Appendix A_Work Activity Items.docx

APPENDIX A

SECTION I – GENERAL

Performance Statement of Work (PWS)

1.1 SCOPE OF WORK:

This statement of work consists of conducting timber stand improvement and fuels reduction treatment activities through the commercial use of timber, felling, skidding, yarding, decking, piling or removing designated trees from Forest Service land, and related activities. This Appendix A describes the contract requirements and specifications for noncommercial thinning and slash/woody debris treatments affecting targeted or designated by description unmerchantable cull trees. This work may consist of a combination of either felling, lop and scatter, or piling.

The specifications for road maintenance and road reconstruction work are covered under Appendix C respectively.

It is anticipated that operationally, the noncommercial thinning, commercial timber harvesting, and slash/woody debris treatments may occur simultaneously. However, there is no requirement that these operations occur concurrently.

The contractor shall provide any and all labor, equipment, supplies, services, permits, supervision, workman’s compensation, unemployment, and transportation to accomplish projects on the Norwood Ranger District, GMUG National Forest. This statement of work consists of completing tasks in accordance with Section V, and performance requirements in Section VII.

1.1.1 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE:

All work included in this contract shall be completed and accepted by the Government as previously identified in Section F. Special considerations are identified in Section F.4.

1.1.2 LOCATION DESCRIPTION:

The Pool Creek IRSC is located on the Uncompahgre Plateau approximately 14 air miles northeast of Norwood, Colorado on the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison (GMUG) National Forest and is within the Norwood and Ouray Ranger District boundaries. The sale area can be accessed from the Divide Road, National Forest System Road (NFSR) 402, either heading southeast from the Delta-Nucla Road (NFSR 503) or heading northwest from Hwy 90. Sale units are located along NSFR 402, 548, 548.1A, 402.F8, 559, and 559.1A.

Legal Description of the sale boundary is Township 47 North, Range 12 West, Sections 6, 7, & 16-21; Township 47 North, Range 13 West, Sections 1 and 12; NMPM, Montrose County, Colorado.

1.1.2 LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY:

Contractor is encouraged to visit each project area prior to submitting pricing to determine level of difficulty such as accessibility, terrain, slope, etc. I tentative project description was posted to our GMUG website last Fall for 30 days and a letter was mailed out to our prospective bidders list to give people the opportunity to visit the project area in good weather conditions.

1.1.3 ACCESSIBILITY:

Specific site maps identifying units and access roads shall be provided to the contractor upon request and will be included with the contract package. Periods of operation for particular units or areas may be required. Restrictions if any are listed in the main contract under Sections F.4 Special Contract Time and Performance Restrictions and Section H.7 Requirements of Right-of-Way.

1.1.5 ACRES AND BOUNDARIES:

The boundaries of the treatment unit are marked with Orange tracer paint as described in Appendix B provision K-C.3.0.1# Cutting Unit Boundaries. Unit acreage was determined by differentially corrected Global Positioning System (GPS) data traverses. The specifications that were used to ensure the accuracy of the GPS data are in accordance with the standards outlined in the Timber Cruising Handbook (2409.12, chapter 50). Government-provided acreages are estimated. The Contractor is encouraged to visit each unit prior to submitting a contract price. The Government shall not re-measure the units under this contract.

1.1.6 CONTRACTOR:

The contractor or purchaser is responsible to ensure all aspects of and requirements under the contract are met and acceptable to the Government. The contractor or purchaser are considered the same person under this contract.

1.1.7 CONTRACTOR REPRESENTATIVE:

The contractor shall provide a contract representative for the performance of the work. The name of this person and an alternate(s) who act for the contractor when the contractor is absent shall be designated in writing to the Contracting Officer. The contractor representative or alternate shall have full authority to act for the contractor on all contract matters relating to daily operation of this contract. The contractor representative and alternate(s) must be able to read, write, speak, and understand English.

SECTION II – DEFINITIONS

2.1 STANDARD DEFINITIONS - See Part 1 C.8

2.2 TECHNICAL DEFINITIONS

DBH: Diameter of the stem measured at a point of 4 ½ feet above the ground level on the uphill side of the tree.

DITCHES: Drainages along a road that lead to a cross-drain mechanism such as a culvert.

EXISTING SLASH: Woody debris from trees and brush on site prior to contractor’s operations.

WOODY DEBRIS: Naturally occurring accumulations of dead and dying downed trees and parts of trees. Generally as a result of natural pruning, wind damage, insect or disease mortality and other natural disturbances.

IMPROVEMENTS: Trails, roads, utility lines, section corner monuments, fences, structures, or other similar items owned by the Government or private landowners.

MERCHANTABLE TREE: Live or dead conifer tree that would meet the utilization specifications as listed in Appendix B.

NON-COMMERCIAL THINNING: Selective thinning to reduce the density of a forest stand generally comprised of either submerchantable size trees or unmerchantable quality trees. The trees removed have little or no monetary value, and the thinning does not produce any immediate financial return.

RESIDUAL TREES: Leave Trees and any other trees remaining in a stand following a silvicultural treatment.

SLASH: Any residue and/or tree parts such as limbs, tree tops, cull pieces, boles, other wood fiber pieces that are present and/or created as a result of harvesting, non-commercial thinning, silvicultural treatments, and related activities such as road and landing construction, or as a result of violent storms.

SPACING: The horizontal distance from the bole of one leave tree to the bole of another leave tree.

STUMP HEIGHT: The height of a remaining stump following cutting or felling of the tree. Generally measured from the uphill side. Stumps are to be cut to an angle of less than 30 degrees from horizontal.

SUBMERCHANTABLE TREES: Live conifer trees over 24 inches in height and up to 4.9 inches DBH.

UNMERCHANTABLE CULL TREE: Live or dead conifer tree, ≥ 5” DBH, which would not meet the other minimum utilization specifications as described in Appendix B due to excessive defect or inadequate piece size.

SECTION III – GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY

See Section C.5 in Part 1 contract.

SECTION IV – CONTRACTOR FURNISHED ITEMS/SERVICES

The contractor shall furnish all items required to perform this PWS.

SECTION V – PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT TASKS AND CRITICAL SUBTASKS

5.1 PROJECT WORK ITEMS: Mandatory Service work items are identified below. Acceptable Quality Levels (AQL) and performance standards are listed in Section VII – Performance Requirements Summary.

5.1.1 Non-Commercial Thinning

This mandatory surface fuels treatment work item consists of performing a non-commercial tree thinning of all dead subalpine fir >5in DBH to reduce the density to the Average Acceptable Stocking Density of unmerchantable cull trees and improve the overall quality of the residual stand.

The intent of this project is to perform this non-commercial thinning throughout 392 acres of the 7 units (3,4,5,8,16,17,18). The Forest Service realizes that additional merchantable trees, outside of the designated timber areas displayed under Appendix B, will likely need to be cut in order to access and perform all the requirements of this work item. These additional merchantable trees may be considered Included Timber as defined by Appendix B upon written agreement with the Forest Service under Appendix B contract clauses C.1.6, C.3.7, D.1 and D.4.1.

Silvicultural Goal and Desired Condition The overall goal is to reduce hazardous fuels while attaining a healthy, vigorous forested stand. Unevenaged management through all units with a single tree selection mark.

5.1.2 Treatment of Slash and Woody Debris

This mandatory surface fuels treatment work item consists of treating an estimated minimum of 80% of the combined contractor created slash and the pre-existing woody debris. The end result is to reduce the fuel loading in the unit, lower the wildland fire hazard from accumulations of wildland fuels, and protect the soil, water, and residual trees from damage. As specified further this slash and woody debris shall be treated with one or more of the following methods:

A. General Requirements

a. Manipulate fuel loading to 10 to 20 tons per acre of coarse woody debris material (>3” diameter small end)

b. Pile by machinery any Slash or woody debris in excess of desired fuel loading

c. Skid all unmerchrantable green ES slash and tops 4” and larger to landings for piling. Piling and burning of green spruce material is prescribed in order to reduce suitable spruce beetle habitat post-harvest.

d. All slash accumulated at landings shall be piled or returned to the unit to meet 10 to 20 tons per acre.

e. All Slash through out the unit meeting the 10 to 20 tons per acre requirement shall be lopped and scattered to lay no higher than 24” above the ground.

f. No slash, woody debris or Chips will be left outside the treatment unit, on any Forest system roads or trails, or within 5 feet of culverts and culvert ditches.

g. No slash shall be left within 8 feet of any protected fences shown on the Contract Area Map.

B. To facilitate safe and effective follow-up prescribed burning operations, piles of slash or woody debris created by hand work or machinery shall be constructed and placed as follows:

a. Piles shall be reasonably compact, free of soil, enough fines to consume heavies and facilitate burning.

b. Piles shall not be larger than 25’ wide by 50’ long by 25’ high, and piles shall be no smaller than 10' wide by 10' long by 10' high.

c. Piling may be accomplished by hand or with machinery (grapple or brush rake only). Piles will be constructed in a dome like structure in order to maximize consumption when burned.

d. Piles shall be located at least 70 feet from utility lines or poles, and at least 30 feet from other structures, protected improvements, or fences.

e. Piles shall be located at least 50 feet from residual trees. If conditions make it impractical to locate piles the required distance from residual trees, existing clearings may be expanded, or additional piling areas may be cleared as designated by the Forest Service.

SECTION VII – PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS SUMMARY

Unit Description Table (Allowable Non-commercial tree and Surface Fuels Treatment Options) Units Acres

Removal will only be allowed of the approval of the contracting officer and requirements in Appendix B Stewardship Contract Timber Removal Specs.

75ac

2. Treatment of Slash Woody Debris per 5.1.2 Lop and Scatter and Piling to required specifications. Pile by machinery or lop and scatter to 10-20 tons/ac.

3. Skid all unmerchantable green ES slash and tops 4” and larger to landings for pile burning. Piling and burning of green spruce material is prescribed in order to reduce suitable spruce beetle habitat post-harvest.

147ac

71ac

42ac

12ac

13ac

32ac

A. Traffic Control Plan

Unless otherwise agreed in writing, when Contractor’s Operations are in progress adjacent to or on Forest Service controlled roads and trails open to public travel, Contractor shall furnish, install, and maintain all temporary traffic controls that provide the user with adequate warning of hazardous or potentially hazardous conditions associated with Contractor’s Operations. Contractor and Forest Service shall agree to a specific Traffic Control plan for each individual project prior to commencing operations. Devices shall be appropriate to current conditions and shall be covered or removed when not needed. Except at otherwise agreed, flagmen and devices shall be as specified in the “Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways” (MUCD) and as shown on Plans, Contract Area Map, Traffic Control Plan or in specifications attached hereto.

B. Government Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan

For all non-timber work activities, inspection of each unit first will be accomplished by visual inspection and will be based on adherence to the contract specifications. If visual inspection indicates that Contractor’s work meets specifications, payment will be made at the full price indicated in the Schedule of Items.

DEDUCTIONS MEETING STANDARDS

5.1.1 Mandatory Item 1 – Non-Commercial Thinning

If below minimum rework area at no additional cost to the Government. If above maximum, modify methods.

Contractor see attached fuel loading guide

If below minimum rework area at no additional cost to the Government. If above maximum, modify methods.