Horse_Creek_Task_Order_Corrected__0003.pdf

Updated thru FAC 27 Requisition # Contract No. Project Name: Horse Creek Forestry Project Task Order No. 0003

Contractor:

Issuing and Billing Office:

Central California Acquisition Service Area 631 Coyote Street Nevada City, CA 95959

Item No.

Description Qty Order

Unit

Unit Price

Amount

1 Unit Layout

35 Units

2 Unit Boundary Designation

55 Miles

3 Area Determination 55 Miles

4 Cruise Design & Plan

1 Job

5 Timber Cruising

1,771 Acres

6 Timber Marking 1,771 Acres

Remarks: See Attachments for additional terms and conditions.

Terms and Conditions of the Professional Forestry Services Contract are incorporated by reference

Total Price:

Contractor: (Name and Signature)

Print Name:

Requested By: (Name and Signature)

COR: Ben Haupt 530-841-4419 Fund Authorization (Name and Signature)

Line Officer Ordered By: (Name and Signature)

Contracting Officer: Raymond Garleb Order Date:

Job Code:

Original to CO, CC to Contractor, B&F and COR

If this order is Greater Than $2,500.00, it is Not Valid until Signed by the Contracting Officer

Horse Creek Forestry Project Klammath National Forest

Oak Knoll Ranger District

AVAILABILITY: Ability to complete the project in 60 calendar days after Notice to Proceed is signed. If the completion time frame is not within your capabilities, please provide the time frame you would propose to complete this task.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this task order is to secure services for unit layout, unit boundary designation, area determination, cruise design and plan, timber marking on the Klamath National Forest. The Contractor shall furnish all labor, equipment, supervision, transportation, supplies, materials, services, and any incidentals necessary to perform the work in accordance with the attached specifications.

The contractor must be a Registered Professional Forester (RPF) by the State of California or shall employ the services of a State of California Registered Professional Forester to supervise this task. The RPF shall certify that all completed fieldwork and documentation meets contract specifications.

PROJECT START DATE: Work is estimated to begin on, start date approximately:

June 01, 2017

PROJECT COMPLETION DATE: August 01, 2017.

LOCATION DESCRIPTION:

Oak Knoll R.D., and occurs in portions of various sections:

• Township 46 North, Range 10 West, Sections 4, 6, 7, 8, 10 & 16

• Township 46 North, Range 11 West, Sections 12 & 13

• Township 47 North, Range 9 West, Sections 19 & 30

• Township 47 North, Range 10 West, Sections 11, 13, 14, 15, 22, 24, 32, 33 & 34

• Township 47 North, Range 11 West, Section 34; Mount Diablo Meridian.

ACCESSIBILITY: To access the project area from Yreka, take Interstate 5 north to state highway 96.

Head west on state highway 96 until reaching Horse Creek. Turn right onto county road 8F003 to access Forest Service roads in the project area.

SPECIFIC WORK REQUIREMENTS:

1. Description of work:

The purpose of this task order is to secure services for unit layout, unit boundary designation, area determination, cruise design and plan, timber cruising, and tree marking on the Klamath National Forest. The contractor shall furnish all labor, equipment, supervision, transportation, supplies, materials, services, and any incidentals necessary to perform the work in accordance with the attached specifications.

2. Unit Layout:

Locate and flag cutting units as identified on timber sale area planning maps using aerial photos, topographical maps, and GPS.

Sketch a map of each unit and include existing landings and skid trails. Include logging feasibility and logging system. Logging feasibility maps should include proposed landings, major skid trails, and skyline corridors. Include access to units via existing roads, reconstructed roads or new road construction (government will provide a map showing roads that are covered under the environmental document). Show locations of streams, stream class, survey monuments, areas that can’t be logged, and sensitive areas such as landslides or other areas of resource concerns.

Consider economic viability for each unit. Evaluate volumes per acre and species composition. The minimum harvestable volumes per acre by logging are as follows: Skyline 8-10 mbf/acre and ground based 5-10 mbf/acre. Skyline units will not include acres that require an intermediate support.

Contractor is advised to do a preliminary survey of each unit prior to installing boundaries and notify the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) if notable differences exist in logical unit placement when compared to mapped locations on timber sale area planning map. Changes in boundary locations shall be made if necessary for logistics, feasibility of logging system, or resource protection. Significant changes must be approved by the COR. Proposed changes that would include areas outside of mapped boundaries may not be possible due to lack of environmental documentation coverage.

Boundaries of all cutting units shall be designated with inter-visible solid blue and solid white flagging hung together. All contract unit boundaries will be clearly located on the ground.

Retention areas will be flagged with inter-visible red and white striped flagging for general snag retention and blue and white striped flagging for riparian reserve retention. Retention areas needed flagging will be provided to the contractor on the sale area planning map.

The cutting unit corners and boundary intersections with roads shall be identified as follows: Write sale name, unit number, and location of corner (for example Smoky TS, Unit#100, SW Corner) with permanent marker on flagging and plastic signs provided by the government.

3. Unit Boundary Designation:

All contract unit boundaries will be clearly located on the ground. Painted boundary trees will be inter-visible, will not be designated for harvest, and will be of a size that they will remain standing after logging. The paint application should provide for clear and unquestionable placement of the unit boundaries. Boundaries along permanent roads can be left unmarked where the features are so conspicuous that they can be identified from the sale area map alone. Boundary leave trees will not be included in the tally of leave trees marked as described under section 6.

Cutting unit boundaries shall be designated with ORANGE paint and snag retention areas shall be designated with PINK paint. Tree marking paint must contain the registered tracer element, which will be provided by the government. Painted boundaries shall follow the flagged lines. All painted boundary trees will have attention marks applied at or above eye level and two stump marks below stump height. The line of sight between painted boundary trees is considered the official boundary. Painted boundaries shall be identified with plastic signs every 200 feet on leave trees along boundaries. Plastic signs shall contain the sale name and unit number. The figure below is an example of a correctly painted boundary tree.

Boundary Tree Marking

• 3 Slanted Lines Facing into unit.

• Two Directional lines facing previous and next boundary tree.

• Don’t forget Butt marks & identifier.

• Do Not paint Stumps or Rocks

• Paint the largest, best trees available.

4. Area Determination:

Every cutting unit boundary shall be mapped with a global positioning system device (GPS).

Mapping and acreage determination shall meet the direction set forth in FSH 2409.12 Chapter 50.

The polygon shapes must represent the unit boundaries on the ground. Shapefiles shall be projected in Datum NAD83 Zone 10.

The GPS data shall be in a format compatible with ArcMap version 10.3 or with the version the forest is currently using. Final GPS data shall be exported by the Contractor as shapefiles (.shp).

Contractor shall maintain a secure backup of GPS data for 60 days following transfer to the Forest Service to allow for verification of data.

If conditions on specific units make it impractical or impossible to receive sufficient satellite signals, traditional survey techniques (distance and bearing), or a combination of GPS and traditional survey techniques may be used. Recollect data if the established standards are not met.

Cutting units shall have a GPS area error of less than 10 percent of the area measured. If a traditional distance and direction survey is implemented, the error of closure must be better than 1:50 on units less than 20 acres and better than 1:100 on units greater than 20 acres. Depending on device and GPS processing software used, the use of the Forest Service software Two Trails may be required. Distance and direction surveys not meeting the above requirements shall have a verification traverse. A different crew must run the verification traverse than performed the original survey. A distance-direction survey that does not meet the error standards above can only be accepted if the difference in acreage between the original survey and the verification survey is less than 10 percent.

Contractor will provide documentation with the applicable survey method, equipment used to traverse units, canopy coverage estimates, accuracy based on receiver and conditions from the Missoula Technology and Development Center (MTDC) matrix, projection, coordinate system, and datum. Include names of personnel responsible for data collection, list the programs used to process the data, and note any changes or corrections. If a verification traverse was done include both original and verification traverses.

The MTDC matrix can be found at:

https://www.fs.fed.us/fmsc/measure/geospatial/index.shtml

5. Cruise Design and Plan:

The cruise will be designed to achieve a maximum sampling error of 20 percent according to FSH

2409.12 Chapter 40 for scaled sales.

Document the estimated volume by stratum, coefficient of variation, and the method used to determine these values (Pre-cruise, stand exam, or similar sale). Determine which sampling method will be the most efficient and economical from the list below. Major species groups within each stratum, which are those that comprise 10% or more of the estimated sale value, must be in separate sample groups. The cruise must be designed for a minimum of 20 measure trees per sample group per stratum. Species with the same appraised value including WF and RF, PP and JP, and SP and WWP should be in the same sample group.

At a minimum, the sale should be stratified by the planned logging system, marking/designation method, and product.

The cruise plan should contain a brief description of the management objectives and the legal description of the project area. Include all calculations made to allocate the sampling error, the number of samples needed by strata and sub-population, plot size or BAF if applicable, population https://www.fs.fed.us/fmsc/measure/geospatial/index.shtml distribution by strata and sample group, and selection frequency by sample group.

Provide written cruise instructions on how plots or measure trees will be identified on the ground.

Include instruction on how to measure plots that fall near the unit boundary. These instructions must be approved prior to implementation. The CO can provide sample instructions upon request.

Ensure a consistent method of measuring boundary plots is described in the cruise instructions.

Acceptable methods include mirage, walk-through, and half plots. Plots falling outside of treatment area boundaries will not be measured.

Acceptable Cruise Methods

The Contractor will choose the appropriate cruise system(s) from the following methods, which are described in FSH 2409.12, chapter 30. Unless otherwise agreed, use area-based cruise methods for strata with significant amounts of either leave tree marking or designations that do not include paint, such as by designation by spacing or prescription. Use tree-based cruise methods for strata with significant amounts of individually marked cut trees.

a) 100 Percent Cruise (100)

b) Sample Tree (STR)

c) Fixed Plots (FIX)

d) Point Sampling (Variable Plot) (PNT)

e) 3P Sampling (3P)

f) Point Count Measure (PCM)

g) Fixed Count Measure Tree (FCM)

Cruise instructions must include a list of product minimum specifications and use the following minimums:

Minimum product merchantability specifications for sawlogs are as follows:

Minimum Minimum Percent Top DBH Length Sound DIB (Inches) (Feet) (%) (Inches) All Conifer Species 14.0 10.0 25% 8.0

Provide a list of cruisers and their unique stump marks.

If it becomes necessary to modify the cruise plan after implementation has begun, the contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer and prepare an addendum to the plan. Add the date of the addendum to the cover page of the plan. Follow the standards and guidelines in FSH 2409.12 chapter 40.

6. Timber Marking Specifications

All marking shall meet the silvicultural prescriptions, standards and guidelines in the Timber Cruising Handbook WO and R5 Supplements of FSH 2409.12, Chapter 70, and the forest’s Timber Theft Prevention Plan (TTPP).

Contractor shall use Silvicultural prescriptions and/or Marking Guidelines as follows:

a. The method of designating trees will be leave tree mark (LTM). Minimum sawlog diameter breast height (DBH) is 14.0 inches for all conifer species.

b. Within Salvage Harvest units trees with less than a 70 percent probability of dying within the next three to five years would be leave tree marked. Report #RO-11-01 “Marking Guidelines for Fire-Injured Trees in California” (Smith and Cluck 2011) would be used to make this determination. A tally of the number of these trees marked will be recorded by unit.

c. Individual snags that possess multiple high quality habitat characteristics such as signs of decay and defect, cavities, broken or multiple tops, very large lateral branches and flattened canopy will be marked as a leave tree unless they pose a safety hazard to a road. A GPS point of these trees will be recorded.

d. In addition, trees not meeting utilization standards stated in the timber cruising section will be marked as a leave tree unless they pose a safety hazard to a road. A tally of the number of these trees marked will be recorded by unit.

e. LTM units will be marked with ORANGE tracer paint. Paint a highly visible attention band 2” wide at eye level. The attention mark shall be visible from 360 degrees and from at least 50 feet, unless stated otherwise in specific project task orders. The contractor shall paint two personalized stump marks on all marked trees. The stump marks shall be placed in the furrows of the bark at ground level on the downhill and uphill sides of the trees. Stump marks should touch the ground and be at least 2” wide.

f. Measure tree designations for trees not in plots will include a painted band approximately 1 foot above the original mark and painted cruise tree numbers at eye level and on opposite sides of the tree. If insurance trees are part of this project, paint the same as a cruise tree but add an

(I) in front of the cruise tree number. Hang several flags around the cruise tree. Write the cruise tree number, unit number and cruiser’s initials in permanent ink on one of the attention flags. GPS or mark on a map the location of the cruise tree.

g. Use BLACK tracer paint to cancel a mark on a tree. Black paint should cover the majority of the original painted color. The original marking shall be fully obscured so it will be obvious that this tree was deleted from the timber sale. The black paint must be visible from all directions. Note areas with extensive deleted trees on a map.

h. Record the amount of marking paint used by color and batch number for each unit.

PAINT, ISSUANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY:

a) The Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) or inspectors shall provide tree marking paint containing registered tracer(s). Tree marking paint is a U.S.D.A. Forest Service accountable material and shall be kept secured at all times. Access to paint shall be limited to the contractor and/or designated representative. All Government issued paint shall be locked up when stored or transported in a vehicle, and be removed from any vehicle while vehicle is being used by someone other than the designated individual(s) to whom the tracer paint was issued. The Forest Service may inspect contractor's security of paint and accountability records at any time.

b) The Contractor will notify the government of the quantity of paint needed prior to commencing work. The paint needed for one week at a time will be transferred only to the Contractor, or designated representative at the designated U.S. Forest Service office during normal business hours. The Contractor will maintain a daily inventory of all paint cans. All cans received, used and returned by the contractor must be accounted for. The inventory will be signed and submitted to the COR on a weekly basis. All paint cans must be returned to the Forest Service. Failure to maintain adequate safeguards and security over the paint may result in a law enforcement investigation and/or may result in contractor liability for special damages (i.e. fine $1500.00 per can and up), and/or default of the contract.

c) Empty paint cans shall be returned to the Forest Service ready for disposal. Procedure for preparing for disposal: Rinse residual paint out of each empty can with water and pour on the ground or contaminate cans with dirt or sand. Do so in the field, at least 100’ from any streamcourse. When finished, cans shall be free of any remaining paint.

d) The contractor will be responsible for posting Material Safety Data Sheets. Material Safety Data Sheets will be furnished by the COR with the Tree Marking Paint.

7. Timber Cruising:

The intent of the timber cruise is to provide the Forest Service with a cruise report and file to facilitate the timber appraisal process. If the cruise design and plan was prepared by Contractor, all cruising performed under this contract shall meet the sampling error requirements set forth in FSH 2409.12, chapter 40. All data collected shall meet the accuracy requirements in FSH 2409.12, chapter 60.

1. If sampling errors are not met and additional samples can be obtained in an unbiased manner, Contractor must supplement the cruise to correct deficiency. Additional samples cannot be added to tree-based cruise methods, particularly 3P, unless insurance trees have been previously identified. A complete re-cruise may be necessary for strata with tree-based cruise methods that do not meet the specified error standards. A reasonable number of measurements per sample group must be taken.

2. The Contractor will ensure each cruiser has written cruise instructions on how plots or measure trees will be identified on the ground, how measure trees will be selected, measurements to be recorded, plot locations, boundary plot directions, and any other information necessary to conduct a proper cruise.

3. Field data recorders with the applicable Forest Service cruising software must be used during data collection for tree-based cruise methods. Unless otherwise agreed, the Contractor shall provide and process cruise data using the most current versions of Forest Service cruising software. The applicable electronic cruise files (.cruise and .out files) will be provided to the

Forest Service on a weekly or otherwise agreed to basis throughout the cruise implementation.

4. All measurements and defect determinations will be done in accordance with FSH 2409.12, Chapters 10 and 20. Document reasons for defect deductions on measure trees. Record all unusual features at plot locations which may influence cruise procedures, hence accuracy (excessive slope, blowdown patch, hazardous conditions, etc.).

5. The names of cruisers must be documented for each unit. Unless otherwise agreed, cruisers shall manually record cruise tree information and notes on a Timber Cruise Data Sheet that is available in the back of the Timber Cruise Reference Guide. It is recommended that Contractor periodically record tallies and/or sum of KPI by sample group to ensure timber cruise data can be re-entered into a field data recorder if the file becomes damaged.

Cruise Implementation:

A. Plot And Measure Tree Locations:

The Contractor shall supply cruise maps for each unit with the actual location of plot centers, cruise trees, and insurance trees. If cruise trees and/or plots were located with GPS, provide the shapefiles to the COR or designee. If plots are not located using GPS coordinates, Contractor shall hang flagging with distance and direction to nearest plot on adjacent roads. Contractor is encouraged to use unique plot and tree numbers for all samples.

A pre-determined plot grid with coordinates that are navigated to with a GPS must be used. The coordinates will be provided to the Forest Service upon request so the Forest Service can navigate to and inspect these plots.

Cruise plots shall be marked with pink flagging tied at/or above eye level, as near plot center as possible. Plot center shall be marked with pin flag secured into the ground at the exact center of the plot. Unit number, plot number, date, and cruiser's initials will be written on the pin flag.

Starting at true north and proceeding clockwise, cruise trees shall be numbered consecutively beginning with number 1, and shall correspond with the tree numbers recorded in the Timber Cruise book or Field Data Recorder.

Sampling plots for each unit are to be evenly distributed in a uniform pattern on a true North/South/East/West grid.

B. Tree Based Sampling Systems:

If a tree based sampling system is specified in the cruise design, sample trees (as well as "insurance" trees) shall be designated as follows:

Sample trees shall be identified by an "M" and tree number (i.e. M 20). The sample tree number shall be painted on two sides of the tree at or above DBH. Sample trees shall also be painted with a full band around the circumference of the tree with an additional agreed upon color.

Supplemental sample trees ("insurance trees") shall be identified by an "I" and tree number (i.e. I 3). The insurance tree number shall be painted on two sides of the tree at or above DBH.

Supplemental sample trees shall be selected at the same time Contractor is selecting sample trees in a unit. Supplemental sample trees shall also be painted with a full band around the circumference of the tree with an additional agreed upon color.

All selected sample and supplemental sample trees shall be mapped on a sketch map by the Contractor and provided to the COR upon completion of each unit.

C. Cruise Evaluation:

The cruise must be evaluated by a Forest Service check cruiser and meet standards described in FSH 2409.12. Chapter 60. The evaluation includes office data audits and field measurement comparisons. The number of samples checked during a field review depends on the cruise methods used but a minimum of 35 trees on a sale must be re-measured. If the results are unsatisfactory with the specified number checked, 10 additional trees per major species will be checked. If the results are still unsatisfactory, a complete or partial re-cruise may be required, depending on the issue(s) identified. A description of elements checked and associated tolerances can be found in Chapter 60, Section II.5.

8. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY:

Government Furnished Property:

a) Forest Service Handbook 2409.12 - Timber Cruising Handbook (see attachment) and Timber Cruising Reference Guides.

b) R5 Supplements to FSH2409.12, Chapter 70

c) Current R5 Transaction Evidence Appraisal pond values for logs

d) Northern California Province Timber Theft Detection and Prevention Plan (2012)

e) Project Area Map

f) Proposed Unit Maps and associated GIS data

g) Photocopies of aerial photos

h) “Marking Guidelines for Fire Injured Trees in California”, Smith and Cluck, May 2011

i) Wildlife leave tree rating protocol, to be developed by the project Wildlife Biologist to aid in determining leave trees described in Specific Work Requirement 6c.

j) Tree Marking Paint with registered tracer and material safety data sheets

9. CONTRACTOR FURNISHED PROPERTY AND MATERIALS

The Contractor shall furnish the following materials and supplies:

a) Global positioning systems (GPS) able to meet specifications described in solicitation

b) Field data recorders

c) Compass with azimuth settings calibrated in 2-degree increments, set to local declination.

d) Clinometers or other device enabling one to measure slope in percent.

e) Timber Cruising Equipment

f) Paint Marking guns

g) Flagging (color as agreed)

10. ATTACHMENTS:

11. SELECTION CRITERIA FACTORS:

Contractor Requirements: Respond to the Selection Criteria below:

Price: Submit price quote on page 1 of this task order.

Map 1 Page

“Marking Guidelines for Fire Injured Trees in California”, Smith and Cluck, May 2011 15 Pages