C_-_Site_Preparation_and_Fireline_Construction_Specification.pdf

Attachment C-Site Preparation and Fireline Construction Specification

VARIABLE THINNING SITE PREP (mechanical units)

DESCRIPTION OF WORK

Site prep with the use of mechanical equipment to thin and reduce competing vegetation and to prepare areas for planting trees for forest health and timber stand improvement. Vegetation to be treated will require cutting, chipping, shredding and/or hand piled. The contractor shall utilize appropriately sized machinery to accomplish contract prescription. The project consists of an estimated 135.4 acres.

PROJECT LOCATION

The work site is located approximately 5 miles northeast of Hyampom, CA on the Hayfork Ranger

District of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest and Lower Trinity Ranger District of the Six Rivers

National Forest. Treatment units are in elevation, (1,680 to 3280 feet). See Attachment D-Map.

Maps: Included map shows the location of the treatment units, unit acres, and other topographic features and general vicinity.

SPECIFIC WORK REQUIREMENT

Leave trees shall generally be those of tallest height, live, largest crown ratio, consistent or increasing height growth, good leaf retention, good color and form, and straightest stems that are free of damage due to insects, disease, physical or mechanical causes. The Contractor shall select leave trees according to the following:

1. Retain all green conifers

2. Treat all dead standing trees less than 14 DBH. All of the larger snags that require felling for safety reasons will remain on site, whole and unbucked. Large diameter hazard trees may be felled, but the best, sound snags will be retained for wildlife trees.

3. In general, healthy single-stemmed dominant and co-dominant hardwood species will be cultured. Thin the co-dominant and dominant clumps to 2 or 3 dominant stems. Desired spacing for these hardwoods is 20 feet with a range of 15 to 20 feet. If selection criteria for two adjacent trees are equal, leave trees in the following order: alder, maple, dog wood, chinkapin, madrone, and oak.

4. Conifers will not count towards spacing.

5. Treat all shrubs greater than 1 foot high and suppressed and intermediate hardwoods within five feet of any leave tree.

6. Unless otherwise agreed, residual masticated vegetative debris resulting from contractor’s operations shall lie flat on the ground and generally not exceed 6 inches in height. Individual pieces of vegetative debris shall generally not exceed 6 feet in length. No masticated or cut material shall accumulate against a leave tree.

7. Within 150’ of roads and private land, lower limbs of residual trees will be pruned 6 feet from the ground. Trees less than 25 tall feet will be pruned to the lower 1/3 of the bole.

8. Riparian Reserves within Units; there will be not cutting within the inner gorge of riparian. Riparian zones will be flagged in blue and white stripe flagging.

9. Geo Riparian’s; Hand treat only in Geo riparian’s. Geo riparian’s will be flagged in pink and yellow and white stripe flagging.

10. No equipment use on slopes greater than 35% slope.

11. Noxious weed exclusion zones; known yellow star thistle infestations are flagged for avoidance.

Flagging will be orange, imprinted with “Noxious Weeds”.

CUTTING REQUIREMENTS

Cut brush, stobs will be no taller than 3 inches.

The maximum height of cut stumps shall not exceed 6 inches above ground level or 4 inches above natural obstacles.

All live limbs must be severed from the stump.

PILING SLASH AND COVERING PILES

Machine piling will include all the natural and created slash.

Where hand piling is required, the Contractor shall pile all natural and activity created slash at a minimum dimension of 1 inch diameter by 18 inches in length. Slash 8” or less shall be piled.

Material over the diameter specified shall be limbed and the limbs piled. Cut material to be placed in piles will be bucked in 3’ to 5’lengths.

LOCATION OF PILE REQUIREMENTS

Piles shall be spread out and not “stacked” above one another.

No portion of the pile shall be under the crown of a living tree or within 5 feet of the trunk.

No piles will be placed within 10 feet of standing snags.

No piles will be placed within 10 feet of remaining downed logs greater than 20 inches in diameter.

No piles will be placed within 25 feet of private property boundaries.

If conditions make it impractical to locate piles to avoid damage to live trees, a space shall be cleared and all material shall be piled in the cleared area.

Cleared areas (openings) should be no more than 75 feet. The Contracting Officer and or

COR must approve alternate piling sites.

Gaps in treatment may be allowed but must be approved by the Contracting Officer and or

COR.

CONSTRUCTION AND COVERING OF PILE REQUIREMENTS

Piles shall be constructed by aligning individual pieces of small material in the same direction and placing the heavier slash on top. Piles shall have a stable base to prevent toppling. The log axis of individual pieces shall be oriented up and down the slope. Protruding pieces exceeding 18 inches shall be trimmed to allow covering in a manner that permits the piles to shed water.

All piles shall be as compact as possible and free of noncombustible material. In general height shall be no less than 4 feet and no greater than 8 feet. Pile diameter shall not exceed 8 feet.

In openings, piles may be up to 8 feet tall and 10 feet wide.

All piles shall be covered with a plastic covering. Piles shall not be less than fifty percent covered, with the covering extending not less than half way down all sides. Pieces of burnable material shall be placed on top of the plastic covering to keep the covering from blowing off the pile.

Piles need to be free of dirt.

FIRELINE CONSTRUCTION

It is assumed that when the machine work is completed it will leave areas along the unit boundaries bare to mineral soil. In the areas where the machine cannot create fireline then hand line construction will be used.

Construction of fire line is 2-foot scrape to mineral soil and an 8-foot clearance cut of overhanging branches and brush.

Fire line will follow the designated flagging but located to minimize fire spread, the use of natural barriers, and exposure to heavy loading.

EQUIPMENT CLEANING

Equipment Cleaning (pressure washing): Infested areas known by the Forest are mapped.

All off-road equipment and vehicles used for project implementation shall be cleaned of attached mud, dirt or plant parts before entering the project area. All heavy equipment, mechanical equipment and vehicles that come into contact with yellow star thistle during the course of implementation must be cleaned prior to leaving the project area.

Progression of Work: Implementation of the fuel break shall operate first in areas that are least vulnerable and least infested and move from these areas to those areas of heavy infestation. This design features lowers the risk of spreading invasive plant seed. Progression of work areas (treat first, treat last) are identified in the project file.

Equipment operators shall avoid using turnouts (or sections thereof landings known to be infested with invasive plants before operation (e.g. bladed to remove plants from areas of operations).

As feasible, avoid operations during the time of year when invasive plants pose the highest risk of spread. For yellow star thistle timing is associated with spine development on the flower and fruits which occurs around mid-summer to fall.