Appendix_A_L.Bvr_fuels_rdstabiliz_spec_12.21.09_a.pdf

APPENDIX A

FUEL REDUCTION

MANDATORY AND OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES

General:

For purposes of this Stewardship Project slash consists of all natural fuels as well as activity fuels.

Activity fuels consist of woody material standing and down resulting from Contractor’s operations.

Biomass is woody material not meeting minimum sawtimber or nonsawtimber specifications.

This material is a by-product of restoration activities and includes limbs, tops and needles generated through harvest operations (activity fuel) and those natural fuels (i.e. ladder fuels) that are prescribed to be treated to meet fuel reduction objectives.

Contractor shall include a schedule for completion of slash treatment activities in the Technical Proposal and quality control measures in the Quality Control.

MANDATORY FUEL REDUCTION

Slash Treatment

Methods:

Specifications:

Item 1 – Removal of

Non-sawtimber

Units 1A, 2, 3C, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 10A, 10B, 10C, 20, 20A, 20B, 21, 22, 23, 40 and 41

Refer to Appendix B – Contract Provsion K-C.2#.

Item 2 – Slashing

Units 1A, 3C, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10B, 20, 40 and 41

Contractor shall fell all live and dead coniferous vegetation not meeting utilization standards and over 3 feet in height, unless otherwise designated to be left standing. Stump height shall not exceed 6 inches from ground surface as measured on the uphill side. Trees shall be completely severed from the stump.

Only portions of Units 9 (4 Ac.), 20 (15 Ac.) and 41 (5 Ac.) require slashing, as shown on the Contract Area Map. (Refer to Detail)

Appendix A

AG-82B1-S-10-0040

Item 3 – Excavator

Piling

Units 1A, 3C, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10B, 20, 40

Machine piling shall be accomplished with a an excavator equipped with an approved bucket with thumb or other attachment designed for site preparation and approved by the Forest Service.

The actual acreage to be piled may be reduced by proper utilization of non-sawtimber material. However, in the event logging activities result in significant accumulations of slash due to breakage or as a result of slashing, excavator piling shall be performed to mitigate the accumulations of slash.

Contractor shall grapple pile logging slash within cutting units 1A, 3C, 5, 6, 8, 10B, and 40 and portions of cutting units 9 (3 ac.) and 20 (15).

Portions of cutting units to be pile are identified on the Contract Area Map.

(Detail)

An accumulation of slash will be defined as, activity slash concentrations over a one-tenth acre that could be piled to the minimum height of 5 feet in height and 6 feet in width but not more than __10__ feet in width.

Piles shall be placed no closer than 50 feet from the outside perimeter of the unit, system roads, wet areas, or other areas designated on the ground by the Forest Service. No pile or windrow shall be closer than 10 feet from any standing reserve trees. Piles shall be compact and free of soil.

Where material is available, Contractor will leave a minimum of 7 and a maximum of 13 tons of woody material over 6 inches in diameter on the large end and and at least 4 feet in length scattered, as much as practical, throughout the cutting unit.

Item 4 – Hand

Fireline/Fuelbreak

Construction

Units 7 and 41

Firelines shall be constructed by hand around the perimeter or portions of the perimeter of each cutting unit. Locations of hand firelines required around portions of cutting units are shown on the Contract Area Map.

A fuelbreak shall be cleared of all vegetative debis greater than __1_ inch large end diameter and __4_ feet long for a minimum width of _12___ feet.

All vegetative material removed from the fuelbreak shall be scattered within the unit and not windrowed or otherwise concentrated adjacent to the fuelbreak. Large fuels shall be placed in line laying up and down the slope.

On the exterior edge of the fuelbreak a fireline will be constructed so that a continuous mineral soil line not less than __1.5__ feet in width shall be clearded to completely expose mineral soil.

Appendix A

Item 4A – Excavator

Units 1A, 10A and 40

Mineral firelines/fuelbreaks shall be constructed by excavator around the perimeter, or portions of the perimeter of each cutting unit. Locations of firelines/fuelbreaks required around portions of cutting units are shown on the Contract Area Map.

The fireline will be constructed so that a continuous mineral soil line not less than 1 foot and not greater than 2 feet shall be cleared completely to expose mineral soil. If a fuelbreak is required, the mineral fireline will be constructed on the exterior edge of the fuelbreak. Slash will not be buried or covered with dirt during the construction of the fireline.

The fuelbreak shall be cleared of all vegetative debris larger than 1 inch large end diameter and 4 feet long for a minimum width of 12 feet. Large fuels, such as chunks of logs, shall be placed in line up and down the slope so they will not roll down the slope during burning operations. All vegetative material removed from the fuelbreak shall be scattered within the unit, relatively free of mineral soil and scattered to avoid concentrations greater than 2 feet in height.

Item 5 – Handpiling

Units 9 and 41

Contractor shall handpile all logging slash adjacent to the southern boundary of the cutting units extending 100 feet into the unit as shown on the Contract Area Map.

Slash to be piled shall include all material from 1 inch diameter up to and including 3 inches in diameter at the large end, having a minimum length of 4 feet. Piles shall have a minimum height of __6__ feet. Piles shall be located at least 10 feet away from any residual green tree. If conditions make it impractical to locate piles so that damage to residual green trees can be avoided, an area designated by the Forest Service will be cleared and used as a piling area.

Piles shall be constructed reasonably compact and free of soil to facilitate burning. Piles shall also be constructed with enough fine material (less than

¼ inch in diameter), such as twigs and needles to easily ignite and burn the pile. All piles should have a good base to prevent the pile from toppling.

Piles will not be made on downed logs or stumps.

ROAD STABILIZATION

MANDATORY ITEM 8

Scarification

Contractor shall scarify existing two-tracked roads. Road locations are identified on the Contract Area

Map.

Scarification shall span the width of the compacted areas and shall be done to a depth of not less than 8 inches, but not to exceed a depth of 12 inches, pull outside berm to center of road, and must effectively prepare the ground for seeding.

In addition where avaiable, from 7 to 13 tons per acre of logging slash, stumps or other woody debris shall be placed and scattered over the scarified surface.

Contractor shall construct water bars every 100 feet when slope is great than 15% and every 50 feet when slope is over 45%.

Scarification shall be done during the period July 1 to October 15 unless otherwise approved. No scarification work shall be done during wet weather or when the ground is frozen or otherwise unsuitable.

Equipment specifications shall be included in the Contractor’s Technical Proposal.

Seed and Fertilizer Application

Following completion of scarification, Contractor shall seed and fertilize all exposed areas of

Seed and fertilizer shall be spread evenly at the rate of 30 pounds of seed and 240 pounds of fertilizer per acre. When fertilizer and seed are applied in separate operations, the second operation shall be carried out within 72 hours of the first.

Application shall be during the period September 1 to October 15 and under the above specified conditions unless otherwise approved.

The kinds and amounts of seed to be sown in terms of pure live seed (PLS) shall be:

Species of Seed PLS Pounds per Acre

Winter Wheat or Annual Rye 18

Hard Fescue 6

Orchard Grass 6

TOTAL 30

Contractor shall provide to the Forest Service:

1. Blue tags, or copies of blue tags from each seed lot used in the specified mix. Only certified, blue-tagged seed shall be used. The blue tag represents a field certification and serves as evidence of the genetic purity and varietal identity of the seed contained in the seed lot .

2. Labels which indicate the percentage composition of the various species in the seed mix.

3. Copies of Seed Analysis Reports from a certified seed analyst for each seed lot used in the specified mix. Contractor will obtain this report from the seed provider. Seed Analysis Reports must include at a minimum, content of any noxious weed seeds listed on the current “State of

Montana Noxious Weeds List”. Only after the Forest Service has verified that this report indicates the seed does not contain any weeds on the current “State of Montana Noxious Weeds

List”, will the seed be accepted and used.

The following kinds and amounts of standard commercial fertilizer shall be used with guaranteed analysis of contents clearly marked on containers:

Type of Fertilizer Pounds Per Acre

27-10-10 240

OPTIONAL FUEL REDUCTION

Slash Treatment

Methods:

Specifications:

Item 9 – mandatory

Removal of Non-sawtimber

Units 1, 1B, 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 10D, 11

Refer to Appendix B – Contract Provsion K-C.2#.

Item 10 – Slashing

Units 1, 3A, 4, 11

Contractor shall fell all live and dead coniferous vegetation not meeting utilization standards and over 3 feet in height, unless otherwise designated to be left standing. Stump height shall not exceed 6 inches from ground surface as measured on the uphill side. Trees shall be completely severed from the stump.

Item 11 –Excavator

Piling

Units 1, 3A, 4, 11

Machine piling shall be accomplished with a an excavator equipped with an approved bucket with thumb or other attachment designed for site preparation and approved by the Forest Service.

The actual acreage to be piled may reduced by proper utilization of non-sawtimber material. However, in the event logging activities result in significant accumulations of slash due to breakage or as a result of slashing, excavator piling shall be performed to mitigate the accumulations of slash.

Contractor shall grapple pile logging slash within the cutting units 1, 3A, 4, 11.

An accumulation of slash will be defined as, activity slash concentrations over a one-tenth acre that could be piled to the minimum height of 5 feet in height and 6 feet in width but not more than __10__ feet in width.

Piles shall be placed no closer than 50 feet from the outside perimeter of the unit, system roads, wet areas, or other areas designated on the ground by the Forest Service. No pile or windrow shall be closer than 10 feet from any standing reserve trees. Piles shall be compact and free of soil.

Where material is available, Contractor will leave a minimum of 7 and a maximum of 13 tons of woody material over 6 inches in diameter on the large end and and at least 4 feet in length scattered, as much as practical, throughout the cutting unit.

Item 12 – Excavator

Unit 1

Mineral firelines/fuelbreak shall be constructed by excavator around the perimeter, or portions of the perimeter of each cutting unit. Locations of firelines required around portions of cutting units are shown on the

Contract Area Map.

The fireline will be constructed so that a continuous mineral soil line not less than 1 foot and not greater than 2 feet shall be cleared completely to expose mineral soil. If a fuelbreak is required, the mineral fireline will be constructed on the exterior edge of the fuelbreak. Slash will not be buried or covered with dirt during the construction of the fireline.

The fuelbreak shall be cleared of all vegetative debris larger than 1 inch large end diameter and 4 feet long for a minimum width of 12 feet.

Large fuels, such as chunks of logs, shall be placed in line up and down the slope so they will not roll down the slope during burning operations.

All vegetative material removed from the fuelbreak shall be scattered within the unit, relatively free of mineral soil and scattered to avoid concentrations greater than _2_ feet in height.