Appendix_A.pdf

AAPPPPEENNDDIIXX AA

• Project area map (Separate Attachment)

• Service Work Technical Specifications for Activity Items

• Quality Assurance Plan

Service Work Technical Specifications for Activity Items

Items 1-3 Mechanical Thinning: Cutting, skidding, and hauling of juniper material.

Includes piling or spreading of landing slash.

Item 4 Hand Thinning: Within juniper concentrations – cutting and handpiling; outside juniper concentrations – cutting, bucking and lopping.

Technical specifications and requirements are described in Appendix B Timber Removal Specifications and Appendix C Road Maintenance Requirements.

Mandatory Units Acres 1 26 2 25 3 31 5 44 6 70 7 71 8 35 9 17

Optional Unit Acres 4 30

Total 349

Cutting (All Units): see WO-KT-CT.3.5.2# - Designation by Species and Diameter.

Most stands consist of juniper only. A few stands may have inclusions of pine.

The intent is:

• Remove all juniper ≥ 3 inches dbh except trees with old growth characteristics as described below.

• All live limbs below the cutting point shall be severed flush with the stump.

• Do not protect juniper not meeting minimum size requirements for cutting.

Operator may cut and remove these trees if desired.

• Trees under 12” dbh may be hand felled within the flagged limits of the two archaeological sites with the cut trees left in place or subjected to “lop & scatter” treatment or chipped within the site area.

• Cut trees that can be hand-carried outside of the flagged archaeological (red/black stripe) site limits may be carefully removed for disposal by burning or chipping.

• Contractor may remove previously felled juniper where it exists within treatment units.

Characteristics of “old growth” leave trees are as follows:

• Rounded or unsymmetrical tops that may be sparse and contain dead limbs

• Deeply furrowed, fibrous bark on the trunk that is reddish in color

• Branches near the base of the tree that may be very large and covered with fruitcose lichens

• Limited terminal leader growth on branches in the upper 25 percent of the canopy

Skidding and Hauling (Units 1 – 3; 5 - 9).

Technical specifications and requirements are described in Appendix B Timber Removal Specifications and Appendix C Road Maintenance Requirements.

Temporary road construction may be necessary to provide access for product removal. This may entail:

• Opening roads that have become overgrown with brush and trees as well as removing barriers. Slash that is created from this activity shall be treated along with all other slash.

• Construction of temporary drainage structures, i.e. waterbars, drainage dips and/or out-sloping. Slash that is created from the construction shall be treated along with all other slash.

Use of Roads During Wet Periods. During wet periods, use of roads must be approved by the Contracting Officer.

Landing Cleanup.

• Slash accumulated at landings and disposal sites shall be machine piled by tractor equipped with brush rake for disposal by the Forest Service or shall be spread to within 4 inches of the ground as agreed to by the Contracting Officer.

Bucking and Lopping (Unit 4).

• The hand cut slash outside the juniper concentrations shall be lopped to within 18 inches of the ground and the boles greater than 10 feet in length shall be bucked to a maximum of 5 feet.

Handpiling (Unit 4).

• Piles shall be as compact as possible and will not damage crop trees when burned.

Best Management Practices (BMPs).

This project will be evaluated under R5 BMPEP for implementation and effectiveness of prescribed BMP’s which includes the following BMP’s:

1. BMP 1.5 Limiting the Operating Period of Timber Sale Activities;

2. BMP 1.8 Streamside Management Zone Designation;

3. BMP 1.13 Erosion prevention and Control measures During Timber Sale Operations;

4. BMP 1.16 Log Landing Erosion Control;

5. BMP 1.17 Erosion Control on Skid Trails;

6. BMP 1.19 Stream course and Aquatic Protection;

7. BMP 1.22 Slash Treatment in Sensitive Areas;

8. BMP 2.16 Stream crossings on Temporary Roads;

9. BMP 2.24 Traffic Control during Wet Periods;

10. BMP 2.26 Obliteration of Temporary Roads;

11. BMP 5.2 Slope Limitations for mechanical equipment;

12. BMP 5.6 Soil Moisture for mechanical equipment;

13. BMP 7.6 Water quality monitoring.

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.

The contractor is responsible for performing or having performed all inspections and tests necessary to substantiate that the supplies or services furnished under this contract conform to contract requirements, including any applicable technical requirements for specified manufacturers’ parts.

Acceptable Quality Level for Thinning and Related Subtasks. At least 95% of all juniper stems ≥ 3 inches DBH (except juniper with old growth characteristics) are cut and removed. No more than 5% (cumulative) of the residual leave trees are damaged by the contractors’ operation.

At least 95% of the cut stumps are within the specified stump height. At least 95% of the cut stumps have no live branches attached. At least 95% of all trees designated for lopping are cut and bucked to contract specifications. At least 95% of the handpiles meet contract specifications.

All slash generated at the landing is piled or spread to meet at least 95% of the contract specifications.