DCS.IRSC_SiteVisitQA052915.docx

Down Canyon South Stewardship (AG-9JGP-S-15-0080) Site Visit Attendees and Q & A regarding contract Terms and specifications.

Date and Time: 5/29/2015 10:30

In Attendance:

Terry Poston Poston Logging 25670 Richards Ranch Road Sonora, CA 95370 (209)-532-2423

Shaun Crook Crook Logging Shauncrook@sbcglobal.net (209)768-2744

Joe Sullivan Sullivan Logging PO Box 1382 Idyllwild, CA 92549 sullivanlogging@earthlink.net (209)988-7763

Jeff Holland CTL Forest Management, Inc.

(530)957-3247

Down Canyon South Stewardship

1. Does the prospective contractor have to remove the included timber? Could it be chipped and left onsite or disposed of offsite but at a local location?

a. All included timber must be removed in one form or another by the prospective contractor from the project area. The contract Utilization specifications have been revised to show an included timber minimum diameter at 8 inch DBH. There will be NO Timber Subject to Agreement. Contractor could chip boles if they preferred, but would still be responsible for removal. The following possible markets for chips were foreclosed by Forest Service: Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, June Mountain Ski Area, Contractors working local Caltrans Highway Projects, the Benton Crossing Dump. There is no biomass facility nearby at this time. Possible markets for logs include commercial firewood companies found in the local yellow pages. Contractor bears responsibility for finding local buyers or disposal sites off the project area.

2. The Forest Service proposed approved landings are within the Waterbody Buffer Zone (WBZ), is this going to be ok?

a. Yes, both proposed locations seen on the site visit (opening adjacent to SR 158 & Yost Lake Trailhead) are already constructed and disturbed locations. Appropriate erosion control measures will be employed on down slope extents of landings where run-off could affect water quality during and after operations. These measures shall include, but are not limited to; water bars made of logging debris or soil and/or straw waddle and silt fencing purchased by the contractor to trap sediment and redirect water flows away from the stream courses.

3. A representative sample in optional unit 3 has not been marked at this time, what did the pre-cruise derive as a volume estimate and how will it be marked upon award?

a. A pre-cruise was performed thinning the unit to between 120 -160 basal area which resulted in the removal of 427 CCF of Lodgepole pine and 11 CCF of White Fir across 28.5 acres. After some consideration the Forest Service has decided to leave groups of trees and create large gap openings in an effort to avoid future wind damage to the residual stand. Groups will be leave tree marked with orange paint.

4. Will Forest Service enter into agreement with private property owners on west portion of the optional unit 3 to allow access onto NFS lands or will it be up to the Contractor?

a. The Forest Service will not enter into an agreement with the private property owner, it is up to the contractor to talk with landowner and create agreement. It was expressed that the landowners backing to NFS lands on the dream mountain development are very interested in the work being completed and have been supportive of past efforts.

5. Is CTL, i.e. harvester/forwarder, the only allowable removal option from stump to landing? The contract is misleading…

a. CTL is not the only possible method to get logs from the stump to the landing, but was shown on the Contract Area Map and in KT-GT.4.2# to reflect necessary soil protection measures both in the WBZ’s and Meadows/wetlands as shown on the Contract Area Map. For CTL or other proposed methods to harvest included timber within WBZ’s and Meadows/wetlands, use of slash mats, corduroy log mats, or other decking material is required and will be amended in the contract as a specification prior to bid date. If Contractor chooses to propose alternative methods outside of what is specified, technical proposal shall show how proposed harvesting method will provide equal to or greater resource protection benefits. Outside WBZ’s, Meadow Protection, and Wetland Protection Areas skidding may occur, but may require a higher level of restoration than CTL harvesting might.

Sale Area Map has been amended along with language in Appendix A to reflect this change.

6. Will Lahontan Regional WQCB require additional waivers post October 15th as is required in the Tahoe Basin?

a. This has not been past practice on the Inyo National Forest and is not currently shown as mitigation in the June Loop Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project Category 6 Timber Waiver. The Normal Operating Season will be from May 1st thru November 15th, with a Limited Operating Period from May 15th thru July 31st to protect migratory and Neotropical bird nesting that precludes the commencement of any mechanical operations till August 1st. Onset of early winter storms may require additional mitigations by contractor or curtailment of some activity dependent on soil conditions in the current operating area.

7. Can the bid due date be extended? This project is very complex and will require additional time to develop a thorough technical proposal and cost per acre.

a. Upon recommendation by COR, C.O will extend due dates for both the Down Canyon South Stewardship and the June Mountain Ski Area Thinning out to June 15th, granting prospective contractors an additional 2 weeks to develop proposals.

8. Can piles be located within the WBZ’s and to what extent?

a. Piles located within the WBZ should primarily be outside the 25 foot buffer of all perennial, intermittent, and ephemeral streams as shown on the contract area map and 10 feet from unclassified channels as represented on the ground. Piles may be located within both those buffers to a lesser extent if material available exceeds available area outside the 25 foot buffer. The following mitigations would be followed within the respective buffer zones listed above: less than 10% of any acre within 25 feet of water would be covered in piles; maximize the distance between piles to the extent feasible, maintaining approximately 20 feet spacing between piles; and a watershed specialist may be consulted to designate locations for piles based on topography, distance to water, pile size, and pile density. The contract will be amended to show the above language.

9. What type of equipment can be used for mechanical piling?

a. Excavator style equipment i.e. tracked with a boom to minimize disturbance during piling operations. A Dozer with brush rake will not be permitted.

10. If a contractor knows he is going to damage a live aspen thru harvesting a designated tree can he cut the live aspen prior to harvesting the designated tree to promote root sprouting instead of possibly knocking it over? In 1 contractor’s past experience root sprouting did not occur once aspen were uprooted during operations.

a. It is the Forest Service’s preferences that live aspen not be cut preemptively to avoid damage. It is foreseen that some damage may occur while removing large conifers from the residual aspen stand, at the time of damage and if it is beyond what the tree can recover from, the tree may be severed at the base of the tree and removed/piled as stated in specifications. It is also foreseen that aspen may need to be cut strictly for equipment maneuverability and access which would be permitted thru agreement on an as need basis.

11. How will the contractor be required to treat existing dead and down woody debris within stream channels? Or designated trees that may have to fall over the stream channels during harvesting?

a. Dead and down woody debris originating from within the stream channel and extending outside the high water mark will only be treated when it extends over 10 feet from the banks edge and when removing the section in question will not degrade stream bank integrity. Debris originating from outside the stream channel or running parallel to the stream channel will be removed when doing so will not degrade stream bank integrity. This will be up to the discretion of the C.O.R. Trees felled over stream channels must be heeled or fully suspended until outside the stream bank corridor.

12. The contract currently states a 4” d.i.b top for utilization on included timber and in Appendix A the specifications call for removing up to a 3” d.i.b top on sub merchantable timber to assist in reducing pile size. Is there a minimum length as well and why not just keep it all at a 4” d.i.b top? Can we chip sub merchantable boles on the landing instead of removing to COR location?

a. Upon further review of Appendix A, the contract only specifies the removal of existing dead and down material when a minimum piece that that is 8 feet in length to a 4” top can be removed. Sub-merchantable material is not included in that specification and can be treated as specified in Item 2 – Disposal of Activity Slash.

Additionally, language has been amended into the contract to allow contractor to chip in combination with piling of activity slash, or instead of removing the above boles offsite. Prospective Contractors are advised to reread Appendix A in its entirety.

13. What is the bridge coming into the trailhead rated to?

a. The bridge was designed for H-20 loading, not HS-20. See diagram below for calculations.

14. Contract terminates on December 31st, 2015. Can an extension be granted on the optional unit if contractor did not finish units 1 and 2 till late in the season?

a. Part of the funding is a grant that terminates in February 24, 2016. These monies must be spent and time allowed for reimbursement by cooperating agency thus the December termination date. If time left does not allow work to be competed on the full 28.5 acres, Forest Service may work with contractor to award in part the acres associated with unit 3 to complete the project by December 31st, 2015.

The Inyo National Forest will shortly be posting an updated contract package reflecting the above changes to the contract along with a revised map. Please check FBO shortly for more information.

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