C - 2009 OPENLANDS MECH. TREATMENTS SPECS.doc

WFM-0900-6-HFR-727-0908-01

OPENLANDS MECHANICAL TREATMENTS SPECIFICATIONS

PROJECT NAME: Henslow’s Sparrow (TES) Habitat Improvement

AAP PROJECT NUMBER: WFM-0900-6-HFR-727-0908-01

This project will be divided up into three separate bid items.

· Item One: Mechanical mowing of above-ground vegetative material to surface level.

· Item Two: Mechanical mastication/mulching of surface and below-ground vegetative material to a depth of 4-6 inches..

· Item Three: Finish disking, culti-mulching/culti-packing, and no-till seeding of native warm season grasses, forbs, and legumes. Contractor will provide native warm season grass-forb-legume mix, as specified in contract specifications.

(Please submit your proposal pricing each item separately) Description of Environmental Conditions

The density and type of vegetation varies between each treatment unit. It is strongly recommended that prospective bidders visit each of the units to derive an accurate idea of the density and type of vegetation that will need mechanical treatment.

Some units consist of larger sized trees up to 14”dbh (white pines). Some units consist of a variety and mix of different sized trees (less then 8”dbh), brush, and more open herbaceous vegetation. Some treatment units consist entirely of young herbaceous vegetation (above ground woody vegetation was mechanically removed in 2007 or 2008), leaving only stumps flush with ground level and only require mastication).

The terrain at each of the treatment units is, for the most part, flat to gently sloping. Some units have some greater degree of slope scattered throughout small portions of treatment units. Portions of treatment units may have more shallow soil areas, with the potential of exposed scattered rocky areas. Some small pockets of exposed rock may be scattered through isolated portions of some treatment units, which will be avoided during mechanical mastication/mulching treatment. Shallow soil areas will need mechanically mowed but not masticated below ground.

Road access is very good to all treatment units (refer to individual project maps and vicinity maps.

The majority of the treatment unit boundaries have been marked using fluorescent orange paint, and/or either orange or pink flagging tape. The boundary of some treatment units are very obvious and have not been marked. Maps showing the location and size of each unit have been prepared using GPS units and GIS.

Mechanical treatments are to be implemented within the boundary painted/marked. Painted/flagged treatment unit boundary trees are not to be removed.

Time Period for Implementing Mechanical Treatments The mechanical removal of above-ground vegetation and mastication/mulching of surface and below ground vegetation may be completed during the time period from October 1, 2009 through September 30, 2010 (with the exception of seasonal or special environmental condition restrictions as listed below).

Finish disking, culti-mulching/culti-packing and seeding using a no-till warm season grass drill may take place during the time period from October 1, 2009 through July 15, 2010, and October 1, 20010 through July 15, 2011. Seeding of native warm season grasses-forbs-legumes may not take place during the time period July 16 through September 30.

Seasonal or Special Environmental Condition Restrictions

No mechanical work will be conducted during the following time periods:

· November 16-23, and November 30-December 15. The purpose of these “no operation periods” is to avoid conflicts, and potential safety issues, during the Illinois public deer gun and muzzleloader hunting seasons.

· During wet weather such that the operation of mechanized equipment will cause excessive soil erosion , soil run-off from treatment units or excessive rutting, or movement/washing of seed from treatment unit.

· No seeding of native warm season grass-forb-legume seed mix will be seeded from July 16 through September 30.

No operation of mechanical machinery when wet conditions exist such that equipment operation will cause substantial soil rutting and movement of soil material from treatment units (as determined by the Contracting Officer (CO), or the designee (i.e Contract Office Representative-COR).

Mechanical mowing of above-ground vegetation shall not take place within 10 feet of any perennial or intermittent streams. Mastication of surface and below-ground vegetative material shall no take place within 15 feet of perennial or intermittent streams.

Cleaning of Equipment for Non-Native Invasive Plant Material

All mechanical equipment that will be utilized to mechanically treat treatment units must be washed, prior to coming onto National Forest lands, so as to be free of soil material and vegetative debris to avoid the possibility of transporting non-native invasive plant parts/materials onto National Forest lands. All equipment must be inspected by either: a) the Contracting Officer Representative COR), or b) the Contract Inspector (CI), before equipment can be unloaded onto National Forest lands.

All mechanical equipment brought onto National Forest lands, and used to mechanically treat treatment units, must also be washed of all soil material and vegetative debris before departing National Forest lands to avoid the possibility of transporting non-native invasive plant parts/materials to off-Forest areas. Equipment must be inspected by either: a) the Contracting Officer Representative (COR), or b) the Contract Inspector (CI).

Desired Post-Treatment Condition:

Mechanical treatment to remove above-ground vegetation must meet these required post-treatment conditions:

1. Mechanical treatments must cut, chip, or shred all of the above-ground woody and herbaceous vegetation such that the only vegetative debris remaining above ground within treatment units consists of vegetative chips that are distributed across the unit such that no vegetative debris larger then 2” in diameter remains on the unit. No more then 5 percent of each treatment unit may have vegetative debris that is larger then 2” in diameter, but no vegetative stalks, trunks, and/or branches may be greater then 6” in length. No remaining piles (within identified treatment units) of vegetative debris will be permitted (i.e. mechanically mowed/ground/chipped vegetation and piling of cut vegetation within treatment units is not permitted). No piling of vegetation will be permitted. All above-ground vegetation must be mowed/chipped with no piles remaining. An exception will be a 15 foot wide leave strip that has been marked extending west-east through treatment unit WLTRS-1 (Walters Tract). This strip is to be retained un-treated. This strip has been marked using orange flagging tape.

2. No vegetative material that has been mechanically removed from treatment units may be pushed or piled into streams, creeks, rivers, or ponds. Effort must be made to avoid blowing/throwing chopped, chipped, shredded or mowed vegetative debris into water bodies (i.e. ponds, lakes, streams).

3. All above-ground vegetative material mechanically mowed, chipped, shredded or removed from treatment units will be kept from public parking areas, forest service roads, state-county roads, or from forest service trails. Any debris inadvertently placed into these areas must be removed.

4. All vegetative material mechanically removed from treatment units will be kept from adjacent private properties.

5. Trees/shrubs that are not to be cut/removed have been marked at mechanical treatment unit PNTB-1. Leave trees have been marked using one or both of the following methods: a) yellow flagging tape; and/or, b) white paint. Trees/shrubs that have been marked in this manner shall be protected from damage during mechanical treatments. No live hardwood trees greater then 9”dbh will be cut/removed from treatment units.

6. In some treatment units, as identified in attachments and contract specifications, leave trees will be marked for retention on a specified spacing by the contractor, in accordance with specifications by treatment unit, as listed in attachments.

7. Mastication shall not occur within 15 feet of any marked or other leave trees in treatment units so as to avoid “unacceptable damage” to the below-ground root system. “Unacceptable damage” is hereby identified as follows: a) damage/abrasion/cutting into bark resulting from contact with mechanical equipment, or abrasion by other vegetative debris; b) greater than 30 percent of the roots damaged during mechanical treatments; c) backing over, crushing of trees/shrubs. Any vegetation marked with yellow flagging tape is not to be cut/removed. Yellow flagging tape may be placed around the trunk of trees or shrubs, or hung on the ends of branches or limbs (most commonly used to mark shrubs).

8. In some treatment units, as specified in attachments, no trees larger then 12”dbh will be removed. In some treatment units, as specified in attachments, the larger oak trees will be retained scattered throughout treatment units on an average spacing of 150 feet. In one treatment unit (ASBE-1), the largest white pines will be retained scattered throughout the treatment unit on an average spacing of 150 feet.

9. No dead trees greater than 6” in diameter (measured at breast height) shall be intentionally cut/removed from any treatment units from April 1 through September 30). No standing dead trees greater then 9”dbh will be intentionally removed from treatment units at any time.

10. Mechanical treatment will leave no piles of shredded/chipped vegetative debris greater then 3 inches in depth within treatment units. Where the amount of vegetative debris resulting from the mechanical treatment is likely to result in areas with greater then 3 inches depth, no more then 2 percent of the treatment unit may have chips remaining that exceed 3 inches depth. All chips/shredded vegetative debris must be spread across treatment area.

Mechanical mastication treatment to grind/masticate all below-ground vegetative materials must meet these required post-treatment conditions:

1. For mechanical treatment units that are to be treated using mechanical mastication/mulching (as specified in attachments), the entire unit is to be masticated, which includes all vegetative material at or near soil surface, or below soil surface, stumps, roots, or other below ground vegetative material, to a depth of at least 4-6 inches below soil surface. The only exception will be areas that have been determined to be: a) too rocky to safely and economically treat the below-ground soil area, b) too steep to safely mechanically treat, c) shallow soils having below rock too close to the soil surface, d) areas within close proximity to identified leave trees; and/or, e) other areas that the contractor and COR have jointly agreed to avoid due to safely issue or potential for damage to personnel, resources, or equipment. The objective is to have treatment units in a post-treatment condition that are ready for finish disking, culti-mulching/culti-packing and no-till seeding. Treatment units that are masticated/mulched will have no above-ground vegetative debris remaining. An exception will be a 15 foot wide leave strip that has been marked extending west-east through treatment unit WLTRS-1 (Walters Tract). This strip is to be retained un-treated in order to maintain some cover on this unit. This strip has been marked using orange flagging tape.

2. Finish disking will remove any surface debris that would interfere with seeding, as well as break up any clods of dirt.

3. For any mastication/mulching conducted between September 1 and October 31, a temporary cover crop of winter wheat must be broadcast on treated areas. Apply wheat seed at the rate of one bushel per acre, to help reduce soil erosion. Wheat must be applied before the onset of the next forecast rain.

Finishing disking, culti-mulching/culti-packing, seeding must meet this required post-treatment conditions:

1. Finish disking: this treatment will break up soil clods, help to level out the soil surface, and prepare the treatment unit for culti-mulching/culti-packing. No vegetative debris will remain on the surface of treatment units that would interfere with culti-mulching/culti-packing and seeding using a no-till warm season grass drill.

2. Culti-mulching/culti-packing: this treatment will level out the soil surface layer, break up any remaining dirt clods, and help to compact the soil in preparation for seeding using a no-till seeder designed for the seeding of native warm season grasses. Culti-mulching/culti-packing will prepare the treatment unit for seeding using a no-till seeder designed for seeding native warm season grasses. No culti-mulching/culti-packing or seeding will take place within a 15 foot wide leave strip that has been marked extending west-east through treatment unit WLTRS-1 (Walters Tract). This strip is to be retained un-treated in order to maintain some cover on this unit. This strip has been marked using orange flagging tape.

3. Seeding of warm season grasses, forbs, and legumes: a seeder must be used that is specifically adapted for the seeding of warm season grasses. Normal broadcast seeders or other no-till seeders not specifically designed for the seeding of warm season grasses cannot be used for seeding warm season grasses, forbs, and legumes. Forb and legume seed will be applied at the same time as warm season grass seed. Contractor will provide all of the seed, as specified in contract specifications and attachments.

4. Species of warm season grass, forb and legume seed to use, mimimal purity levels, and application rates: Contractor will use the following seed mixture and application rates, which are provided for each species in the mix on a pounds of pure live seed (pls) per acre: a) Little Bluestem (71% purity)-2.00 pounds pls/ac., Sideoats Grama grass (89% purity)-1.0 pounds pls/ac., Native Canada wildrye (98% purity)-.50 pounds pls/ac., Illinois bundleflower-Desmanthus illinoensis (99% purity)-3 ounces pls/ac., Native partridge pea (99% purity)-6 ounces pls/ac., Blackeyed Susan (99% purity)-1 ounce pls/ac., Purple Prairie clover (98% purity)-2 ounces pls/ac., Purple coneflower-Echinacea purpurea (94% purity)-1 ounce pls/ac., Native false oxeye sunflower (98% purity)-2 ounces pls/ac., showy tick trefoil-Desmodium canadense (100% purity)-.5 ounce pls/ac., Lead plant (96% purity)-.5 ounce pls/ac., Native white prairie clover-Dalea candida (62% purity)-.5 ounce pls/ac, and Grayhead coneflower-Ratibida pinnata (99% purity)-1 ounces pls/ac. Native warm season grass-forb-legume seed mix must have been grown in the following states: Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, or Indiana.

5. Winter wheat seed must be also applied on sites seeded in warm season grass, forb, legume seed mixtures when seeding is conducted between September 1 and October 31. Winter wheat will need to be applied at the minimal rate of one bushel per acre to serve as a temporary cover crop to help reduce erosion and soil run off. Wheat must be applied before the onset of the next forecast rain.

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