ATTA_CH_1_APP_12Mile_CSE_Inventory_TO_May_2016_Final.docx

ATTTACHMENT 1 Statement of Work

12 Mile Project Gate One Stand Inventory Appalachian Ranger District National Forests in North Carolina

Performance Period: From May 30th, 2016 thru August 31st, 2016 An average workday production per field crew is estimated at 10 - 15 plots/day. The Contractor shall maintain progress at a rate that shall assure completion and acceptance of work within the task order time frame. The Contractor will provide weekly progress status reports. Similarly, the Contractor shall not withhold data from submission to the Forest Service such that available inspectors cannot complete the timely inspections as provided for in this contract.

Schedule of Items:

Note: Site conditions vary from unit to unit. Prospective bidders are encouraged to conduct an on-site visit reconnaissance in order to have first-hand knowledge of existing conditions for preparing bids.

Table 1: Schedule of Items

QUANTITY

BID AMOUNT

Brief Description of the Requirement: Collect stand level plot inventory data to characterize current forest conditions for a landscape level elk habitat and vegetation management/ restoration project that is in accordance with the current Nantahala and Pisgah Land and Resource Management Plan.

Location: The project area is comprised of all forest service lands of the Appalachian Ranger District southwest of Interstate 40 approximately and 18 miles northwest of Canton, NC. See attached Vicinity Map.

Accessibility and Conditions: The project area shall be accessed by Forest Service Roads. See attached compartment maps for roads access in the project area. Under normal weather conditions, Forest Roads are accessible by standard pickup or similar type of vehicle. Should roads become inaccessible due to rain, snow, fallen trees, slides, washouts, or Forest fire closure orders, the Government may direct the Contractor to suspend operations until road conditions improve or closures are rescinded. The Government assumes no obligation to do special maintenance to keep roads open and reserves the right to deny any request where road damage is likely to occur.

There is the possibility that a four-wheel drive vehicle may be necessary to travel on some of NFS RD roads. Foot travel to and from stands of 0.25 to 0.5 miles may be common. Slopes are extremely variable and may exceed 35%. Feral hogs, bears, and poisonous snakes, insects or plants may be encountered.

Contractors are subject to the same rules as Forest Service personnel regarding the use of off-road vehicles and must use only utility task vehicles (UTV) or side by sides. These vehicles differ from all-terrain vehicles (ATV) in that UTV payloads run from 800 to 1,350 pounds above the operator/passenger’s weight. UTV’s also have roll-over protection and seat belts unlike ATV.

Contractor Representative: The contractor shall provide a contract representative for the performance of the work. The name of this person and an alternate(s) who shall act for the contractor when the contractor is absent shall be designated in writing to the contracting officer. The contractor representative or alternate shall have full authority to act for the contractor on all contract matters relating to daily operations of implementing this contract. The contractor representative and alternate(s) must be able to read, write, speak, and comprehend English.

Name:

Title:

Address:

Voice:

Fax:

Email:

Contractor-Furnished Property: The Contractor shall furnish all labor, equipment, transportation, supervision, supplies (except those designated as Government-furnished), incidentals, and perform timber stand examinations plots within the 12 mile project area. The task order pre-work conference will include a discussion of the proposed project work schedule, a work order, detailed stand / plot maps and plan work and inspection activities.

Data will be collected using the most recent version of Forest Service Common Stand Exam (CSE) protocols. The CSE Field Guide, R8 Appendixes and list of compatible data recorders can be found at http://www.fs.fed.us/emc/nris/products/fsveg/index.shtml.

The Contractor will be required to have the following listed materials on all days of the task order.

GPS (±20 feet accuracy in the horizontal dimension, geographic coordinate system Lat./Long., Geodetic Datum NAD83)

Government Contract Representatives for Task Order:

Government-Furnished Property:

The Forest Service will deliver to the Contractor the following listed materials, supplies, property or services; hereinafter referred to as Government-Furnished Property, at the pre-work conference or at a mutually agreeable time thereafter but in any case prior to field work. The Contractor shall be liable for all loss or damage of such Government-Furnished Property until it has been returned. Completion and final acceptance of work required under this contract and each task order will be contingent on the return of all Government-Furnished Property in serviceable condition. The Contractor will be charged by a reduction in contract payments the replacement cost of Government-Furnished Property lost or damaged to the extent of becoming unserviceable.

Forest Service Key

*All PDF maps that are provided as part of this project are georeferenced.

Distribution of Plots:

If a pre-generated GPS plot falls in an area that is not representative of the stand (i.e. hardwood hedgerows, windrows, or home sites), offset one chain to capture representative species. In addition, actual plot location shall be offset one chain at perpendicular from any road, perennial stream or permanent opening.

The Forest Service will inspect for the distribution of plots within stands during field inspections. Plot data not representative of the stand will be handled in one of four ways. The Forest Service may:

1. recognize the plot(s) as being in an inclusion and satisfying the requirement for plotting inclusions therefore not necessitating replacement; or

2. recognize the plot(s) as being in an inclusion but being in excess of the requirement for plotting inclusions therefore affecting payments; or

3. require replacement plot(s) in the predominant vegetation community for those determined to be non- representative of the stand up to the required number of plots for that stand size; or

4. require the creation of a new stand of which the non-representative plot or plots become a part and supplemental plots will be required to be taken up to the required number for that new stand size.

Plot Identification:

The Government will supply the number and locations of plots in stands requiring stand exams. The plot locations will be supplied in paper form and common electronic format compatible for use in a Garmin type handheld GPS unit or ESRI mapping products.

The Contractor shall mark sample plot centers on the ground with materials and methods that ensure they can be recovered for a minimum of one year from the date established.

1. A wire flag will be used for the plot center marker. The top of the marker shall be at least one foot above surrounding duff, litter, and down woody debris and also flagged or otherwise made to contrast with natural surroundings.

2. In addition, a free-hanging piece of flagging a minimum of 18” long and of a color to be highly visible shall be suspended no less than 4 feet nor more than 8 feet high as near as practicable over the plot center on a living stem of any diameter or a dead stem at least 1 inch in diameter.

3. Flagging will be marked with the stand number, the plot number, and the date the plot was taken with waterproof ink near the free end of the flagging. Specific materials and methods of marking will be agreed upon at the pre-work conference.

4. Additional flagging is required at approximately 4.5 feet above the ground to mark the first tree measured on a plot with the tied knot in the flagging indicating the direction toward plot center. Any site trees shall also be flagged at breast height with the letters “ST” and shall include, DBH, height, and age, written on the loose end of the flagging to indicate the tree is a site tree.

Recording Requirements: The Forest Service will supply the CSE software. The Forest Service will set the sample design and form requirements. Modifications shall be made by the Forest Service, if necessary. Examples of the data settings in CSE are found in included attachments.

Setting Form (CSE)

For each stand in the contract, the contractor shall record the basal area with a 10 BAF (prism or criterion device set to 10 BAF) of all stems, live and dead, greater than 5.0” DBH within the plot, and a fixed plot size of 1/300th acre for live stems less than 5.0” DBH within the plot, when applicable. The BAF and fixed plot size will remain the same throughout all stands of the contract and are not to be changed by the contractor. The contractor shall be responsible for collecting and filling out the Setting Form for all data items that are set to “YES” in the “Required” column of the table below.

Plot Form (CSE)

The following items are required to be recorded at each plot on the Plot Form. Detailed information and lists of valid codes for each data item are found in the Common Stand Exam Users Guide and Appendices and are available as ‘Help’ on the PDR within the software. The contractor shall be responsible for collecting and filling out the Plot Data Form for all data items that are set to “YES” in the “Required” column of the table below.

Source Comments

Not Collected

Not Collected

Not Collected

Not Collected

Not collected

Not collected

Not collected

Not collected

Not collected

Not collected

Not collected

Not collected

Not collected

All plot data fields, whether required by this contract or not, are included on the plot data form provided in Attachment identified as Example Plot Data Form, non-required fields may not necessarily appear in the CSE program as set up by the Government. Fields not specifically required by this contract are to be left blank (null).

Tree Form (CSE)

Begin recording standing tree data on the Tree form at azimuth 360 (North), progressing in a clockwise direction around plot center. Trees shall be recorded in the following order:

1. All trees, live and dead, with a DBH of 5.0 or greater shall sampled on the variable radius (BAF 10) plot first. Starting with the first tree from due north (which shall be marked in accordance with above specifications listed in “Plot Identification”), collect species and diameter, to nearest 1/10th inch, and estimate of crown ratio for every ‘in’ tree.

a. When encounter “borderline” trees (e.g. those trees are not quite in or out), measure the tree’s DBH and its distance from plot center. Compare this horizontal distance to the limiting distance tables for the 10 BAF. If the measured horizontal distance from plot center is less than or equal to the limiting distance from the respective tables in Appendix J of the Common Stand Exam Field Guide for Region 8, then the tree in question is “in” and is tallied as a sample tree. However, if the measured horizontal distance from plot center is greater than the limiting distance, then the tree in question is “out” and is not tallied.

2. Any damage / defect noticed in live trees shall be recorded in the “Tree Damage Form” of the “Tree Data Form”

Dead trees should be estimated to within ±2 inches DBH, heights within ±10 feet, and species recorded if it can be determined. Amount of decay shall be recorded in the “Log / Snag Decay Field” in the CSE program.

3. All live stems with a DBH of less than 5.0 DBH shall sampled on the small fixed radius (1/300th acre) plot.

a. All stems on small fixed radius plot that have heights that are below Diameter Breast Height (d.b.h.) are only recorded to the nearest foot by number and species.

b. All stems on small fixed radius plot that have heights that are above d.b.h. the d.b.h will be recorded to the nearest inch and no heights will be recorded.

c. All seedlings less than a foot in height will be recorded by species.

4. Site Trees shall be located on plot (recorded as “S” for Site Trees on Plot in CSE Program Tree Data column “S”), and marked with flagging. Information on flagging shall include, DBH, height, and age.

a. 1 site tree per three plots with a minimum of one site tree per stand and a maximum of two per stand will be sampled per stand. Site trees selected will all have the following characteristics to the maximum extent feasible:

i. On the list in Attachment identified as List of Acceptable Site Trees.

ii. In the dominant or co-dominant crown class.

iii. Be of the species defining the Forest Service cover type of the stand. Site Trees should represent the major dominant species found in the stand.

iv. Showing no evidence of insect, disease, or physical damage that would affect the height over age relationship.

v. Growing in a representative site location.

b. DBH – Record the diameter at breast height to the nearest 1 inch.

c. Height – Total height in feet from the ground to the tip of the terminal leader will be required for all site trees recorded.

d. Age – Record the age of the site tree at the point it was increment cored.

Note: Core will be placed back into site tree hole with at least 1 inch exposed to allow easy access during check cruising.

The following items, except as noted, are required to be collected by the Contractor for each tree on the plot, for the specified exam level. Detailed information and lists of valid codes for each data field are found in the Common Stand Exam User Guide and Appendices. The contractor shall be responsible for collecting and filling out the Tree Data Form for all data items that are set to “YES” in the “Required” column in the following table.

If a woody species occurs on any plot and that species is not on the selection list in the template provided, the Contractor shall; (1) code “species” as either “2TE” or “2TD” and, (2) note the species common name in the “Tree Remarks”.

All tree data fields, whether required by this contract or not, are included on the tree data form provided in Attachment. Fields not specifically required by this contract are to be left blank (null) on any hardcopy forms used and in any subsequent re-entry into the software.

Field Notes

Provide simple stand level notes in Tree Remarks column on last Tag# of last Plot recorded in stand. Identify any information not easily extrapolated from data, but might affect harvesting activities. For example, if a hardwood inclusion runs parallel to plots but no plots fall in inclusion. Also note if stand delineation needs to occur, based on changes in forest type, condition class, or other issues.

Data Transfer

The data will be transferred to the ExamsPC program by the Forest Service. The contractor is responsible for data stored on the PDRs until the data is uploaded. The Contractor shall submit completed stand information in electronic form within seven (7) days after completion of each Compartment.

Inspection and Acceptance:

Compliance Inspection—The COR will, by formal review, determine if the specified progress and methods of work are being carried out. Failure to comply with specified work standards may be cause for termination of the Contractor’s right to proceed.

Inspection of Work—The Government will inspect the stand examinations to determine compliance with contract specifications and to provide a basis for payment. Completed work, consisting of any required paper forms, maps, and electronic data, will be turned in for inspection in blocks. Field inspections will be made from the electronic data submitted. Inspection will only be made on completed plots.

Within each block, at least 10% of the plots will be selected for inspection to determine if the prescribed work standards have been met. This will constitute the minimum sample plot inspection for determining satisfactory performance. Pass-fail inspection for compliance to other work standards and procedures shall be performed on all blocks.

The Government will make the initial inspection of each block of completed stands without cost to the Contractor. Any re-inspection required due to the Contractor reworking a block will be at the Contractor’s expense. Re-inspection charges may include, but are not limited to: inspector’s wages for travel time to and from work site; inspector’s wages to re-inspect; per diem costs (meals, lodging, field costs); COR wages; vehicle use rate and mileage.

All data submitted for inspection or payment that have omissions or exceed the tolerances allowed for the required fields will be returned to the Contractor for completion or rework. All hand-written forms shall be turned in with their respective stands in an inspection block. All entries must be legible. Any missing, non-legible, or non-applicable entries shall be counted as discrepancies.

The Contractor’s electronic data shall load successfully into FSVeg and run through the edit program without fatal errors or it shall be returned for rework.

The Inspector will locate plot using global position of the plot during field inspection. These coordinates will be used to evaluate the field inspected plot using the tolerances specified in the current Common Stand Exam Field Guide for R8.

The Government is not responsible for GPS down time due to Contractor negligence or satellite disturbances. No Suspend Work Order will be issued, contract time will run during these periods.

1. Determination of Acceptable Work—An inspection, as stated above, will be performed by the Government for evaluation of contract specification compliance. The following will be used for determination of acceptable or unacceptable work.

a. Pass-Fail check of specified standards and procedures for each inspection block. Site examinations deficient in the following specifications are unacceptable on a “pass-fail” basis and will be returned to the Contractor with the entire block for rework. The determination of noncompliance with these items may be made during the office edit or during field inspection.

i. All completed forms and electronic data not submitted to the Forest Service in a timely manner after Contractor completion.

ii. Electronic data that cannot be read by Government computers.

iii. Any plot center located outside of tolerance, or within one chain of stand boundaries.

iv. Stands having less than the prescribed number of sample plots examined.

v. Any sample plot center which cannot be located because of improper plot center labeling or because of improper GPS reference, or for any other reason attributable to noncompliance with specifications.

vi. Any data with inaccurate stand location and stand number data.

vii. Any plot with discrepancy between live and dead tree classifications.

viii. Any inspection block with an overall inspection percentage < 90%

2. Discrepancy Trend—If an individual or crew repeatedly installs plots in the wrong location or makes inaccurate measurements or observations (e.g., missed heights, diameters, etc.), over two inspections, the COR or inspector may notify the Contractor and require the Contractor to rework and/or replace the individual or crew.

3. Rework of Unacceptable Work—The Government reserves the right to require unacceptable blocks, as determined under Section C, Determination of Acceptable Work, to be reworked. Upon written notification by the COR or inspector that a block is unacceptable, the Contractor may be required to complete and submit a rework before beginning another block of work.

a. Correction of Errors

i. Pass-fail failures require correction of errors throughout the block.

ii. All plots in the inspection block will be returned to the Contractor when the block is determined to be unacceptable. The Contractor is required to rework all of the plots in the inspection block. The Contractor shall pay the actual costs incurred by the Government for any re-inspection.

iii. At the Government’s option, on those inspection blocks reworked by the Contractor, a different colored ribbon shall be tied at each plot center. The COR or inspector shall specify the color of the ribbon. Each time a block is reworked, a different colored ribbon shall be used.

iv. The Government is not required to provide more than two (2) re-inspections on any single inspection block. Results of last re-inspection will supersede any prior inspection results for determining acceptability and payment. Failure to pass inspection may result in contract default.

DEMONSTRATION OF INSPECTION PROCEDURES:

The Government shall provide one free inspection to demonstrate inspection procedures. This inspection shall be performed on the first stand the Contractor works.

RE-INSPECTION UPON CONTRACTOR REQUEST:

1. If the Contracting Officer’s Representatives original inspection results are unacceptable to the Contractor, the Contractor has the option to request, in writing, a re-inspection. Requests for re-inspection shall be made within 5 calendar days of receipt of initial inspection results. A complete re-inspection of the original inspected plot(s) will be made. The Contactor may accompany the COR during the re-inspection.

2. If re-inspection does not result in additional payment for the Contractor, the Contractor must pay for the re-inspection. Re-inspection for resubmitted units will be done in accordance with the original inspection procedures.

3. Results of this re-inspection will supersede the original inspection for determining acceptability and payment.

METHOD OF MEASUREMENT AND PAYMENT:

1. Government quality-assurance will be initiated when the Contractor submits all data and forms for a payment item.

2. For stand examination, inspection blocks must have an overall inspection percentage of 90%. The basis for determining if a plot acceptability will be based on its conformity with the plot inspection form (See Appendix A).

DEDUCTIONS:

1. Replacement cost for any lost, damaged, or unused Government property that is not returned shall be deducted from the Contractor's final payment as examples listed below.

2. Unreturned government-furnished keys will result in delay of final payment. Payment will be made after government-furnished keys have been returned.

Attachments:

· Appendix A: Plot Inspection Form

· Vicinity Map

· Compartment Maps (Topo/Roads)

· Compartment Maps (Slope)

APPROVAL:

appendix a

Plot inspection form

CSE Plot Inspection Form

Setting Measurements:

65 possible 62 acceptable (95.4%)

(R8 Field Manual) Value

Sample Design 36 Possible 35 acceptable (97.2%)

Plot Data 31 possible 30 acceptable (93.8%)

Tree Data 37 Possible/Tree 32 acceptable (86.5%)

(R8 Field Manual) Value

*There is no tolerance for recording a tree when none are actually present in any of the above size classes. The recording of a fixed plot tree when none are present will result in a single discrepancy. The recording of a variable plot tree when none are present will result in an unacceptable unit.

1/ Grouping criteria are standardized to facilitate stand exam contract inspection and payment. However, distinguishing characteristics other than tree class, species, and size class may warrant individual tree recording or more refined grouping criteria. Such characteristics include age, crown ratio, crown class, or incidence of damage.

> 3.0 in. DBH otherwise based on total age recorded.)

Tree Damage Agent

Tree Damage Part

Tree Damage Severity