C04a_SOW.pdf

Boundary Line Maintenance, Kisatchie NF Statement of Work

Scope of Contract

The contractor shall provide all materials, labor, equipment, tools, transportation, supervision, expertise, and other incidentals necessary, except as otherwise provided, to successfully complete property boundary maintenance services "AS REQUIRED" in accordance with attached and referenced Specifications and Exhibits.

The work may include, but is not limited to:

Maintenance of previously marked property lines of Forest Service administered lands.

Identification and maintenance of land and/or property corners.

Preparation of Form 7100-52, Corner Record, for each Forest Service property corner as maintained.

PERFORMANCE OF SIMILAR WORK BY THE GOVERNMENT: Nothing in this contract restricts the Government from performing any work with its own organization and workforce.

Description and Location

The work is to perform boundary maintenance on the Kisatchie National Forest. Supplemental exhibits for individual project work sites will be provided when necessary, with the delivery or task orders issued by the Government.

Government Furnished Property

Unless directed otherwise, Government-furnished property will be stored at the work centers of the Ranger District on which the project is located and will be made available to the contractor, as needed, after effective date of the Notice to Proceed. Materials will be available for pick up Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The contractor shall coordinate with the designated Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) 24 hours in advance for arrangements to access materials. The Government will furnish the following listed items:

Blank Corner Record cards, Form 7100-52 Property Boundary signs #54-2 or #54-7, Land Survey Monument sign #54-9, and #54-3

Bearing Tree Tags and all other signs designated by the COR Treated wood posts and/or metal posts.

The Forest Service will make available to the Contractor ownership and corner search and evaluation information in its possession relative to the boundary lines to be maintained.

However, any information provided to Contractor by the Forest Service shall be construed as being for informational purposes only and the responsibility for its accuracy, completeness, and/or verification rests with the Contractor.

Contractor Furnished Items

All labor, equipment, research, supplies, tools, incidentals, supervision, and expertise necessary to accomplish the work, including the following:

Waterproof, hardbound field notebooks. Loose leaf books are not acceptable. (Hardbound books are to be delivered to the Forest Service at the end of the contract).

Digital and hard copy deliverables of the boundary maintenance information.

Red Boundary Mark Paint (solvent based) and paint brushes for application. Nelson

"Boundary Mark Paint" or equivalent as approved by the Contracting Officer (C.O.).

Aerosol paint is not acceptable.

Nuts and bolts, aluminum nails suitable for fastening Forest Service signs.

Definitions

Boundary Line. The property boundary line between two established corners, or between meander points on an irregular, natural boundary (such as creeks, rivers) between property corners. This also includes Forest Service administered land boundaries such as wilderness and other designated boundaries.

Dbh. Diameter breast height measured in inches (as applicable to bearing trees only). This the measured diameter of bearings trees rounded to the nearest inch at monumented corners.

Boundary Line Maintenance. Refurbishing previously marked boundary lines to Forest Service Standards. Consisting of re-painting previously marked trees on the government side of the boundary line, including line trees. This may include property boundary sign replacement as needed.

Corner Maintenance. Refurbishing and perpetuating existing corner markers and corner accessories. This consists of repainting the corner monument shaft, repainting marked bearing trees and repainting any other nearby corner accessories such as witness posts or replacing faded, missing or damaged signs or bearing tree tags.

Work Progression

Performance Time: All task orders issued will include contract delivery or performance schedule in terms of specific calendar dates or contract time for completion. To facilitate timely inspections, the contractor shall provide the Government of their proposed operation schedule.

The contractor shall notify the Government of schedule changes.

Hours of Work: All work shall be performed during the time period of one hour after sunrise to one hour before sunset, Monday through Friday, unless time changes are approved by the COR or Inspector.

Technical Specification

Notification of adjoining property owners

In the event that access is needed on adjoining property for boundary maintenance activity, the Contractor shall notify all adjoining landowners of intent to perform boundary line maintenance work before beginning the fieldwork. This notification can be in the form of a standard, prepared letter notifying the adjoining property owners of the intent to perform boundary maintenance work in the area or by personal contact with the landowner.

All significant landowner contacts are to be coordinated, documented and furnished to the Contracting Officer (CO) and the COR.

Practices

The posting, painting, signing and monumentation of boundary lines and corners shall be in accordance with the Forest Service Standards.

Bearing Trees and Objects - (see Exhibit 1)

Each Forest Service property corner shall be witnessed by at least three (3) healthy bearing trees, four (4) inches diameter breast height (dbh) or greater, which should be located on Government lands.

The selected trees should be as near to right angles to the corner position as possible and the tree type correctly determined and noted. If trees four inches or greater dbh are not available, bearing objects (i.e. prominent boulders, other natural features, or identified pipes, etcetera) may be used. The record (existing) bearing trees or objects called for are to be identified and their location relative to the corner monument checked. Any existing corner accessories or references found in error shal1 be investigated and corrected i n t h e field and on pertinent documentation.

The COR shall be notified as soon as possible of any significant errors on any bearing tree, corner monument or other corner accessory.

New accessories or references shall be established as needed. All new bearing trees shall be blazed above the root crown near ground level with the blaze to face the corner monument and be scribed "BT". This scribed blaze shall be painted red. All measurements shall be made to the center of the tree and it is advised to drive an aluminum nail in the center of the bearing tree on one side of the tree just above the root crown from which to measure a horizontal distance to the center of the monument. Slope distances are to be avoided. If unavoidable to use a slope distance, this must be clearly indicated in all notes and documents referencing the corner and why it was used.

Bearing trees shall have a six (6) inch red band painted approximately six (6) feet above ground.

On rough bark trees including pines, without damage to the tree, the bark may be scraped smoother in the area of the six (6) inch band so that the paint will apply and adhere better.

A 54-3 bearing tree (BT) sign or tag shall be nailed, just above or below the red band, on each Forest Service bearing tree with the bearing and distance to the corner clearly etched on the tag.

The bearing on the tag will read from the tree to the corner. In addition, the tract corner number, tract designation, date and 'posted by' shall be clearly etched on the tag. Aluminum nails for affixing each BT tag shall be left to protrude approximately one inch to account for future tree growth. Existing bearing trees shall be maintained, and any illegible or badly damaged tags shall be replaced with new tags.

Where conditions permit, all new corner accessories shall be on Government land and separated by not less than 30° in horizontal angle in measure from the corner. Unless otherwise directed, only the true corner (not reference or witness monuments) shall be referenced by the BT's. If, reference monuments are referenced by the BT's, it must be clear on the BT tags and in all notes that the references are to the R.M. or W.C.

Clearing, Blazing, Posting and Painting of Boundaries - (Refer to Exhibits # I, 4, 5)

Clearing of brush and blazing of line reference trees shall not be performed on private property without prior, written, permission of the landowner. Under no circumstance shall fruit, shade or ornamental trees, shrubs or hedges in residential or developed areas be blazed, marked or severed.

A. Brushing and clearing of boundary lines.

Clearing of boundary lines should be kept to a minimum within the standards and shall be brushed, limbed and cleared of debris in such a manner as to enable a line of sight between signs, sign posts and other boundary reference marks. The purpose of the brushing is to allow the blazing and signing to be inter-visible while standing on the boundary line.

Clearing shall include trees (less than 2 inches diameter), branches, and brush. Typically, the brushing is within a corridor up to two (2) feet on each side of the boundary line. The non- Government side of the line should not be cleared unless permission is obtained, provided that light brushing and cutting of tree branches extending over the line has been clearly indicated as part of the work to be performed in contact letters to adjacent property owner prior to starting field work.

All cut debris from brushing is to be scattered on the Government side of the line.

The brushing standards may be adjusted as deemed appropriate by the COR.

B. Blazes and Hacks.

Blaze - New blazes shall be made into the cambium layer of tree not less than 4 feet above ground and will be two (2) inches to four (4) inches wide and six (6) inches to eight (8) inches long. Older blazes are not to be re-opened but only loose bark removed and the blaze scar painted over again.

Hacks - A horizontal cut 4 inches above and below the blaze, penetrating the wood, but not notched.

As shown in attached Exhibit 4 each blaze type may consist of a combination of blazes and hacks together.

C. Line Posting and Boundary Marking.

Any line tree encountered should be re-painted and any property boundary sign affixed to the face of a line tree inspected for condition. Replace any badly faded or severely damaged property boundary sign on line trees. New line trees shall not be established during any maintenance work. Only existing line trees are to be maintained.

Boundary line reference trees are within a three (3) foot corridors on the government side of the boundary line. Live trees on the Government side of line shall be quarter blazed four (4) feet to five (5) feet above the ground. No trees beyond three feet of the boundary line shall be blazed or painted or re-painted. All blazes (old and new) are to be painted with red paint on the Government side: of the line.

Live trees on private land shall be face blazed four (4) feet to five (5) feet above the ground.

No tree beyond three feet of the boundary line shall be blazed or painted. Blazing and painting on private land is to be in accordance with prior arrangements with affected property owners.

Property Boundary Signs (54-2 sign) shall be placed on the line on treated posts, metal posts, and line trees. The 54-2 sign is used only on National Forest boundary lines and the 54-7 sign is to be used only on National Grassland boundary lines. If the line is along a designated Wilderness boundary, National Forest Wilderness signs shall be used. If there is any confusion of whether a boundary line is along a Wilderness boundary this must be clarified with the COR prior to field work and posting. All sign posts set on the actual boundary line are to be set within one foot of the actual line. The entire post shall be painted red and placed firmly, at least two feet, in the ground and be visually plumb. In most situations, during standard maintenance work, there should be no new posts set.

Only the refurbishment and re-painting of previously set posts.

Location of 54-2 (or 54-7) signs:

Set at each monumented corner, as a guard post, with attached sign facing private land and bisecting the angle of the intersecting property lines.

Set on the boundary line at least 50 feet from each corner, but no more than 100 feet from each corner.

Set inter-visible along the line, but not to exceed 300 feet between signs where feasible.

Set at streams, trails, road crossings, and prominent ridge tops.

An existing line tree may be substituted for a pre-except at road crossings. When line trees are used a sign shall be placed on said tree approximately 5 feet above the ground with aluminum nails left protruding at least one inch to account for future tree growth.

Boundary Line Maintenance and Corner Maintenance

The Contractor shall insure that all posts (wood or metal) are secure, plumb and in a serviceable condition. Damaged or deteriorated posts shall be replaced by the contractor. The entire post shall be painted whether previously painted or not.

All damaged, faded or otherwise unreadable signs (including BT tags) shall be replaced by the contractor. Any missing signs shall be replaced.

All existing blazes shall be scraped of loose bark and material, cleaned and repainted. No existing blazes shall be re-blazed or re-cut into the cambium.

Healthy trees that previously were not marked but have subsequently grown and are within three feet of the boundary line and are four (4) inches in diameter or greater, may be blazed and painted as needed to adhere to standard markings herein. Brush along the boundary line shall be cleared and removed. Brush and debris shall be removed within a 6 foot radius around the monuments.

At least two (2) digital photographs will be taken at each corner, one of the top of the monument and one of a directional view(s) showing the vicinity which will include the monument, delineator post and nearby bearing tree(s) in the view(s). A useable disk or electronic copies of the photos will be provided the Forest Service.

Corner Cards - Form 7100-52: One original 7100-52 shall be completed for each corner maintained by the contractor. All information placed on the card hall agree with information in the field books. These 7100-52 cards shall be printed in ink or typed and shall be signed and dated by the contractor and shall become property of the Forest Service.

Bearings shown on corner cards shall be stated from the corner to the bearing tree or bearing object. A photocopy will also be provided for each card. Each photocopy will be named with the appropriate Forest Service corner ID indexing system, with front and back of Form 7100-52 shown on one page. (See Exhibit 2 for example card)

Erroneous Lines and Obliteration of Erroneous Lines

54-2 Property Boundary signs, sign posts, or previously blazed and painted trees and other evidence of Government line marking which are not on the recognizable boundary line shall be reported immediately to the COR. Should the contractor encounter any confusing marks or lines, including evidence of possible encroachments or a contested line by an adjoining landowner will stop work immediately on that line and report the situation as soon as possible to the COR. Separate work orders may be issued for the obliteration of lines if required. A written report and any pertinent notes disclosing the erroneous line markings relationship to the boundary line shall be provided to the Forest Service.

Boundary Conflicts

The COR will inform the Contractor when issuing a delivery order of any known conflicts along any of the lines to be surveyed. ln cases where disputed boundaries become impossible to mark because of hostile adjoining landowners, such lines and cases are to be reported to the COR. If the case is settled prior to completion of the contract work order, the Contractor will mark the line according to these specifications.

Inspection and Acceptance

Quality Control

The Contractor has sole responsibility for maintaining quality control for all aspects of work performed under this contract. The Contractor will furnish a written plan of quality control procedures to the COR prior to a Notice to Proceed being issued.

Inspections

The COR or his/her designated Inspector may make periodic inspections on each project as work progresses.

Acceptance

No final approval of any project will be granted until all items specified are delivered to the Contracting Officer's Representative and determined to fulfill all specifications, terms and conditions of this contract. In a random minimum sample of ten percent, one hundred percent of the work must fulfill all specifications; otherwise the Contractor will be required to redo all the work.

Measurement and Payment Measurement All measurements for computational and payment purposes will be as follows:

Boundary Line Maintained - This will be the straight line record distance between two successive property corners, or the record distance along the meander line of irregular boundaries, as computed from government deeds or record information.

Standard Corner Maintenance (including any Witness Corners or Reference Monuments maintained) - Quantify the number of corners for payment by total number of Forest Service boundary corners actually maintained.

Unit of Computation

Payment of items in the Schedule for which the unit is defined as per mile will be paid per final unit of 0.01 mi. as computed from record distance information of lines maintained.

Payment of items defined in the schedule as corners will be paid per each corner monumented or maintained.

No payment will be made by any other unit of measurement.

Payment

Payment will be made for items shown on the schedule of items upon completion and acceptance.

Progress payments will be made for completed project areas and/or individual work orders. The Contractor shall submit a dated, signed invoice which shows the work completed listed per tract and by each line segment from corner to corner when requesting payments. Invoice shall clearly show what lines have been maintained and include the number and identification of corners maintained.

Unit Prices must include all research, mileage, and supplies.

Invoice Submission

The "Submit Invoice-to" address for USDA orders is the Department of Treasury's Invoice Processing Platform (IPP). The contractor must follow the instructions on how to register and submit invoices via IPP as prescribed in the previous communications from USDA and Treasury.

All invoices shall be submitted via the electronic Invoice Processing Platform. This platform is managed by the U.S. Department of Treasury and additional information is available at this website https://www.ipp.gov/index.htm.