A06_Specifications.docx

Fence Specifications Refuge Boundary and Livestock Exclusion Fence

1. General Fence lines will be cleared of brush, trees, and vegetation by mowing. Clearing along stream banks will be held to a minimum by the use of hand tools and no vegetation may be removed within the buffer area, except as required for stream crossings. Grubbing will not be allowed at any location.

Fencing materials shall be new and of a quality and durability that meets the intended management objectives. Construction shall be performed in a manner that meets the intended management objective, livestock exclusion. New fence will be placed exactly on the old fence line with no deviations unless authorized in writing by the Refuge Manager. Wire and fastening hardware will be new, galvanized material will be used where specifically not called out.

Fence Removal Remove of 14 miles of existing fence. Recycle all metal parts of the old fence and properly dispose of the wood post off of the refuge in a site that meets state and local laws and codes. Leave boundary marks, signs, and section corners undisturbed.

Barbed Wire All barbed wire shall consist of 2 twisted strands of 12-1/2 gauge class 1 galvanized wire meeting the requirement of ASTM A856. Wire will consist of galvanized 2-point barbs not spaced more than 5” apart.

Wire Placement and Stretching Wire All 4 wires will be barbed wire meeting the specifications listed above. The top wire shall be 45” in height and the bottom wire will be 16 inches of off the ground. The top wire and the next wire below it should have 12 inches separating them. Barbed Wire should be pulled taut. In warm weather, a stretch of 100 feet (prior to attaching to posts) should sag no more than 4” in the middle and no more than 2” in cold weather.

Line Post Maximum spacing between line posts is 14 feet. All wooden line posts shall be set at least 36” into the ground. Line post shall be 4” in diameter or greater and at least 7 feet long, pressure treated pine or other pressure treated wood of equal or greater life and strength. Pressure treatment shall meet the requirements for ground contact. All 4 strands wires will be attached to each post using 2 inch double barbed zinc aluminum coated staples meeting ASTM A856. Staples will be driven past the 2nd barb but enough space be left to allow the wire to move within the stable. Movement of wire is needed for expansion and contraction.

Dancer/Stay posts Round 3” in diameter or greater pressure treated pine or other pressure treated wood of equal life and strength. Post will be tall enough to sit on the ground and will be at least 2” taller than the top wire. Stay length shall be sufficient for attachment to all fence wires while maintaining correct wire spacing. Pressure treatment shall meet the requirements for ground contact. All 4 strands wires will be attached to each post using 2 inch double barbed zinc aluminum coated staples meeting ASTM 856. Staples will be driven past the 2nd barb, but enough space be left to allow the wire to move within the stable. Movement of wire is needed for expansion and contraction.

Brace Post Posts shall be set and maintained in a vertical position. All wooden brace posts are to be 6” minimum diameter and set at least 4 feet into the ground. Horizontal rail brace posts are to be 4” minimum diameter and at least 8 feet long, with maximum length of 2.5 times the height of the fence. They shall be installed 8”-12” below the top of the vertical brace post.

Double H Braces All corners, fence line ends and gate openings require Double H Brace assemblies.

Double H Brace pull assemblies shall not exceed 660 feet in a straight fence span.

Brace wire shall be two loops, of 9 gauge high tensile, galvanized steel wire or 12.5 gauge class III wire galvanized high tensile wire. Twist sticks will consist of ½ inch prime and painted rebar that is long enough to be fastened to the brace rail once tightened. Post for all corners and braces will be 6”diameter and 8 feet long unless specifically called out in other specifications. Posts will be set at least 4 feet deep or greater. They shall be pressure treated pine or other pressure treated wood of equal or greater life and strength. Pressure treatment shall meet the requirements for ground contact.

Corners and Braces Refer to drawings for fence brace design and spacing. A bend in the fence tighter than 20 degrees is considered a corner and not a “straight” pull brace. (In an 8-foot long brace section, 20 degrees is approximately 3 feet off the straight line. Refer to drawings). The above H brace rules apply to corners considering each wire-pull direction from the corner post.

Adjoining Fences A fence adjoining an existing fence must terminate in a brace assembly as required above.

Attaching Fencing to Post The fencing wire shall be placed on the livestock side of line posts. This is facing outside of the refuge boundary since we are trying to exclude livestock from the refuge. Wire shall be on the outside of corners and posts in bends and braces in bends.

Each strand of barbed wire shall be attached to each wooden post using 8-gauge class 1 galvanized 2” staples meeting ASTM A856 , driven diagonally with the grain of the wood and at a slight downward angle (except in dips).Staples shall not be driven tight to the post. Wire splices shall be crimped or spliced with 8 wraps around the other (“Western Union Splice”).

Gates Will be made of 16 gauge 2” steel tubing with 6 horizontal rails and 2 vertical Z-supports. Gates will be 48”-50” tall and coated with powder coating and will be green in color. Gates will be 16 feet or 12 feet long depending on the location called out the map. Gates will be hung using ¾ inch hinge bolts that are attached through the gate posts. Each gate will have a SpeeCo S16100500 1 way lockable gate latch or approved equivalent, to support the non-hinged end of the gate. Lockable gate latches will be attached to the gate post with 5/16- 3” long galvanized lag bolt.

Gate posts will be 6” in diameter or greater by 9 feet long pressure treated pine or other pressure treated wood of equal life and strength. Pressure treatment shall meet the requirements for ground contact. Each gate opening will require the double H-braces on both sides and will meet the specifications for the double H-frame listed above, except that the gate posts must be at least 9 feet long, with 4 feet in the ground.

Stream Bank Fencing Fences will not be built across steam channels. A double H-frame brace will be built next to the terminating H-Frame end brace near the creek, however these braces will not be tied together so as to serve as a breakaway brace along the stream bank. The last post of the breakaway stream brace will be 10 feet long and will be driven in on the stream bank edge. Three 3 inch rails will be installed horizontally down to the water’s edge past the last post to prevent cattle from walk around the edge of the stream bank. See sheet XX for the design. All posts will be 6” in diameter or greater, pressure treated pine or other pressure treated wood of equal life and strength. Horizontal rails will be 3” diameter x 12-14 feet long pressure treated pine or other pressure treated wood of equal life and strength. Horizontal rails will be attached with 6 inch long 5/8 galvanized lag bolts at each post.

Post Backfill For all augured post holes the backfill will be tamped in 4” lifts using a tamping bar. Native fill maybe used for the first half of the hole, then Quickrete concrete mix or C6 uncrushed road gravel will be used to fill the remaining space in 4” tamped lifts, until level with the ground surface. Enough water will be used with the Quickrete to allow the mix to completely setup within 6 hours.

2. Technical Coordinator All inquiries should be directed to:

Jeremy Jirak U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge 322 North 4th Street Montpelier, ID 83254 Phone: 208-847-1757 Email: jeremy_jirak@fws.gov