LH2_AppendixA_ServiceProvisions_01082015.pdf

Lockhart Two Stewardship Contract – Appendix A

APPENDIX A

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR BASE AND OPTIONAL WORK ITEMS

Based on the confidential Government Cost Estimate, the Forest Service intends to fund all Base work items listed in Section B – the Schedule of Items. “Base” items are those items that are fully funded at the time of contract award.

Funding for work on “optional” items may become available dependent on bid prices and budget fluctuations, at which time the contract will be modified to change optional items to base items.

1. Scope of Work

The goal of this project is to alter existing stand structure and fuel loading in forest stands in preparation for prescribed burning by the Forest Service. The project is designed to result in no net change to existing noxious weed composition and distribution.

The timber harvest and removal requirements of this contract, including all specifications and requirements for road maintenance and construction of temporary roads, are in Appendix B of this solicitation. Slash treatment associated with timber removal is also detailed in Appendix B. The fuels treatments are in Appendix A.

Surface fuels and non-commercial tree treatments shall be accomplished through methods such as machine tree falling, mastication, hand tree falling, piling, and/or removal of non-commercial fuels. The Contractor shall determine the specific means for accomplishing these needs within the stated specifications

2. Project Location and Description

(a) Accessibility – Unless otherwise indicated, the general work area may be reached by open Forest Service or county roads that are accessible by standard two-wheel drive pickup during periods of dry weather. The Contract Area is generally snow covered from November to June. The Forest Service assumes no obligation to plow snow or perform special maintenance to maintain access.

(b) Boundaries – Exterior boundaries of numbered treatment units are marked with orange paint.

(c) Acreage – Acreages of numbered treatment units have been determined by global positioning system

(GPS) survey.

3. Contractor-Furnished Equipment and Services The Contractor shall provide skilled labor, experienced supervision, equipment, transportation, operating supplies, incidentals and inspection services, except those items listed as Government-Furnished property, sufficient to perform the work in compliance with the contract.

4. Government-Supplied Materials

The Government will provide the Contractor:

Uncompahgre Travel Plan maps to aid in determining legal modes of transportation.

5. Work Specifications

A. Treatment Unit Description TableA

A: Definitions associated with items in table are provided in 5C. Definitions B: Lop and scatter only acceptable in areas where residual slash loadings will not exceed surface fuel loading requirements.

C: Species Abbreviations:

AS: Aspen; AF: Subalpine-Fir; BS: Blue Spruce; DF: Douglas-fir; ES: Engelmann Spruce; PP: Ponderosa Pine

Unit(s) Associated Timber

Surface Fuel Loading Requirement (Mean Tons/ac)

Allowable Non-commercial tree and Surface Fuels Treatment Options

Required Non-commercial Tree and Surface Fuel Treatments

C

Mastication Removal Lop and Scatter

B

Piling

1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14

Y 8-12 Y Y Y

Hand or Machine (grapple) Piles

1. Cut 80% of insect defoliated BS, DF and ES trees <5” DBH and 80% of live and dead AF trees <5” DBH

2. Treat surface fuel loadings in excess of requirements with allowable methods.

3. Buck all BS and ES slash > 3” (small end) into 4’ segments.

17, 18, 19 Y 8-12 Y Y Y

Hand or Machine (grapple) Piles

1. Cut 80% of AF, BS, DF and ES trees <5”

DBH

2. Treat surface fuel loadings in excess of requirements with allowable methods.

B. ATV Trail Rehabilitation

Remove and dispose of existing metal ATV restrictor at an off-Forest recycling or waste disposal facility.

ATV trail rehabilitation activities shall not take place until all service work (Table 5A), timber cutting and hauling (Appendix B) and skid trail and temp road closure have been completed and accepted in units 8, 11 and 12.

Ouray District Recreation staff shall be consulted for determining the exact sections of the existing road template of 47 Trail to be rehabilitated, prior to the start of work.

Mechanically rip (As describe in Appendix B, RO-KT-FT.3.4# - OBLITERATION OF TEMPORARY ROADS, SKID TRAILS AND LANDINGS) the compacted road surface to a depth of 6 to 12 inches and recontour road edges to maintain a maximum 50 inch width ATV trail corridor, except where bedrock limits ripping or recontouring.

Trail drainage structures and spacing shall be maintained as specified in Appendix B, RO-KT-GT.6# - EROSION

PREVENTION AND CONTROL

Seed the ripped sections of road with seed mix and rate of application contained in Appendix B, RO-KT-GT.6.0.1#

- EROSION CONTROL SEEDING.

Obstruct ripped portions of trail with a combination non-commercial cull material, tops and logging slash and/or surface fuels, not to exceed a depth of 12 inches. Non-commercial material and tops of 3 inches or larger should be placed perpendicular to roadway at least every 15 to 20 feet of road length. Material should be distributed throughout the entire length of the road and skid trail and should cover at least 50%, but no more than 80% of the disturbed ground surface.

For use in rebuilding ATV trail-width restrictor, skid and retain 12, 16 foot green AS logs included within Unit 17 the intersection of the 47 Trail (#100) and NFSR 507 Lockhart Road. Logs must have a maximum large end diameter of 12 inches and a minimum small end diameter of 8 inches. Logs shall be piled and located so piles do not impede trail traffic.

C. Definitions

Bucked: Cutting of a tree bole to a designated length.

Detrimental Soil Impacts: The compaction (including rutting over three inches deep), displacement (removal of surface soil), or erosion of soil resulting from equipment use.

DBH: “Diameter at Breast Height.” Tree diameter, in inches, from the upslope side of tree at 4.5 feet above ground height.

Insect Defoliated: Conifer trees with either dead tops or greater than 60% of the original live tree crown defoliated by insects (primarily spruce budworm).

Live: Live trees shall include all trees with any amount of green needles, including declining trees partially to heavily defoliated by insects.

Ladder Fuels: Ladder fuels include all live subalpine fir, and Engelmann and blue spruces less than 5.0 inches DBH and dead Douglas-fir, subalpine fir, and Engelmann and blue spruces less than 8.0 inches DBH that are not otherwise marked for reserve AND are underneath the live crowns of residual PP trees

(i.e. canopy drip line). Standing live or dead Gambel oak, ponderosa pine, and aspen of any size are not considered to be ladder fuels.

Lop and Scatter: A vegetation treatment method in which a felled tree bole is bucked, branches are severed from the bole, and material is scattered on forest floor to a height not greater than twenty-four inches above ground level.

Non-commercial trees: Non-commercial trees are conifers <8.0” DBH not-otherwise marked for retention (Appendix B, RO-KT-CT.3.5.6# - INDIVIDUAL TREES LEAVE TREE MARKING) or included as timber products (Appendix B, AT.2). This includes all ladder fuels, insect defoliated conifers <5.0” DBH and dead conifers <8.0” DBH.

Slash: Slash is defined as logs, tops, limbs, and other woody material, exclusive of stumps, which is created by the logging operation OR non-commercial tree treatments and remaining on the ground after logging (See RO-KT-GT.7# - SLASH TREATMENT Appendix B).

Surface Fuels: Surface fuels are downed woody vegetation on the forest floor including slash (see above) resulting from commercial and non-commercial treatments associated with this contract and dead woody vegetation material already present on the forest floor prior to treatments.

D. Surface fuels Piling Specifications

Piles shall be constructed of Surface fuels. All piles should have a good base to prevent the pile from toppling.

No piles are to be made in system roads, streams or within the channel bottom above any culvert intake.

Piles shall be located at least twice the diameter of the pile from the live canopy edge (i.e. drip line) of any residual live trees. If conditions make it impractical to locate piles so that damage to residual live trees cannot be avoided, an area designated by the Forest Service shall be cleared and used as a piling area.

Hand Piles: Hand piles shall have a minimum diameter of 6.0 feet and height of 5 feet and a maximum diameter of 8.0 feet and 6 feet in height. All material extending more than 4 feet beyond the outside perimeter of the pile shall be trimmed off and returned to the pile.

Machine Piles: Machine piles shall be built with tracked or rubber-tired machines equipped with a grapple or a bucket with a thumb for grasping tree sections for piling. Machine piles shall have a minimum diameter of 8 feet and height of 5 feet and a maximum diameter of 20 feet and height of 10 feet. All material extending more than 5 feet beyond the outside perimeter of the pile shall be trimmed off and returned to the pile.

E. Mastication Specifications

Mastication may be used to accomplish non-commercial tree treatments as allowed in Table 5A.

Mastication shall be accomplished with tracked or rubber tired machinery featuring a vertical, horizontal or boom mounted grinding head producing an averaged chip size of three inches

(maximum dimension) or greater and a maximum chip size of twenty-four inches (maximum dimension).

A minimum of 8.0 tons/acre of surface fuels > 3 inches in diameter (small end) shall be retained in treated units.

Chip beds shall average less than two inches in depth across 50% of the treatment area with a maximum chip depth of six inches in isolated pockets.

Stubble heights (i.e. stump heights) following mastication shall not exceed 6 inches above ground height.

Mastication treatments shall only be used to reduce densities of non-commercial trees with a DBH less than 5 inches. Mastication treatments shall not be used to reduce densities of commercial timber products in lieu of removal associated with timber provisions or to reduce quantities of surface fuels.

Mastication equipment shall only be used to push or topple live or dead vegetation in order to allow mastication of this material.

Mechanized mastication equipment shall not be used when soil or weather conditions will cause detrimental soil impacts.

Any masticated material that is distributed by treatments onto system road surfaces or to road ditches shall be removed.

Mechanized mastication operations must be capable of distinguishing between tree species to be treated and tree species to be retained. Any equipment or operation approach that is not capable of distinguishing between these species is unacceptable.

F. Traffic Control Plan

Unless otherwise agreed in writing, when Contractor’s Operations are in progress adjacent to or on Forest Service controlled roads and trails open to public travel, Contractor shall furnish, install, and maintain all temporary traffic controls that provide the user with adequate warning of hazardous or potentially hazardous conditions associated with Contractor’s Operations, consistent with Appendix C, Traffic Control Plan.

When work activities are in progress within or adjacent to recreation areas shown on Contract Area Map, a safety zone shall be established and designated on the ground by Forest Service. Contractor shall, unless relieved in writing by Forest Service, provide such flagmen, post signs, erect and maintain barricades, guards, construction signs, warning signs, and detour signs as necessary to warn and protect the public at all times from injury or damage as a result of Contractor's operations.

6. Government Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan

For all non-timber work activities, inspection of each unit first will be accomplished by visual inspection and will be based on adherence to the contract specifications. If visual inspection indicates that Contractor’s work meets specifications, payment will be made at the full price indicated in the Schedule of Items. If visual inspection indicates deficiencies, the Forest Service will quantify deficiencies using monitoring methods described below.

Full payment for a unit will be made when items in the table below meet the Acceptable Quality Level (AQL).

A. Acceptable Quality Level (AQL)

Performance Work Statement

Quality Standard

Performance Standard

(Acceptable Quality Level)

Monitoring Methods

Effect Of Not Meeting

Standard

Statement

Quality Standard

Performance Standard

(Acceptable Quality Level)

Monitoring Methods

Effect Of Not Meeting Performance Standard

Cut live and dead AF, BS and

ES

Task accomplished in Section 5A.

Treatment Unit Description Table.

No more than 10 percent of the trees required to be treated remain untreated on site.

Visual inspection and/or 1/10 th acre circular sample plots to meet a 20% sample error at 90% certainty.

If below minimum rework area at no additional cost to the Government. If above maximum, modify methods.

Lop and Scatter Task accomplished in Section 5A.

Treatment Unit Description Table.

Surface fuels exceeds twenty four inch height specified in lop and scatter definition.

Visual inspection and/or 1/10th acre circular sample plots to meet a 20% sample error at 90% certainty.

Rework area at no additional cost to the Government.

Retain specified Engelmann spruce, Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine less than 5” DBH

Task accomplished in Section 5A.

Treatment Unit Description Table.

No more than 5 % of trees that are required to be retained are treated by cutting or mastication treatments.

Visual inspection, photos and/or 1/10th acre circular sample plots to meet a 20% sample error at 90% certainty.

Modify procedures to avoid protected trees.

Reduction in Contract payments if damage is deemed excessive at $20 per live tree.

Cut all insect defoliated BS and ES <5” DBH

Task accomplished in Section 5A.

Treatment Unit Description Table.

No more than one third of trees retained with less than forty percent of original live (non-defoliated) crown remaining.

Visual inspection, photos and/or 1/10th acre circular sample plots to meet a 20% sample error at 90% certainty.

If below minimum rework area at no additional cost to the Government. If above maximum, modify methods.

Size of masticated material

Task accomplished in Section 5A.

Treatment Unit Description Table.

No more than five percent of the masticated material is larger than twenty four inches long or smaller than 3 inches long. All masticated material is less than twenty four inches above the ground surface and eighty percent of mulch and surface fuels are less than six inches above the ground surface.

Visual inspection, and sampling of masticated material.

Rework area at no additional cost to the Government.

Chip Depth Task accomplished in Section 5A.

Treatment Unit Description Table.

Chip beds shall average less than two inches in depth across 50% of the treatment area

Ninety-nine percent of the treatment area does not contain measured chip depths over six inches.

Visual inspection and/or 1/10th acre circular sample plots to meet a 20% sample error at 90% certainty.

Rework area at no additional cost to the Government.

Statement

Quality Standard

Performance Standard

(Acceptable Quality Level)

Monitoring Methods

Effect Of Not Meeting Performance Standard

Stubble height. Task accomplished in Section 5A.

Treatment Unit Description Table.

Ninety percent of stumps and stubble heights less than 6 inches above the ground.

Visual inspection and/or 1/10th acre circular sample plots to meet a 20% sample error at 90% certainty.

Mow stumps and stubble at no additional cost to the Government.

Protected residual trees.

Task accomplished in Section 5A.

Treatment Unit Description Table.

No more than five percent of trees to be retained are cut including any trees greater than 8 inches DBH and Engelmann spruce, Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine less than 8 inches

DBH.

Visual inspection and count of damaged trees if necessary.

Modify procedures to avoid protected trees. Reduction in Contract payments if damage is deemed excessive at $20 per live tree.

Soil disturbance Task accomplished in Section 5A.

Treatment Unit Description Table.

No more than ten percent of the area has exposed mineral soil or rutting exceeds three inches in depth

Visual inspection and sampling of exposed mineral soil area

Modify procedures to limit soil disturbance and exposure of mineral soil and repair ruts with clean fill.

Minimum and Maximum Surface fuels Loading

Task accomplished in Section 5A.

Treatment Unit Description Table

Average fuel loadings for each unit are within the desired fuel loading range

Visual inspection and/or measurement of fuels with at least 1 planar fuels transect per acre.

Photo series guides may be used to estimate surface fuel loading.

Remove or pile fuels to meet maximum fuel loading requirements.

Machine Piling Task accomplished in Section 5A.

Treatment Unit Description Table.

Ninety percent of piles are built as described in the definition for machine piling

No piles are built with dozers or by pushing of Surface fuels.

Visual inspection of pile construction and final piles.

Rework piles as described in definition for machine piles to meet AQL at no additional cost to the government.

Hand Piling Task accomplished in Section 5A.

Treatment Unit Description Table.

Ninety percent of piles are built as described in the definition for hand piling

Visual inspection of pile construction and final piles.

Rework piles as described in definition for hand piles to meet AQL at no additional cost to the government.

Statement

Quality Standard

Performance Standard

(Acceptable Quality Level)

Monitoring Methods

Effect Of Not Meeting Performance Standard

ATV Trail Rehabilitation

Task accomplished in Section 5A.

Treatment Unit Description Table

Road sections are ripped, recontoured seeded and obstructed as described.

Required logs are skidded and placed in the described location

Visual inspection. Rework to meet AQL at no additional cost to the government.

B. Visual, plot and transect Inspections

For each performance item, the Government may observe or re-inspect the Contractor’s work at any time using visual or plot-based inspection procedures. Any plots used to document Contractor’s work by the Government or the Contractor shall be numbered and identified on the ground. Any unresolved disputes over the results of the Government’s visual inspection procedures by the Contractor shall be based on plot-based measurements using the Monitoring methods contained in Table 6A.

To visually assess Surface fuels loadings, units may be compared to one or more published photoguides of fuel loadings contained in Appendix D:

Appendix D, PartI: Sikkink, Pamela G.; Lutes, Duncan C.; Keane, Robert E. 2009. Field guide for identifying fuel loading models.Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-225. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 33 p.

Appendix D, Part II: Photo Guide for Appraising Downed Woody Masticated Fuels in Interior Ponderosa Pine Forests on the Colorado Front Rangehttp://coloradoforestrestoration.org/CFRIpdfs/2007_WebbPonderosa_Photo_Series.pdf

In cases of disputes over visual inspection of Surface fuels loadings, planar transects will be installed and measured to assess fuels using the following protocol contained in Appendix D:

Appendix D, Part III: Brown, James K. 1974. Handbook for inventorying downed woody material. Gen. Tech.

Rep. INT-16. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. 24 p.