task_order_howard_2_10142008_fy09.doc

Task Order for Howard 2 FRLT Stewardship Project

10/14/2008 revision

DRAFT – DRAFT – DRAFT – DRAFT- DRAFT - DRAFT – DRAFT – DRAFT – DRAFT- DRAFT -

FRLT STEWARDSHIP PROJECT

HOWARD 2 DRAFT TASK ORDER

DELIVERY ORDER NUMBER:__XXXXXXXXX__

Date of Request /Order:_ XXXXXXXX___________________ Master Contract Number: _XXXXXXXX_____________________

Ranger District: ____South Park Ranger District___________________________ Contractor: ______XXXXXXXXXXX________________________________

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: __XXX_Calendar Days.

Notice To Proceed will be issued on or about:___XXXXXXXXXX__ PERFORMANCE DATA: (See attached supporting documents for selection of treatment to be performed and all requirements.)

Project Specifications and Project Area Map provided separately PLACE OF DELIVERY OR PERFORMANCE (Where will the Contractor begin work):

Pikes Peak Ranger District

BILLING AND PAYMENT INSTRUCTIONS:

Billing Address:

TASK ORDER ADMINISTRATION:

Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR):

Name:

Address:

Phone:

Fax:

E-mail:

CONTRACT ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH SCHEDUEL OF ITEMS ORDERED AND PRICE:

Contract Item Number(s):

PRICE

AMOUNT

TOTAL

IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE: Proposed start date: XXXXXXXXX

TASK ORDER ACCEPTANCE:

Contractor’s Authorizing Official

Date

TASK ORDER APPROVALS:

$ AMOUNT

TOTALS-----------(

B & F Officer Certification of Funds Availability

Contracting Officer

FRLT Stewardship

Howard Project Specifications for Cutting Units 1,2,3,4,4,5,6,7

UNIT SPECIFICATIONS:

Table 1: Unit Treatment Description and Level of Dificulty

Number

Slope %

LOP AND Scatter slash, YARD non-sawtimber boles to landing, deck boles at landing

LOP AND Scatter slash, YARD non-sawtimber boles to landing, deck boles at landing

LOP AND Scatter slash, YARD non-sawtimber boles to landing, deck boles at landing

LOP AND Scatter slash, YARD non-sawtimber boles to landing, deck boles at landing

LOP AND Scatter slash, YARD non-sawtimber boles to landing, deck boles at landing

LOP AND Scatter slash, YARD non-sawtimber boles to landing, deck boles at landing

LOP AND Scatter slash, YARD non-sawtimber boles to landing, deck boles at landing

Table 2: Volume Estimate and Utilization Standards (Appendix B, Division A)

Quantity Unit of

Measure Minimum Specifications

Diameter Breast High (d.b.h.)

(inches) Number of Minimum Pieces per Tree Length (feet) Diameter Inside Bark at Small End (inches) Merch. Factor

Timber Subject to Agreement

Total Quantity

1/ Required removal if applicable or removal as Timber Subject to Agreement of Non-sawtimber and biomass will be specified in individual task orders.

2/ Volume for non-sawtimber and biomass not required to be removed will be agreed to in writing at time of removal.

Timber Designations, acres are approximate:

Acres

Clearcutting Units (H.11)

Overstory Removal Units (H.11)

Understory Removal Units (H.11)

Individual Trees (H.11)

Incompletely Measured (H.11)

Designation by Description or Prescription (H.11)

High Stumps

(inches)

Table 3: Timber Removal Price Schedual (Solicitation B.2)

Per Green Ton

BID

(FLAT)

Per Green Ton Required

Surface Replacement

Deposits

$ 1.82

$___0.00___per Ton/Mile

$___0.00___per Ton/Mile

UNIT BOUNDARIES (Solicitation, H.10.3) - The boundaries of work units are designated as shown in the following table. The trees used for boundary designation are not to be cut.

Cutting Unit Boundary Designation Table

Cutting Unit Paint Color

Designation

All Orange

Orange Streaks of paint on three sides of the cutting unit boundary tree extending below stump height to a height of four feet or more. The middle streak of paint faces the area to be cut.

CUTTING PRESCRIPTIONS:

1) Units 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 Sawtimber – This task involves cutting designated ponderosa pine 10.0 inches DBH and greater, Douglas-fir and other conifer species 8.0 inches DBH and greater, and lodgepole pine 7.0 inches DBH and greater. The task may be accomplished by hand falling or mechanical methods.

DESIGNATION BY PRESCRIPTION (Solicitation, H.11.15) - As shown on Contract Area Map, the following criteria shall be used by Contractor to designate trees and other products for cutting and removal within the Subdivision(s) or unit(s) listed below.

Contractor will be required to sample leave tree mark an area with Contractor's non-tracer __Blue_____ paint for approval by Forest Service prior to cutting. If Forest Service approves marking than contractor will not be required to mark leave trees prior to cutting. If at any time Forest Service determines that cutting is not according to prescription than Contractor shall mark leave trees with Contractor's non-tracer ___Blue____ paint if requested to do so by the Forest Service. Forest Service shall inspect and approve Contractor marking prior to cutting.

(a) Additional trees to be cut, if any, are Marked by Forest Service with ___Blue,Yellow or Green____ tracer paint.

(b) Cutting unit boundaries and other trees that shall be left uncut are Marked by Forest Service with __Orange_____ tracer paint.

(c) Subdivision/Unit Criteria

1,2,3,4,5,6,7

1. In general, Limber pine will not be cut, except where their removal would be needed to meet the objectives of a particular treatment. Aspen and Ponderosa pine would be favored for retention. Douglas-fir would be favored for removal. Preferred tree species is Ponderosa pine but do not mark a superior Douglas-fir over a less desirable ponderosa pine and favor large diameter trees for retention over small diameter trees. Trees selected for retention should have crown ratios greater than 30%, show good form and vigor and not have forked tops.

2. Retain 10-80 sqft. of basal area in leave trees unless identified differently in the description of treatments. Use a prism to help determine your “leave tree” basal area. The marking should be irregular, patchy and not 'tree farm' in nature. The marking should consider placement of openings on south and west exposures where openings historically would have persisted for decades. The areas targeted for openings are predominantly dense seedling and sapling stands or are adjacent to small openings that have shrunk from tree encroachment. Other areas targeted for openings would be dwarf mistletoe-infected trees, or pockets of trees infected with insects or other pathogens.

3. In areas where mountain mahogany or other ground vegetation is crowded out, remove edge trees to invigorate the mahogany.

4. In areas of Dwarf mistletoe infection, favor noninfectious trees over infected trees. In heavily infected areas with Douglas-fir present favor the Douglas-fir. Use these areas as possible openings.

5. Cut all merchantable conifer trees inside Aspen clumps and within 1 1/2 tree height of the Aspen. The intention is to encourage Aspen sprouting in this area.

6. Where the existing stand structure allows, maintain 20-30 snags in all stages of development on each 10 acres of harvested area. Retain 2 "hard" snags 12 inches DBH or larger per 10 acres. Retain all "soft" snags, except where they are safety hazards.

7. Remove all live Mountain Pine beetle infested trees. This includes trees with old hits, new hits, or visible signs of dying trees such as thinning, browning crowns. Save snags, which have already lost their needles for wildlife habitat.

8. Protect two turkey roost tree clumps (minimum 0.1 acre) if available, in the sale area.

2) Units 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 Non-sawtimber – This task involves cutting designated ponderosa pine 5.0- 9.9 inches DBH, Douglas-fir and other conifer species 5.0-7.9 inches DBH, and lodgepole pine 5.0- 6.9 inches DBH. The task may be accomplished by hand falling or mechanical methods.

DESIGNATION BY PRESCRIPTION (Solicitation, H.11.15) - As shown on Contract Area Map, the following criteria shall be used by Contractor to designate trees and other products for cutting and removal within the Subdivision(s) or unit(s) listed below.

Contractor will be required to sample leave tree mark an area with Contractor's non-tracer __Blue_____ paint for approval by Forest Service prior to cutting. If Forest Service approves marking than contractor will not be required to mark leave trees prior to cutting. If at any time Forest Service determines that cutting is not according to prescription than Contractor shall mark leave trees with Contractor's non-tracer ___Blue____ paint if requested to do so by the Forest Service. Forest Service shall inspect and approve Contractor marking prior to cutting.

(a) Additional trees to be cut, if any, are Marked by Forest Service with ___Blue,Yellow or Green____ tracer paint.

(b) Cutting unit boundaries and other trees that shall be left uncut are Marked by Forest Service with __Orange_____ tracer paint.

(c) Subdivision/Unit Criteria

1,2,3,4,5,6,7

1. All non-sawtimber size trees are designated to be cut unless otherwise agreed to by the US Forest Service.

Stump Height (Appendix A, 6.1) - All trees which are required to be cut shall be cut at or below at a maximum of 12 inches above ground, measured from the uphill side, after a tree is felled. Trees shall be completely severed from the stump.

Felling (Appendix A, 6.1) - Cut-trees shall be completely severed from the stump. Trees shall be felled directionally away from all private land boundaries, utilities, fence and other improvements, protected water and drainages, and land survey corners. Cut trees shall not be left leaning or suspended by any leave tree or fence. No hang-ups shall be permitted. Trees which are felled across telephone or electrical lines the contractor shall immediately notify the utility company than the CO, COR. Removal of these trees shall be performed at the Contractor’s expense.

Slash (Appendix A, 5) - Any non-merchantable woody debris, exclusive of stumps and chips/chunks from mastication, created from work under this contract and remaining on the ground after treatment operations, including all cut trees and shrubs and their tops, trunks, and branches. The slash that is generated as a result of fuel treatments and sawtimber removal will be treated as specified below.

TREATMENT SPECIFICATIONS:

Units 1,2,3,4,5 6,7 Slash Treatment – Lop and Scatter (Appendix A, 6.3.1) – This task involves cutting limbs and tops from the trunks of designated cut trees and moving or rearranging slash concentrations to achieve slash depth of no greater than 24”. No thinning and/or logging slash shall be allowed outside the designated treatment area boundary, unless otherwise approved by the Contracting Officer. Contractor shall remove all thinning and/or logging slash from:

Roads – Pullback all slash at least 25 feet from the road shoulder on the upper (uphill) side, and 50 feet on the lower (downhill) side.

Utility Lines – Pullback all slash within 25 feet of utility corridor.

Land Survey Monuments – pullback all slash within 10 feet of monuments.

Sawtimber Slash Treatment (Appendix B, K.G.7) - Slash is defined as logs, tops, limbs, and other woody material, exclusive of stumps, which is created by the logging operation and remaining on the ground after logging. In areas where Contractor-created slash is intermingled and inseparable from pre-existing slash, slash disposal requirements shall apply to the pre-existing slash as well as the Contractor-created slash. Such areas are designated in the Contractor Slash Responsibility Table herein.

Slash created in the construction of Specified Roads shall not be considered as logging slash in this Section.

Unless otherwise agreed in writing, Contractor shall perform the following work described below and/or as shown on the Contract Area Map and/or Slash Disposal Map.

Forest Service and Contractor shall jointly develop a schedule for completion of slash treatment on the various portions of the contract area.

Contractor's Slash Responsibility Table

Description of Unit(s)

Type of Slash Disposal

Units 1,2,3,4,5 6,7 Slash Treatment – Lop and Scatter (Appendix A, 6.3.1) – This task involves cutting limbs and tops from the trunks of designated cut trees and moving or rearranging slash concentrations to achieve slash depth of no greater than 24”. No thinning and/or logging slash shall be allowed outside the designated treatment area boundary, unless otherwise approved by the Contracting Officer. Contractor shall remove all thinning and/or logging slash from:

Roads – Pullback all slash at least 25 feet from the road shoulder on the upper (uphill) side, and 50 feet on the lower (downhill) side.

Utility Lines – Pullback all slash within 25 feet of utility corridor.

Land Survey Monuments – pullback all slash within 10 feet of monuments.

Units 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 Non-sawtimber Treatment - Yard Boles to Landing (Appendix A, 6.4) – non-sawtimber sized trees designated for cutting, shall be yarded and decked (boles stacked parallel) at the landing, after all limbs are cut from the stem. Decks will not be more than 20 feet in height unless agreed otherwise in writing. All objects that extend for more than 4 feet in any direction from the deck profile will be cut off and returned to the deck.

SPECIAL TASK ORDER REQUIREMENTS:

SALE OPERATION RESTRICTIONS (Solicitation, F.4) - Unless otherwise agreed to in writing, sale operations will be restricted as listed below:

Sale Operation Restriction Schedule

Subdivision/

Cutting Unit

No hauling of logs from the project area would be allowed on weekends from 5 PM on Friday until midnight on Sunday or 5 PM preceding a state or federal holiday to midnight of the actual holiday.

Treatments directly within or adjacent to designated campgrounds and summer home groups would not occur between May 1 and Labor Day.

Length of Contract

Length of Contract

5/1 – 9/3 Eliminate recreational conflict Eliminate recreational conflict Eliminate recreational conflict

PROTECTION OF IMPROVEMENTS (Solicitation H.6) - So far as practicable, Contractor shall protect Specified Roads and other improvements (such as roads, trails, telephone lines, ditches and fences):

(a) Existing in operating area,

(b) Determined to have a continuing need or use, and

(c) Designated on Contract Area Maps.

Contractor shall keep roads and trails needed for fire protection or other purposes and designated on Contract Area Maps reasonably free of equipment and products, slash, and debris resulting from Contractors Operations. Contractor shall make timely restoration of any such improvements damaged by Contractor’s Operations and when necessary because of such operations shall move such improvements as specified.

PROTECTION OF FENCES (Solicitation, H.6.1) - Unless otherwise agreed to in writing, all fences, as designated on Contract Area Maps, which are required to be cut because of temporary road construction, skid road construction, or other activities, shall not be cut until the fence has first been "line braced" or "fence braced," to prevent loss of tension, on both sides of the wire span or series of short spans to be cut.

The Purchaser shall install temporary cattle guards in accordance with attached plans at each location where the fence is cut for temporary road access unless otherwise approved in writing by Forest Service. All fences will be restored promptly after operations are complete to the condition existing immediately prior to operations. Fence repair will be kept current with operations.

EROSION PREVENTION AND CONTROL (Solicitation, H.7.1) - Skidding with tractors within 100 feet of live streams shall not be permitted except in places designated in advance by Forest Service, and in no event shall skid roads be located in live or intermittent stream courses. Skid trails shall be located high enough out of draws, swales, and valley bottoms to permit diversion of runoff water to natural undisturbed forest ground cover

Prior to periods of accelerated water runoff, especially during the spring runoff and periods of heavy rainfall, Contractor shall inspect and open culverts and drainage structures, construct special cross ditches for road runoff, and take other reasonable measures needed to prevent soil erosion and siltation of streams.

Unless otherwise agreed in writing, Contractor shall keep erosion control work current with his operations under the contract and in any case not later than 15 days after completion of skidding on each work unit.

EROSION CONTROL SEEDING (Solicitation, H.7.2) - Following completion of skidding and yarding operations in an area, Contractor shall seed and fertilize all exposed areas of raw soil as designated by the Forest Service on skid trails, landings, firebreaks, slides, slumps, Temporary Roads and traveled ways of Specified Road following closure.

Specified roads following closure needed to be seeded none.

Soil on areas to be seeded shall be left in a roughened condition favorable to the retention and germination of the seed. Scarification of traveled ways on Specified Roads listed above shall be to a minimum depth of N/A inches and a maximum depth of N/A inches

Seed and fertilizer shall be spread evenly at the rate of 10 pounds of seed and 0 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.

Seeding shall be done during the period 6/15 to 9/15 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

Agropyron trachycaulum

2.5

Bromus cilliatus

3.0

Festuca idahoensis

0.25

Festuca saximontana

1.0

Poa alpina

2.0

Poa secunda

1.0

Thermopsis montana

0.25

TOTAL

All seed purchased will be certified to be free of the noxious weed seeds from weeds listed on the current "All States Noxious Weeds List." Test results from a certified seed analyst and seed analysis labels attached to the bags will be provided to the Forest Service.

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

N/A

N/A

PROTECTION OF LAND SURVEY MONUMENTS (Solicitation, H.8) - Forest Service shall appropriately designate on the ground all known survey monuments including but not limited to horizontal control stations (Triangulation Stations), vertical control stations (Bench Marks), property corner monuments, and all Public Land Survey System monuments. This shall include reference monuments, corner accessories such as bearing trees, line trees and line posts. Identifying signs shall be posted by Forest Service on two sides of each known bearing tree, and each line post shall be posted with a metal sign or decal. Line trees may be cut if designated by the Government.

In authorized clearings such as Clear cutting Units and road construction clearings, and in other instances where damage to survey monuments, corners, corner accessories and survey of property line markers is unavoidable, Forest Service shall arrange protective or perpetuative action which does not cause unnecessary delay to Contractor.

Contractor shall protect all known survey monuments, witness corners, reference monuments, bearing trees and line markers against avoidable destruction, obliteration or damage during Contractor's operations. Additional monuments or objects discovered on the area shall be promptly reported to the other party and shall also be protected. If any known monuments, corners, corner accessories, and survey or property line markers are destroyed, obliterated or damaged during Contractor's operations, Contractor shall employ a registered professional land surveyor to reestablish or restore at the same location the monuments, corners, corner accessories or line markers. Such surveyors shall use procedures and monumentation that accords with the Bureau of Land Management Manual of Instructions for the Survey of the Public Lands of the United States for General Land Office surveys and any applicable State statutes concerned with land surveys. Contractor's agent shall record such surveys in accordance with state survey statutes.

RESERVE TREES (Solicitation, H.9.1) - Notwithstanding the designations for cutting elsewhere live or dead ____Wildlife__________ reserve trees or groups of reserve trees within such cutting units or clearings shall be left uncut. Reserve trees are identified by __Pink Flagging and Orange Paint (Three dots on three sides of the boundry tree. Middle dot facing into the reserve plot. Blue tags will face into the cutting unit.)__ and shall be protected in accordance with Appendix B- KG. 3.2#. Units with reserve trees are shown on task order Contract Area Maps.

PROTECTION OF RESERVE TREES (Solicitation, H.9.2) - Contractor’s damage or destruction of reserve trees described in Appendix B- K-C.3# will cause serious and substantial silvicultural or other damage to the National Forest. It will be difficult if not impossible to determine the amount of such damage. Therefore, Contractor shall pay as fixed, agreed, and liquidated damages ____N/A______ or each ____N/A___________ reserve tree and $___100_______ for each _______________ reserve tree damaged or destroyed by Contractor's Operations, in addition to amounts payable under Appendix B- D.4.4 and Appendix B- D.4.5.

Damage, as used herein, includes any injury to the living crown, bole, or roots of reserve trees. If areas are marked on the ground around such reserve trees, operation of heavy equipment or skidding of products within the area shall be considered to be damage to the tree.

FIRE PRECAUTIONS AND CONTROL (Solicitation, H.21) - The Fire Precautionary Period for Task Order is ___May 1st____ to ____Nov 30th____.

USE OF ROADS BY CONTRACTOR (Solicitation, H.26) - Except as provided herein, Contractor is authorized to use existing National Forest roads and Specified Roads, when such use will not cause damage to the roads or National Forest resources and when hauling can be done safely. If Contractor’s use of an existing temporary or National Forest system road cannot be satisfactorily accommodated without reconstruction, Contractor shall be authorized to use such road upon agreement as to the minimum reconstruction work that Contractor shall perform before hauling.

The Contract Area Map shows existing temporary or permanent roads that for such reasons as limitations in structural capacity, safety, and protection of soil, water, and roads:

(a) Cannot be used for log hauling or

(b) May be used only under the restrictive limitations stated therein.

Contractor's use of existing roads identified on Contract Area Map by the following codes is prohibited or subject to restrictive limitations, unless agreed otherwise:

Code Use Limitations

X Hauling prohibited

R Hauling restricted

U Unsuitable for hauling prior to completion of agreed reconstruction

P Use prohibited

A Public use restriction

W Regulation waiver

Roads coded A will be signed by the Forest Service to inform the public of use restrictions. Contractor's use of roads coded R, A, or W shall be in accordance with the following restrictions:

Restricted Road List Road

ROAD MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS (Appendix B, K-F.3.1) - Contractor shall maintain roads in accordance with the following Contract Road Maintenance Requirements Summary:

Contract Road Maintenance Requirements Summary:

Termini

Applicable Prehaul Road Maintenace Specifications

P = Contractor Performance Item, FS = Forest Service Performance Item Forest Service will do required pre-haul maintenance or require Contractor to perform required pre-haul maintenance work. If performance by Contractor is required, Contractor will be paid for completing pre-haul maintenance of roads at the rates listed in H.27. Contractor will be responsible for doing all during and post haul road maintenance with no compensation from the Forest Service.

Termini

Applicable During Haul Road Maintenace Specifications

P = Contractor Performance Item

Termini

Applicable Post Haul Road Maintenace Specifications

P = Contractor Performance Item H.39

NORMAL OPERATING SEASON

The normal operating season for all work on this contract is from May 15 thru November 15 of each year. The contractor should not expect to be able to work outside of the normal operating season; however, the government may allow the contractor to work outside of the normal operating season if the contracting officer determines that it is in the best interest of the government.