2A_Dobson Knob Stewardship Appendix A_12363N26Q4153.pdf

Dobson Knob Stewardship Pisgah National Forest Page 1 of 4 Grandfather Ranger District

Revised 01.06.2022

APPENDIX A

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR WORK ITEMS

SECTION I – DESCRIPTION OF WORK:

The objective of this project is to reduce fuel loading resulting from Hurricane Helene on approximately 399 acres along roads that are used as containment lines for wildfires and prescribed burns on the Grandfather Ranger District of the Pisgah National Forest. Reducing fuels adjacent to these fire containment lines will provide defensible space for fire management activities within the project area which includes Wildland Urban Interface. Fuels reduction will be accomplished by the following activities:

1. Removing Included Sawtimber from the contract area.

2. Removing smaller diameter trees (Small Roundwood) from the contract area and delivering the material to a designated disposal site.

SECTION II – WORK ITEMS

Mandatory Item 1: Cut and Remove Included Sawtimber:

Unit 1 (399 Acres) Cut and remove included sawtimber trees and pieces which meet the minimum specifications identified in Appendix B.

Mandatory Item 2: Cut and Remove Small Roundwood and Deliver to a Designated Disposal Site:

Unit 1 (399 Acres) Cut and remove small roundwood trees and pieces which meet the minimum specifications described in table 1 below.

Maximum stump heights are six inches unless otherwise agreed for safety reasons. Trees and pieces of trees designated for cutting and removal include:

(a) Trees and pieces of trees lying on the ground

(b) Root sprung trees (leaning trees with visible damage to the root system)

(c) Standing trees with broken-off crowns

Table 1. – Minimum Specifications

Species Group Product

Estimated Quantity

Unit of Measure

Minimum Specifications Tree to be Removed Piece to be Removed Diameter At Breast

Height

(DBH)

(inches)

Number of

Minimum Pieces per Tree Length (feet)

Diameter Inside Bark at

Small End (inches)

Net Scale in

% of Gross Scale

All Small Roundwood* 3,365 Tons 4.0 1 12 1.0 0

Small Roundwood includes material at least 4 inches DBH and 12 feet in length to a 1-inch small end DIB, not meeting Minimum Specifications for Sawtimber in Appendix B. This includes pieces up to 20 inches DBH with less than 50% net merchantability (Table A.2, Appendix B).

Small Roundwood shall be delivered to the disposal site (Bridgewater Forest Products chip mill) located at 3991 Bridgewater Road, Morganton, North Carolina.

The contractor will tag the load with a product permit provided by the Forest Service and present a product permit ticket to the scale master at the disposal site with each load delivered. The haul vehicle will be weighed loaded and unloaded

Page 2 of 4 Grandfather Ranger District and tonnage will be recorded on the product permits by the scale master. Product permits will be the basis for payment (per ton) to the contractor from the government for this work.

No material meeting utilization specifications in Appendix B for Included Sawtimber may be delivered to the disposal site unless agreed to by the Forest Service.

SECTION III – CONTROL OF WORK

The Contractor agrees to conduct its operations under this contract 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 at any time during the term of the contract, unless wet soil conditions would cause rutting or erosion, or if cultural or archeological sites are discovered during operations. If this situation occurs, work will be suspended in the immediate vicinity of the site until a reconnaissance survey is completed by a Forest Service archeologist. Areas subsequently excluded from treatment shall be deleted from the contract.

Unit boundary “geo-fences” were established by using geographic information system (GIS) mapping which incorporated remote sensing data, high resolution aerial photos and ground-truthing. Geo-fences are locations on the ground corresponding to the boundary location shown on a mobile mapping device using a global positioning system (GPS) receiver. The digital vector file/shapefile will be provided by the Forest Service at the time of award for the contractor use with a GPS receiver. A digital list of the coordinates can be provided upon request. The contractor is responsible for obtaining a GPS receiver that is capable of determining the location of the geo-fence boundary within the contract tolerance of 20 feet.

Forest Service inspection of unit boundaries shall be conducted to determine treatments are within the allowable contract tolerance. National Technology Development Program GPS receiver accuracy reports by manufacturer and model are available at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/gps/mtdcrept/accuracy/index.htm Forest Service determination of the boundary location will be final.

In the case of a major disruption in GPS service, or lack of GPS coverage on the contract area beyond the control of the contractor, as determined by the Contracting Officer, extension of time may be granted by the Contracting Officer when requested in writing by the contractor in accordance with 52.212-4 (f) Excusable Delays. To resolve major disruption of GPS service, or lack of GPS coverage on the Contract Area, the Forest Service may elect to mark geo-fence boundaries on the ground, in which case the Forest Service’s determination of boundary location will be final.

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 Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) or designated inspector will make periodic inspections while work is in progress to ensure work is proceeding in accordance with contract specifications. The contractor will notify the COR prior to work starting, when problems are encountered, and when contract work needs government oversight.

1. When areas are completed and ready for government inspection, the contractor’s designated project manager will request unit inspection in writing, prior to moving out of the general area.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/gps/mtdcrept/accuracy/index.htm

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2. 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 will be required.

Table 2. – Minimum Acceptable Quality Levels (AQL) of Work

ITEM DESCRIPTION SCHEDULE UNIT Min AQL

1 Cut and Remove Included Sawtimber Mandatory N/A N/A

2 Cut and Remove Small Roundwood;

Deliver to Disposal Site Mandatory Ton 90%

Unsatisfactory Work

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

2. When the work quality falls below the AQL, the Government may order rework to be performed and withhold payment until the results of a post-rework Government inspection show work quality to be at or above the AQL.

No rework shall be performed unless ordered or authorized by the COR.

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

Reinspection Upon Contractor Request

If Government inspection results are unacceptable to the contractor, a reinspection may be requested, in writing, within five business days after receipt of notice of said inspection results.

SECTION V – PAYMENT METHODS

Mandatory Item 1: Non-pay item N/A

Mandatory Item 2: Cut and Remove Small Roundwood and Deliver to a Designated Disposal Site:

Payment to the contractor from the government will be made for the actual quantity of Small Roundwood delivered to the disposal site, upon receipt of acceptable proof for quantities invoiced.

The Forest Service will provide the contractor with product removal permit books to be filled out by the contractor. The bottom section of the permit will be affixed to the load, the middle section will be presented to the Scale Master at the designated disposal site, and the top section will remain attached to the permit book and be returned to the Forest Service at the completion of each permit book. Forest Service is the responsible party who will collect the scale tickets from the mill on a bi-weekly basis.

The government’s estimated tonnage of Small Roundwood represents the ceiling amount for which the contractor may be paid without modification to the contract but is not guaranteed.

SECTION VI – DEFINITIONS

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CUTTING UNIT: Area on the ground in which work activities will be performed, as shown on contract maps and GPS receivers meeting the allowable error standard (20 feet). Synonymous with “Subdivision”.

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

DIB: Diameter inside bark, measured at the small end of the tree or piece.

GIS: Geographic information system, used for mapping unit boundary geo-fences.

GPS RECEIVER: Global positioning system device that will be used to determine unit boundaries on the ground.

GEO-FENCE: Virtual unit boundary mapped with GIS and determined on the ground with a GPS receiver.

INCLUDED SAWTIMBER: sawtimber trees and pieces which meet the A2 utilization specifications as identified in Appendix B, which will be removed from the contract area.

SCALE BY LOAD COUNT: volume for included sawtimber to be removed will be paid for at the bid rate per ton, utilizing predetermined conversion factors as defined in Appendix B, provision R8NC C6.821#.

SMALL ROUNDWOOD: trees and pieces to be removed from the contract area and delivered to the disposal site.

SECTION VI – DEFINITIONS