C04c_2. Blue Jay-Falcon Appendix A.pdf

Blue Jay / Falcon Post Fire Veg. Mgmt. Stewardship SC Cleveland National Forest Page 1 of 7 Trabuco Ranger District

APPENDIX A

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR SERVICE WORK ITEMS

SECTION I – DESCRIPTION OF WORK:

The intent of the Blue Jay / Falcon Post Fire Vegetation Mgmt. Stewardship Service Contract is to secure forestry related commercial services for the cutting and decking of 824 individual dead trees, primarily less than 12 inches dbh; at three distinct sites: El Cariso/Los Pinos Admin sites (2 ac.), Blue Jay Campground (24 ac.), and Falcon Group Campground (6 ac.) The Forest Service anticipates individual dead trees will be cut by hand with chainsaws and rubber-tired/tracked low ground pressure equipment will be used to transport cut tree boles, limbs, and tops to a decking location as specified within Appendix A.

Subject to Forest Service funding and prospective contractor proposals, further processing and disposal of forest products off National Forest System lands may occur through Timber Subject to Agreement and execution of Optional Work Items 2 and/or 3.

Optional Work Item 4 provides for additional undetermined quantities of dead or hazardous tree cutting and decking which were not identified during the initial timber cruise in winter ‘25/’26.

Optional Work Item 5 – Rec. Site Vegetation Treatments includes the cutting/pruning of dead portions of shrubs and tree limbs by hand with chainsaws and pole saws within, and to a set distance of, each campsite. Cut material would be yarded by hand or low ground pressure rubber-tracked/tired machinery to access points for chipping.

Depending on award of optional work item 3 and contractor identified markets, contractor may broadcast chips back onsite not exceed 2 inches in depth or remove from contract area.

Restoration of staging areas, skid trails, tractor roads to near pretreatment conditions is required and anticipated to be accomplished through a combination of equipment and hand tools.

SECTION II – WORK ITEMS

Mandatory Item 1: Cut and Deck Designated Trees:

Cutting Units: 1. El Cariso Los Pinos Admin Site, 2. Blue Jay Campground, 3. Falcon Group Campground, (32 Acres)

1. Cut and deck from Contract Area non-sawtimber trees which meet the minimum tree specifications as identified in Appendix B.

The following table provides general summary of est. number of trees and volume by species for large trees (>12” dbh) and small trees (< 12” dbh) at each developed recreation site:

Strata 1 - Non-sawtimber– Greater than 12 inch DBH Cutting Unit 1 – Los Pinos / El Cariso 2 – Bluejay CG 3 – Falcon CG

Coast Live oak– Volume / Number of Trees

3.34 CCF

8 Trees

46.40 CCF

86 Trees

22.59 CCF

33 Trees

Coulter Pine – Volume / Number of Trees

1.16 CCF

5 Trees

9.03 CCF

11 Trees

1.84 CCF

2 Trees

Incense Cedar – Volume / Number of Trees

0.22 CCF

2 Trees

N/A N/A

Monterey Pine Hybrid -Volume / Number of Trees

2.23 CCF

7 Trees

N/A N/A

Cutting Unit Total Volume / Number of Trees

6.95 CCF

22 Trees

55.44 CCF

97 Trees

24.43 CCF

35 Trees

Total Volume = 86.82 CCF / 154 Trees

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Strata 2 - Non-sawtimber – less than 12 DBH Cutting Unit 1 – Los Pinos / El Cariso 2 – Bluejay CG 3 – Falcon CG

Coast Live oak – Volume / Number of Trees

1.29 CCF

24 trees

20.77 CCF

387 Trees

7.25 CCF

135 Trees

Coulter Pine – Volume / Number of Trees

0.10 CCF

7 Trees

0.55 CCF

37 Trees

0.25 CCF

17 Trees

Incense Cedar – Volume / Number of Trees

40 CCF

56 Trees

N/A N/A

Monterey Pine Hybrid –Volume / Number of Trees

0 CCF

7 Trees

N/A N/A

Cutting Unit Total Volume / Number of Trees

1.79 CCF

94 Trees

21.32 CCF

424 Trees

7.5 CCF

152 Trees

Total Non-Sale Volume = 30.61 CCF / 670 Trees **see cruise report for greater detail, including individual tree measurements for all trees > 12” dbh and estimates of number of trees, QMD, Mean DBH, Mean Total Height by species and strata.

2. Cut trees are designated with blue or green timber marking paint above and below stump height.

3. Treat recently dead conifer stumps (less than 1 year old, needles retained) with cellu-treat within 24 hours of cutting. Report daily pesticide usage at month end.

4. Low ground pressure rubber-tracked or rubber-tired equipment shall be used for transporting logs and associated slash, i.e., limbs, tops; from stump to decking locations

5. Decking locations to be mutually agreed upon prior to commencement of cutting operations.

6. All logs shall be decked separately from limbs and tops. Hardwood logs shall be sorted and decked separately from softwood logs.

7. Chip slash and remove from Contract Area. Include in slash disposal any previously cut and bucked dead trees observed in the campgrounds.

8. Restore equipment trails to near pretreatment conditions utilizing equipment and hand tools, restoration is anticipated to include Backblading, raking out ruts, and spreading small branches and organic matter over trails to disguise trails from viewshed.

Optional Item 2: Remove softwood Logs

16 CCF / 151 Ind. Trees

1. Remove all logs from decking areas off National Forest System lands.

2. Follow applicable provisions stated in appendix B that governs forest product removal.

Optional Item 3: Remove Hardwood Logs in Chip Form

102 CCF / 673 Ind. Trees (a range of 50-60 lbs/ft³ has been used to estimate tonnage at 255-306)

1. Due to the presence of the invasive goldspotted oak borer, all decked oak logs shall be chipped to a 3 inch minus chip particle size prior to removal of National Forest System lands.

2. A metal tracked chipper may be used provided it is offloaded onto rubber mats, plywood or other protective surface and kept stationary or moved on protective surfaces to avoid damage to forest service improvements listed in the Call Order.

Optional Item 4: Additional Dead Trees Cut, Deck, and Remove

1 CCF / undetermined estimate of individual trees

1. Cut, deck, and remove from Contract Area additional dead trees that have died since time of cruise and tree designation.

2. Additional trees would be marked and measured concurrently with contractors’ operations to not delay production or cause rework of an area.

3. Follow applicable provisions stated in appendix B that governs forest product removal.

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Optional Item 5: Rec Site Veg Treatments

Developed Campground Units: 2. Blue Jay Campground, 3. Falcon Group Campground (51 acres) Complete the following activities to further reduce hazard fuels and improve visual quality within each site.

1. Manually cut with chainsaws all dead portions of resprouting shrubs which were top killed by wildfire.

2. Prune with chainsaw or pruning saws small to medium diameter dead branches on retained trees which show no sign of epicormic/dormant bud resprouting. Pruning shall occur at branch unions just outside the branch collar. Flush cutting shall be avoided.

3. Yard cut material by hand or machine to closest access points for disposal.

4. Yard dead and down woody debris at, or within 25’ of individual camp sites that was not disposed of through item 1.

5. Dispose of activity generated slash through chipping. Chips from this item may be broadcast on site if they can be managed to less than a 3 inch depth, or they can be salvaged by contractor and removed offsite.

SECTION III – INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

For All Work Items:

At any point during the project, the Contractor and/or Project Manager may request (documented through email, text, or hand-written request) an in the field consultation with the Forest Service to inspect work progress, review contract specifications, or clarify issues. The Forest Service shall respond to Contractor’s request within 5 working days, excluding weekends and federal holidays.

GOVERNMENT QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN

Government Inspection Procedures - The COR, or a designated inspector (GTM), will make periodic inspections while work is in progress, usually daily at first, as needed to assure work is proceeding satisfactorily. The Contractor shall notify the COR when units are started, when problems are encountered and when contract work needs government oversight.

1. Each unit will be inspected as a separate unit. Unit will not be averaged with other units for acceptance or payment.

2. When units are completed and ready for government inspection, Contractor’s designated Project manager shall request unit inspection in writing, prior to moving out of the general area.

3. The COR, or designated inspector, will determine compliance with contract specifications through informal visual inspections. In the event visual inspection indicates work to be in non-compliance with specifications, prompt corrective action and/or rework shall be required.

Performance Requirement Standard / Measure Acceptable

Quality Level

(AQL)

Method of Inspection

Cut & deck marked timber All designated trees cut and decked 100% Visual inspection

Treat recently dead conifer stumps within 24 hours of cutting.

All stumps treated within required timeframe. 95% Visual inspection

Report daily pesticide usage at month end.

Complete and accurate pesticide usage report submitted by end of each month.

100% Administrative review.

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Performance Requirement Standard / Measure Acceptable

Quality Level

(AQL)

Method of Inspection

Logs decked separately from limbs and tops.

Sorting and separation consistently performed. 95% On-site inspection of decking areas.

Hardwood logs sorted and decked separately from softwood logs.

Correct species sorting at decking locations. 95% Visual inspection.

Chip slash and remove from Contract Area, All slash and designated dead material chipped and removed.

95% Visual inspection

Restore equipment trails to near pre-treatment conditions.

Trails restored sufficiently to disguise evidence of equipment use from viewshed.

100% Visual inspection upon completion of operations.

Pruning Retained trees have dead limbs pruned 95% Visual inspection

Removal of timber subject to agreement

All agreed to material removed from contract area 100% Field verification of removed decks and chips

Unsatisfactory Performance

If the work quality falls below the minimum AQL, the COR will immediately notify the Contractor, in writing, and order him to improve the quality of subsequent tree cutting. If after rework has been performed and reinspected, and work quality still falls below minimum AQL percent, payment will either be made at a reduced rate, or not at all, as determined in SECTION IV below. Repeated failure to produce work quality at or above the minimum acceptable standard will be considered reason for contract termination for cause.

Reinspection Upon Contractor Request

1. If Government inspection results are unacceptable to the Contractor, a reinspection may be requested, in writing, within 5 business days after receipt of notice of said inspection results. The same inspection procedure will be used; however, the inspection pattern will be shifted so that new inspection plots will not overlap previously inspected plots.

2. If reinspection results – rounded up to the nearest whole percent – indicate a variance of more than 5 percent from the first inspection, the results of the second inspection will be used to calculate work quality and payment, and the Government will bear the cost of reinspection.

3. If reinspection results – rounded up to the nearest whole percent – are within 5 percent of the first inspection, plots from the initial inspection and the reinspection will be combined and used to calculate work quality and payment, and the Contractor shall bear the cost of reinspection.

SECTION IV – PAYMENT METHODS

Method of Measurement for Acreages

Acreages were determined by using Global Positioning Systems (GPS) or digitized using GIS mapping. Some unit boundaries are flagged, the majority of boundaries are virtual.

Discernable Boundaries are boundary locations that are readily identifiable features on the ground in locations shown on the Contract Area Map. A Geo-Fence is a location on the ground corresponding to the boundary location shown on a mobile mapping device using a Global Positioning System (GPS) Receiver using a digital vector

Page 5 of 7 Trabuco Ranger District file/shapefile. The digital vector file/shapefile will be provided as an attachment to the Contractor by the Forest Service at award. A digital list of the coordinates can be provided upon request.

Contractor is responsible for obtaining a GPS receiver(s) that is capable of determining the location of the geo-fence boundary within the contract tolerance. Allowable contract tolerance is 30 feet.

Forest Service inspection of treatment boundaries shall be conducted to determine treatments are within the allowable contract tolerance using the digital vector file/shapefile referenced above using a GPS Receiver with a minimum, tested accuracy in a Light- Medium canopy of 20 feet.

National Technology Development Program GPS Receiver accuracy reports by GPS manufacturer and model are available at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/gps/mtdcrept/accuracy/index.htm. Forest Service determination of boundary location will be final.

In case of a major disruption in GPS service, or lack of GPS coverage on the Contract Area beyond the control of the Contractor, as determined by the Contracting Officer, extension of time may be granted by Contracting Officer when requested in writing by Contractor in accordance with 52.212-4 (f) Excusable Delays. To resolve major disruption of GPS service, or lack of GPS coverage on the Contract Area, the Forest Service may elect to Mark Geo- Fence boundaries on the ground, in which case the Forest Service’s determination of boundary location will be final.

The acreage for each work item will be rounded to the nearest acre and is final unless:

a. The contract is modified or,

b. The Government makes a determination to remeasure or,

c. The Contractor exercises his/her option under the following Remeasurement provisions:

Remeasurement

1. The Contractor may request, in writing, remeasurement of any units under this contract if he/she feels that acreage stated on the project maps is incorrect. The remeasurement must be within the existing perimeter of the respective unit. No variance of the unit perimeters as laid out on the ground for this contract will be allowed. All requests for remeasurement must be made prior to payment for each completed unit. Remeasurement will be performed by the Government.

2. If remeasurement indicates that a variance of ten percent or less exists on units of 1 to 5 acres, five percent or less exists on units of more than five but less than 20 acres, or if three percent or less exists on units of 20 acres or larger, the Contractor shall pay for the actual costs of the remeasurement. Under this condition, payment will be made on the acreage stated on the project maps. If the remeasurement indicates the actual acreage varies by more than the above factors from that stated on the project maps, the payment will be made on the remeasured acreage and the Forest Service will pay for the cost of the remeasurement.

Acceptance and Payment – Items 1 and 5

1. If informal visual inspection indicates acceptable work quality, the Contractor will be paid 100 percent of their bid rate.

2. In the event that formal inspections are used, the rate of payment to the Contractor will be calculated as follows:

(a) For work quality of 95 percent or higher, 5 percent (adjustment for statistical variation) will be added and the Contractor will be paid 100 percent of their bid rate.

(b) For work quality from 85 to 94 percent, the 5 percent will be added to the work quality percent and the Contractor will be paid the total multiplied by the bid rate.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/gps/mtdcrept/accuracy/index.htm

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(c) For work quality 84 percent and less, the 5 percent will not be added and there will be no payment made to the Contractor.

(d) If, after rework, the percentage of satisfactory work is between 85% and 94%, payment will be made by the actual percentage. If the percentage is less than 85%, the work is unacceptable, and no payment will be made.

Acceptance and Payment – Items 2, 3 and 4

1. Full payment will be made upon removal of all material. Progress payments will not be considered.

SECTION V – DEFINITIONS

ACCEPTABLE QUALITY LEVEL (AQL): Acceptance of work will be based on compliance with all specifications corresponding to the appropriate task(s). A minimum AQL is required for all service work – hand or mechanical. The minimum AQL will receive a satisfactory performance rating.

BRUSH: Vegetation consisting of shrub species with single or multi-stems originating at or near ground level not normally reaching more than 15 feet in height.

CIRCULAR PLOT: A sample plot within a thinning unit that is used to determine the number of desirable trees and other contract specifications.

COARSE WOODY DEBRIS: Woody material left on the ground to meet wildlife habitat requirements.

CUT TREES: Trees that do not possess the characteristics of desirable leave trees and are required to be cut.

As described by the contract or otherwise marked to be cut.

CUTTING UNIT: See Treatment Unit definition

DAMAGED TREES: Trees damaged beyond recovery. A tree that is larger than 2 feet in height, and has the top knocked out, is leaning more than 10 degrees, has less than one half of its original limbs, or has approximately 50% of bark removed from the circumference of the bole.

DBH: Diameter at breast height, measured at a point of 4.5 feet above the ground level on the uphill side of the tree.

DECKING: Stockpiling of trees in a designated area.

DEAD/DYING TREES: Trees with the crown foliage changing from green to red, yellow, or needleless.

DIB: Diameter inside bark.

HANG-UP TREE: Any cut tree suspended above ground level.

NON-SAWTIMBER TREE: For all conifer species, minimum diameter of 2 inches DBH to minimum diameter by species identified in Appendix B, Division A.

PAYMENT UNIT: See Treatment Unit.

PROGRESSION OF WORK: Work conducted in a progressive, workmanlike and orderly manner by the Contractor.

SLASH: Woody material existing or created that has accumulated on the forest floor. Woody material includes logs, pieces of logs, tops, and branches.

UNIT: See Treatment Unit.

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TREATMENT UNIT: An individual area on the ground in which activities will be performed and which may appear as a separate pay item in the Schedule of Items.

UNSATISFACTORY WORK: If work quality falls below the AQL, the COR will issue a work order or notice of noncompliance to the Contractor in writing. Untreated or unsatisfactory treated areas shall be reworked to obtain satisfactory work quality.

VIRTUAL BOUNDARY: A unit boundary that is shown on the map but is not demarcated on the ground. The contractor must use mapping applications in order to locate these boundaries in the unit.

SECTION V – DEFINITIONS