard trees to be removed within both the Creek Fire burned areas and green forest camgrounds and their 100-foot buffer. These results differ than a hazard tree removal timber sale or a roadside hazard tree removal.

The tree boles, tops, branches will be removed as much as possible to facilitate the campground rehabilitation, public safety for work within the camp sites and surrounding landscape. For example, the landscape surrounding the campsites will have the small woody debris, branchlets and bark that lies within and on top of the soil to meet the 25% ground cover for eroision control. To the best of one ability the campground road, campsites and campsite parking will need to have less woody debris.

Contract Pre-bid Meeting Questions 2024 Disaster Relief GAOA Byway Recreation Site Preparation Hazard Tree Removal Sol #127EAS25Q0021 Date 04/08-09/2025

4).How many stems per acre, or stem count and diameter size of the dead hazard trees, for campgrounds under snow and not able to visit?

Photos have been submitted for the contract work areas, that were not able to visit. Suggestion is to visit Google Earth for an aerial view of the present conditions of these work areas.

5). Fish Creek Campground – Is the road on the south side of the creek allowed to be used to remove logs? YES.

The Fish Creek bridge can be tracked on using mats or tires with metal tracks.

6). Fish Creek Campground - Dying conifers will be marked with paint. Cell-u treat stump application treatment will follow the label requirements for useage near the fresh water creek. Fish Creek campground log jam and root wads will be set aside to be used for the Fish Creek bank stablization project. COR working with the Forest Soil Scientist/Hydrologist and Aquatics Biologist for quidance. Trash dumpster and fence/platform will also be extratcted from the log jam sitting above the flowing Fish Creek. These items may be hauled off by the US Forest Service

7). Texas Flat Campground -The onsite Heritage monitor will be available to meet the contractor. Schedule as needed. The 2 log jams at Texas Flat campground will be evaulated by the Aquatic Biologist to determine if the logs need to be lifted out of the water channel or stay in place for habitat. No directions at this date. The “closed” travel route that crosses the creek can be utilized for contract work. The Aquatic Biologist will provide specific requirements at a later date if a log crossing will be required. Texas Flat campground and buffer will be flagged.

8). Mammoth Pool- Equipment operations and falling of trees will not disturb the Mammoth Pool Deer migration. The closure is only for boating not land activities.

9). SCE is managing the rehabilitation of both Mammoth Pool Boat Launch and Mammoth Pool campground. The GAOA service contract is managing the hazard tree felling and piling to meet the site preparation requirements.

Osprey nest at Mammoth Pool Boat Launch – On 4/15/25 the District Ecologist and the District Wildlife Biologist confirmed the pair of ospreys (we witnessed during the pre-bid tour) are currently sitting on eggs in the nest. The work requirements for this area of the Mammoth Pool Boat Launch is, a 50-foot buffer NO WORK Limited Operating Period from all aspects around the nest tree. This includes no tree falling or mechanical operations within the 50-foot buffer. There is a yellow Wildlife tag nailed onto the tree bole, The remainder of the Mammoth Pool Boat Launch unit can be worked with no restrictions.

10). The Forest Service is planning to cut and leave hazard trees along Mammoth Pool Road 6S25 and Roads 6S61Y to Placer Campground and Road 6S22 to Little Jackass Campground for safe driving acces. Down logs across Road 6S22 have been cleared as of Friday 4/11/25.

11). Yes a chipper can be used at Cold Springs Trail/Vista. A shallow layer of chips can be used on the designated trail only. No broadcast layer of chips thoughout the work area. Not permitted to cover up suitable frog habitat. All other material will be moved to the designated Cold Springs landing on the west side of Beasore Road.

Contract Pre-bid Meeting Questions 2024 Disaster Relief GAOA Byway Recreation Site Preparation Hazard Tree Removal Sol #127EAS25Q0021 Date 04/08-09/2025

12). What campgrounds will need a 3rd party Heritage monitor? At this time the Rock Creek Campground will need a heritage monitor.

13). Sweetwater Campground – strip of land within the 100-foot buffer, is on the west side of Chiquito Creek. One contractor mentioned that they were considering using a raft to cross the calm section of the creek to transport their saw and faller to cut the hazard trees that can reach the campground. If access is not suitable this strip of land will not be worked and deducted from the buffer acres. Time of work and water level will determine the safety and decision.

14). Wagners Campground – Wagners family cut and piled the hazard trees within the GAOA Wagners Campground project area. At this time, it appears that no work will be required.

15. Campgrounds - Protection measures for water faucets, spickets, pinic tables, bathrooms, concrete barriers, and asphalt roads, and flagged open pits. Kelty Meadow Horse Camp has specific protection measures identified in the attachment #21.

16. Piles adjacent to Road 4S81 north of Soda Springs – woody material and logs can be placed far enough away from the roads edge, so NO material can roll off the pile into the main road. Permission will allow material to be added to existing piles or adjacent to existing piles.

17. Mammoth Pool Boat Launch – Piles have to be built within the unit boundary and not on the wide areas of the road edge.

18. Existing stumps (cut and broken) greater than 8 inches will be cut in the Campground to meet the contract specifications.

19. Bridge crossing at Fish Creek Campground and Rock Creek Campground are acceptable for equipment to track over.

20. Within campgrounds, Green trees with dead tops, hazardous dead branches and or “hangups” will need to be cut by a tree climber. This topic and specific examples were identified on 4/9/25 at Kelty Meadow Horse Camp.

21. Green trees that need to be felled will be marked with paint provided by the Timber department.

22. Traveling on road 4S81, mileage from the North Fork Office to Granite Creek Campground is 55.5 miles. The lower section of the campground is to the east along Road 4S60A and the end of the disperesed camground is approximately .9 miles from the main campground. Granite Creek Campground is approximately 7 miles from Jackass Meadow Vista contract work area, traveling along the Beasore Road (5S07). The travel route is Road 5S07, to Road 5S05 to Road/Trail 24E26 to Road 5S30.

Contract Pre-bid Meeting Questions 2024 Disaster Relief GAOA Byway Recreation Site Preparation Hazard Tree Removal Sol #127EAS25Q0021 Date 04/08-09/2025

24. Camping is permitted with a self contained travel trailer including a bathroom. If workers camp with tents, a porta potty will be required on site. A local business that offer portable potty’s is Big Oak Septic 559 683-7707. Campground bathrooms or pit toilets are not available.

Photos of campgrounds (not visited) and the GAOA Vicinity map will be posted on SAMS.

Prepared by Francey and Diana COR Lead Onsite Advisor 04/16/25