2. Seral G-Z Appendix A Tech Specifications.pdf

Seral G-Z Stewardship IRSC Stanislaus National Forest

Page 1 of 50 Summit Ranger District

Revised 01.06.2022

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, diminish tree competition and mortality, and reduce hazardous fuels to reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfire by accomplishing the following:

1. Completing needed survey and design activities for project implementation.

2. Thin mixed conifer forest stands and fuelbreaks.

3. Remove included sawtimber and biomass/non-saw from the Contract Area.

4. Masticate brush and saplings.

5. Maintain and/or reconstruct roads to provide suitable access for project work.

SECTION II – GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY

The Government will provide the following item(s) of Government property to the Contractor for use in the performance of this contract. This property shall be used and maintained by the Contractor in accordance with FAR clause 52.245-1 Government Property incorporated by reference in the contract.

1. Tree Marking Paint with registered tracer and material safety data sheet (refer to accountability standards listed below).

2. Sale Area Boundary Tags

3. All signs required by the Specifications for Mandatory Item 2 & 3.

Tree Marking Paint – Accountability and Handling

(Attachment 1 – Forest Product Accountability Action Plan and Attachment 6 – FSM & FSH)

Disposal of Tracer Paint Containers –Empty tracer paint containers shall be returned to the Forest

Service for disposal. Paint cans shall be returned to their proper box, upside down, and have the lids left off to dry out before returning to the Forest Service. Lids will be disposed of separately in the conventional fashion.

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SECTION III – WORK ITEMS

Mandatory Item 1: Common Stand Exams (CSE) Surveys

The technical specifications are based on the overall composition and condition of the stand and are intended to be guidelines for achieving a high quality final product in a professional manner. Contractor is expected to use knowledge to identify and adjust to variations within the stand.

Collected data shall be submitted in electronic format. Data may be collected using the CSE PDR FSVeg software on the Personal Data Recorder (PDR) or on paper and entered into the ExamsPC software on a personal computer.

The Contractor shall successfully run the electronic data through the Pre-load Audit program (compatible with Microsoft Office Professional) to ensure the data is complete and that there are no errors. The Contractor’s electronic data generated from the ExamsPC software shall successfully transmit to the U.S.F.S. FSVeg

System using the computer equipment at the Stanislaus National Forest Supervisor’s Office.

CSE Technical Specifications:

a. Locating and Monumenting Plots

Plots have been identified and located through the government’s GIS System, ArcGIS Pro. Plots have been placed on a grid across land areas or stands that are to be sampled through common stand exam (CSE) plots. Some plots have been adjusted within the grid to re-locate off roads, non-sample areas and locations that fall immediately between delineated stands. The Government will provide the Contractor with topographic maps and aerial photo prints on which the plot locations are identified and the unit boundaries are delineated. Unit/plot shapefiles will also be provided.

• Utilizing GPS, navigate to the plot as designated in the provided shapefile. Establish the plot center utilizing GPS to determine closest approximate location.

• Use a global positioning system (GPS) unit to determine the plot latitude and longitude of all plots. Collect at least 60 GPS readings at plot center, which will then be averaged by the GPS unit. The plot center average reading will have an error of less than 10 meters.

• If plot location is changed (i.e. if plot falls on a road or is hazardous or inaccessible) take a new waypoint and note that the location was modified.

• Plot Center shall be identified by a pin flag with a white 4 inch by 5 inch flag at least 21 inches in height. Place pin flag securely in the earth to prevent movement of plot center. Plot number, date, and initials shall be written on the pin flag with an indelible black ink, felt tip marker.

• Hang at least 1 purple attention flags at or above eye level at the nearest available location to plot center. If attention flagging cannot be hung within visual range of plot center, distance and azimuth to plot center shall be written on the attention flagging with a black indelible ink marker.

• If plot location is changed (i.e. if plot falls on a road or is hazardous or inaccessible) take a new waypoint and note that the location was modified.

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• 30 Plots will be permanently monumented using a 12” piece of rebar with a yellow plastic cap, as well as two reference tags placed on nearby trees with the azimuth and distance to the plot center.

• Proceed with plot measurement.

b. Setting (Stand) Data

Stand exam plot installation and data collection shall comply with Common Stand Exam Field

Guide, Region 5, dated March, 2015. Located at https://www.fs.fed.us/nrm/fsveg/

*Note on Fuel Model: Record the fuel model according Scott and Burgan 2005

Table 1 displays what information shall be collected for the setting (stand) data.

Table 1 – Setting (Stand) Data

Data

Electronic

Comments CSE R5 Field

Guide Page

No.

Yes No

Project Name X SERAL R5FG-10

Location X SERAL R5FG-13

Stand Number X Taken from the Map or geodatabase

R5FG-13

Date X Enter as described in

Field Guide

R5FG-15

Examination Level X Code 2100 R5FG-15

Tree X Code 2 – Extensive

Examination

R5FG-15

Vegetation

Composition and

Surface Cover

X Code 1 – Quick Plot R5FG-17

Exam Purpose X SE R5FG-17

Down Woody X Code 0 R5FG-17

Fuel Model X Scott & Burgan, 2005.

R5FG-20

Elevation X Enter as described in

Field Guide

R5FG-20

Aspect X Enter as described in

Field Guide

R5FG-20

Slope X Enter as described in

Field Guide

R5FG-20

https://www.fs.fed.us/nrm/fsveg/

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c. Plot Data

Table 2 displays what information shall be collected for the plot data.

Table 2 – Plot Data

Comments CSE R5 Field

Guide Page

No.

Yes No

Plot Number X Taken from Map R5FG-36

Plot Latitude X Enter as described in

Field Guide

R5FG-37

Plot Longitude X Enter as described in

Field Guide

R5FG-37

Plot Aspect X Enter as described in

Field Guide

R5FG-38

Plot Slope X Enter as described in

Field Guide

R5FG-38

Slope Position X Enter as described in

Field Guide

R5FG-39

Plot Elevation X Enter as described in

Field Guide

R5FG-41

Plot Existing

Vegetation

Composition Type

X Enter as described in

Field Guide

R5FG-41

Fuel Model X Enter as described in

Field Guide

R5FG-41

Plot Remarks X Enter remarks as needed.

R5FG-43

d. Tree Data (variable radius plot)

Tree and Snag data is measured utilizing a variable radius plot for all live and dead trees greater than

5.6 inches DBH. The default Basal Area Factor (BAF) in ExamsPC is set to 30. However, BAF selection is dependent upon stand conditions. Plots should average 4 to 8 tally trees per plot. The

Stand Slope Position X Enter as described in

Field Guide

R5FG-21

Acres X Take from stand list or map

R5FG-21

Examiner X Enter as described in

Field Guide

R5FG-22

Setting Remarks X Enter remarks as needed..

R5FG-23

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Contractor shall be responsible for determining the proper BAF in each unit. BAF can vary between units, but not within a unit.

Guidelines:

• Start from the North and move clockwise

• Measure every “IN” tree (live or dead) ≥ 5.6 inches DBH.

o Record tree status (live/dead), species, DBH (to the nearest 1/10th of an inch), crown ratio, crown class, and any apparent damages. For dead trees, also include a “Decay Class” rating.

o Heights: measure the height of the first live tree of each species encountered on plot.

o Snags: 10-inch minimum dbh and 20-foot minimum height for snags. Ignore snags below these thresholds.

• “Borderline” trees can be measured using the ExamsPDR “In|Out Calculator.”

o *If Limiting Slope Distance ≥ Measured Slope Distance…Tree is IN!

o *If Limiting Slope Distance < Measured Slope Distance…Tree is OUT!

Table 3 - Tree Data

Comments CSE R5 Field

Guide Page

No.

Yes No

Stand Number X Taken from Map R5FG-11

Plot Number X Taken from Map R5FG-36

Tag ID (Tree)

Number

X Enter as described in Field Guide R5FG-49

Tree Status X Live or dead. R5FG-49-50

Decay Class X

Enter one of the 5 decay classes, if dead.

R5FG-75-76

Site Tree (S/F) X Enter as described in Field Guide

R5FG-51

Tree Species X The first two letters from the scientific name. Example: ‘PIPO” for Pinus ponderosa

R5FG-52

Diameter (DBH) X All live trees greater than 5.5 inches DBH.

All dead trees greater than 10 inches dbh

R5FG-53-58

Tree Height X Measure the height of the first tree of each species on each plot.

R5FG-60-63

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Crown Ratio X Determine the crown ratio in percent for all live trees greater than 5.5 inches DBH.

R5FG-71-72

Crown Class X Record the crown class for all live trees greater than 5.5 inches DBH.

R5FG-72-74

Damage Category X For the following categories:

11-Bark Beetles; 19-General

Disease; 21-Root/Butt Diseases;

22-Stem Decay/Cankers; 23-

Mistletoes; 26-Stem Rusts; 30-

Fire; 50-Abiotic Damage; 99-

Physical Effects. If additional damages are present, record based upon appropriate category.

R5FG-77

Appendix K

Damage Agent X As related to the above damage categories.

Tree Part X As related to above damage categories, agents, and severity.

Damage Severity X As related to the above damaging agents.

Tree Remarks X Enter remarks as needed.

e. Sapling Data (1/100th acre fixed plot)

The sapling plot is measured utilizing a 1/100th acre fixed radius plot (11.8 feet radius) for all live trees with a DBH between .1 and 5.5 inches DBH. The default plot size in Exams PC is set at 1/100th acre, though this can be modified by contractor depending on unit conditions. Plot size can vary between units, but not within a unit.

Starting from the north moving clockwise, record all small live trees recording the species and

DBH (and tree count*, if necessary). Damages are not needed. Measure the height of the first live tree of each species encountered on plot.

*If there are several trees of similar attributes (species and dbh), they may be grouped together and their number recorded in the “Tree Count” field.

Table 4 displays what information shall be collected for the sapling data. If there are several trees of similar attributes, they may be aggregated and their number recorded in the “Tree Count” field.

Table 4 – Sapling Data

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Data Electroni c

Comments

Ye s

No CSE R5 Field

Guide Page

No.

Stand number X Taken from Map R5FG-13

Plot Number X Taken from Map R5FG-36

Tree Status X Live R5FG-49-50

Species X Enter one line for each conifer and hardwood species. The first two letters from the scientific name. Example: ‘PIPO” for Pinus ponderosa

R5FG-52

Diameter (DBH) X All live trees with a DBH ≥0.1 inch and <5.6 inches.

R5FG-53-58

Tree Height X Measure the height of the first tree of each species on each plot.

R5FG-60-63

Tree Count X Trees may be grouped by DBH class; for example:

- 0 – 1.9 inches

- 2 – 3.9 inches

- 4 – 5.5 inches

R5FG-52

f. Seedling Data (1/100th acre fixed radius plot)

Seedling plots shall use a 1/100th acre fixed radius plot to measure live trees with a height > 1 foot and less than 4.5 feet. The default plot size in Exams PC is set at 1/100th acre, though this can be modified by contractor depending on unit conditions. Plot size can vary between units, but not within a unit.

Within the 100th acre fixed plot record the number of live seedlings recording the species, tree count and height. Damages are not needed.

Aggregate species of similar heights and use an average value. If different strata are clearly

Page 8 of 50 Summit Ranger District present, make additional entries as needed.

Table 5 displays what information shall be collected for the seedling data. If there are several trees of similar attributes, they may be aggregated and their number recorded in the “Tree Count” field.

g. Vegetation Cover (1/4 acre fixed radius plot)

Within a ¼ acre fixed plot (58.9’ radius), ocularly estimate the percent cover of the various layers:

Total Vegetation, Trees, Shrubs, Forbs, and Grasses.

Canopy cover is “the percentage of ground covered by a vertical projection of the outermost perimeter of the natural spread of foliage of plants.”

Visually estimate what % of the plot is covered by each plant layer (tree, shrub, forb, grass) when viewed from above. Do not include cover by a dead tree or shrub in cover estimates.

To estimate, use a vertical projection that includes all members of a layer that would be visible were looking down from directly above. For example, if in the total trees layer, if the trees > 6’ covered 50% of the area, and smaller trees covered 50% of the area but 30% of those smaller trees would be covered by the vertical projection of the overstory, Total Tree cover would be 70%.

Table 5 – Seedling Data

Electroni c

Comments CSE R5 Field

Guide Page

No.

Ye s

No

Stand number X Taken from Map R5FG-13

Plot Number X Taken from Map R5FG-36

Tree Status X Live R5FG-49-50

Species X Enter if known, otherwise identify as unknown hardwood or conifer.

R5FG-52

Height X > 6 inches tall R5FG-60-63

Tree Count X Trees may be grouped by height class. For example:

- 1 – 2 feet

- 2 -3 feet

- 3 – 4.5 feet

R5FG-52

Remarks X

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Record the dominant species in the “Remarks” field.

FS-Veg Acronyms:

Code Life Form + Layer

TV Total Vegetation

TOT Total Tree

TOV Trees ≥ 6.1 feet tall

TSA Trees < 6.1 feet tall

TOS Total shrubs

ST Shrubs ≥ 6.1 feet tall

SM Shrubs between 1.6 feet and 6.0 feet tall

SL Shrubs < 1.6 feet tall

TOF Total forbs

TOG Total graminoids

*See Attachment 1 for CSE Tatum References

Mandatory Item 2: Landline Re-Posting/Marking

Requirements for Landline Re-Posting/Marking are as follows:

• Retracement and/or dependent resurveys of PLSS rectangular surveys.

• New marking and posting and maintenance of monumentation.

• Plat preparation (Record of Survey),

• Any other work incidental to the survey profession.

• Work will utilize definitions and specifications in Attachment 5 - C-2 Specification for

Cadastral Survey.

• Survey services shall include all labor, supervision, equipment, transportation, tools, and supplies, except those furnished by the Government.

• All contracted work shall be performed by, or under the direct supervision of, a person licensed to practice surveying in the State(s) where the project is located and be in good standing with the respective State(s) license governing board. The survey shall comply with all applicable State and Local laws and regulations, as well as all applicable portions of the appropriate GLO/BLM Manual of Instructions and Specifications in this document providing they are not less than these requirements set forth herein.

Mandatory Item 3: Landline Survey & Posting/Marking

Requirements for Landline Survey & Posting/Marking are as follows:

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• Initial tracement and/or dependent surveys of PLSS rectangular surveys.

• New marking and posting and maintenance of monumentation.

• Plat preparation (Record of Survey), as well as any other work incidental to the survey profession.

• Work will utilize definitions and specifications in Attachment 5 - C-2 Specification for

Cadastral Survey.

• Survey services shall include all labor, supervision, equipment, transportation, tools, and supplies, except those furnished by the Government.

• All contracted work shall be performed by, or under the direct supervision of, a person licensed to practice surveying in the State(s) where the project is located and be in good standing with the respective State(s) license governing board. The survey shall comply with all applicable State and Local laws and regulations, as well as all applicable portions of the appropriate GLO/BLM Manual of Instructions and Specifications in this document providing they are not less than these requirements set forth herein.

Mandatory Item 4a: Botany Field Survey Analysis/Plan, and Survey

Pre-field Tasks: Habitat Review and Survey Polygon Delineation

• Conduct a desktop pre-field review to delineate areas of potentially suitable habitat for TES plant species identified on the target TES list provided for the project area (Attachment A).

• Identify suitable habitat using the STF Suitable Habitat – Survey Method for Sensitive Plants

Table 1.1 (Attachment B) as well as other sources deemed useful by CONTRACTOR (e.g., vegetation and land cover data, elevation ranges, aspect, soil survey maps, etc.)

• Create GIS shapefiles containing polygons of suitable habitat for each target species.

• Create a table that describes the criteria used to determine habitat suitability for each species

(e.g., vegetation type, elevation range, aspect, soils, geology, aerial interpretation, and landscape features) and sources for the data (see example in Attachment C).

• Determine survey method during pre-field review, using professional expertise and the STF

Suitable Habitat – Survey Method for Sensitive Plants Tables 1.2, 1.3 (Attachment B).

• Create survey polygons for TES species including unique IDs similar to the Site ID’s provided by the STF on the Fuelbreaks survey polygons in the botany geodatabase, and attributes provided by STF (Attachment D).

• Create survey polygons for IS on the STF Noxious Weed LIst (Attachment E) covering entire project area and access roads.

• Identify access roads that connect areas within a project unit to be surveyed for Invasive

Species. Debrief with STF staff before incorporating roads into survey area.

• Survey polygons for TES species have been created for the fuelbreaks within the project area and are provided as an attachment in the botany geodatabase.

Deliverables

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• GIS shapefile of suitable habitat for each target species within the project area.

• Habitat Suitability Criteria Table.

• GIS shapefile of TES survey polygons.

• GIS shapefile of IS survey polygons.

G-Z Botany Geodatabase Contents

• Fuelbreak_Botany_Prefield: Survey polygons/suitable habitat for Threatened Endangered and

Sensitive Plant (TESP) species along fuelbreaks within the project area. Relevant TESP species listed in attribute table.

• IS_ExistOccurrence: Known populations of Invasive Species (IS) within the project area.

• TESP_ExistOccurence: Known populations of TESP species within the project area.

Mandatory Item 4b: Botany Flag, and GPS

In-field Tasks: Conduct TES and IS Surveys

TES

• Survey for target TES plant species (Attachment A) in all suitable habitats identified during prefield review in the project area and visit all known populations, occurrences provided by

STF in the botany geodatabase.

• Conduct surveys using the survey method determined during prefield review. Document any infield changes to the survey method in the survey polygon attribute field “In Field Survey

Type” (Attachment D).

• Any suitable habitat deemed unsuitable in the field will be mapped and noted in the attribute table as “unsuitable” with a brief description as to why it is unsuitable (eg. dense needle cast, bear clover, etc.).

• Please note it is not possible to differentiate Clarkia australis (TES Species) from Clarkia virgata (not on the TES target list) without genetic testing. Any Clarkia species with morphological features that could fit the description of Clarkia australis found above 4,000 feet in elevation will be documented as C. australis.

IS

• All species on the STF Noxious Weed list (Attachment E) are to be surveyed for using the intuitive controlled approach.

• Perform two sets of IS surveys, one for earlier blooming species and one for later blooming species.

• Survey for all species on STF Noxious Weed List (Attachment E) and visit all known populations, occurrences provided by STF in the botany geodatabase.

• Document nonnative plants that are new or unexpected for the region, have a moderate to high rating of invasive rating by the California Invasive Plant Inventory (Cal-IPC) and are considered significant based on CONTRACTORS professional expertise. Record nonnative species that warrant documentation with a waypoint in the ArcGIS Field Map application and

Page 12 of 50 Summit Ranger District note the species’ general extent and abundance in the survey polygon record. Name the point with the species code of the nonnative species.

• Survey identified access roads from 30’ off each side of the center line of the road.

• Himalayan blackberry (Rubus armeniacus) and cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) will be digitally mapped but will not be flagged, unless it is a small, discrete infestation, unlikely to be seen by machinery without flagging. In addition, if cheatgrass is ubiquitous throughout a survey polygon, the entire polygon will be mapped and percent cover, percent infested, and a description of the distribution and abundance of cheatgrass within the polygon will be documented.

TES and IS

• Collect location and extent of TES and IS occurrences using ArcGIS Field Maps.

• Record GIS data using attributes provided by STF (Attachment D). Flag occurrences of TES and IS plants according to the STF provided flagging protocol (Attachment F)

• TES and IS plant occurrences that extend outside of the project area will be mapped and flagged.

• If there are multiple, overlapping TES occurrences, the full extent of the combined occurrences will be flagged, instead of flagging each individual occurrence. However, each occurrence will be digitally mapped separately.

• Lava cap habitat is excluded from the surveys. Lava cap habitat within survey polygons that is identified in the field will not be surveyed.

• Contractor will attempt to access potentially inaccessible areas (e.g. extremely steep terrain, unstable, dense shrub cover, etc.) from a minimum of two different locations. If the potentially inaccessible area is large, more attempts may be made before concluding the area is inaccessible. These areas will be mapped with a description of the access issue in ArcGIS Field Maps. Locations of attempted access will be documented with waypoints.

Coordination

• Periodic check ins will be established and agreed upon between the Forest Service and contractor prior to commencing field work.

Quality Control Process

• Work in coordination with STF staff to develop a quality control process to identify issues prior to commencing field work.

• Conduct weekly quality control checks of data collected in ArcGIS Field Maps, which includes reviewing STF quality control comments and planning for resolution actions.

• STF will identify, describe, photograph (if possible), and map the location of issues in a separate quality control layer in ArcGIS Field Maps. CONTRACTOR will document the resolution in the same Field Maps layer.

• STF will communicate to CONTRACTOR any issues discovered during their quality control checks.

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Post-data Processing and Review

• Process data for delivery to the STF within two weeks after the completion of field surveys at the end of the season.

Deliverables

• GIS shapefile of TES plant occurrences with STF Provided Attributes (Attachment D).

• GIS shapefile of IS infestations with STF Provided Attributes (Attachment D).

• GIS shapefile containing point locations of nonnative plants that are not on the STF

Noxious Weeds List.

• GIS shapefile of inaccessible survey areas and waypoints of attempted access locations.

• GIS shapefile of survey tracks with dates for all surveys.

*See Attachment 6

Mandatory Item 5: Flag Known Cultural Sites

Requirements for Cultural Site Designation are as follows:

• Contractor archeologist must request an Archeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) permit from the Stanislaus National Forest.

• Contractor shall acquire copies for all sites to be flagged and monitored within the Area of

Potential Effect from the Stanislaus National Forest as well as GIS files. Contractor shall return site records after the work is complete.

• All sites will be flagged with blue/black and orange/white candy-striped flagging. Flagging materials will be the responsibility of the contractor.

• Visibility: Keep in mind flagging is for people operating equipment and/or who are not searching for flagging. A flagged site boundary must be visible to people and equipment operating around it and approaching it from any direction.

• All sites will be flagged along their boundary (or within 5 feet if a suitable tree is not on the boundary), every 20 feet.

• Place flagging away from/outside: Do not place inside the site requiring protection so flagging is visible before entering the site.

• Place flagging high enough: Flagging should be visible from the cab of heavy equipment, over the dozer blade, front loader bucket or excavator bucket or masticator head. (i.e., minimum 5 feet high and higher where you can manage it).

• Flagging should be long enough to flap in the wind, but not long enough to get tangled in vegetation.

• When hanging on trees: Knots should not be so tight the flagging strangulates vascular tissues, but flagging must last several years.

• Wrap flagging twice around the branch then tie a square knot, not a granny knot or half hitch.

Square knot is persistent on the branch and can be used to aide reflagging.

• If, based on the site record package, the site has not been monitored within the last two years, archeologist will fill out the Stanislaus National Forest Archaeological Monitoring form for each individual site and take pictures. The archeologist will turn in to the Stanislaus National Forest, two typed, color copies for each site monitored.

Requirements for Cultural Monitoring During Activities are as follows:

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• Work shall be completed by a professional archaeologist.

• Contractor archeologist must request an Archeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) permit from the Stanislaus National Forest.

• Contractor archaeologist shall acquire from the Stanislaus National Forest all site records (digital and GIS) where work will occur within its boundaries.

• Archaeologist will meet with Forest Archaeologist to go over acceptable treatments within a site boundary.

• Archaeologist will coordinate with the Contractor on the schedule of work.

• Archaeologist will be present during all work within the site boundary and will direct work to ensure that the site is protected while still reducing the fuel load (ie., make sure all piles needing to be burned are outside the site boundaries; a dead tree is directionally felled to avoid feature, bucked into rounds and rolled out of the site, removal of dead fuels off a features, etc.). All actions must follow the Regional Programmatic Agreement and the section 106 written report.

• Do not allow the ACT datum tree to be removed unless absolutely necessary, then reestablish datum on stump of same tree.

• Do not allow all the site flagging to be cut down/removed. It is necessary to identify the site.

• Document the work completed on the Stanislaus National Forest Monitoring forms, including pictures.

• Provide the Stanislaus National Forest with two typed color copies.

• The archaeologist will adhere to the Stanislaus Contractor Standard for Heritage Resources.

Contractor shall meet the minimum professional qualifications:

The minimum professional qualifications of the Principal Investigator are:

1. A graduate degree (e.g., Master of Arts) in archaeology, anthropology, or a closely related field.

2. Demonstrated ability to carry research to completion, usually evidenced by timely completion of thesis, research reports, or similar documents.

3. At least one year of full-time professional experience or equivalent specialized training in archaeological research, administration, or management; and

4. At least 4 months of supervised field and analytic experience in North American archaeology.

5. In addition to these minimum qualifications, a professional in prehistoric archaeology shall have at least one year of full-time professional experience at a supervisory level in the study of archaeological resources of the prehistoric period. A professional in historic archaeology shall have at least one year of full-time professional experience at a supervisory level in the study of archaeological resources of the historic period.

Field Supervisors: Supervisors shall have a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree in anthropology, archaeology, or a closely related field, and one year of survey experience, of which 3 months were in a supervisory capacity, or 1 1/2 years of general experience including nine months of survey experience that includes three months in a supervisory capacity.

Field Technicians: Technicians shall have either (a) a BA in anthropology, archaeology, or a closely related field, plus three months of survey experience, or (b) six months of survey experience. Names and resumes of field and laboratory technicians should be submitted with Technical Proposal, if possible, but in any case, prior to beginning fieldwork.

Experience: The term "survey experience" used herein refers to professional archaeological or cultural resource field experience in which accepted methods, practices, and techniques are employed to identify

Page 15 of 50 Summit Ranger District archaeological properties. "General experience" refers to any experience which would provide skill or expertise in performing the proposed action (e.g., aerial photo or topographic map interpretation, archaeological excavation, and artifact analysis).

*See Attachment 8 – Cultural Resource Contractor Standards & Guidelines

Mandatory Item 6: Road Reconstruction Design

Part 1: Assessment Report

Assessment of roads within the project area to determine design criteria and approach. Assessment will consist of field report identifying and distinguishing roads requiring reconstruction, roads requiring maintenance, transportation planning analysis identifying design vehicle, road design standard, and other transportation network design criteria. Assessment shall address any roads needed to complete project work, including those outside the project boundary.

Develop an Assessment Plan that addresses, at a minimum, the following:

1. Key Personnel including Project Manager(s) and Survey Personnel and describe their experience with performing condition surveys of low-volume forest roads.

2. Project Schedule for the assessment work, with critical milestones identified.

3. Resources to be applied to the field assessment work.

4. The planned means (GPS hardware and software) intended for establishing the location of features and other points of note.

5. Requested FS-furnished data required for assessment work.

Perform road reconnaissance and survey to identify current road conditions and reconstruction and maintenance needs for all Forest Service system roads associated with agreement use and implementation.

Identify road maintenance requirements according to the PASER Manual for gravel roads

(https://interpro.wisc.edu/tic/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/12/Gravel-PASER_02_rep15.pdf,) or the

PASER Manual for unimproved roads (https://interpro.wisc.edu/tic/documents/paser-manual-unimproved-roads-pubpas06/), whichever is applicable.

Based on the findings of the initial Assessment, develop and Assessment Report (AR) as guidance for the

Design Phase. At a minimum, the AR shall include the following:

1. A list and map of all FS roads identified with the current Operational Maintenance Level, Objective Maintenance Level, MVUM designation, beginning and end mile posts, anticipated amount and type of project use, and surface type noted.

2. Survey summary report for all FS roads identified in the above list. Summary shall include:

a. “Typical” photos of road condition

b. Surface type

c. Road structure and layout

d. Locations of suspected conflicting features

e. Locations of significant features (bridges, culverts, gates, cattle guards, low water crossings, etc.)

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f. Traffic control devices

g. Potential material sources, borrow sites, and water sources

3. Analysis of roads recommended for reconstruction work and an estimate of the work required.

4. Analysis of roads recommended for maintenance work and an estimate of the work required.

5. Analysis of suspected conflicting features (tight horizontal or vertical curves, low water crossings, bridges).

6. Analysis of existing, missing, and recommended additional traffic control devices.

7. Analysis of sensitive archaeological, botanical, hydrological, or biological areas present in the road right of way, or within anticipated construction limits.

8. Analysis of areas where road shall be monitored and haul season may need to be limited to avoid damage to roads.

9. Analysis of proposed material sources, borrow sites, and water sources and their usability.

10. Format for the Assessment Report

a. Text documents shall be prepared both as MS Word (or compatible) and PDF files.

b. Drawings shall be prepared as AutoCAD 2016 or later DWG (Or compatible) and PDF files.

c. Maps shall be provided as shapefiles for use in ArcGIS and PDF files.

d. Illustrations and tables not a part of a text document shall be submitted as PDF files.

11. The Assessment Report shall be presented to the Forest Service as a 60% document for initial review. The Forest Service shall return a review of the 60% document within 10 business days.

12. The Final Assessment Report shall be presented to the Forest Service. The Forest Service shall return a review of the Final Assessment Report within 15 business days.

Part 2: Design

Following the Final Assessment Report, the contractor shall commence design and preparation of road reconstruction and maintenance package for stewardship projects. Typical road packages shall include, but not be limited to, plans, specifications, estimates, and road related contract provisions. Work shall include travel to the project area to perform road survey and reconnaissance as necessary to complete the necessary construction contract documents.

Provide engineering technical services (plus related labor, supervision, equipment, transportation, operating supplies, and incidentals) required for transportation network planning to support fuel reduction and vegetation management on National Forest lands with complex environmental and operating equipment requirements. This includes integration of the existing transportation network from federal highway, state, county, city, and existing Forest Service roads with a transportation system that provides adequate access to areas scheduled for vegetation treatments of various types, with various equipment needs. Includes on-the-ground research to determine the conditions of existing roads and requirements for maintenance and/or reconstruction to meet project needs and compliance with the project specifications.

Requirements for Road Reconstruction Survey and Plan are as follows:

Design criteria will be provided for the project in the form of a Decision Memo and environmental analysis documents, which defines the project area, objectives, and environmental design criteria.

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• Road survey and reconnaissance shall be determined using Assessment Report, existing transportation maps, GIS data, and ground verification.

• Construction Contract Documents – Generally, design to the standard needed for consistency with applicable environmental laws and regulations and as needed for timber harvest. Plan for the least-cost road needed to meet the resource objectives for the sale. Typical road package design may include, but not limited to the following: installation of culverts, riprap, and low-water crossings;

implementation of BMP requirements; improvements to surface road drainage; curve widening;

maintenance of existing road features; grading and road reconditioning; placement of aggregate base or asphalt concrete; road decommissioning; gate installation; clearing and grubbing; etc.

o Plans – Maps, drawings, and construction details. Prepared using ArcGIS, AutoCAD, or similar programs.

o Specifications – Supplemental specification shall be assembled that modify the standard specification that is incorporated by default. Supplemental specifications will be a combination of mandatory specifications and optional specifications that can be chosen at the designer’s discretion. Prepared using Microsoft Word or similar program. Mandatory and Optional specification lists will be provided. For road maintenance work, the Specifications for

Maintenance of Roads, R-5 January 2021 shall be applied before, during and after the treatment phase of the project.

o Estimate/Schedule of Items – To include pay item number, description, quantity, method of measurement, unit price and total price for all required work. Prepared using Microsoft Excel or similar program. List of approved pay items will be provided.

o Road related contract provisions – Prepared provisions for the timber sale contract, including road information, required road deposits, and required road maintenance tables.

• All transportation systems shall be configured to comply with Forest Service Handbooks, which will be made available upon request.

• Assemble plans and specifications in accordance with the “Standard Specifications of

Construction of Roads and Bridges on Federal Highway Projects, FP-14”, issued by the Federal

Highway Administration, and the AASHTO’s “Guidelines for Geometric Design of Very Low-

Volume Local Roads (ADT<400)”.

• Calculations shall be complete, legible, and include enough sketches, to be readily understood by a qualified engineer. All assumptions shall be clearly shown or stated.

• If alternatives are proposed, a summary of relative advantages and disadvantages shall be provided.

• Attendance and participation in various meetings and plan reviews in the field may be required, as requested by Forest Service engineering staff or Forest Service Line Officers.

Design Certifications:

All designs for road maintenance, reconstruction or relocation shall be completed and signed by a competent designer(s) with a minimum of five years’ experience as a low-volume roads designer.

The following features, if included in the designs, shall require the review and approval of a design professional currently licensed as a Professional Engineer in the State of California. The engineering specialty shall be directly related to the function of the feature.

A. Culverts, of any design over 5’ in width or buried less than 1.25 times the diameter of the pipe below the traveled surface. Any “bottomless” culvert design.

B. Reinforcement of roads to be utilized in winter or in saturated base conditions.

C. Reconstructed intersections with state or county roads/highways.

D. Excavated cuts greater than 8’ high. (Requires a geotechnical analysis)

E. Bridges.

F. Widening or grading of roadway, curves, or turnarounds to allow passage of the design vehicle requiring grading work in excess of 15 cubic yards.

For any feature described above(A-D), the applicable Drawings/Plans shall be stamped and signed by the

Page 18 of 50 Summit Ranger District certifying PE.

Submittals Required:

1. Conceptual Design: Preliminary drawings and written descriptions are prepared to illustrate the proposed design of the work or a portion of the work to the Government. The Forest Service shall return a review of the Conceptual Design within 15 business days.

2. 35% Design: Preliminary drawings, maps, documents, and tables are prepared to illustrate process and progress on the design of the work. The Forest Service shall return a review of the 35% Design within

15 business days.

3. 60% Design: Drafts of all drawings, maps, documents, and tables are prepared to illustrate significant progress on the design of the work. The Forest Service shall return a review of the 60% Design within

15 business days.

4. 95% Design: Completed drawings, maps, documents, and tables are prepared to illustrate substantial completion on the design of the work. The Forest Service shall return a review of the 90% Design within 20 business days. If the project includes any work on Forest Service bridges, the Forest Service shall return a review within 45 business days.

5. 100% Design: Final drawings, maps, documents and tables including Forest Service markup from the

95% design shall be submitted. Any work requiring Professional Engineer licensure described above shall be stamped and signed by the certifying PE.

6. All written deliverables and drawings shall be submitted in electronic format as a PDF via email to the

Government per approved project schedule. Provide the following original electronic documents:

a. Text documents shall be prepared both as MS Word (or compatible) and PDF files.

b. Drawings shall be prepared as AutoCAD 2016 or later DWG (Or compatible) and PDF files. All drawings must be a uniform standard designated size, 11 x 17 inches. All dimensioning shall be in standard units.

c. Maps shall be provided as shapefiles for use in ArcGIS and PDF files.

d. Illustrations and tables not a part of a text document shall be submitted as PDF files.

7. Provide the Forest Service with separate detailed maps showing re-construction work items located by milepost and GPS coordinates. GPS coordinates may be presented in a table format. Cover sheet must prominently display United States Dept. of Agriculture logo, the Forest Service logo, Region 5 Pacific

Southwest Forest Service logo, and project name and location.

a. Security Requirements: All drawings and specifications prepared for reconstruction or maintenance, either in electronic or paper formats, must have imprinted on each page of the drawings or plans and on the label of electronic media, in a minimum of 14-point bold type

“PROPERTY OF UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT - FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY” .

b. The following paragraph will be noted on the cover page of the construction drawings set and the cover page of the specifications: “PROPERTY OF THE UNITED STATES

GOVERNMENT. COPYING, DISSEMINATION, OR DISTRIBUTION OF THESE

DRAWINGS, PLANS OR SPECIFICATIONS TO UNAUTHORIZED PERSONS IS

PROHIBITED.” in a minimum 14-point bold type.

The specific roads with estimated miles to be included in the project are listed in Appendix B and shown on the Contract Area Map.

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Mandatory Item 7: Harvest Unit Layout, Boundary Marking, and Cruising

Requirements for Harvest Unit Layout, Boundary Marking, and Cruising are as follows:

• Prior to starting work, ensure the complete understanding set forth in the STTPP, R5_Cruiser

Reference Guide, FSH 2409.12, chapters 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70 (Attachment 2), the Social and

Ecological Resilience Across the Landscape Final Environmental Impact Statement (Attachment 3) and the SERAL Treatment Prescriptions (Attachment 4).

• Furnish all labor, personnel, supervision, equipment, materials, flagging, supplies, transportation, travel, and incidentals, except those designated as Government furnished property, to perform all work necessary for completion of the specifications contained herein. Backpack paint sprayers prohibited.

• Locate and flag in white cutting units as identified on timber sale area planning maps using aerial photos, topographical maps, and GPS. LiDAR hillshade and canopy heights can be provided upon request. All changes to the unit boundary must be GPSed (recreational grade OK) and shapefile provided to the FS on a weekly basis prior to painting of the boundary.

• Sketch a map of each unit and include planned landings, temp roads, and critical skid trails to use.

Landing locations should be planned to allow for a ¼ mile skid distance unless physical barriers exist such as streams, steep slopes, rocks, lava cap, etc. Include access to units via existing roads, reconstructed roads, or new road construction and/or reopening an old temp road, using an old skid trail as a temp road, or a totally new temp road. Show locations of streams, stream crossings, survey monuments, areas that can’t be logged, and sensitive areas such as landslides or other areas of resource concerns such as Special Aquatic Features i.e., seeps, bogs, springs and fens. Layout cards must be submitted to FS prior to acceptance of layout.

• Evaluate volume per acre of each thinning unit. Minimum harvestable basal area (BA) to be included per acre for ground-based logging is 50 ft2 per acre for all products combined. Acres not meeting these requirements should not be included within the unit boundary unless located within the interior of the unit or next to a boundary road. If total sale BA for all products combined is less than 50 ft2 per acre after cruising the unit boundaries must be reworked and truncated until it does.

• Evaluate operability of each cutting unit. Maximum slope to be included for ground-based skidding

35%, with 100-foot pitches up to 45%. Acres not meeting these requirements should not be included within the unit boundary unless located within the interior of the unit or next to a boundary road.

• Do a preliminary survey of each unit prior to installing boundaries and notify the Contracting Officer

Representative (COR) if notable differences exist in logical unit placement when compared to mapped locations on timber sale area planning map. Changes in boundary locations shall be made, if necessary, for logistics, feasibility of logging system, or resource protection. Sensitive resource exclusion areas greater than 2 acres in size should not be included regardless of their location in the unit. Significant changes outside the boundaries shown on the contract map must be approved by the

COR.

• Designate boundaries of all cutting units with white flagging at inter-visible distance not to exceed 50 feet. Designate corners with double flags and shared corners with triple flags. Virtual boundaries do not need to be flagged except for corners on system roads. Hang flags within 10 feet of the road at the most advantageous location to be seen while driving the road.

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• With the exception of corners, do not flag along mapped system roads. Jeep roads and OHV trails still need to be flagged. GPS and flag in yellow any proposed stream crossings, temp roads, and landings.

GPS all survey monuments and flag in pink and orange together. Submit shapefile of these GPS locations weekly to the FS.

• Identify cutting unit corners and boundary intersections with roads as follows: Write sale name, unit number, and location of corner (for example Smoky TS, Unit#100, SW Corner) with permanent marker on flagging and plastic signs provided by the government. Plastic signs should be placed facing down the road as to be seen as someone is leaving the unit.

• To assure acceptance, layout must be completely done (including flagging, a recreational grade GPS shapefile, and layout cards submitted) before any boundaries are painted.

• GPS and paint unit boundaries and monument unit corners in accordance with the guidelines set forth in STTPP, FSH 2409.12 chapter 50, and FSH 2409.12 chapter 70 (Attachment 2).

• Paint boundary trees intervisible not to exceed 100 feet and no closer than 20 feet. Boundary designation will consist of two vertical dots facing into the unit that are 4-6 inches in diameter; and a 1-

3 foot long, 1-3 inch wide vertical painted line facing the previous and next boundary trees. Shared boundaries will have the two dots painted on two sides of the trees.

• Corner trees next to roads must be within 15 feet of the road. Hack off branches of corner trees before painting and include unit # painted on corner trees adjacent to a road, facing the road. Also paint unit number on boundary trees that cross system roads. Trees with wet bark may not be painted until they are dry. Monument unit corners in accordance with the guidelines set forth in STTPP, FSH 2409.12 chapter 50, and FSH 2409.12 chapter 70 (Attachment 2). With the exception of corners, boundaries along mapped roads, jeep trails, or rivers do not need to be painted. Do not paint corners of virtual boundaries.

• Final GPS boundary file will be free of any slivers and/or overlaps along shared unit boundaries and must not have more than 150 feet between vertices, In accordance with FSH 2409.12 Ch. 50, “position fixes should line in order, one after another, in a sequential pattern with only slight irregularities (such as jumping from side to side). Irregularities that are obvious outliers should be deleted.”

• Locate .25 acre opening center trees throughout units. Center trees must be live conifers greater than

10 inches DBH. Center tree must be less than 30 inches DBH in general forest units and 24 inches

DBH in territory units (see Attachment 4).

• Openings may accentuate pre-existing openings, or be located in areas with diseased trees (i.e. root rot, heavy mistletoe), adjacent to clumps of large pines, or in areas where pine is lacking (i.e. thick patches of cedar).

• To accommodate the different opening sizes per unit (See Attachment 4) on opening sizes per unit) find areas where openings can be put in adjacent to each other. Utilize amoeba shaped polygons when possible.

• Designated center tree with tracer paint of the cut tree color. Paint 2-inch-thick, double bands, around eye height. Also paint buttmarks on the on the uphill and downhill sides of the stump below 12 inches

(measured on the uphill side). See Attachment 4 for number of openings by size per unit.

• Flag opening center tree heavily with purple and orange flagging, write “Opening” on one of the flags.

Take a GPS point to document the location. (recreational grade GPS OK). This activity can be done during unit layout.

• Prepare and submit for approval by a Forest Service check cruiser cruise designs prior to timber cruising harvest units. The cruise will be designed to achieve a maximum sampling error of 20 percent

(FSH 2409.12, chapter 40) for scaled sales. All data collected shall meet the accuracy requirements in

FSH 2409.12, chapter 60 (Attachment 2).

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• Choose the appropriate cruise system(s),…