2.Willow IRSC Appendix A.docx

Willow Stewardship IRSC Page 8 of 8

APPENDIX A

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR SERVICE WORK ITEMS

SECTION I – DESCRIPTION OF WORK:

Project objectives for the project area are summarized as follows:

· Improve Forest Health – Removal of hazardous fuels from watershed.

· Community Safety – Removal of hazardous fuels within the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI).

To accomplish these objectives, the contract includes the following components: Removal of decked biomass material within operational landings, re-opening and closing of temporary roads, road maintenance on forest service system roads, and subsoiling of landings and temporary roads post-removal of material.

SECTION II – WORK ITEMS

Mandatory Work Items:

ITEM 1 – Removal of Product:

Decked material in 48 landings shall be removed from the contract area and remaining slash shall be piled. Piles shall be no larger than 15 feet wide by 15 feet tall and piled in such a way to allow for burning by the Forest Service. An eight foot fuelbreak shall be cleared of all but fine material around each pile and an 18 inch wide fireline shall be cleared to mineral soil around the outer ring of the fuel break. In areas where there is potential for burning material to roll, the fireline shall be constructed in a trenched manner on the downhill side. See CT6.7# - SLASH TREATMENT. (12/2006) PILING SPECIFICATIONS and LANDINGS AND DISPOSAL SITES.

All products removed from contract area shall be transported over the designated route of haul. The Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer or designee when a load of products, after leaving the project area, shall be delayed for more than 12 hours in reaching the Scaling location.

Equipment shall not operate when ground conditions are such that excessive damage shall result, as determined by the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). Refer to specifications of soil protection in CT6.315# - PROJECT OPERATIONS SCHEDULE. (12/2006). The erosion control work required of the contractor shall vary according to ground conditions and the necessity for controlling runoff

Unit Volume:

ITEM 2 – Road Maintenance:

See Road Maintenance Plan in Appendix C; CT5.31# - Road Maintenance Requirements/Dust Abatement Plan/Road Maintenance T-Specifications.

Road Maintenance

ITEM 3 – Reopen Temporary Roads:

Open roads that have been previously subsoiled and/or barricaded. An estimated 20,856 feet of existing non-system roads will need maintenance or re-opening in order to access landings.

Temporary Roads Lengths (ft.)

To provide access to accomplish the removal of products roadbeds and fill slopes of temporary roads must attain stabilization. Contractor shall employ such measures as out-sloping, drainage dips, and water-spreading ditches where necessary.

After a Temporary Road has served Contractor’s purpose, Contractor shall give notice to Forest Service and shall remove culverts, eliminate ditches, out-slope roadbed, remove ruts and berms, effectively block the road to normal vehicular traffic where feasible under existing terrain conditions, and build cross ditches and water bars, as staked or otherwise marked on the ground by Forest Service. When culverts are removed, associated fills shall also be removed to the extent necessary to permit normal maximum flow of water.

All construction and clearing of temporary roads shall adhere to Federal and State Best Management Practices and Forest Standard Operating Procedures.

Subsoiling shall occur under Work Item 4 –Subsoiling.

All temporary roads must be approved by the Forest Service before use.

Use of Roads during Wet Periods: During wet periods, use of roads must be approved by Forest Service personnel.

Optional Work Item:

ITEM 4 – Subsoiling:

An estimated 25 acres of subsoiling will be needed to decommission temporary roads and landings within the contract area. The first 300 feet of temporary roads shall be subsoiled. It is assumed temporary roads are 14 feet wide.

Subsoiling shall be accomplished by equipment that will lift and fracture the soil by vertical and lateral shattering, leaving soil loosened through the full width and depth of the compacted layer with the topsoil remaining substantially in place rather than being inverted.

Subsoil depth is shown in the following table. Agreement in writing may be made to a lesser depth if rocks or other limiting site conditions are encountered.

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 soil moisture conditions create excessive risk of damage to the soil,

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

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

(5) 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.

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.

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 Payment Unit will be inspected as a separate unit. Payment 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 – Visual Inspection

1. All bid items will be by visual inspection for quality assurance that the requirements and specifications of the contract are met.

2. The Contractor shall provide inspection sheets and a sketch map of the unit with landing locations and temporary road locations to the Government. Inspection sheets shall be signed and dated by the person who conducted the inspection and shall certify that the inspection records are complete and accurate.

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

4.

Reinspection Upon Contractor Request

1. If Government inspection results are unacceptable to the Contractor, a reinspection may be requested, in writing, within 5 business days after receipt of notice of said inspection results. The same inspection procedure will be used.

2.

Government Inspection Procedures – Mandatory Items 1-4

Item 1 – Removal of Product

Measurable Performance Standards

· Amount of material left in decks meeting removal of product specifications.

· Quality of slash piles post removal of decked material.

· Piles meets 90% of specifications stated in CT6.7# - SLASH TREATMENT. (12/2006) PILING SPECIFICATIONS. and LANDINGS AND DISPOSAL SITES.

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

Item 2 – Road Maintenance

Measurable Performance Standards

· Adhere to Road Maintenance Plan in Appendix C; CT5.31# - Road Maintenance Requirements/Dust Abatement Plan/Road Maintenance T-Specifications,

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

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

Item 3 – Opening of Temporary Roads

Measurable Performance Standards

· Adherence to provisions BT6.63 and Erosion Prevention Control; Part 25 of Solicitation.

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

Item 4 – Subsoiling

Measurable Performance Standards

· Adherence to provisions BT6.63 and Erosion Prevention Control; Part 25 of Solicitation.

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

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

Minimum Acceptable Quality Levels (AQL) of Work

SECTION V – 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.

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.

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.

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 listed in Section II, 2.2.2.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

SUBSOILING: Alleviation of heavily compacted soils using an implement specifically designed to reduce soil strength, and restore intrinsic bulk density (i.e., weight per unit volume), macropore space, permeability, infiltration, and tilth of soil layers to depth.

UNIT: See Treatment Unit.

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

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

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

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

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

Revised 2.16.2021