2. Falls Hazard Tree Appendix A.pdf

Falls Hazard Tree Stewardship IRSC Malheur National Forest

Solicitation#: 12363N25Q4090 Emigrant Creek Ranger District

APPENDIX A

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR SERVICE WORK ITEMS

SECTION I – DESCRIPTION OF WORK:

The objectives of this project are to reduce or eliminate safety hazards to the road systems within the Falls Fire perimeter. Providing public safety to the road system is the primary goal of this project.

1. Fall fire damaged or killed trees within 150 feet of road shoulder.

2. Cut, Skid, Process and Deck. Within 150 Feet of the road shoulder All fire killed or significantly fire damaged trees 10” DBH and up are to be cut, skid, processed and decked on the roadside.

a. All trees meeting these specifications will be processed and decked in a safe manner in a location approved by the COR.

3. Fall all fire damaged or killed trees 7” to 9.9” DBH within 150 feet of the shoulder of the road and leave in place.

4. Operator created logging slash will be piled in whole tree operations and left in place in cut to length operations.

5. Roadside areas inaccessible to mechanical operations due to terrain or ground conditions will be felled 7” dbh and larger. Trees that can be removed without resource damage may be directionally felled to the road and removed. All trees felled to be left on site will be contour felled in a manner to minimize or mitigate rollout to the road.

SECTION II – WORK ITEMS

Mandatory and Optional Items 1-4, Area 37 and Area 47: Cut, Skid, Process and Deck

1. Cut Trees with the following criteria 7” DBH and up:

a. Dead (having no green needles).

b. Fire Damaged: having visible bole scorch and 1/3 live crown or less, based on percentage of total tree height and the lowest green limb.

c. Designated by COR/GTM by agreed to method.

2. Trees 7” DBH to 9.9” DBH are to be felled and left in place.

3. Trees 10” DBH and up are to be Cut, Skid, Processed and Decked. All trees meeting these specifications will be processed and decked in a safe manner in a location approved by the COR.

4. Cutting Considerations:

a. No mechanical entry or vegetation treatment shall occur within 100 feet of all perennial streams, springs, seeps, and wetlands as designated on the contract area map.

b. Ground-based equipment will be limited to slopes less than 35%. Equipment use may be approved on slopes from 35%-45%, on short pitches.

c. Skidders will be restricted to primary skid trails and roadside landings. Harvesting machinery will be permitted to leave primary skid trails at 30- to 40-foot intervals to cut and accumulate material, striving for no more than two passes.

d. Maximum stump height shall be 12” above natural obstacles.

e. Directional felling is required to protect forest resources and improvements.

Solicitation#: 12363N25Q4090 Emigrant Creek Ranger District

f. Felling and skidding operations should be performed to minimize damage to remaining live trees.

5. Cut tree and Down Tree Slash Specifications:

a. Piles: Unless otherwise agreed, all trees and slash generated during cut to length logging operations will be left in place in the trail. All whole tree logging operations will pile operator creating logging slash at the landing. Operator created slash will be removed from the road prism and any associated road system improvements.

b. Log Decks 10” DBH and Up: Logs shall be removed by contractor as Timber Subject to Agreement.

If Timber Subject to Agreement is awarded and timber products are removed from contract area, the remaining slash to be piled shall meet the specifications of Appendix B – C6.74#. Decks of logs left on site and not hauled under Timber Subject to Agreement shall be constructed with logs placed perpendicular with slope. Deck height shall be a maximum deck height of 10 feet. There is no maximum deck length. All decks that are left and not hauled shall be 5 feet off the shoulder of the road and no more than 15 feet off the road in the most accessible location available. Decks shall not be placed where they impede line of site around corners or at road intersections for travel way safety.

SECTION III – CONTROL OF WORK

The Contractor agrees to conduct its operations under this contract and other related business activities in compliance with Federal, State, and local statutes, standards, orders, permits and other regulations.

The Contractor shall meet all State and local environmental quality laws applicable to National Forest system lands.

Work may be done any time during the term of the contract, except under the following conditions:

(1) When soil moisture conditions create excessive risk of damage to the soil,

(2) When snow depth creates a situation where requirements cannot be met and/or work cannot be inspected, as determined by the COR.

(3) The government reserves the right to prioritize the order in which Areas are treated.

(4) If any cultural or archeological sites are discovered during operations of this contract, work will be suspended in the immediate vicinity of the site until a reconnaissance survey is completed by the Forest Archeologist. Areas excluded from treatment shall be deleted from the contract.

(5) Per the Contract operation schedule located in solicitation section 13

SECTION IV – INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

For All Work Items:

At any point during the project, the Contractor and/or Project Manager may request in writing via email, text, or by hand-written request an in the field consultation with the Forest Service to inspect work progress, review contract specifications, or clarify issues. The Forest Service shall respond to Contractor’s request within 5 working days, excluding weekends and federal holidays.

GOVERNMENT QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN

Government Inspection Procedures - The COR, or a designated inspector (GTM), will make periodic inspections while work is in progress, usually daily at first, as needed to assure work is proceeding satisfactorily. The Contractor shall notify the COR when units are started, when problems are encountered and when contract work needs government oversight.

Solicitation#: 12363N25Q4090 Emigrant Creek Ranger District

1. Each unit will be inspected as a separate unit. Unit will not be averaged with other units for acceptance or payment.

2. When units are completed and ready for government inspection, Contractor’s designated Project manager shall request unit inspection in writing, prior to moving out of the general area.

3. The COR, or designated inspector, will determine compliance with contract specifications through informal visual inspections. In the event visual inspection indicates work to be in non-compliance with specifications, prompt corrective action and/or rework shall be required.

Government Inspection Procedures – All Items

1. In the event visual inspection indicates work and / or rework to be in non-compliance with contract specifications, a series of verification plots shall be installed by the Government to determine compliance with specifications and percent of satisfactory work for treatment of each unit not meeting specification as observed with visual inspection.

2. Government verification plots will consist of a series of fixed area radius plots along transects to record whether requirements are being met and to what extent.

3. Plots and grid will be distributed so that a representative sample is obtained.

4. The COR or designated inspector will mark the center of each plot on the ground using flagging, stakes, or pin flags. Additional flagging will be hung near the plot center so that it may be seen from a distance. The inspector will include the plot number, their initials and date on the flagging.

5. Plots will be numbered to correlate with the inspection form and transects on a unit map.

6. The minimum number of verification plots, per treatment unit, shall be as follows:

Road Segment Length Minimum No. of Plots

Less than 1 mile 2 More than a mile 3 plots per mile

7. Determination of acceptability of the work performed will be based on Government verification inspections and will be considered conclusive.

8. At each plot, the Government will examine the plot area and record findings for satisfactory and unsatisfactory work.

a. Plot number

b. Number of trees left on plot.

c. Number of satisfactory trees (> 10% green crown, > 26” stump dia, ).

d. Number of deficient trees.

e. Number of excess trees.

- Trees meeting cut specifications will be counted as excess trees

- Trees in excess of trees to be left will be counted as excess

9. Work quality will be calculated on the form as follows:

No. Trees Deficient + No. Excess Trees

-------------------------------------------------- = % Unsatisfactory work

No. Trees to be left

Solicitation#: 12363N25Q4090 Emigrant Creek Ranger District

100% – % Unsatisfactory work = % Work Quality

Unsatisfactory Performance

1. If the work quality falls below 85 percent, the COR will immediately notify the Contractor, in writing, and order them to improve the quality of subsequent tree cutting. If the quality of subsequent tree cutting is not raised above the 85 percent minimum acceptable standard within 24 business hours after receipt of such written notice, the Contractor’s right to proceed may be terminated and the contract considered in default.

2. When the work quality falls below 90 percent as a result of excess trees, the Government may elect to do one of the following:

(a) Order rework to be performed and withhold payment until excess trees are cut and the results of a post-rework Government inspection show work quality to be at least 85 percent or more. No rework shall be performed unless ordered or authorized by the COR.

(b) Order that no rework be performed and payment will either be made at a reduced rate, or not at all, as determined from the Thinning Inspection Report.

3. Repeated failure to produce work quality at or above the 85 percent minimum acceptable standard will be considered reason for contract termination and default action.

Reinspection Upon Contractor Request

1. If Government inspection results are unacceptable to the Contractor, a reinspection may be requested, in writing, within 5 business days after receipt of notice of said inspection results. The same inspection procedure will be used; however, the inspection pattern will be shifted so that new inspection plots will not overlap previously inspected plots.

2. If reinspection results – rounded up to the nearest whole percent – indicate a variance of more than 5 percent from the first inspection, the results of the second inspection will be used to calculate work quality and payment, and the Government will bear the cost of reinspection.

3. If reinspection results – rounded up to the nearest whole percent – are within 5 percent of the first inspection, plots from the initial inspection and the reinspection will be combined and used to calculate work quality and payment, and the Contractor shall bear the cost of reinspection.

Table 1 – Minimum Acceptable Quality Levels (AQL) of Work

ITEM DESCRIPTION SCHEDULE UNIT Min AQL

1,2,3,4 Cut, Skid, Deck MANDATORY/OPTIONAL Acre 90%

SECTION V – PAYMENT METHODS

Method of Measurement for Acreages and Miles

Acreages and miles were determined by using Global Positioning Systems (GPS) or digitized using GIS mapping.

Unit boundaries are discernable with tags on the road and a GIS calculated 150 foot distance from the road, the majority of boundaries are virtual.

Discernable Boundaries are boundary locations that are readily identifiable features on the ground in locations shown on the Contract Area Map.

Remeasurement

Solicitation#: 12363N25Q4090 Emigrant Creek Ranger District

1. The Contractor may request, in writing, remeasurement of any units under this contract if he/she feels that acreage or milage stated on the project maps is incorrect. The remeasurement must be within the existing perimeter of the respective unit or existing centerline of the road. No variance of the unit perimeters or road as identified on the maps for this contract will be allowed. All requests for remeasurement must be made prior to payment for each completed unit. Remeasurement will be performed by the Government.

2. If remeasurement indicates that a variance of ten percent or less exists on units of 1 to 5 acres, five percent or less exists on units of more than five but less than 20 acres, or if three percent or less exists on units of 20 acres or larger, the Contractor shall pay for the actual costs of the remeasurement. Under this condition, payment will be made on the acreage stated on the project maps. If the remeasurement indicates the actual acreage varies by more than the above factors from that stated on the project maps, the payment will be made on the remeasured acreage and the Forest Service will pay for the cost of the remeasurement.

Acceptance and Payment

1. Percentages as calculated herein shall be rounded to the nearest whole percent.

2. No allowance for variation or portion of a variation will be added which will create a percentage greater than 100 percent.

Acceptance and Payment – Fuels Treatment, Fuels Treatment without Understory, Hand Piling, and Opening Roads

1. If informal visual inspection indicates acceptable work quality, the Contractor will be paid 100 percent of their bid rate.

2. In the event that formal inspections are used, the rate of payment to the Contractor will be calculated as follows:

(a) For work quality of 95 percent or higher, 5 percent (adjustment for statistical variation) will be added and the Contractor will be paid 100 percent of their bid rate.

(b) For work quality from 85 to 94 percent, the 5 percent will be added to the work quality percent and the Contractor will be paid the total multiplied by the bid rate.

(c) For work quality 84 percent and less, the 5 percent will not be added and there will be no payment made to the Contractor.

If, after rework, the percentage of satisfactory work is between 85% and 94%, payment will be made by the actual percentage. If the percentage is less than 85%, the work is unacceptable, and no payment will be made.

Acceptance and Payment – Opening Roads

1. If informal visual inspection indicates acceptable work quality, the Contractor will be paid 100 percent of their bid rate.

2. Only one rework opportunity will be allowed for this item.

Acceptance and Payment

1. Percentages as calculated herein shall be rounded to the nearest whole percent.

2. No allowance for variation or portion of a variation will be added which will create a percentage greater than 100 percent.

Solicitation#: 12363N25Q4090 Emigrant Creek Ranger District

3. Payment rate for work quality at or above 85% will be calculated as follows:

% Work Quality + 5 % Statistical Variation (SV) = % Payment rate

4. Examples:

(a) 2 Trees Deficient + 4 Trees Excess 6 ------------------------------------------- = --------- = 5.22% = 5% Unsatisfactory work

115 Trees to be left 115

100% – 5% = 95% Work Quality

95% + 5% (SV) = 100% Payment rate

(b) 2 Trees Deficient + 9 Trees Excess 11 ------------------------------------------- = --------- = 11.96% = 12% Unsatisfactory work

92 Trees to be left 92

100% – 12% = 88% Work Quality

88% + 5% (SV) = 93% Payment rate

(c) 2 Trees Deficient + 14 Trees Excess 16

-------------------------------------------- = --------- = 16.84% = 17% Unsatisfactory work

95 Trees to be left 95

100% – 17% = 83% Work Quality - - No payment made

Solicitation#: 12363N25Q4090 Emigrant Creek Ranger District

SECTION VI – DEFINITIONS

ACCEPTABLE QUALITY LEVEL (AQL): Acceptance of work will be based on compliance with all specifications corresponding to the appropriate task(s); refer to the Performance Requirements Summary in Section E.4 of the contract. A minimum AQL is required for all service work – hand or mechanical. The minimum AQL will receive a satisfactory performance rating.

BIOMASS TREES: Any conifer material 2 inches in diameter to 9.9 inches DBH.

BOLE SPACING: The horizontal distance in feet from the edge of one leave tree bole to another leave tree bole, measured from the outside bark of each tree.

CIRCULAR PLOT: A sample plot within a thinning unit that is used to determine the number of desirable trees and other contract specifications.

COARSE WOODY DEBRIS: Woody material left on the ground to meet wildlife habitat requirements.

CROWN RATIO: The ratio of live crown length (tip of leader to base of the crown) to total tree length/height.

CROWN SPACING: The horizontal distance in feet between the dripline of a live crown to another live crown.

CLEARCUT: A cutting prescription in which all trees within a boundary are designated to be cut.

CUT TREES: Trees that do not possess the characteristics of desirable leave trees and are required to be cut. As described by the contract or otherwise marked to be cut.

CUTTING UNIT: See Treatment Unit definition

DAMAGED TREES: Trees damaged beyond recovery. A tree that is larger than 2 feet in height, and has the top knocked out, is leaning more than 10 degrees, has less than one half of its original limbs, or has approximately 50% of bark removed from the circumference of the bole.

DBH: Diameter at breast height, measured at a point of 4.5 feet above the ground level on the uphill side of the tree.

DECKING: Stockpiling of trees in a designated area.

DEAD TREES: Trees with the no green foliage.

DESIGNATION BY SPECIES AND DIAMETER (DXSD): A cutting prescription in which species and diameter are used to determine which trees will be left and which will be cut.

DIB: Diameter inside bark.

FENCE RIGHT OF WAY: 4 feet on either side of the fence.

HANG-UP TREE: Any cut tree suspended above ground level.

HEALTHY REGENERATION: Young, healthy, dwarf mistletoe free conifers, less than 4.9 inches in diameter, free of defect or characteristics listed in Section II, 2.2.2.

LEAVE TREE: Trees that possess desirable characteristics and that serve to create the basis for designated spacing requirements or are otherwise designated to be left.

Solicitation#: 12363N25Q4090 Emigrant Creek Ranger District

LIVE TREE: Trees that possess more than 10 % live Crown Ratio.

NON-SAWTIMBER TREE: For all conifer species, minimum diameter of 7 inches DBH to minimum diameter by species identified in Appendix B, Division A.

OVERSTORY REMOVAL: A cutting prescription where all trees greater than a specified size are cut. Trees less than the specified size are protected.

PAYMENT UNIT: See Treatment Unit.

PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS SUMMARY (PRS): Identifies the key service outputs of the contract that will be evaluated by the Government to assure contract performance standards are met by the Contractor.

PILING: Material moved to an agreed upon location shall be piled for future treatment by Forest Service.

PROGRESSION OF WORK: Work conducted in a progressive, workmanlike and orderly manner by the Contractor.

RESERVE CLUMPS: Groups of trees within a treatment area that are protected from cutting, may also include Individual Reserve trees.

SAWTIMBER TREE: Included timber meeting sawlog size specifications as defined in Appendix B, Division A.2.

SLASH: Woody material existing or created that has accumulated on the forest floor. Woody material includes logs, pieces of logs, tops, and branches.

UNIT: See Treatment Unit.

TEMPORARY ROADS: Non-permanent roads that are constructed by Contractor for the purpose of treatment unit access.

TREATMENT UNIT: An individual area on the ground in which activities will be performed and which may appear as a separate pay item in the Schedule of Items.

UNSATISFACTORY WORK: If work quality falls below the AQL, the COR will issue a work order or notice of noncompliance to the Contractor in writing. Untreated or unsatisfactory treated areas shall be reworked to obtain satisfactory work quality.

WHOLE TREE YARDING: Whole tree logging includes cutting tree and removing the entire tree, including tops and branches, to the landing.

WILDLIFE TREE: Standing tree marked to be reserved as a wildlife tree. Used by birds and small mammals for shelter, nesting, perching, etc.