Questions Answers Document_0001.docx

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

QUESTION SET 1:

Priority Area 1 – High Line, Powder River County

1. Both High Line and Reynolds Battlefield list the NWNE of Section 32, T8S, R48E. Does the area need to be in both Inventory Areas?

Thank you for pointing this out. The Highline should be T.8S, R. 48E Sec. 32 NENW and Reynolds Battlefield should be T.8S, R.48E Sec. 32 NWNE.

2. Legal locations for the High Line Inventory Area list the SESW of Section 14, T8S, R47E; however, the map shows the SENE. Which is correct?

SENE is correct- SESW was originally proposed as a unit but ultimately scrapped.

3. Based on the color coding on the maps, the roads to be inventories for the High Line include Moorhead Road, a crowned and ditched road. Does this actually need inventoried? With Moorhead Road linear survey is approximately 20 miles – without Moorhead Rd it is 15 miles.

Yes- Mechanical disturbance will go out past the area of disturbance for the crowned and ditched road. The built-up road and ditch do not need to be looked at but the area outside of the disturbance along the road does.

4. Are all linear surveys on existing roads? Some appear to be non-existing on Google Earth.

All of the perimeter roads should be accessible by truck. Some of the interior roads/ trails are only accessible by UTV at this point. I’ve been told by personnel in the Fire Dept. that they are there.

QUESTION SET 2:

Priority Area 2 – Reynolds Battlefield, Powder River County

1. Both High Line and Reynolds Battlefield list the NWNE of Section 32, T8S, R48E. Does the area need to be included in both inventory reports?

Thank you for pointing this out. The Highline should be T.8S, R. 48E Sec. 32 NENW and Reynolds Battlefield should be T.8S, R.48E Sec. 32 NWNE. No they do not need to be included in both reports.

2. Scope of Work Section G.5 states that “[m]etal detecting should be conducted as part of the inventory strategy on the ridgetops within the ACEC west of the road.” Please elaborate on this task.

1. Should detecting just occur on flat ridgetops only?

2. Should a portion of ridge shoulders be covered?

3. Does the metal detector survey need to intensive or will sample sweeps be sufficient?

The metal detecting inventory should be comprehensive and should be conducted in 5 meter transects. A map showing the metal detecting inventory area and total acreage will be submitted with an updated SOW.

3. Can volunteers be used for the metal detector survey?

No. This is due to Federal contracting requirements.

QUESTION SET 3:

Priority Area 3 – Terry Bench, Prairie County

1. Legal locations for the Singleton Unit list the NWNW of Section 2, T9N, R52E; however, the map shows the SWNW. Which is correct?

SWNW is the correct location.

2. Approximately 1 mile of the roads to be inventoried in the Singleton Unit is a county road. Does this need to be inventoried?

Yes- Mechanical disturbance will go out past the area of disturbance for the crown and ditched road. The built-up road and ditch do not need to be looked at but the area outside of the disturbance along the road does.

3. There is a road across Section 34, T10N, R52E and a linear area across Section 26 on the map which has a different symbology than the roads to be inventoried. Do these corridors need to be inventoried for this unit?

No. That symbology represents previously inventoried areas. Also, that road has not been proposed to be use as a fire break or part of the project.

4. Roads to be inventoried in the Terry Bench Unit appear to follow section/ half section lines and/or fence lines. Are all of these established roads? (Some do not seem to be roads).

No. those are project perimeters and not necessarily roads. Those portions of the project are flat areas of reclaimed farmland and will be mowed to create the fire break. Typically, existing roads are used as fire break perimeters, this is not the case for all of the Terry Bench area.

5. There are other linear corridors with different symbology and other roads in the area. Do any of the other roads or corridors need to be surveyed?

No. Those roads are not proposed to be part of the project. The differing symbology denotes previously inventoried areas.

QUESTION SET 4:

Priority Area 4 – Carter County

1. Are there any roads outside the blocks which need to be surveyed?

No. The main roads that lead in and out of the of the project area have been inventoried previously for CBD development. Also, there is no plan for road improvement to allow equipment access.

2. Legal locations for the Fire Breaks South area list the NW of Section 13, T5S, R55E; however, the map shows the NE (NE is alco shown as BLM land, NW is private). Which is correct?

All land in the Carter County Mastication Project will be BLM land. NE is the correct location.

QUESTION SET 5:

1. Follow-up to Scope of Work Section G.5 “Positive metal detector hits should be recorded with a submeter GPS Unit with 95% interval confidence.” We want to conform that excavation and retrieval of metal “hits” is NOT required for the contract.

That is correct. We do not want the "hits" retrieved, just recorded and mapped with the GPS Unit.

2. Will the standard linear survey corridor be 30 meters (100 feet)-wide?

Yes, except for the metal detecting portion which should be comprehensive and spaced no more than 5 meters apart. An updated Statement of Work will be provided shortly with a map showing where metal detecting should be conducted and will include acreage of the area.