Attachment 1 Statement of Work (SOW) FL Timber Support.pdf

Multiple Award BPAs

Attachment 1 FL Timber Support BPA

PERFORMANCE STATEMENT OF WORK

The contractor will provide unless stated otherwise any and all labor, equipment, supplies, services, permits and licensing necessary to perform timber sale preparation and common stand exam services to include, but not limited to unit layout, unit boundary designation, area determination, cruise design and plan, timber cruising, designation (tree marking) cut or leave trees, and common stand exams (CSE). This work will be performed on various Forest Service locations throughout the National Forests in Florida. Individual tasks to be performed will be assigned by individual task orders against the contract.

Timber Sale Preparation

1.1 – Unit Layout:

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

Create a map of each unit and include proposed landings and skid trails. Include logging feasibility and logging system. Include access to units via existing roads, reconstructed roads or new road construction. Show location of streams, wetlands, survey monuments and sensitive areas such as heritage sites or other areas of resource concerns.

Consider economic viability for each unit. Evaluate volumes per acre. The minimum harvestable volume per acre by logging system will be defined in individual task orders.

Do a preliminary survey of each unit prior to installing boundaries and notify COR if notable differences exist in the 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, resource protection, or substantial mortality. Significant changes must be approved by COR. Proposed changes that would include areas outside of mapped boundaries may not be possible due to lack of existing NEPA coverage.

Boundaries of all cutting units shall be designated with inter-visible flagging described in each BPA call. All contract unit boundaries will be clearly located on the ground. 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.

Other work requirements will be provided on each BPA call.

1.2 – Unit Boundary Designation:

All unit boundaries will be clearly located on the ground. Painted boundary trees will be inter-visible, will not be designated for harvest, and be of a size that 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.

Unit boundaries shall be designated with the color of paint identified in each BPA call. 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.

Boundaries of all cutting units shall be designated with inter-visible flagging described in each BPA call. All contract unit boundaries will be clearly located on the ground. 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.

1.3 – Area Determination:

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

Mapping and acreage determination shall meet the direction and accuracy standards described in each BPA call. The polygon shapes must represent the unit boundaries on the ground.

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.

1.4 – Cruise Design and Plan:

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 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 COR 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.

Maximum sampling errors will be identified in each BPA call. Document the estimated volume by stratum, coefficient of variation, and method used to determine values (pre-cruise, stand exam or similar sale). Determine which sampling method will be most efficient and economical.

1.5 – Timber Cruising:

Intent of the timber cruise is to provide the Forest Service with a cruise report and file to facilitate the timber appraisal process. Appropriate data collections methods, process and accuracy standards will be identified within each BPA call.

1.6 Designation (Tree Marking) of Cut or Leave Trees:

All tree marking shall meet the standards and guidelines identified with each BPA call. When marking trees for cut or leave contractor shall follow the provided silvicultural prescriptions and/or marking guidelines identified in each BPA call. Tree marking paint must contain the registered tracer element, which will be provided by the government.

Common Stand Exam

1.7 – Common Stand Exam Data Collection Requirements:

The purpose of Common Stand Exam (CSE) is to establish a nationally consistent protocol for acquiring terrestrial vegetation information necessary to meet site-specific analysis needs. It provides the procedures for describing vegetation composition, structure, and productivity in an ecological framework.

The objective of this data is to develop site-specific resource estimates to assess vegetation and site attributes. The system and associated database are designed to develop site-specific resource plans at varying levels of data intensities and measurement resolutions.

Specific data accuracy, quality assurance, plot selection, measurement protocol, plot design, stand locations, and other work requirements will be provided in each BPA call.