3revised_-_Statement_of_Work.pdf

LANDLINE MAINTENANCE (REFURBISHMENT)

SPECIFICATIONS

DIVISION 100 – GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS

110 - Scope of Contract

a. Refurbish property line markings between Forest Service and private lands.

b. Refurbish corner accessories (bearing trees or witness objects).

c. The preparation of Form 7100-52 (Corner Card) for each Forest Service property corner.

120 - Description and location.

See attached map

130 - Government-Furnished Property.

The Government shall furnish and deliver to the Contractor the following listed material to be used for the completion of the work within this contract.

The Contractor shall be liable for all loss or damage to the Government-furnished materials until completion and final acceptance of the work required under this contract. If the Government fails to make timely delivery of said property, upon written request from the Contractor the Contracting Officer shall make an equitable adjustment of contract delivery or performance dates or contract price or both pursuant to the “Changes” clause of the General Provisions of the Contract.

Government-furnished property will be stored at the District Work Center and will be made available to the Contractor by the designated Inspector or COR as needed.

a. Property Boundary Signs 54 - 2, Survey Monument Signs 54 - 9, and Bearing

Tree Signs 54 - 3.

b. Carsonite Boundary Posts and/or metal posts.

c. Red Boundary Marking Paint.

d. Field maps, plats, boundary descriptions, Corner Cards 7100-52.

e. Aluminum nails for attaching signs.

f. Mag Nails and BT washers.

140 - Contractor-Furnished Items.

All labor, transportation, equipment, instruments and tools necessary to accomplish the work.

moconnor Typewritten Text Revised March 28, 2014 moconnor Typewritten Text

DIVISION 200 – TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS.

210 – PROPERTY LINES.

211 – Refurbish Property Lines.

Previously marked trees will be repainted after removal of loose bark to better receive paint. Hacks may be added if inadvertently omitted from previous marking, but new blazes should not be added to trees with existing blazes. Old blazes and hacks along the property line shall not be reopened.

Trees larger than 4” in diameter that are within 2 feet of the property line and were not previously marked shall be blazed and painted if necessary to obtain obvious visibility of the line. The maximum number of additional trees to be blazed and painted shall be 3 per 100 feet on each side of the line. Blazes shall be into the cambium layer of the tree, 2” to 4” wide and 6” to 8” long and placed about 4 feet above ground level. A hack is a single horizontal cut and shall be placed 4” above and below the blaze. Trees on the Forest Service side of the line shall be quarter blazed, and trees on the private side shall be face blazed. (See exhibit 4).

Existing blazed trees that are obviously more than 2 feet from the property line should not be repainted. In the event that there are trees painted well outside the 2 foot buffer, the contractor shall inform the Contracting Officer Representative (COR).

Property Boundary sign 54 – 2 shall be placed along the property line at locations specified below so as to be observed when approaching the National Forest land.

(See also Exhibit 4).

a. At streams, trails, ridge tops, woods-roads and other points of obvious visitor entry into the National Forest.

b. At random points along the line not to exceed 400 foot intervals.

c. At approximately 500 foot intervals to trees along the right-of-way when a road forms the property boundary.

d. At road crossings. Signs shall be placed on posts so as to be visible to visitors entering the Forest. Trees on the property line (line tree, as shown in exhibit 4) may be substituted for posts at road crossings provided they are prominently visible.

The Contractor shall ensure that existing signs on posts and trees are securely attached and legible. Signs that are damaged or deteriorated shall be replaced with the appropriate sign.

220 – PROPERTY CORNERS.

221 – Monumentation .

All corners involved in this contract shall be perpetuated by assuring that the monuments are visible, of a permanent nature, stable, appropriately signed by a 54-9 “Do not disturb” sign, and witnessed by at least 3 healthy witness trees or other witness objects (See Exhibit 3).

Where there are no existing sign posts for the 54-9 sign, the contractor shall attach the sign to the nearest tree on government lands. The Contractor shall ensure that existing signs on posts and trees are securely attached and legible. Signs that are damaged or deteriorated shall be replaced with the appropriate sign.

Where the corner monument has been disturbed or obliterated, the contractor shall report such location to the COR. If the corner is damaged or missing, the contractor is expected to use existing evidence (if available) to replace it after receiving guidance from the COR. When a corner has no accessories and must be resurveyed, the contractor shall notify the COR.

All brush and debris within a 3-foot radius of the corner shall be cleared away by the contractor. In the event that a tree has fallen across the corner, the contractor shall cut and remove the tree.

Condition of the corner monument, a description of the monument, and all work done to perpetuate shall be recorded on the 7100-52 Corner Card.

The latitude and longitude of the corner shall be observed in the field via GPS (i.e. handheld Garmin), and this data shall be recorded on the 7100- 52 Corner Card by the contractor.

222 - Bearings Trees and Objects.

Each corner shall be witnessed by at least 3 healthy trees or other objects, 2 of which should be on Government Property. (See Exhibit 3).

Existing trees should be repainted at their base and at the 6” band 6 feet above ground level. Their condition and current size shall be shown on the Corner Card by the notation “Fd. healthy @ 12” diameter 9/30/92 (initial) `` (Example) Sign 54-3 shall be attached to the tree.

If needed, new witness trees shall be established. They shall be base blazed into the cambium layer at ground level, a Mag Nail with a washer stamped USDA Forest Service BT, shall be driven into the blaze. The base blazes and 6” bands at 6 feet above ground level shall be painted. Sign 54-3 shall be attached to the tree.

The location, size and species of new witness trees shall be noted on the Corner Cards.

In all instances, measurements shall be made to the center of the tree as close to the base as possible. Corner Cards shall recite bearing and distance from the corner to the tree. Bearing tree signs shall recite the bearing and distance from the tree to the corner. To ensure that all subsequent measurements are taken from the same spot, the contractor shall drive a nail at a point in the tree that is perpendicular to the monument to best represent the center of the tree.

The distances recorded on the corner card shall be measured from this nail.

In the event that there are no suitable witness trees available the COR should be notified for further guidance. Prominent boulders or other natural features, or identifiable pipes or pins may be used as witness objects when necessary or advisable, but this decision to establish a witness object other than a tree shall be made by the COR.

230 - Records and Reports

231 – Corner Cards – Form 7100-52

The Corner Card shall be updated to reflect the work done to perpetuate the corners as specified above. They shall be initialed by the person performing the work and returned to the Forest Service. (See Exhibit 6).

232 – Conflicts

When the adjoining landowner refuses to allow the lines to be painted, or denies access, such locations are to be reported in writing to the COR. If permission can be obtained prior to completion of the contract, the Contractor will paint the line.

Otherwise, that portion of line will be deleted from the contract or substituted with another line upon agreement by the Contractor with said substitution.

When encroachments upon National Forest land are noted along the lines, the nature and location of the encroachment shall be reported in writing to the COR.

When more than one such encroachment may be expected, a single summarized report may be made upon completion of all the lines unless the nature and urgency of the encroachment would dictate otherwise. (Such as the excavation stages for a proposed structure).

240 – Exhibits – See Attached

EXHIBIT 1 National Forest Vicinity Map EXHIBIT 2 National Forest Signs EXHIBIT 3 Corner Monumentation and Bearing Trees EXHIBIT 4 Property Line Marking EXHIBIT 5 Example Report of Survey

EXHIBIT 6 Corner Card (Form 7100-52

DIVISION 300 – INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

310 - Quality Control

The Contractor shall be responsible for performing self-inspection for quality control on line posting of National Forest System boundaries. This shall include:

A. Proper posting and clearing of lines.

B. Proper maintenance of monuments.

C. Proper maintenance of witness trees/objects, to include checking all bearings and distances to accessories.

D. Assurance that all trash from project is removed; i.e. paint cans, sign backing paper, brushes, etc.

320 – Inspections

The COR or Designated Inspector will make periodic inspections of the work in progress in order to check for compliance of the contract requirements.

DIVISION 400 – MEASUREMENT AND PAYMENT

410 - Measurement

Pay item measurement for property lines will be determined from the Forest Service records or other survey records and shall be made to the nearest 0.1 mile.

No separate payment will be made for Corner Cards.

420 – Payment

Payment will be made for completed and accepted items listed on the payment schedule upon receipt of invoice from the Contractor. Quantities will be confirmed by the measurements listed in item 410 above.

SPECIAL NOTES

1. In the event that an adjoining land owner creates conflict and insists that the contractor leave, the contractor shall leave and promptly notify the COR.

2. The contractor shall obtain permission from adjoining landowners in the event that private property needs to be crossed.

3. Paint shall be neatly applied. Bearing Tree bands are to be straight and uniform.

4. All measurements made via compass shall be set to 0° declination, or a magnetic bearing.

For those who are unfamiliar with quadrant bearings, azimuth is the preferred basis for direction to be used on corner cards and bearing tree signs.

5. All signs shall be fastened to trees/posts by two nails (or other fasteners as necessary).

When nailing signs to trees, space should be left so that the tree can continue to grow for years without coming into contact with the sign. Leaving a few inches of space is adequate.

6. When establishing new bearing trees, the contractor shall strive to find suitable trees on the National Forest, rather than on private property. In the event that there are no suitable trees on the Forest, discretion should be used to ensure that bearing trees are not placed in sensitive areas, such as near a residence or church.

7. It is likely that the contractor will be the last party to visit the property corner for the next several decades, so it is extremely important that bearing trees are healthy and the monument is in good shape. When selecting new bearing trees, caution should be used to ensure their durability and longevity. Living trees with an apparent disease or parasite are not durable trees. Hemlocks are typically not a durable tree anymore due to the Woolly Adelgid. If no suitable bearing trees are available the COR should be notified.

8. When brushing the line, the contractor shall clear enough brush, debris, and overgrowth so that the painted line is reasonably visible to the public. It is not necessary to clear all of the brush, but enough should be cleared so that the line is actually walked by the parties performing the maintenance. In areas of extreme overgrowth where an unreasonable amount of clearing would be required to adequately brush the line, such as a dense rhododendron patch, it is permissible for the contractor to omit these areas from their brush work, however, all paint, posts, and signs within the overgrown area shall be maintained, provided it exists. In the event that the extreme overgrowth continues for more than 200 feet, special note should be made in the final report.

9. When blazing new trees on private property, no new blazes are to be made on ornamental trees. In the event that these are the only suitable trees for perpetuating the line, permission must first be obtained from the private property owner.

10. When painting the boundary line, the contractor shall not repaint dead trees; however, trees that appear to be dying shall be repainted.

11. When maintaining a property corner surrounded by a mound of stones, all of the stones in the mound shall be painted. If the property corner itself is a stone, it shall be painted too.

Standard Forest Service aluminum caps and brass discs shall not be painted, but the pipes or concrete that they are a part of shall be painted.

12. Maintenance is not to be performed on extraneous monuments. Only monuments called for in Forest Service records are to be maintained. In many cases the original monument has been replaced in favor of something more durable, like a stone, rebar, or standard FS monument, and there should be a corner card on file documenting this upgrade. In the event that the property corner is different than described in the records and it is does not contain a standard FS cap, the COR should be notified.

13. In the event that the property corner is a tree, and it appears to be dying or is dead, special note shall be made in the corner card and survey report. In the event that the corner tree has fallen over and the original position can be remonumented, the COR shall be contacted for further guidance.

14. When necessary, gated FS roads will be made accessible for the contractor to drive closer to their project area, however, this may not be possible if special circumstances exist which warrant the gate remain closed.

15. Pictures of apparent encroachments, unauthorized use (such as ATV trails, permanent tree stands, etc.), trash piles, conflicting or extraneous monuments, or other issues that the contractor wishes to highlight are not required at this time, but are extremely helpful and preferred for internal documentation.

EXHIBIT 1

National Forest Vicinity Map

See separate map documents

EXHIBIT 2

The bearing tree sign 54-3 on the left has not been completed. The sign on the right has been filled in.

SIGNS 54-9 AND 54-2

EXHIBIT 3

Bearing Trees and Objects

Each Forest Service Property corner used in a survey shall be witnessed by at least 3 healthy bearing trees 6" DBH or over, 2 of which should be located on Government lands. If trees are not available, bearing objects, (i.e., prominent boulders, other natural features, or identified pipes) may be used. The record witnesses called for are to be identified and their location relative to the corner monument checked. New references shall be established as needed. All new bearing trees shall be blazed at ground level to the face of the wood of the tree and a BT Washer and MAG-Nail driven in the blaze. All measurements shall be made to the center of the tree. Bearing trees shall have a 6" red band painted approximately 6' above the ground. A 54-3 bearing tree sign shall be nailed on each bearing tree with the bearing and distance to the corner noted. Where conditions permit, all new accessaries shall be on Government land and separated by not less than 30° in horizontal angle in measure from the corner. Unless otherwise directed by the COR, only the true corner (not witness corers or reference monuments) shall be witnessed.

bearing tree

6" red band

BT

5' to 6' bearing tree

Forest land behind this sign

BOUNDARY

PROPERTY

National

SURVEYLAND

MONUMENT

Please do not disturb

> 30°

TYPICAL CORNER MOUMENT

> 30°

B T

B T

TYPICAL BEARING TREE

PVT.

LAND

GOV'T.

LAND

BOUNDARY LINE

BOUNDARY LINE

sign #54-3 sign #54-2 sing #54-9

EXIHIBIT 4

Property Line Marking

(1) Blaze - Blazes shall be made into a cambium layer of tree not less than 4' above ground, and will be 2" to 4" wide and 6" to 8" long.

(2) Hacks - A single horizontal cut made with the heel of an axe 4" above and below the blaze, penetrating the wood, but not notched.

ADJOINER'S LANDS

Blazes

Hacks

GOVERNMENT LANDS

6" TO 8"

LINE TREE

4' TO 5'

BLAZES AND HACKS

QUARTER BLAZE LINE BLAZE FACE BLAZE

NOTES:

Posts shall be plumb and solidly planted with a minimum of 24" in the ground.

54-2

54-2 at Ridge 54-2 at Trail 54-2 at Spacing 54-2 at

Road

PROFILE OF BOUNDARY LINE SHOWING SIGN PLACEMENT

MAXIMUM

300'

INTERVISIBLE

or

All sign posts to be set within 1 foot of true line.

54-2 Stream54-2 at

>50' <100'

54-2 at Spacing at Corner at Corner

INTERVISIBLE

EXHIBIT 5

Sample Marking/Survey Report

Findings Report for U. S. A. Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest

Portions of Tracts C-1609a & C-1720 lying in Land Lots 51, 52, 61& 62 of the 19th District, 1st Section, Towns County, Ga. by; Surveyors of XYZ, P.C.

References:

Tract C-1609a, see DB U, pg. 31 Tract C-1720, see deed from Ralph Foster to U.S.A. dated Sept 12, 1957 & Retracement survey by R. Kelly dated Feb. 1992 See also plat of survey by this firm for tracts shown above dated September 30, 2008

Date: September 30, 2008 This survey began at a reference monument for corner 17 of Tract C-1609a, this monument is a USFS monument stamped as being N64W 70' from corner 17 at intersection of the property line of Tract C-1609a and the north R/W of Georgia Hwy.17/75. This point also being common with Soapstone Community S/D, shown on PB 37, pg. 161-169, Towns County.

The survey proceeded in a northwest direction along a red painted line and the boundary of Tract C-1609a and said S/D to corner 16 at a 6" dead Oak tree with red blazes, continuing on and passing a 1/2" rebar at a rock 214.1' from corner 16, to corner 15 at a U.S.F.S monument, a rebar w/cap, and on to corner 14 on top of ridge at a fallen 16" Pine tree. The stump was removed and a U.S.F.S monument was set at the position of a 16" Pine as indicated by plat for Soapstone Community S/D. A 1/2" rebar was found 46.3' back along property line towards corner 15.

The property line from corner 14 Tract C-1609a to corner 5 Tract C-1720 common to the U.S.F.S. and Soapstone S/D is a ridgeline. Beginning at corner 14 and continuing on to corner 5 numerous encroachments from recent development were encountered and the top of the ridge could not be identified with a reasonable certainty in all areas therefore the red painted line maintained by the U.S.F.S. was used as the next higher form of evidence in areas needed to establish the property line. This line was used in comparison to the current title lines and monuments found and the differences noted on the plat of survey by this firm. The encroachments encountered along the property from corner 14 to corner 5 include grading operations for road construction & maintenance, drainage ditches that divert runoff on to the U.S.N.F., underground utility construction, utility equipment, log piles, gravel, fill slopes, cut banks, clearing, silt fence, firearm targets, piles of wood chips, ect., all are shown in detail on plat of survey by this firm.

EXHIBIT 6

EXAMPLE CORNER CARD (FORM-7100-52) INSTRUCTIONS

Numbers refer to those indicated on the card

1. Self-explanatory, R.D. denotes Ranger District and N.F. denotes National Forest.

2. Divide this section into two parts. In the left section describe the corner monument called for in the Government description or Government Corner Card. In the right section describe the monument found.

3. Divide this section into two parts. In the left section describe the accessories called for in Government description or Government Corner Card. In the right section describe the accessories found.

4. Describe general location, how to reach, local witnesses and general information.

5. The person or contractor, and date of recovery,

6. Sketch showing major topographic features in approximate relationship to the corner.

7. Identify aerial photograph and tie to picture point. NOT REQUIRED UNLESS

SHOWN IN SUPPLEMENTAL SPECIFICATIONS.

8. Self-explanatory, NOT REQUIRED UNLESS SHOWN IN SUPPLEMENTAL

SPECIFICATIONS.

EXAMPLE CORNER CARD (FORM-7100-52)

INSTRUCTIONS – NUMBERS REFER TO THOSE INDICATED ON THE CARD

9. Describe work done in remonumenting, refurbishing, or remarking the corner. Fully describe any new monument set.

10. Describe work done to preserve old bearing trees, and fully describe all new bearing trees and objects set.

11. The person who accomplished the work, or who supervised it.

12. May be used for information from front of card or other comments.

13. Complete Tract number and Corner number only.