2. Leroux East IRSC_ Appendix A.pdf

Leroux East Stewardship IRSC Coconino National Forest Page 1 of 18 Flagstaff Ranger District

APPENDIX A

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR SERVICE WORK ITEMS

SECTION I – DESCRIPTION OF WORK:

The objectives of this project are to increase forest health and vigor, and reduce hazardous fuels in order to reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfire within the Wildland Urban Interface by accomplishing the following:

1. Overstory densities will be reduced, and canopy gaps will be created through the removal of select conifers between 6 and 24 inches in diameter.

2. Remove included saw timber from the Contract Area.

3. Remove understory vegetation, in the form of conifers less than 6 inches in diameter, to a specified per-acre density.

4. Remove surface fuels, in the form of sound logs up to 24 inches in diameter, to a residual per acre tonnage.

5. Standing dead trees of all species up to 24 inches in diameter will be removed to a specified per-acre density.

6. Remove hand piles off FS lands.

7. Prune Ponderosa Pine limbs on mistle toe infected trees.

8. All slash accumulated through service work is to be removed off FS lands.

9. Install culverts and create aprons at identified locations for access to project areas.

10. Using provided material, pad the ASB water line in accordance with the specifications provided.

11. Cold patch and maintain all potholes along Snowbowl Road.

GENERAL PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS:

• Landings and temp roads are predetermined to confirm the ability to complete the work. These landings may be relocated only by agreement. Additional landings may be approved upon request. The use of meadows and open areas is strictly prohibited unless by agreement.

• In units where no landings are identified, Contractor may present landing locations for Forest Service approval.

• Contractor shall work with FS prior to starting new units to determine if one way traffic is desired for egress/ingress into units for hauling.

• A staging area at the base of Snowbowl Road has been identified to help manage the relocation and removal of slash offsite. It is recognized that grinding and removing slash from in-wood's activities could be difficult as landing sizes are desired to be <.5 acre.

o If this staging area is used, prior to any operations, FS will require the seed mix (from Appendix B, C6.601) to be spread out and a slash mat (comprised of material no larger than 3” diameter) be laid down no higher than 1 foot on top of the seed mix. Additional staging areas may be approved upon request.

o Upon completion of use of the staging area, the contractor shall remove all slash from Forest Service lands, including all slash used in the slash mat and any residual chips generated from chipping or processing material. The area shall be recontoured to resemble the meadow’s original form and shall meet all required erosion-control standards. The contractor shall coordinate with the Forest Service to ensure desired resource conditions are achieved.

• For public safety purposes, slash and any material to be relocated to the staging area off of Snowbowl shall be completed at night preferably. This would allow contractor to potentially close Snowbowl Road, via gate

Page 2 of 18 Flagstaff Ranger District closure, to reduce public safety and traffic risk while hauling. Coordination shall be conducted with the Forest Service prior to any night-time closures of Snowbowl Road.

• Red Squirrel Midden Protection is an objective of this project and as a result, ground-disturbing operations shall be limited within 25 feet of identified squirrel middens, locations are identified on the CAM. The completion of all TSI, DWD and overstory thinning has already been completed in order to protect the middens. No reason for machine entry through into or through these sites. (See exhibit 2 for photo reference).

SECTION II – WORK ITEMS

Mandatory Item 1:

Treatment of Stands (Units 3, 13-18,19 and 24) – (295 Acres)

General Requirements for Cutting:

Generally, live aspen should not be cut; however, to meet work item objectives, limited amounts can be cut to facilitate operations according to the restrictions below.

• Units 3, 13-19: 25% of live aspen <18” DBH may be cut

• Inside skips: 25% of live aspen <12” DBH may be cut

• Units 24, 27, 51, and 87: 20% of live aspen <12” DBH may be cut

• Units 11, 28, 39, and 41: 10% of live aspen <12” DBH may be cut

General Requirements for Removal of Material:

• All cut material greater than 8 feet in length shall be removed.

• Where accumulation of material less than 8 feet long makes pickup by machine inefficient, lop and scatter to a depth of less than 12 inches above ground level.

- Sawtimber and Non-Sawtimber Cut and Remove: All units Cut and remove from Contract Area all included products as identified in Appendix B. Road maintenance is required and commensurate with use. See Appendix C for Road Maintenance requirements.

• Cut and remove all designated sawtimber, non-sawtimber and POL material within each cut unit.

• All landings and skid trails shall be treated in accordance with the provisions in Appendix B.

• Construction and obliteration of created temporary roads shall be done in accordance with the provisions listed in Appendix B.

• Tree Designation of all Cut Units consist of Leave Tree Mark (LTM).

• Treatment Inside Skips: Up to 5 live conifers per acre between 6-12” DBH may be cut if needed to facilitate operations.

- Treatment of Timber Stand Improvement material (>2’ tall and <5.9” DBH): All Units The treatment of timber stand improvement material involves cutting conifers greater than 2 feet tall and less than 6 inches DBH (sub-merchantable), in addition to non-merchantable trees greater than 6 inches DBH. Conifers less than 2 feet tall may be cut but cutting is not required.

Units 3, 13-19 (176 acres)

• Cut unmarked live conifers between 2 feet tall and 6” DBH,

• Retain 10–20 live conifers per acre where available (including any marked trees).

ο Retained conifers must:

Have full, healthy crowns and no major form defects.

Mimic the species composition of the overstory.

Be left as scattered individuals or small clumps (up to 5 trees per clump).

Page 3 of 18 Flagstaff Ranger District

Be 33 feet away from live aspen >3” DBH.

• Inside skips – Units 3, 13, 14, and 16 ο Cut approximately 50% of the existing live conifers between 2 feet tall and 6” DBH, retaining the most vigorous trees with healthy crowns and no major defects.

ο Species composition should reflect the overstory; trees should be scattered across the skip.

Unit 24 (119 acres)

• Cut unmarked live conifers between 2 feet tall and 6” DBH,

• Retain 10-15 live conifers per acre where available (including any marked trees) ο Retained conifers must:

Do not retain trees with dwarf mistletoe infection.

Have full, healthy crowns and no major form defects.

Mimic the species composition of the overstory.

Be left as scattered individuals or small clumps (up to 5 trees per clump).

Be 33 feet away from live aspen >3” DBH.

Do not retain trees with dwarf mistletoe infection.

• Inside skips ο Cut approximately 50% of the existing live conifers between 2 feet tall and 6” DBH, retaining the most vigorous trees with healthy crowns and no major defects.

ο Do not retain trees with dwarf mistletoe infection.

ο Species composition should reflect the overstory; trees should be scattered across the skip.

Item 1 TSI Treatment Summary Table:

Cut Unit Acres Prescription

3 22

Cut unmarked live conifers >2 ft tall and <6” DBH, except retain 10–20 per acre with healthy crowns and no defects. Mimic overstory composition. No conifers left within 33 ft of live aspen >3” DBH. Inside skips: Cut ~50% of conifers 2 ft tall to 6” DBH, retain most vigorous trees

13 11

Cut unmarked live conifers >2 ft tall and <6” DBH, except retain 10–20 per acre with healthy crowns and no defects. Mimic overstory composition. No conifers left within 33 ft of live aspen >3” DBH. Inside skips: Cut ~50% of conifers 2 ft tall to 6” DBH, retain most vigorous trees

14 69

Cut unmarked live conifers >2 ft tall and <6” DBH, except retain 10–20 per acre with healthy crowns and no defects. Mimic overstory composition. No conifers left within 33 ft of live aspen >3” DBH. Inside skips: Cut ~50% of conifers 2 ft tall to 6” DBH, retain most vigorous trees

15 12 Cut unmarked live conifers >2 ft tall and <6” DBH, except retain 10–20 per acre with healthy crowns and no defects. Mimic overstory composition. No conifers left within 33 ft of live aspen >3” DBH.

16 36

Cut unmarked live conifers >2 ft tall and <6” DBH, except retain 10–20 per acre with healthy crowns and no defects. Mimic overstory composition. No conifers left within 33 ft of live aspen >3” DBH. Inside skips: Cut ~50% of conifers 2 ft tall to 6” DBH, retain most vigorous trees

17 7 Cut unmarked live conifers >2 ft tall and <6” DBH, except retain 10–20 per acre with healthy crowns and no defects. Mimic overstory composition. No conifers left within 33 ft of live aspen >3” DBH

Page 4 of 18 Flagstaff Ranger District

18 8 Cut unmarked live conifers >2 ft tall and <6” DBH, except retain 10–20 per acre with healthy crowns and no defects. Mimic overstory composition. No conifers left within 33 ft of live aspen >3” DBH

19 11 Cut unmarked live conifers >2 ft tall and <6” DBH, except retain 10–20 per acre with healthy crowns and no defects. Mimic overstory. No conifers left within 33 ft of live aspen >3” DBH.

24 119

Cut unmarked live conifers >2 ft tall <6” DBH, except retain 10–15 per acre with healthy crowns, no defects, and no dwarf mistletoe infection. Mimic overstory composition. No conifers left within 33 ft of live aspen >3” DBH. Inside skips:

Cut ~50% of conifers 2 ft tall to 6” DBH, retain most vigorous trees with no dwarf mistletoe

- Treatment of Dead and Down Material: All Units

Removal of Down Woody Debris off FS Lands in accordance with Appendix B. This involves the removing previously down logs in decay class 1-3, between 6-24” in diameter and greater than 8’ long. All diameters from large end.

Units 3, 13-19:

• Retain logs >24” diameter and rotten logs (decay class ≥4).

• Remove all accessible sound logs (species specification below) o Aspen/unknown: 6–18” diameter, >8 ft long.

o Conifer: 6–12” diameter, >8 ft long.

• If fuel loading >30 tons/acre (all coarse woody debris >3” diameter), remove some aspen/unknown logs (18–24”) and conifer logs (12–24”) to reduce to 20–30 tons/acre (evaluated on a per acre basis); if not possible to reduce to <30 tons/acre, remove all accessible logs in these size classes.

• Remove logs <6” diameter or <8 ft long.

• Dismantle lean-tos/forts and remove material per specs.

Unit 24:

• Same as above except reduce to 10-15 tons/acre; if not possible to reduce to <15 tons/acre, removal all accessible logs in those size classes

- Treatment of Dead Standing/Snags: All Units

The requirement for the cutting of dead standing/snags involves cutting dead trees greater than 2’ tall and less than 18” DBH. Remove material from FS Lands.

Units 11, 13-19:

• Retain all snags ≥18” DBH (unless cutting needed for health/safety or to ensure operational access)

• Cut all snags >2’ tall and <9” DBH

• Retain ~3-5 snags/acre 9-18” DBH, prioritizing:

ο Snags with wildlife use indicators (holes, cracks, crevices, loose bark).

ο Larger snags are preferred to smaller snags ο Conifer snags are preferred to aspen snags ο Aspen snags may be left if most of the bark is intact

• Cut excess snags in 9-18” DBH size class

• Inside skips, retain all snags ≥9” DBH, unless cutting needed for health and safety or operational access.

Unit 24:

• Same as above, except retain ~2-4 snags/acre 9-18” DBH

Page 5 of 18 Flagstaff Ranger District

Mandatory Item 2:

Cut and Remove Included Timber with TSI: Units 11, 27, 28, 39, 41, 51 and 87 (311 Acres)

General Requirements for Cutting:

Generally, live aspen should not be cut; however, to meet work item objectives, limited amounts can be cut to facilitate operations according to the restrictions below.

• Units 3, 13-19: 25% of live aspen <18” DBH may be cut

• Inside skips: 25% of live aspen <12” DBH may be cut

• Units 24, 27, 51, and 87: 20% of live aspen <12” DBH may be cut

• Units 11, 28, 39, and 41: 10% of live aspen <12” DBH may be cut

General Requirements for Removal of Material:

• All cut material greater than 8 feet in length shall be removed.

- Sawtimber and Non-Sawtimber Cut and Remove: All units Cut and remove from Contract Area all included products as identified in Appendix B. Road maintenance is required and commensurate with use. See Appendix C for Road Maintenance requirements.

• Cut and remove all designated sawtimber, non-sawtimber and POL material within each cut unit.

• All landings and skid trails shall be treated in accordance with the provisions in Appendix B.

• Construction and obliteration of created temporary roads shall be done in accordance with the provisions listed in Appendix B.

• Tree Designation of all Cut Units consist of Leave Tree Mark (LTM).

• Treatment Inside Skips: Up to 5 live conifers per acre between 6-12” DBH may be cut if needed to facilitate operations.

- Treatment of Timber Stand Improvement material (>2’ tall and <5.9” DBH): All Units The treatment of timber stand improvement material involves cutting conifers greater than 2 feet tall and less than 6 inches DBH (sub-merchantable), in addition to non-merchantable trees greater than 6 inches DBH. Conifers less than 2 feet tall may be cut but cutting is not required.

Units 27, 51, 87:

• Cut unmarked live conifers between 2 feet tall and 6” DBH, except leave 10–15 live conifers per acre where available (including any marked trees).

• Retained conifers must:

ο Have full, healthy crowns, no major form defects, and no dwarf mistletoe infection ο Mimic the species composition of the overstory.

ο Be left as scattered individuals or small clumps (up to 5 trees per clump).

ο Be 33 feet away from live aspen >3” DBH.

In Units 11, 28, 39, 41:

• Same as above, except leave 5-10 live conifers per acre where available (including any marked trees)

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Item 2 TSI Treatment Summary Table Cut Unit

Acres Prescription

11 104 Cut unmarked conifers >2 ft tall and <6” DBH, except retain 5–10 per acre with healthy crowns, no defects, no dwarf mistletoe. Mimic overstory composition. No conifers left within 33 ft of aspen >3” DBH.

27 19 Cut unmarked conifers >2 ft tall and <6” DBH, except retain 10–15 per acre with healthy crowns, no defects, no dwarf mistletoe. Mimic overstory composition. No conifers left within 33 ft of aspen >3” DBH.

28 26 Cut unmarked conifers >2 ft tall and <6” DBH, except retain 5–10 per acre with healthy crowns, no defects, no dwarf mistletoe. Mimic overstory composition. No conifers left within 33 ft of aspen >3” DBH.

39 55 Cut unmarked conifers >2 ft tall and <6” DBH, except retain 5–10 per acre with healthy crowns, no defects, no dwarf mistletoe. Mimic overstory composition. No conifers left within 33 ft of aspen >3” DBH.

41 75 Cut unmarked conifers >2 ft tall and <6” DBH, except retain 5–10 per acre with healthy crowns, no defects, no dwarf mistletoe. Mimic overstory composition. No conifers left within 33 ft of aspen >3” DBH.

51 20 Cut unmarked conifers >2 ft tall and <6” DBH, except retain 10–15 per acre with healthy crowns, no defects, no dwarf mistletoe. Mimic overstory composition. No conifers left within 33 ft of aspen >3” DBH.

87 12 Cut unmarked conifers >2 ft tall and <6” DBH, except retain 10–15 per acre with healthy crowns, no defects, no dwarf mistletoe. Mimic overstory composition. No conifers left within 33 ft of aspen >3” DBH.

Mandatory Item 3: Remove All Activity Slash Off FS Lands: (606 Acres)

Remove all slash (residue/biomass) from landings. All branches/biomass/log residuals and fiber in the slash piles or landings are to be removed off FS lands.

General Requirements for Removal of Material:

• All cut material greater than 8 feet in length shall be removed.

• Where accumulation of material less than 8 feet long makes pickup by machine inefficient, lop and scatter to a depth of less than 12 inches above ground level.

• One staging area has been identified to help facilitate the chipping and removal of the material if

Contractor chooses to utilize the site. It is located off Snowbowl Rd in the NE corner of the Hotshot Ranch as indicated on the CAM. If these areas are elected to be used, all material must be removed, and they must be returned to their original condition. Slash mats may be used to help protect the contours of the meadow. Work with FS and refer to Appendix B for seeding and rehab specifications.

• Some slash may be left in the Project Area as erosion control for landings, skid trials, and temporary road closeout by written agreement.

• Contractor shall remove material within 30 days unless otherwise agreed to in writing.

Mandatory Item 4: Specified Road Work:

• Refer to Appendix D – Specified Roads Package, page 4 for itemized Node breakouts and locations for culverts.

• Installation and decommission of culverts and aprons are required at 16 different locations.

Page 7 of 18 Flagstaff Ranger District

• Culverts and material are required to be provided by Contractor.

• An estimated 270 linear feet of 18-inch, 16-gauge corrugated steel pipes are required.

• There are 2 padding locations that require additional material beyond the level of installation of culvert and aprons.

• Two locations will require additional material on the apron to meet approved padding specifications.

• A minimum of 740 cubic yards of material is required. Specific requirements for bedding material and backfill are required and may be purchased commercially or made using material from FS pit. Note: Forest Service pit material does not meet required specifications and will need amending with additional fill to meet specifications. (See Attachment 1 - FP-24 Embankment Excavation Backfill Culvert Installation)

• Please note: This work is being performed to maintain the integrity of the road system and in no way increases its capability nor improves the road system beyond its current function. As such, it is considered service work and not construction and SCA rates apply.

• The FP-24 Specifications are being used to describe this work for the sake of efficiency. However, the use of these specifications and that the documents use the words “construction” does not change the fact that only service work is being performed, not construction.

Optional Work Items:

Optional Item 5: Remove Hand Piles off FS Lands:

Units 60 and 61 (23 acres)

• Remove all material in hand piles that were previously cut and piled off FS Lands in accordance with

Appendix B.

General Requirements for Removal of Material:

• All cut material greater than 8 feet in length shall be removed.

Optional Item 6: Removal of Dead and Down Material: Units 11, 27, 28, 39, 41, 51 and 87 (311 Acres) Removal of Down Woody Debris off FS Lands in accordance with Appendix B. This involves the removing previously down logs in decay class 1-3, between 6-24” in diameter and greater than 8’ long. All diameters from large end.

General Requirements for Removal of Material:

• All cut material greater than 8 feet in length shall be removed.

• Where accumulation of material less than 8 feet long makes pickup by machine inefficient, lop and scatter to a depth of less than 12 inches above ground level.

Units 27, 51, and 87:

• Retain logs >24” diameter and rotten logs (decay class ≥4).

• Remove all accessible sound logs (species specification below) o Aspen/unknown: 6–18” diameter, >8 ft long.

o Conifer: 6–12” diameter, >8 ft long.

• If fuel loading >30 tons/acre (all coarse woody debris >3” diameter), remove some aspen/unknown logs (18–24”) and conifer logs (12–24”) to reduce to 10-15 tons/acre (evaluated on a per acre basis); if not possible to reduce to <30 tons/acre, remove all accessible logs in these size classes.

Page 8 of 18 Flagstaff Ranger District

Unit 11, 28, 39, and 41:

• If fuel loading >10 tons/acre (all coarse woody debris >3” diameter), remove sound logs 6–18” diameter, >8 ft long to reduce to 5–10 tons/acre (evaluated on a per acre basis); if not possible, remove all accessible logs in this size class.

Optional Item 7: Snag Cut and Removal: Units 11, 27, 28 39, 41, 51 and 87 (311 Acres) Cutting of dead standing/snags involves cutting dead trees greater than 2’ tall and less than 18” DBH. Remove material from FS Lands.

General Requirements for Removal of Material:

• All cut material greater than 8 feet in length shall be removed.

• Where accumulation of material less than 8 feet long makes pickup by machine inefficient, lop and scatter to a depth of less than 12 inches above ground level.

In Units 27, 51, 87

• Retain all snags ≥18” DBH (unless cutting needed for health/safety or to ensure operational access)

• Cut all snags >2’ tall and <9” DBH

• Retain ~3-5 snags/acre 9-18” DBH, prioritizing:

ο Snags with wildlife use indicators (holes, cracks, crevices, loose bark).

ο Larger snags are preferred to smaller snags ο Conifer snags are preferred to aspen snags ο Aspen snags may be left if most of the bark is intact

• Cut excess snags in 9-18” DBH size class

In Units 11, 28, 39, 41

• Same as above, except retain ~1-2 snags/acre 9-18” DBH

Optional Item 8: Ponderosa Pine Pruning: Units 11, 24, 27, 28, 39, 41, 51 and 87 (430 Acres)

• On trees to be retained:

o Prune portions of live and dead dwarf mistletoe brooms occurring within 5 feet of the ground o If branch with broom originates from the bole within 7 feet of the ground, prune the entire branch flush with the bole.

o Material generated from this item shall be scattered to a depth no greater than 2 feet, if there is an excess of material concentrated in areas hand piling of material shall be done.

Any hand piles created shall be a minimum of 6 feet by 6 feet, free of dirt, outside drip line of any residual trees.

Page 9 of 18 Flagstaff Ranger District

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 conditions are such that operations shall be restricted or ceased due to increased fire risk.

(2) When Mexican Spotted Owl seasonal breeding restrictions are in effect (3/1 – 8/31). All active nest sites and areas of restriction are shown on CAM and listed in the solicitation under Protection Measures Needed for Plants Animals, Cultural Resources, and Cave Resources. This restriction can impact hauling and all other mechanized fuel reduction activities in the listed units.

(3) When Goshawk seasonal breeding restrictions are in effect (3/1 – 8/31). All active nest sites and areas of restriction are shown on CAM and listed in the solicitation under Protection Measures Needed for Plants Animals, Cultural Resources, and Cave Resources. This restriction can impact hauling and all other mechanized fuel reduction activities in the listed units.

(4) If new nests are discovered,

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

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

(7) The government reserves the right to prioritize the order in which Units are treated.

(8) 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.

(9) Nighttime activities such as hauling and relocation of slash is allowed. Temporary nighttime closure (closing and locking of the gate) of Snowbowl Road is authorized as long as operations are occurring and consistent and gate is being locked every time a vehicles passes through. This is to protect public safety.

SECTION IV – INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

For All Work Items:

At any point during the project, the Contractor and/or Project Manager may request (documented through email, text, or 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.

Page 10 of 18 Flagstaff Ranger District

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.

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 – Formal (Plots)

• Aspen cutting o Residual trees and cut stumps will be evaluated to determine compliance with contract specifications. Visual inspection will be supplemented by fixed radius plots (1/20th acre) as needed.

o Unit will be accepted if less live aspen is cut than the prescribed maximum

• Timber Stand Improvement (TSI) o Residual trees and where needed, cut stumps (within skips), will be evaluated to determine compliance with contract specifications. Visual inspection will be supplemented by fixed radius plots (1/4 acre plot outside skips, 1/50th acre plot within skips) as needed.

o Unit (outside of skips) will be accepted if the average residual trees per acre between 2 feet tall and 6” dbh is within the prescribed range or is less than ±50% outside of the range (for example, if the desired range is 10-20 TPA, the acceptable range would be 5-30 TPA).

o Areas within skips will be accepted if between 25% and 75% of existing live conifers between 2 feet tall and 6” dbh are cut, and less than 5 live conifers per acre between 6-12” dbh are cut

• Remove Hand Piles off FS lands o Units 60 and 61 will be walked entirely to verify the complete removal of all hands piles inside the marked boundaries.

o It's noted that there is hand piles located outside of the unit boundaries and were intentionally left out due to safety and operability concerns.

o It's understood that smaller material may not be able to be removed and as long as reasonable attempt was made to remove as much material as possible, these will be acceptable.

o Accumulation of material 2” in length or less cannot exceed 2’ in depth and must be spread out.

• Down Woody Debris Removal o Dead and down logs will be evaluated by size class to determine compliance with contract specifications. Visual inspection, including the use of appropriate photo guides, will be supplemented by 50 foot (mixed conifer) or 100 foot (ponderosa pine) transects as needed, with tons/acre estimated using the Handbook for Inventorying Downed Woody Material (Brown 1974).

o Where all sound logs within a given size class are supposed to be removed, unit will be accepted if less than 0.5 logs per transect are left.

Page 11 of 18 Flagstaff Ranger District o Unit will be accepted if the estimated tons per acre (all coarse woody debris >3” diameter) is within the prescribed range or is less than ±25% outside of the range (for example, if the desired range is 20-30 tons/acre, the acceptable range would be 15-37.5 tons/acre).

o Alternatively, if the estimated tons per acre (all coarse woody debris >3” diameter) remains above the prescribed range, the unit will still be accepted if <1 sound log per transect is left within the size classes where all sound logs should be removed.

• Snag Cut and Removal o Dead standing trees/snags and where needed, cut stumps, will be evaluated by size class to determine compliance with contract specifications. Visual inspection will be supplemented by fixed radius plots (1/4 acre) as needed.

o Where all snags within a given size class are supposed to be retained (except as needed for health/safety), units will be accepted if less than 20% are cut (acceptable cut percentage may be higher if prior approval is given in writing by the COR).

o Where all dead tree/snags within a given size class are supposed to be cut, units will be accepted if less than 10% are left.

o Where a certain number of dead trees/snags per acre within a given size class are supposed to be left, unit will be accepted if the average residual dead trees/snags per acre is within the prescribed range or is less than ±50% outside of the range (for example, if the desired range is 3-5 snags/acre, the acceptable range would be 1.5-7.5 snags/acre).

• Ponderosa Pine Pruning o Ponderosa pine trees containing brooms within 5 feet of the ground (prior to treatment) will be evaluated to determine compliance with contract specifications. Visual inspection will be supplemented by fixed radius plots (1/10th acre) as needed o Unit will be accepted if more than 90% of ponderosa pine trees with brooms occurring within 5 feet of the ground (prior to treatment) have the brooms pruned according to contract specifications.

Government Inspection Procedures – All Items

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

ITEM DESCRIPTION SCHEDULE UNIT Min AQL

1 Treatment of Stands MANDATORY ACRE 95%

2 Cut and Remove Included Timber with

TSI MANDATORY ACRE 95%

3 Remove All Activity Slash from Forest Service Lands MANDATORY ACRE 95%

4 Spec Road Work MANDATORY Cubic Yards 95%

5 Remove Hand Piles OPTIONAL ACRE 95%

6 Down Woody Debris Removal OPTIONAL ACRE 95%

7 Snag Cut and Removal OPTIONAL ACRE 95%

8 Ponderosa Pine Pruning OPTIONAL ACRE 95%

Page 12 of 18 Flagstaff Ranger District

SECTION V – PAYMENT METHODS

Method of Measurement for Acreages

Acreages were determined by using Global Positioning Systems (GPS) or digitized using GIS mapping. The majority of the boundaries are marked in orange tracer paint. The only other designation is the use of the Snowbowl Road as a discernable boundary.

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

Remeasurement

1. The Contractor may request, in writing, remeasurement of any units under this contract if he/she feels that acreage stated on the project maps is incorrect. The remeasurement must be within the existing perimeter of the respective unit. No variance of the unit perimeters as laid out on the ground 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 – The following criteria will be used for Service Items 1-8

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.

(d) 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

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.

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

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

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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

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

* Stewardship Credits will be earned first, whenever practical. Forest Service Funds will be used if the availability of Stewardship Credits is exhausted or if appropriated dollars are obligated to a specific item.

SECTION VI – DEFINITIONS

ACCEPTABLE QUALITY LEVEL (AQL): Acceptance of work will be based on compliance with all specifications corresponding to the appropriate task(s). 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 feet in height to 4.9 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.

BROWNS TRANSECT: A line intercept method for measuring the amount of fuel on the ground.

BRUSH: Vegetation consisting of shrub species with single or multi-stems originating at or near ground level not normally reaching more than 15 feet in height.

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.

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

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

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/DYING TREES: Trees with the crown foliage changing from green to red, yellow, or needleless. Any tree that has pitch tubes indicating Mountain Pine Beetle infestation.

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.

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.

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.

LOPPING AND/OR SCATTERING: Cutting limbs from trunks of cut trees, bucking, and moving and rearranging of slash concentrations to reduce the fuel bed height as specified.

NON-SAWTIMBER TREE: For all conifer species, minimum diameter of 5 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.

PILING: Gathering and stacking of downed wood and activity slash by hand or mechanical methods into piles constructed and located as indicated by technical specification and project maps.

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.

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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.

TREATED SKIP: All merchantable timber within skip is consider a leave tree. Perform Service Items within treated skips in accordance with attachment 7. Designated on ground with one horizontal pink stripe at eye level facing into the unit and two vertical butt marks facing the adjacent trees and pink letter ‘T’.

UNTREATED SKIP: Untreated Skip – All merchantable timber within skip is consider a leave tree. No Service items performed within untreated skips. Designated on ground with one horizontal pink stripe at eye level facing into the unit and two vertical butt marks facing the adjacent trees and pink letter ‘X’.

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.

VIRTUAL BOUNDARY: A unit boundary that is shown on the map but is not demarcated on the ground. The contractor must use mapping applications in order to locate these boundaries in the unit.

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.

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Exhibit 1 - Log Decay Class

Class Bark Twigs Texture Shape Wood Color Portion of log on ground

1 Intact Present Intact Round Original None, elevated on supporting points

2 Intact Absent Intact to soft Round Original parts touch, still elevated sagging slightly

3 Trace Absent Hard large pieces Round Original to faded Bole on ground

4 Absent Absent Soft blocky pieces

Round to oval

Light brown to faded brown Partially below ground

5 Absent Absent Soft, powdery Oval Faded light yellow or grey Mostly below ground

Log Decay Class

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Exhibit 2 Squirrel Midden Examples:

Government Inspection Procedures – All Items

SECTION VI – DEFINITIONS