Attachment B.docx

ATTACHMENT B

CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBILITIES - The Contractor shall perform tree thinning services in accordance with the following:

1. The Contractor shall cut all conifer trees by prescription using the following criteria:

A. USFS Units will complete the following prescription:

(i) Trees to be masticated will be principally in the one tenth (0.1”) to a six-inch (6.0”) diameter range. No trees under two feet (2’) in height need to be cut. The desired spacing of leave trees is fifteen feet by fifteen feet (15’ x 15’) provided that trees that are six and one-tenth inches (6.1”) in diameter and larger are used for spacing purposes.

(ii) Where there are considerable variations in the stands’ spacing, thinning shall be done to an average of fifteen feet by fifteen feet (15’ X 15’) spacing and a minimum of twelve feet by twelve feet (12’ X 12’) and a maximum of eighteen feet by eighteen feet (18’ X 18’) spacing between tree crowns to accommodate the selection of the best possible crop trees to leave.

(iii) Trees indicative of good quality in the one tenth inch (0.1”) to six inches (6.0”) Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) class are those having well-formed, pointed crowns, uniform branching, dark green needles, no defects; they shall show dominance in height growth in relation to the average and have more than one-half (½) of the total height in live crown. These trees shall be selected as leave trees.

(iv) Trees indicative of poor quality in the one tenth inch (0.1”) to six inches (6.0”) DBH class are those having one (1) or more of the following characteristics. These trees shall be selected for cutting:

a. All trees growing under the drip line of a co-dominant or dominant tree

b. Height growth noticeably less than the average for the stand

c. Trees having animal or mechanical scars

d. Forks or evidence of excessive wide spreading crowns and heavy limbs

e. Trees leaning more than five inches (5”) from vertical

f. Trees noticeably too tall compared to diameter growth that will be susceptible to snowbend, windthrow, or breakage

g. Trees containing pronounced sweep or crook

h. Trees showing signs of insects or disease

i. Any broken topped trees

(v) The Contractor shall masticate trees/slash where machinery access is available. If mastication is used in areas where machinery can enter (i.e., less than a 50% slope) then the slash shall be ground with no more than four to six inches (4.0-6.0”) of chip depth throughout the project area. Comparably sized course woody debris/slash on the forest floor will also be treated to the same mastication specification as listed above in areas accessible to machinery.

(vi) In areas inaccessible to machinery trees within the designated DBH limit will be cut and felled perpendicular to slope fall line, with the resulting slash lopped and scattered to a maximum depth of eighteen (18”) inches, with tree sections cut into lengths no longer than eight (8’) feet. Comparably sized dead and down material on these inaccessible slopes will be cut to lay flush to the ground and limbed to the same specification previously mentioned above.

2. Wildlife Timing Restrictions will be followed, and no operational activity will occur within Units 1 and 2 for the below type of restriction:

A. Raptor Nesting Restrictions: Activities (i.e., mastication machinery/chainsaw) that create noise above ambient levels or distress responses from the osprey are restricted within the 0.25-mile buffer around the nest from April 1 through August 31 unless a Forest biologist confirms that the nest is inactive or adjusts the buffer based on site specific information. The Forest biologist will check the nest site by June 1st each year. If the Osprey are using this nest site or another nest within or adjacent to the project area, tree cutting by chainsaw or mastication cannot begin until July 1st of that year. The cutting would then need to begin at the outermost edge away from the nest and move toward the nest allowing the young to fledge prior to cutting up to or near the nest. The wildlife biologist will monitor Osprey response to cutting if they are present at the nest to determine if cutting can continue closer to the nest if the Osprey tolerate the noise levels or the biologist may recommend further cutting needs to wait until Osprey fledge if the birds appear to be intolerant of the noise levels. Operations will be allowed to commence in full after August 31st. Operations will cease by November 15 of each operating season until contract expires in 2026.

4. The Contractor shall keep all access roads and trails adjacent to or within each unit clear of slash and open to travel when not working in the area. The Contractor shall promptly remove slash accumulation from open meadows and water courses.

5. The Contractor shall furnish all skilled labor, experienced supervision, transportation, equipment, operating supplies, incidentals, and inspection services necessary to perform work in compliance with the Contract.

6. All transportation, equipment, operating supplies, and personnel shall arrive on site clean and free of vegetative debris or mud to reduce the introduction and spread of noxious/invasive weed species.

7. No motorized vehicles, heavy equipment, wheeled or tracked logging machinery is allowed to enter any of the units in the Contract.

8. The contractor shall cut stumps as low to the ground as possible, and in no event, higher than six inches (6”) on the high ground side. Stumps shall be cut flat, with no sharp angular cuts.

9. The Contractor must provide a notification to the Agency two days prior to beginning work. The Contractor will be required to meet with the Agency representative before starting project work.

10. The Contractor will be paid in full upon satisfactory completion of work. Potential Partial Payment option will be as followed via contractual language.

11. The contractor shall exercise due care to minimize damage to selected leave trees.

12. Fire: The Contractor Shall:

A. The Contractor, its agents, or employees, shall exercise all possible precautions to prevent wildfire and shall assist in the suppression of any fire that is on, or threatening the property of, the sale area. During the fire season, the Contractor shall have the following firefighting tools located on the sale site:

(i) A combination of shovels, McLeod’s and Pulaski’s sufficient to equip each person on the treatment crew

(ii) A minimum of one back-pack pump per every five (5) people on the treatment crew

(vii) A minimum of two (2) five-pound (5 lb.) fire extinguishers available at fueling locations

(viii) All motorized equipment will be equipped with an operational spark arrester and a charged fire extinguisher.

13. Fire Criteria

The Contractor shall use caution when working in the forests, have spark arrestors on equipment, have fire suppression tools available, and take immediate action to extinguish any fires that occur in the vicinity.

The Contractor shall have within a three (3) minute round-trip of each saw: One (1) round pointed #0 to #2 long handled shovel with serviceable handle and one (1) 6BC rated fire extinguisher.

The indicator for the required level of protection and or operations shall be the National Fire Danger rating system.

A. Fuel chainsaws and equipment on an area that has been cleared of all vegetation for a radius of three feet (3’) beyond the reach of the equipment. (Landings and roads will meet this requirement).

B. Have a minimum of a ten (10) pound BC rated fire extinguisher at the fueling site and any maintenance sites.

C. Have fire hand tools on site for each employee on site.

A. Operate only between the hours of 5:00 PM and 10:00 AM.

B. Remain in the area for one (1) hour following the shutdown of harvesting and cutting to insure there is no smoke in the area and that no fires have ignited.

Attachment B Good Neighbor Authority Service Contract between the State of Wyoming, Office of State Lands and Investments, Forestry Division and

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Meadowlark Ski Area Tree Thinning GNA Project and SC-5-XXXXX September 2024