BAILEY Stewardship APPENDIX A.docx

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APPENDIX A – BASE AND ELECTIVE WORK ITEMS

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

INTEGRATED RESOURCE SERVICE CONTRACT

BAILEY FOREST HEALTH STEWARDSHIP CONTRACT

Base/Mandatory Item No.1. Road Reconstruction Applies to Schedule of Items, Base Item 2. This project will consist of reconditioning timber sale haul roads, installing dips, crushed aggregate, and culvert replacement.

A. SCOPE OF THIS ACTIVITY

This item is for reconditioning over 10 miles of roadway in the Bailey Forest Health Stewardship Contract. Work includes construction of 27 rocked rolling dips with riprap dissipaters, placement of 2,225 compacted cubic yards of aggregate base, and the replacement of two 36” culverts. The Contractor shall furnish all labor, equipment, supervision, transportation, supplies, and incidentals to perform all work necessary on the areas specified. All aspects of the work program shall be performed in an organized, systematic manner to assure services will be performed over the entire project.

B. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

1. Desired Outcome The objective of this contract is to establish and maintain appropriate road standards on road listed in the Bailey Forest Health Road Design plan.

2. Project Drawings and Specifications Drawings and specifications - See attached Appendix C.

3.

Other Considerations: N/A

Base/Mandatory Item No.2. Commercial Thinning See Appendix B for thinning and product removal specifications.

Base/Mandatory Item No. 3. Non-Commercial Thinning See Appendix B for thinning and product removal specifications.

Elective/Optional Item No. 4 Shredding/Mastication of Units Applies to Schedule of Items elective Item4. This project consists of mechanical mastication of; brush, small trees, natural slash, and activity slash on 211 acres within the biomass harvest units.

Elective Item No. 2 – 211 acres pre-commercial thinning, biomass removal and mastication (see project map for specific unit location.

A. SCOPE OF THIS ACTIVITY

This item is for mechanical mastication of brush, small trees (<4” dbh), natural slash and activity slash within biomass unit boundaries. This item applies to 211 acres located in Bailey Forest Health Stewardship Treatment Units 1-8, 10, 11, 14, 18, 21, 23, 24, 26, 28, 31, 36, and 38-44. The Contractor shall furnish all labor, equipment, supervision, transportation, supplies and incidentals to perform all work necessary on the areas specified.

B. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

1. Desired Outcome The objective for mechanical mastication is to reduce inter-tree competition and the ladder fuels in the project area by thinning conifers to an average residual stocking of 109 trees per acre (average 20’ x 20’ spacing) and to reduce surface fuel depth to six inches or less.

2. Technical Specifications

a. EQUIPMENT:

Equipment shall be furnished on a fully operational basis, of modern design, and in good operating condition, with a competent, fully qualified operator. The Contractor shall provide all transportation of equipment, tools, personnel, and supplies to the work sites. Contractor shall be responsible for all fuel, lubrication, repair, and replacement for Contractor's equipment. All chainsaws and other motorized equipment shall be equipped with Forest Service approved spark arrestors and meet Calif. Division of Industrial Safety specifications. The following are minimum equipment requirements:

· Must be in good running condition with no fluid leaks or overheating problems.

· Must be equipped with tools and supplies necessary for making emergency and routine repairs and servicing.

· Canopy approved by the State of California, Division of Industrial Safety.

· Power or hand saw may be needed.

· Machine shall have capability to masticate on slopes up to 35%.

· Machine shall have limited compaction impacts. Ground pressure shall not exceed a maximum of 9 psi.

· Machine shall be equipped with a cutting head capable of performing the work described in the scope of the contract.

b. TREATMENT:

· All trees will be thinned to a residual stocking of approximately 109 trees per acre (20’ X 20’ spacing) and all live and dead brush species within the work areas shall be treated. All brush and excess trees dead and/or alive shall be cut below the lowest live branch and have a stump height no higher than 6 inches above ground level on the uphill side or 6 inches above obstacles (i.e. large rocks, down logs).

· All woody shrubs/brush dead or alive with the exception of brush occurring within 1 foot of any wildlife log or tree not designated for treatment under the specifications of this contract will be treated.

· Debris resulting from the contractors operation shall lie flat on the ground and not exceed 6 inches in depth. No masticated or cut material shall lean against or be suspended by a leave tree.

· No individual piece of slash or vegetative debris shall be greater than 3 feet in length.

· Protection of the residual trees shall be the highest priority in all operations. Excessive residual stand damage may result in contract shut down and/or default. Excessive damage shall be defined as damage to 5% or greater of the residual trees.

· The Contractor shall be responsible for determining the location of buried utilities and avoiding such.

· The Contractor shall not operate in areas within the units that exceed 35% slope.

· Waterbars in skid trails, firelines, and roads disturbed by the Contractor shall be restored to condition prior to damage at the Contractors’ expense.

· Soil displacement shall be minimized by working the shredding equipment in as straight a line as possible, up and down slopes, given the known limitations of residual trees and terrain.

· All RCA’s (Riparian Conservation Areas) specified on the unit location maps have a 15 foot buffer from the high water mark, which excludes all track laying or rubber tired equipment.

· Hardwoods (Black oak, Aspen, Willow, Dogwood) shall not be masticated, shredded, or damaged, and shall be included as crop trees to meet spacing requirements.

· Do not masticate or otherwise damage any down logs greater than 12" diameter at the mid-section of log, or snags greater than 15” DBH. Brush or slash occurring within 1' of these logs/snags may be left untreated

· Equipment shall be kept free of debris accumulations that may result in fire starts.

· The masticated/shredded material shall be evenly distributed over the treated areas so as to not leave large accumulations of slash. Concentrations of brush, slash, and small dead trees may need repeated treatment in order to satisfy desired work standards.

· Brush, small live and dead trees, and slash shall not be pushed into leave trees and left unshredded.

· Soils in the operating area must be dry enough to prevent rutting by a single pass of the equipment.

· Contractor's equipment shall not cross meadows, "wet" stream channels, or other non-work areas. Riparian vegetation shall not be shredded, cut or damaged.

· Contractor shall have road signs indicating warning of work in progress at the beginning of any road and/or OHV trail while the contractor is working in the vicinity and material from Contractor’s work might cause a hazard to the general public using these trails/roads.

· Slash heights for trees and woody slash shall not exceed 6 inches measured from the ground level.

c. THINNING STANDARDS

Leave trees shall generally be those of the tallest height, largest crown, straightest bole, and are free from insect, disease, physical, and mechanical damage. Leave Trees shall be selected by the Contractor based on the following guidelines:

Stocking Density and Spacing: The desired stocking density after thinning is specified for each unit in the Data Table. Spacing may be varied up to 25 percent of that specified in the data table to select the most desirable leave tree. However, an average leave trees per acre of that specified in the data sheet shall be maintained whenever possible. Trees on the edge of openings may be left closer in spacing in order to utilize as much growing space as possible from the opening. Trees on the edge of openings may have branches interlacing for not more than 1/3 of the crown.

Priority: Tree species to be favored by priority as leave trees are: 1) Hardwoods, 2) Sugar Pine (healthy and Rust free), 2) Giant Sequoia, 3) Douglas-fir, 4) Incense Cedar, 5) White/Red Fir, 6) Ponderosa / Jeffery Pine.

Selection: Leave all conifer trees which exceed 9.0 inches in DBH or are less than 1 foot in height. Leave all hardwood seedlings, trees, and snags. All other conifers shall be cut that are in excess of stocking requirements and which do not meet leave tree criteria.

Leave trees shall be based on the following criteria:

· Dominance - Trees are taller than others of the same age class and live crown ratio is greater than 40 percent. Specie preference needs to be considered when dominance is within one crown class of overstory trees (i.e. if a healthy intermediate Sugar Pine and codiminant Ponderosa Pine are competing for space, leave the Sugar Pine and remove the Ponderosa Pine. You would not leave a suppressed Sugar Pine over a dominant/codominant Ponderosa Pine).

· Health - Shall be vigorous and healthy in appearance with a full compliment of green foliage.

· Growth - Leader length shall be equal to or greater than that on trees of the same size and crown class.

· Bole - Straight with no bends, sweep, crooks, or scars.

· Quality - Trees have good form, with no forks, no vertical branching, no spiralgrain.

· Damage - free from physical or mechanical damage.

· Disease - free from mistletoe or blister rust infections.

In stands lacking sufficient dominant leave trees, select the best codominant, intermediate, or younger trees that meet the above criteria. If no healthy undamaged tree exists within the spacing requirements, then leave the best tree available to meet stocking requirements.

Data Table

d. Other requirements.

· The Contractor shall maintain a plot system that provides an unbiased sample of mastication quality, and which represents the entire area treated. At least 1-percent of the treated area shall be sampled. The Government may observe or re-inspect the Contractor’s plots at any time. Plots shall be marked and identifiable on the ground.

· All units will be inspected before the contractor moves to another site. Contractor must contact COR or inspector within two days of finishing work on a site so an inspection can be scheduled. Any areas less than 35% slope and greater than 1/100 acre that have not been treated will require rework at no cost to the Government. If during the visual inspection more than two damaged leave trees per any given acre occur, the Contractor will need to submit in writing an acceptable quality improvement plan.

Elective/Optional Item No. 5 Meadow Rehabilitation/Restoration Applies to Schedule of Items Elective Item 5. This project consists of hand felling small diameter (<10” dbh) conifers on 1.3 acres within unit 4. Trees must be felled by hand and lopped and scattered, or removed as biomass and chipped. No ground based mechanical equipment will be allowed to operate within the meadow portion of this unit.

A. SCOPE OF THIS ACTIVITY

Meadow Rehabilitation/Restoration within Unit 4 (1.3 acres). Encroaching Conifers around identified wet meadows will be removed to release the riparian vegetation and move the meadows toward the desired conditions. Trees will be hand felled and the material lopped and scattered or removed as biomass. No ground based mechanical equipment will be allowed to operate within the meadow portion of this unit.

The Contractor shall furnish all labor, equipment, supervision, transportation, supplies and incidentals to perform all work necessary on the areas specified.

B. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

1. Desired Outcome The objective for hand cutting small diameter conifers (<10”dbh) is to move the meadows toward the desired conditions by removing encroaching conifers.

2. Technical Specifications

a. EQUIPMENT:

· All felling will be done by hand (chainsaw or hand saw).

· No ground based mechanized equipment will be allowed within the unit boundaries.

· All live conifers up to a 10-inch DBH within the work areas shall be cut and treated. All dead trees (snags) >15” dbh shall be left standing and intact unless safety concerns requires removal.

· Do not damage any down logs greater than 12" diameter at the mid-section and a minimum of 10’ in length.

· Protection of the residual trees shall be the highest priority in all operations. Excessive residual stand damage may result in contract shut down and/or default. Excessive damage shall be defined as damage to 5% or greater of the residual trees.

c. OTHER REQUIREMENTS.

· The Contractor shall maintain a plot system that provides an unbiased sample of mastication quality, and which represents the entire area treated. At least 1-percent of the treated area shall be sampled. The Government may observe or re-inspect the Contractor’s plots at any time. Plots shall be marked and identifiable on the ground.

· All units will be inspected before the contractor moves to another site. Contractor must contact COR or inspector within two days of finishing work on a site so an inspection can be scheduled. Any areas less than 35% slope and greater than 1/10 acre that have not been treated will require rework at no cost to the Government. If during the visual inspection more than two damaged leave trees per any given acre occur, the Contractor will need to submit in writing an acceptable quality improvement plan.

Elective/Optional Item No. 6 Hardwood Restoration Hand Cutting Applies to Schedule of Items Elective Item 3. This project consists of hand felling small diameter (<10” dbh) conifers on 4.4 acres within unit 20. Trees must be removed by hand from unit and chipped, or piled on site for burning. No ground based mechanical equipment will be allowed to operate within the unit.

A. SCOPE OF THIS ACTIVITY

Black oak rehabilitation within Unit 20 (4.4 acres). Encroaching conifers less than 10 inches dbh will be removed by hand to enhance hardwood sustainability. No mechanized equipment will be used in Unit 20. Trees and biomass will be removed or hand piled. The Contractor shall furnish all labor, equipment, supervision, transportation, supplies and incidentals to perform all work necessary on the areas specified.

B. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

1. Desired Outcome The objective for hand cutting small diameter conifers is to enhance hardwood sustainability (Black Oak) by removing encroaching conifers within the stand.

2. Technical Specifications

a. EQUIPMENT:

· All felling will be done by hand (chainsaw or hand saw).

· No ground based mechanized equipment will be allowed within the unit boundaries.

· All live conifers up to a 10-inch DBH within the work areas shall be cut and treated. All dead trees (snags) >15” dbh shall be left standing and intact unless safety concerns requires removal.

· Do not damage any down logs greater than 12" diameter at the mid-section and a minimum of 10’ in length.

· Protection of the residual trees shall be the highest priority in all operations. Excessive residual stand damage may result in contract shut down and/or default. Excessive damage shall be defined as damage to 5% or greater of the residual trees.

d. OTHER REQUIREMENTS.

· The Contractor shall maintain a plot system that provides an unbiased sample of mastication quality, and which represents the entire area treated. At least 1-percent of the treated area shall be sampled. The Government may observe or re-inspect the Contractor’s plots at any time. Plots shall be marked and identifiable on the ground.

· All units will be inspected before the contractor moves to another site. Contractor must contact COR or inspector within two days of finishing work on a site so an inspection can be scheduled. Any areas less than 35% slope and greater than 1/10 acre that have not been treated will require rework at no cost to the Government. If during the visual inspection more than two damaged leave trees per any given acre occur, the Contractor will need to submit in writing an acceptable quality improvement plan.

Quality Control

PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS SUMMARY (PRS)

MONITORING METHOD

Contractor’s record, data and reports

Periodic monitoring and accuracy checks of contractor’s inspection data and results.

Periodically compare operations with plans.

Other Plans –

1. Fire Plan

2. Soil Erosion & Water Pollution Control Plan WP & QCP must be feasible and address plan requirements contained in Performance Work Statement.

Quality control inspections are to be submitted bi-weekly and before any invoices are submitted for covered work.

Road Reconstruction (Base Item #1)

Road Reconstruction

Stated in Appendix A and Appendix D

inspection records and reports will be reviewed for results, accuracy, and adherence to contractors Quality Control Plan.

Mastication of Biomass Units (Elective Item #2)

Number of residual trees damaged

All required brush, slash, and trees treated to mastication specifications

Stump height

All areas treated that are up to 35% slope

Access roads/culverts/water bars left in original conditions Stated in and all applicable Attachments.

inspection records and reports will be reviewed for results, accuracy, and adherence to contractors Quality Control Plan

Hardwood Restoration Hand Cutting (Elective Item #3)

Number of residual trees damaged

Proper spacing

Biomass removal - All conifers <10” dbh have been cut and properly treated (piled or chipped)

Stump height

All areas treated that are within unit boundary Stated in

inspection records and reports will be reviewed for results, accuracy, and adherence to contractors Quality Control Plan

Meadow Rehabilitation/Restoration (Elective Item #4)

Number of residual trees damaged

Biomass removal - All conifers <10” dbh have been cut and properly treated (piled or chipped)

All areas treated that are within unit boundary Stated in

inspection records and reports will be reviewed for results, accuracy, and adherence to contractors Quality Control Plan.