A01_SOW.pdf

Statement of Work for Diamond Lake Phase 2 & 3 Fuels Reduction Project (D- Bug) Diamond Lake Ranger District, Umpqua National Forest

I. Scope of Work:

Establish shaded fuel breaks, by treating understory and surface fuels while maintaining adequate canopy cover. Small conifers and downed logs/branches will be cut. Remaining conifers will be pruned. All materials generated by the treatment will be chipped and dispersed or hauled away by the contractor; excluding one unit, which will be piled and covered by the contractor with the intent of being safely burned by the forest service at a later time.

II. Project Location:

The work will be performed on the Diamond Lake Ranger District on the Umpqua National Forest in southwest Oregon. Units are located along Forest Road 4795. Refer to attached maps for general location and each unit boundary.

III. Activities to be Completed:

Fuels Treatments are intended to meet the following management objectives: restore conifer stands to sustainable density levels, increase resistance and resiliency to disturbance, limit wildland fire rate of spread, and/or to establish holding areas for use during prescribed burning and fire suppression activities. Burning of piles is not included in this contract. See below for specific details.

A. Thinning Prescriptions and Specifications:

• Cut all conifers, excluding mountain hemlock, up to 7 inches in diameter at breast height (DBH). Canopy cover of remaining trees shall be reduced to no less than a 40% average across the unit with leave trees at about a 15-20 foot spacing if no overstory is present.

• Remaining trees will be pruned of all limbs and ladder fuels 6 to 8 feet from ground level.

Hardwood trees shall not be pruned.

• Flush cut all stumps of cut material within 6 inches of the ground and ensure no live limbs remain on stumps.

B. No treatment:

• Do not cut any vegetation within 10 feet of all intermittent/ephemeral streams.

C. Debris:

• Slash generated from thinning and pruning operations, as well as other previously present surface fuels meeting the criteria outlined below will be hand-piled or chipped, except as noted in no treatment specifications.

• All fuels greater than 0.5 inches in diameter and less than 7 inches in diameter shall be disposed of. Slash left on the ground shall not exceed 6 inches in depth. Rotten logs do not need to be disposed.

D. Fuel Disposal -

All debris identified above must be disposed. Units 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 shall be chipped and dispersed back into the unit or hauled away by the contractor. Unit 12 and 13 shall be chipped up to 150 feet off the 4795 road, beyond the 150 feet shall be hand piled and cover slash. Unit 4, 14 and 15 shall be hand pile and cover slash. Specifications on chipping, hauling, and piling are outlined below.

1. Chipping: Unless otherwise approved in writing by Forest Service, all chipping shall be done in accordance with the following:

2. Equipment: Chippers, trailers, vehicles, or other equipment may not travel across the treatment area. Equipment must remain on or immediately along established roads to minimize soil compaction or other resource damage.

3. Dispersal: Chips may be dispersed back into the unit, but must not accumulate to a depth of greater than six (6) inches. Chips may not be compacted or redispersed using mechanized equipment. If chip depth exceeds six (6) inches hand tools may be used to distribute materials to an acceptable level. Chips shall not be dispersed into or across roadways, trails, bodies of water, or intermittent stream channels.

4. Hauling: In lieu of chipping and/or dispersing the contractor may request to obtain total ownership of slash or chips related to the treatment if desired. Financial agreements will not be changed based on this optional provision. This option will require a written agreement signed by both parties describing the agreed upon hauling methods and any additional restrictions.

2. Hand Piling and Covering: Unless otherwise approved in writing by Forest Service, all piling shall be done in accordance with the following:

a. Construction: Piles shall be constructed by compactly aligning individual pieces in the same direction and placing the heavier slash on top. Piles shall have a stable base to prevent toppling, and the long axis of individual pieces shall be oriented up and down the slope. Noncombustible or hazardous materials shall not be mixed with slash. Protruding pieces shall be trimmed to allow covering in a manner that permits the piles to shed water.

b. Size: Piles shall be of size practicable to burn with minimum damage to adjacent vegetation or features. Length, width, and height of piles shall be at least three (3) feet in all dimensions and not exceed six (6) feet in any dimension.

c. Location of Hand Piles: Piles shall be placed in a manner that allows the Forest Service to burn the piles without unnecessary risk and without requiring substantial effort to protect adjacent vegetation, resources, or improvements. Piles should be located approximately fifteen (15) feet from base of any trees or adjacent timber or roughly half the distance between the base of live trees. Piles shall not be placed on or near stumps or down logs, or cause fire to spread. Piles shall not be located on road surfaces, cutbanks, ditch lines, trails or other Forest improvements. Piles shall not be placed under or within twenty (20) feet of powerlines. Piles shall not be placed within twenty (20)feet of any fire sensitive constructed improvements. Piles shall be a minimum of twenty (20) feet from paved road surfaces. Piles shall not be located within twenty-five (25) feet from subdivision boundary, or within fifty (50) feet of live streams, unless approved in writing by Forest Service.

d. Covering of Hand Piles

i. Covering Material: All piles shall be covered with black polyethylene plastic

0.006 inch (6 mil) thick or its equivalent as approved by Forest Service.

ii. Method of covering: Covering shall be placed on top of pile and tied down with combustible cord in a method that results in at least 80% of the pile being covered and such that the covering is secure so that the core will remain dry. The entire core of the pile will be covered. All protruding pieces shall be bucked off and placed on piles.

E. Other Restrictions or Best Management Practices

• To accommodate public safety - post signs and use road or trail guards when felling trees that may potentially reach travel routes or roadways. The contractor is responsible for ensuring safe chipping operations. Equipment on or along roadways must not obstruct vehicle traffic. Contractor is responsible for any claims or injuries that result as a direct consequence of work being performed or contractor equipment.

• Ensure that no obstructions from treatment activities are left on the roadway or trails.

• If an unknown historic or prehistoric site is discovered in the course of the project, the activity will be stopped, the COR will be notified, and the appropriate measures will be taken to stop any adverse effects to the site resulting from the activity.

• To provide a positive recreation experience for visitors, hours of operation are limited to 8:00 am – 6:00 pm Monday – Friday, with no operations occurring on weekends or federally recognized holidays. Work may not occur between Memorial Day through Labor Day.