SpiderPig_WT_APPENDIX_A_30Mar15.docx

Project: Spider Pig WT Fuels Reduction and Forest Health Stewardship Page 7 of 7

APPENDIX A – WORK ACTIVITY ITEMS

1. Small Tree Thinning and Whole Tree Removal to Landing/Lopping & Scattering - Bid items 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 & 11

Table 1, Individual Units: The table below lists the units included in bid items 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 & 11

(Acres)

Thinning in this contract is defined by the diameter of trees that are to be cut by either designation by description as stewardship work items, or are marked for cutting with blue tree marking paint.

Individual Green Tree Mark: Green trees marked with BLUE paint are not included in any bid item and are covered under the timber removal specifications (See Appendix B for Timber Specifications).

Table 2, Individual Unit Thinning Specifications: The table below sets the parameters for thinning in each unit.

Leave Tree Specifications: The column headed as Designation by Description in the above table indicates the diameter range of trees within each unit shown that will require removal as specified by description only. These will be contractually designated for cutting and they are not be marked with paint.

Selection of leave trees Leave trees shall generally be those of largest crown, straightest bole, and greatest vigor that are free of damage due to insects, disease, physical and mechanical causes. The Contractor shall cut all dead trees within the specified diameter range listed in the table under Designation by Description. Thinning can be performed by a mechanical harvester, mechanical processor, or chain saw felling. The Contractor shall select leave trees using the following priorities:

· Leave all hardwood trees. Do not include hardwoods when thinning conifers for spacing.

· Leave all damaged or undamaged conifer trees, which exceed 10.0 inches DBH (12.0 inches DSH).

· Select conifer leave trees per acre that are less than 10 inches DBH (12 inches DSH) according to the table above of the best form as listed below. Tree spacing will be variable leaving the healthiest trees. Trees greater than 10”dbh will be ignored relative to spacing. Remove all other conifer trees less than 10 inches DBH.

Selection Criteria for Leave Trees:

1. Select leave trees from healthy conifers that are free from disease and damage.

2. Select trees which have a 30% or greater live vigorous crown.

3. Select trees with good form (e.g. no two way sweep, no spiral grain, etc.) while maintaining species distribution.

4. Select trees with the best recent height growth

5. Unless indicated, select leave trees based on the following species preference:

1. Any hardwood,

2. Sugar or western white pine,

3. Juniper or Hemlock,

4. Jeffrey or ponderosa pine,

5. Incense cedar,

6. Red fir,

7. White fir,

8. Lodgepole pine.

Individual Tree Specifications: The column headed as Individual Tree Marks in the thinning specifications table indicates the diameter size of trees that are designated for cutting with BLUE paint in the units shown in the table. Trees greater than 29.9 inches dbh (33.9 inches dsh), whether marked with blue paint or not shall not be cut unless painted with an "H" by the Forest Service in blue paint. The purpose of these designated trees is to meet the desired stand density, which cannot be achieved by the Designation by Description alone. The Contractor shall cut all dead trees in excess of snag requirements within the specified diameter range listed in the table under Individual Tree Marks.

Table 3: Small Tree Thinning Slash Treatment Specifications: The table below sets the parameters for small tree thinning.

Lop & scatter slash and biomass to reduce slash concentrations with slash being generally left within 18 inches of the ground. Material shall be scattered into openings away from and without unnecessary damage to residual trees. All scattered logs shall be limbed, placed away from trees and positioned so they will not roll. No lopping & scattering shall be performed within Controlled Areas, streamzone buffers, stream channels, on roads, trails, or private property. Material of any kind would not be placed or left in the watercourse or left in a manner that it could access the watercourse, meadow, or wetland. When lopping & scattering is specified, another method may be used by agreement.

2. Fuels Treatment - Bid items 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 & 12

Table 4, Individual Units: The table below lists the units included in bid items 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 & 12

(Acres)

Fuels treatment includes the cutting of snags and removal or piling of snags and concentrations of down fuels. Cut all snags 2-9.9 inches DBH, and all BLUE marked snags. Unmarked snags over 10”dbh are leave trees and shall only be cut if it is a hazard to operations. Piling can be accomplished my mechanical or hand methods. Other slash treatment methods may be utilized only with contract administrator approval based on specifications found in tables 5 and 6.

Table 5: Individual Unit Fuels Treatment Specifications: The table below sets the parameters for slash treatment in each unit.

1-HRCA

1-GH Threshold

Remove- Remove slash and biomass Lop & Scatter-Lop and scatter slash to less than 18 inches in height Pile –Machine piling in upland areas as approved Table 6: Fuels Treatment Specifications: The table below sets the parameters for treatment of each type of slash.

1. Remove or pile fuels according to the specifications in Table 6.

1. Piling, including location and size of piles may be allowed by agreement within treatment units (according to the tables above) where biomass material or existing slash exists that cannot be removed or lopped & scattered to requirements. If piles are created, they must be constructed in such a manner that results in 85% consumption of debris when burned. Location of piles shall be agreed upon prior to piling. When piling is specified, another method may be used by agreement.

1. No piling shall be performed within Special Measure Areas, streamzone buffers, on roads, trails, or private property. Burn piles will not be located within 50 feet horizontal distance from intermittent and perennial stream channels, and 10’ from ephemeral stream channels. Piles shall be located so that burning will not damage standing trees, snags, or improvements. Material of any kind shall not be placed or left in the watercourse or left in a manner that it could access the watercourse, meadow, or wetland.

1. Down logs retained to meet the residual logs/acre specified in table 5 should be at least 20” in diameter at the large end and 20’ long (if available) and distributed evenly throughout the stand. Where down logs exist that meet the down log requirement, they will be retained in the forest. Contractor will only remove material in excess of down log requirement. If existing downed material is clumped in pockets of heavy down fuels, material will need to be redistributed before removing or piling to ensure down log specifications are met.

1. Snags retained to meet the residual snags/acre specified in table 5 should be at least 20” DBH and 20’ in height. Snags have been marked for removal with blue paint. Retention snags are unmarked. In some units there are not enough existing, quality wildlife snags to meet specifications, so unmarked snags should only be felled if they pose a hazard to operations.

3. Road Maintenance and Erosion Control – Bid item 13

1. See Schedule of Items, and appendix C-Road Maintenance and Erosion Control Plan, attached drawings, and LTBMU Agreement for Wet Weather Operations and Operations Outside Normal Operating Season.

1. For the entire project area, no ground disturbing operations shall be allowed until FS personnel have determined operable soil conditions exist.

1. For the entire project area, no ground disturbing operations shall be allowed between October 16 and April 30 due to sensitive soils (Tahoe Regional Planning Agency grading ordinance restriction), unless a variance is issued.

1. Work must be in compliance with all applicable Best Management Practices (BMPs) listed in Appendix C, applicable water quality BMPs from Appendix F of the Waste Water Discharge Permit (WWDR).

Table 7, Roads: The table below lists the roads included in bid item 13.

4. Removal of slash from project area – Bid item 14

1. All material at landings shall be removed from National Forest System Lands by the project end date.

5. Individual Unit Resource Protection Specifications – applies to all bid items

Table 8, Individual Unit Resource Protection Specifications: The table below sets the parameters for resource protection measures in each unit.

Spotted Owl HRCA

Goshawk Threshold

None

Leave specified number of snags/down logs per acre; see Table 4 - Individual Unit Slash Treatment Specifications in Appendix A

GOVERNMENT QUALITY ASSURANCE PLAN

Inspection (General): Government inspections are for the purpose of satisfying the Government that the services are acceptable and do not relieve the Contractor of the responsibility for maintaining quality control. The Contractor shall conduct inspections on all units in accordance with the Contractor’s Quality Control Plan included in the Contractor’s technical proposal which is made part of this contract.

Inspection (Specific):

Bid Items 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 & 11: Small Tree Thinning and Whole Tree Removal to Landing/Lopping & Scattering Measurable Performance Standards

· Selection and condition of leave trees

· Spacing of leave trees

· Amount of material left uncut that meets the cutting specifications

· Removal of cut trees to disposal sites as specified

· Amount of material not lopped & scattered that meets specifications

· Depth of lopped & scattered material as specified

· Height of stumps after cutting

Bid Item 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 & 12: Fuels Treatment Measurable Performance Standards

· Amount of snags not cut that meet specifications

· Height of stumps after cutting

· Amount of material not removed that meets specifications

· Amount of material not piled that meets specifications

· Piling of material as specified

· Down log component meets specifications

Bid Item 13: Road Maintenance and Erosion Control Measurable Performance Standards

· Compliance with specifications and drawings

· Compliance with all applicable Best Management Practices (BMP)

· Compliance with the LTBMU Agreement for Wet Weather Operations and Operations Outside Normal Operating Season

Bid Item 14: Removal of slash from project area Measurable Performance Standards

· Removal of slash from all landings by project end date Government Inspections: The Contracting Officer or Contracting Officer’s duly authorized representative will conduct all inspections. The Contractor (or designated representative) is encouraged to be present to observe inspections. Inspections will be a walk-through visual examination of the Unit. When work appears satisfactory, it will be accepted. When work appears unsatisfactory, the contractor will be responsible for rework to correct the deficiencies. The Government may suspend operations if it is apparent the contractor is not meeting specifications.

Measurement for Stewardship Credit. Acreage was measured on a horizontal plane using a Global Positioning System. Unless otherwise indicated by this contract, the contractor may request remeasurement of any quantities. The request must be made in writing and must be made within 10 calendar days of completing work on the unit in question. If remeasurement indicates a variance of five percent or less from the stated quantity, the Forest Service may deduct Stewardship Credits to the Contractor equal to the cost of this remeasurement. If remeasurement indicates a variance of more than five percent from the stated quantity, Stewardship Credits will be based on the remeasured quantity, and the Contractor will not be liable for the costs of remeasurement. All remeasurements will be done by the Forest Service. The Forest Service may remeasure quantities of completed stewardship work activities at its discretion. Forest Service will bear all costs for discretionary remeasurement. Remeasured quantities will be the basis for awarding Stewardship Credits. Remeasurement of acreage will be done using a Global Positioning System.