CN-370000-PL352-TA1.pdf

DEP Contract No. PL352, Task Assignment No. 1, Page 1 of 4

PL352 TASK ASSIGNMENT NO. 1

TASK DESCRIPTION

Update or Create Forest / Vegetation Stand Map Layers for all Parks

And

Complete Phase I Forest/Vegetation Inventory at 27 Parks

TASK DESCRIPTION:

1. Update or Create Forest / Vegetation Stand Map Layers for all Parks

a. Review GIS forest/vegetation community boundaries for all 175 parks (based on data provided by the Department in August-September 2015).

b. Create a new GIS dataset by delineating/mapping 100% of the land within all Florida

State Parks to include forest stands (defined below), non-forested areas, and developed areas by June 30, 2016. The initial focus will be Parks 1-27 listed in Attachment B. The new dataset will complement existing DRP-FPS GIS data, and is not intended to replace or change existing data. Mapping will initially entail identifying and delineating each

“Forest Stand”, which is defined as a contiguous community or group of trees sufficiently uniform in composition, structure, age and size class distribution, spatial arrangement, site quality, condition, or location to distinguish it from adjacent communities. The resultant data set will detail existing conditions onsite and will form the basis for allocating forest/vegetation inventory plots (Task 2 below). Following the completion of the mapping in Parks 1-27 listed in Attachment B, the remaining 148

Parks will be mapped at a production level of approximately 30 Parks per month for

February through June. The mapping procedure will utilize one or more of the following resources: “heads up” (visual recognition) digitizing, remote sensing automated analyses, existing GIS data per Park, soil mapping units, recent aerial photographs (true color and where appropriate infrared), and historic aerial photographs when available.

Attachment A provides all procedures and standards.

c. Perform field verification, or ground-truthing of the Forest Stand boundaries and remap as necessary. Create an attribute field in the data set to indicate which Forest Stands were field verified.

2. Complete Phase IA Forest/Vegetation Inventory at 27 Parks

a. Allocate and identify the location of inventory plots across the upland portion of the

Forest Stands previously mapped in each of Parks 1-27 listed in Attachment B. Plots will be located on a line-plot grid system. The sampling method shall be based on the

DEP Contract No. PL352, Task Assignment No. 1, Page 2 of 4 principles of stratified random sampling, whereby plots are allocated and distributed across individual Forest Stands or ecological management units in an unbiased and systematic manner. The target sampling intensity will be one plot per six acres, with the ability to adjust plot intensity per the needs of the Forest Stand. This data set shall produce a representative estimate of vegetation composition and structure, which shall accurately depict vegetation conditions across the approximate + 111,020 upland

“Forest Stand” acres. The newly collected inventory data will be a stand-alone dataset intended to establish current Forest Stand conditions, and complement existing vegetation community-type data.

b. Initiate and complete inventory of + 18,516 plots in the upland Forest Stands by June 30, 2016. Average production per month is expected to be approximately 3,086 plots.

c. Conduct a field audit on 3% of inventoried plots (+ 555 audit plots). Audit plots shall be installed at the time inventory plots are being collected. Audit plots will be proportionally allocated per each and all field technicians. If a technician’s inventory plot is audited and deemed a “failed plot”, then allocation of future audit plots shall be adjusted to audit a higher percentage of that technicians inventory work. Plots that fail an audit will be re-measured at no cost to the Department.

d. All inventory and audit plots, and corresponding data will adhere to the procedures in

Attachment C: Florida DEP Forest/Vegetation Resource Assessment Field Data Collection

Specifications Cross Florida Greenway.

3. Manage the services, actions, and/or tasks supporting the proposed work/project.

DELIVERABLES:

F4 Tech will provide the following deliverables to the Department:

1. GIS Data Sets.

All data as outlined above in the Task Description is due on or before June 30, 2016. F4 may deliver incremental portions of both data sets bi-weekly as work is completed. Delivery dates are flexible but should be evenly spaced over the course of the approximate six (6) month period of this Task Assignment. The proposal identifies 11 separate submittals (with corresponding invoices) between the date of execution of this Task Assignment and June 30, 2016 (approximately every two weeks). All data and each corresponding invoice will be provided in electronic format. These products shall be considered delivered when: the Task

Manager or Contract Manager receives written notification (via email or US Mail) that a data set has been uploaded to the Department’s File Transfer Protocol (FTP) site, AND the

Department’s Task Manager or Contract Manager provides written notification (via email or

US Mail) to the F4 Contractor Representative confirming receipt of the data set(s).

DEP Contract No. PL352, Task Assignment No. 1, Page 3 of 4

a. GIS Data Set 1: Forest / Vegetation Stand feature class information. This deliverable is comprised digital information, which is detailed in Attachment A.

b. GIS Data Set 2: Forest / Vegetation Inventory attributes. This deliverable is comprised digital information, its components and quality are detailed in Attachment C: Florida

DEP Forest/Vegetation Resource Assessment Field Data Collection Specifications Cross

Florida Greenway. All tree volume equations used for inventory calculations shall be appropriate for each specific Forest Stand, and industry accepted / standard.

2. Create and host the SilvAssist Dashboard for this project and provide the Department staff ongoing access to the data through ArcGIS web map services hosted by F4 Tech. Access to the dashboard will be provided to the Department on or before January 29, 2016.

TRAVEL:

Travel costs are included in the fixed fee/prices.

COST:

Work associated with this Task Assignment will be conducted on a per acre or per plot basis.

Corresponding invoice amounts will be based on the following rates per unit. No hourly charges, reimbursable expenses, or additional fees pertain to this Task Assignment.

Update or Create Forest / Vegetation Stand Map Layers for all Parks:

Forest Stand GIS mapping and ground-truthing = $0.52/acre

This portion of the task shall not exceed $389,926.00.

Complete Phase IA Forest/Vegetation Inventory at 27 Parks

Collect Forest/Vegetation data = $40.00/plot

Perform Audit inventory plots = $90.00/plot

This portion of the task shall not exceed $790,341.00

F4 Tech shall conduct the work outlined herein for a maximum amount not to exceed

$1,180,267.00. Tasks described above will be structured and tracked per acre (GIS

Mapping) and per plot (Forest Inventorying).

PAYMENT:

Update or Create Forest / Vegetation Stand Map Layers for all Parks

GIS Mapping tasks will be invoiced once per month based on acres completed.

DEP Contract No. PL352, Task Assignment No. 1, Page 4 of 4

Complete Phase IA Forest / Vegetation Inventory at 27 Parks

Forest/Vegetation Inventory work will be invoiced twice per month based on plots completed.

Itemized invoices shall be submitted upon completion and acceptance of each task as identified in the Deliverables corresponding to the acres mapped and/or plots inventoried.

Payment will be made pursuant to Paragraphs 7, 8, and 9 of the Contract and any applicable addenda thereto.

Per Section 9 of the Contract, the Department reserves the right to establish and apply

Retainage on a Task Assignment.

REIMBURSEABLES:

All work related to this Task Assignment will be conducted on a fixed fee/price basis. Any allowable travel expenses are included in the fixed price amount.

Specific requirements concerning reimbursables are detailed in the Contract in Paragraph

8, Attachment B (Response Form), and Attachment F (Contract Payment Requirements).

Attachment A

Data Management Compliance Statement

F4 Tech will comply with all of the required standards in the Department’s GIS Location Data

Standard document (STD-09061811.1.0) and the GIS Data Deliverables Standards document

(included below). Raw GIS data deliverables will be provided to the Department in file geodatabase format with appropriate metadata, domains, projection and datum. The complete schema will be documented with descriptions of spatial layers, tables, fields and data types, and domains. This data will be posted on a Department FTP site to be determined.

F4 Tech will also host the data in an ArcSDE (SQL Server) database. Department staff will be provided access to this data through ArcGIS web map services hosted by F4 Tech in SilvAssist

Dashboard while the project is ongoing.

DEP GIS Data Deliverables Standards

Spatial data deliverables shall be in ESRI ArcGIS File Geodatabase format compatible with ESRI ArcGIS 10.3.1

Data should be projected to Albers HARN using the NAD 1983 HARN Florida GDL Albers (Meters).prj projection file in ArcGIS.

A data dictionary MS Word and/or MS Excel document deliverable containing the names and descriptions of various tables (records or entities) and their contents (fields) plus additional details including the type and length of each data element and the range of acceptable values or attributes for each field.

Spatial data shall conform to the FDEP Data Location Standards Document and should at a minimum include an extra field for the Collection Method Identifier.

File Geodatabase(s) feature datasets shall be free of topological errors such as overlaps, sliver gaps and self-intersecting sections. Geodatabase(s) must be verified/cleaned using topology tools provided in ArcGIS.

File Geodatabase(s) shall have domains for each field that have established values and standards for attribute collection established in the data dictionary (data dictionary is also a deliverable).

File geodatabase(s) for each domain shall have codes (attribute values) relating to the standards established under the data dictionary and feature datasets must be validated for accuracy.

File Geodatabase(s) shall have metadata submitted in FGDC compliant standards preferably in XML (.xml) or HTML (.html) format.

Associated files should be stored with the data set. Unique map symbol sets and legend files (e.g. _.lyr) should be included with GIS data. Graphics, digital photos, or documents linked to GIS layers should be organized into a folder along with a text document describing file naming conventions and relationships to spatial data (i.e. data set, table, and field names). Links to these associated files should be stored in GIS attribute tables using relative pathnames.

Steps taken for quality assurance and control standards used in producing the information must be formally documented in metadata or in a descriptive document file.

A spatial scale and accuracy appropriate to accomplishing project spatial objectives should be used. Consult with DRP staff to discuss spatial scale and accuracy details.

The FDEP File Transfer Protocol (ftp) site shall be used to transfer all of the associated Digital Data created under this task. Digital data can be compressed using WinZip or using Window’s “Send to: Compressed (zipped) Folder” function.

F4 Tech Mapping Procedures

Stand Mapping

Having accurate forested stands are central to allocating plots in an effective manner. F4 Tech will map forested stands for the Florida State Parks will using the following materials and procedures.

Reference Materials

There will be several materials and datasets available for reference while digitizing. These include rasters and other pertinent imagery, geographic data provided by the Department, and relevant topographic data. Some imagery available through ESRI map services will be added to ArcMap, but other data in rasters and geodatabases will be on F4 Tech servers.

Rasters and Imagery:

True color ESRI imagery (basemap)

Color infrared NAIP imagery from ESRI (basemap from ArcGIS Online)

Bing true color imagery (basemap from ArcGIS Online)

Historical imagery from Google Earth

Provided geographic data:

DEP-provided stands (when available)

DEP-provided natural communities

DEP-provided historic natural communities

DEP-provided latest property boundaries

Topographic Data:

Digital Elevation Models (DEMs)

DEM-derived relative slope position layer

NDVI map service from ESRI (basemap from ArcGIS Online)

Soils data from SSURGO

Imagery and other reference data will be used to identify stand boundaries, and parse out any non-forest cover types. Geodatabases delivered by the Department provide important information on cover type and management description that will be incorporated into the stands feature class. Other topographic data, such as soil layers, will aid in distinguishing upland and bottomland sites.

Stands Feature Class

F4 Tech will provide FDEP with ESRI format file-based geodatabase (GDB) containing a single polygon feature classes for stands. The data will be in the FDEP Albers HARN projection. The GDBs and feature classes will follow a standard naming convention with the delivery date in a deliverable. It is anticipated there will be multiple deliverables of the geodatabase and the naming convention will allow the latest version to be readily identified. The naming convention for GDBs will be “ForestInventory” with the date in ISO 8601 format and the standard .gdb suffix for file-based GDBs. The format profile of ISO 8601, which is an 8-digit number where a sort on filename is equivalent to a sort by date (e.g. ForestStands20161225.gdb would be the stands

GDB). The naming convention for feature classes will be ForestStands concatenated with date in

ISO 8601 format.

The feature class attributes for stands are shown in Table 1.

Attribute Name Type Width Description Development Method Null Values Allowed

OBJECTID OID 4 ESRI Object

ID

Auto assigned No

Acres Double 8 GIS acres calculated from the Shape Area property

Calculated by F4 Tech No

StandID String 50 Unique stand

ID

Calculated by F4 Tech No

ForestType String 50 Generalized forest type

Calculated by F4 Tech No

GlobalID GlobalID 38 ESRI Global Identifier

Calculated by F4 Tech No

Shape Geometry 4 Standard

ESRI

geodatabase field

Auto assigned No

ParkID String 50 Equal to FPS Unit ID

Calculated by F4 Tech No

ParkName String 50 Equal to FPS Unit Name

Calculated by F4 Tech No

BroadType String 50 Broad forest type

Calculated by F4 Tech No

Origin String 50 Field used by SilvAssist for growth modeling

Generated by F4 software Yes

EstDate String 50 Field used by SilvAssist for growth modeling

Generated by F4 software Yes

Attribute Name Type Width Description Development Method Null Values Allowed

MerchSpecs String 50 Field used by SilvAssist for growth modeling

Generated by F4 software Yes

FVS_Location Integer 4 Field used by SilvAssist for growth modeling

Generated by F4 software Yes

PV_Code String 50 Field used by SilvAssist for growth modeling

Generated by F4 software Yes

SI_Species String 50 Field used by SilvAssist for growth modeling

Generated by F4 software Yes

Site Index String 50 Field used by SilvAssist for growth modeling

Generated by F4 software Yes

FVS Keywords String 50 Field used by SilvAssist for growth modeling

Generated by F4 software Yes

Bearing Integer 2 Field used by SilvAssist for growth modeling

Generated by F4 software Yes

Alloc Integer 2 Field used by SilvAssist for growth modeling

Generated by F4 software Yes

BAF String 5 Field used by SilvAssist for growth modeling

Generated by F4 software Yes

Shape.STArea() Double 0 Standard

ESRI

geodatabase field

Auto assigned No

Shape.STLength() Double 0 Standard

ESRI

geodatabase field

Auto assigned No

Digitizing Stands

Stands will be heads up digitized in a polygon feature class which contains property boundary information obtained from the Department. Other relevant reference data will be added to the edit sessions as needed. When historic imagery is needed, a separate Google Earth session will be opened and referenced. All acres inside of the park will be mapped for stands based on similar broad types, age of the trees, tree density, species composition, past management activities, and size of the trees.

The following are rules for the digitizing of forested polygons:

The forested stand layer should not contain any gaps or overlaps

Forested stands should not cross paved roads (primary road type)

Forested stands should not occupy lakes or open areas

The following are rules for the digitizing of non-forested/lake polygons:

Non forested/lake polygons should not contain gaps or overlaps

Lake polygons should be verified against imagery and modified where necessary

Open areas that are not currently digitized should be digitized

Digitizers will populate the broad type or “BType” field in the attribute table with the general forest type of the stand. These types are as follows:

Planted Pine (PP)

Natural Pine (PN)

Pine-Hardwood Mix (PH)

Hardwood-Pine Mix (HP)

Hardwood (HW)

Cypress (CY)

Additionally, the person digitizing will use additional reference materials such as soil layers and relative slope position to populate the Moisture Type or “MType” field in the attribute table with the forest site condition. These types are as follows:

Upland (UP)

Bottomland (BT)

The person digitizing the stands will put his or her initials in the “Dig” field in the attribute table.

Once digitizing is complete, a unique Stand ID will be calculated in the StandID field, acres will be calculated, and the dataset submitted for internal review.

Stands Review

Reviewers are responsible for visually reviewing digitized stand boundaries over imagery and making notes in the dataset’s attribute table regarding any spatial changes or suggestions needed for stand boundaries or BType. Changes and corrections to the stands dataset will either be made by the original digitizer or the reviewer.

Stands will be reviewed with the following procedures:

1) Select a stand dataset to review.

2) Open the feature class in ArcMap. Add any layers from the Reference folder in addition to basemaps and ESRI map services.

3) Populate the “Review1” column in the attribute table with your initials.

4) Looking at the shapefile physical stand boundaries and the values in the attribute table, assess whether the stand delineation and typing (BType, MType) seems correct.

5) In the attribute table for stands requiring edits, type any comments in the “Rev1_Com” field. Note that it is necessary to be in the editing session to do this and that “Rev1_Com” allows for 100 text characters. Information to record includes what needs to be changed and whether it is a stand boundary shift or a different BType.

6) The reviewer will also make notes in the “Access” field in the attribute table regarding stand access when applicable. Only stands that have poor access will be commented.

Reviewers will add an “I” for island, “L” for landlocked, and “O” for other type of inaccessibility.

Attachment B

Parks Involved per Phase

Forest/Vegetation Data Inventory

Number State Park Phase 1A -

Inventory Upland Areas Only

Phase 1B - Inventory

Upland Areas Only

Phase 2 - Only

Inventory Non-

Upland Areas

Phase 2 - Inventory

Upland and Non- Upland

1 Bald Point State Park Yes Yes

2 Big Shoals State Park Yes Yes

3 Big Talbot Island State Park Yes Yes

4 Bulow Creek State Park Yes Yes

5 Cedar Key Scrub State Reserve Yes Yes

6 Crystal River Preserve State Park Yes Yes

7 Deer Lake State Park Yes Yes

8 Dunns Creek State Park Yes Yes

9 Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park Yes Yes

10 Faver-Dykes State Park Yes Yes

11 Grayton Beach State Park Yes Yes

12 Ichetucknee Springs State Park Yes Yes

13 Manatee Springs State Park Yes Yes

14 Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenways State Recreation and Conservation Area

Yes Yes

15 Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park Yes Yes

16 O'Leno State Park Yes Yes

17 Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park Yes Yes

18 Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve State Park Yes Yes

19 Rainbow Springs State Park Yes Yes

20 River Rise Preserve State Park Yes Yes

21 San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park Yes Yes

22 Silver Springs State Park Yes Yes

23 St. Marks River Preserve State Park Yes Yes

24 Suwannee River State Park Yes Yes

25 T.H. Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park

Yes Yes

26 Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park Yes Yes

27 Torreya State Park Yes Yes

Upland Areas Only

Phase 1B - Inventory

Upland Areas Only

Phase 2 - Only

Inventory Non-

Upland Areas

Phase 2 - Inventory

Upland and Non- Upland

28 Allen David Broussard Catfish Creek Preserve State Park

Yes Yes

29 Atlantic Ridge Preserve State Park Yes Yes

30 Blue Spring State Park Yes Yes

31 Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park Yes Yes

32 Collier-Seminole State Park Yes Yes

33 Colt Creek State Park Yes Yes

34 Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park

Yes Yes

35 Estero Bay Preserve State Park Yes Yes

36 Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park Yes Yes

37 Highlands Hammock State Park Yes Yes

38 Jonathan Dickinson State Park Yes Yes

39 Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park Yes Yes

40 Lake Kissimmee State Park Yes Yes

41 Lake Louisa State Park Yes Yes

42 Little Manatee River State Park Yes Yes

43 Lower Wekiva River Preserve State Park Yes Yes

44 Myakka River State Park Yes Yes

45 Oscar Scherer State Park Yes Yes

46 Rock Springs Run State Reserve Yes Yes

47 Savannas Preserve State Park Yes Yes

48 St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park Yes Yes

49 Wekiwa Springs State Park Yes Yes

50 Addison Blockhouse Historic State Park Yes

51 Alafia River State Park Yes

52 Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park Yes

53 Amelia Island State Park Yes

54 Anastasia State Park Yes

55 Anclote Key Preserve State Park Yes

56 Anderson's Landing (Managed by Manatee Springs State Park)

Yes

57 Avalon State Park Yes

58 Bahia Honda State Park Yes

59 Big Lagoon State Park Yes

60 Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park Yes

61 Blackwater Heritage State Trail Yes

Upland Areas Only

Phase 1B - Inventory

Upland Areas Only

Phase 2 - Only

Inventory Non-

Upland Areas

Phase 2 - Inventory

Upland and Non- Upland

62 Blackwater River State Park Yes

63 Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park Yes

64 Caladesi Island State Park Yes

65 Camp Helen State Park Yes

66 Cayo Costa State Park Yes

67 Cedar Key Museum State Park Yes

68 Cockroach Bay Preserve State Park Yes

69 Constitution Convention Museum State Park Yes

70 Crystal River Archaeological State Park Yes

71 Curry Hammock State Park Yes

72 Dade Battlefield Historic State Park Yes

73 De Leon Springs State Park Yes

74 Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park Yes

75 Devil's Millhopper Geological State Park Yes

76 Don Pedro Island State Park Yes

77 Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park

Yes

78 Dudley Farm Historic State Park Yes

79 Econfina River State Park Yes

80 Eden Gardens State Park Yes

81 Egmont Key Yes

82 Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park

Yes

83 Falling Waters State Park Yes

84 Fanning Springs State Park Yes

85 Fernandina Plaza Historic State Park Yes

86 Florida Caverns State Park Yes

87 Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail Yes

88 Forest Capital Museum State Park Yes

89 Fort Clinch State Park Yes

90 Fort Cooper State Park Yes

91 Fort George Island Cultural State Park Yes

92 Fort Mose Historic State Park Yes

93 Fort Pierce Inlet State Park Yes

94 Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park Yes

95 Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park Yes

Upland Areas Only

Phase 1B - Inventory

Upland Areas Only

Phase 2 - Only

Inventory Non-

Upland Areas

Phase 2 - Inventory

Upland and Non- Upland

96 Gainesville-to-Hawthorne State Trail Yes

97 Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area at Flagler Beach

Yes

98 Gasparilla Island State Park Yes

99 General James A. Van Fleet State Trail Yes

100 George Crady Bridge Fishing Pier State Park Yes

101 Haw Creek Preserve State Park Yes

102 Henderson Beach State Park Yes

103 Hillsborough River State Park Yes

104 Honeymoon Island State Park Yes

105 Hontoon Island State Park Yes

106 Hugh Taylor Birch State Park Yes

107 Ichetucknee Trace (Columbia County Recreation Area)

Yes

108 Indian Key Historic State Park Yes

109 Indian River Lagoon Preserve State Park Yes

110 John D. MacArthur Beach State Park Yes

111 John Gorrie Museum State Park Yes

112 John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park Yes

113 John U. Lloyd Beach State Park Yes

114 Judah P. Benjamin Confederate Memorial at Gamble Plantation Historic State Park

Yes

115 Koreshan State Historic Site Yes

116 Lafayette Blue Springs State Park Yes

117 Lake Griffin State Park Yes

118 Lake Jackson Mounds Archaeological State Park

Yes

119 Lake June-in-Winter Scrub State Park Yes

120 Lake Manatee State Park Yes

121 Lake Talquin State Park Yes

122 Letchworth-Love Mounds Archaeological State Park

Yes

123 Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park Yes

124 Little Talbot Island State Park Yes

125 Long Key State Park Yes

126 Lovers Key State Park Yes

Upland Areas Only

Phase 1B - Inventory

Upland Areas Only

Phase 2 - Only

Inventory Non-

Upland Areas

Phase 2 - Inventory

Upland and Non- Upland

127 Madira Bickel Mound State Archaeological Site

Yes

128 Madison Blue Spring Yes

129 Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park Yes

130 Mound Key Archaeological State Park Yes

131 Natural Bridge Battlefield Historic State Park Yes

132 Nature Coast State Trail Yes

133 North Peninsula State Park Yes

134 Ochlockonee River State Park Yes

135 Okeechobee Battlefield Historic State Park Yes

136 Oleta River State Park Yes

137 Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park Yes

138 Orman House Historic State Park Yes

139 Palatka-to-St. Augustine State Trail Yes

140 Paynes Creek Historic State Park Yes

141 Perdido Key State Park Yes

142 Ponce de Leon Springs State Park Yes

143 Price's Scrub Yes

144 Ravine Gardens State Park Yes

145 San Marcos de Apalache Historic State Park Yes

146 San Pedro Underwater Archaeological Preserve State Park

Yes

147 Seabranch Preserve State Park Yes

148 Sebastian Inlet State Park Yes

149 Skyway Fishing Pier State Park Yes

150 South Fork State Park Yes

151 St. Andrews State Park Yes

152 St. Lucie Inlet Preserve State Park Yes

153 Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park

Yes

154 Stump Pass Beach State Park Yes

155 Suwannee River Wilderness Trail Yes

156 Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad State Trail

Yes

157 Terra Ceia Preserve State Park Yes

158 The Barnacle Historic State Park Yes

159 Three Rivers State Park Yes

Upland Areas Only

Phase 1B - Inventory

Upland Areas Only

Phase 2 - Only

Inventory Non-

Upland Areas

Phase 2 - Inventory

Upland and Non- Upland

160 Three Servicemen Memorial (Managed by Orman House)

Yes

161 Tomoka State Park Yes

162 Topsail Hill Preserve State Park Yes

163 Troy Spring State Park Yes

164 Waccasassa Bay Preserve State Park Yes

165 Washington Oaks Gardens State Park Yes

166 Weeki Wachee Springs State Park Yes

167 Werner-Boyce Salt Springs State Park Yes

168 Wes Skiles Peacock Springs State Park Yes

169 Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park

Yes

170 Wingate Creek State Park Yes

171 Withlacoochee State Trail Yes

172 Ybor City Museum State Park Yes

173 Yellow Bluff Fort Historic State Park Yes

174 Yellow River Marsh Preserve State Park Yes

175 Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins Historic State Park Yes

Attachment C

Florida DEP

Forest/Vegetation Resource Assessment

Field Data Collection Specifications

Cross Florida Greenway

Prepared By:

F4 Tech

Tallahassee, Florida

Updated: December 30, 2015

Table of Contents Document Purpose and Background

Point Sample Design and Specifications

A. Sampling Units/Sample Points 3

B. Notable Features 3

Figure 1. Nested plot design used for merchantable conditions

Indicator and T & E Species

Invasive/Exotic Species

C. Ground Cover 8

D. Regeneration 9

E. Midstory 10

F. Overstory 11

G. Plot Monumentation Standards 12

H. Boundary Correction 13

I. Measurement Procedures 13

J. Sample Auditing Specifications & Procedures 14

K. Other 14

Appendix A: Summary of Plot Information Collected

Appendix B: Tree Quality (TQI) and Diameter Specifications

Appendix C: Percent Cull Table

Appendix D: Species Lists per Plot

Appendix E: Tree Comment Codes

Appendix F: Boundary Correction

Appendix G: Audit Specifications

Appendix H: Notable Features…

I. Document Purpose and Background This document describes the procedures, standards, and specifications to be followed during field data collection. Plots have been allocated within stands delineated in GIS by F4

Tech. Vegetation composition and structure will be quantified per canopy layer via nested plots. Inventory data will be collected, uploaded/downloaded, and summarized daily. All field staff will attend a mandatory one-day training session.

II. Point Sample Design and Specifications

A. Sampling Units/Sample Points

Sampling units are defined as stand polygons. Stand polygons were created by F4 Tech staff and have a minimum target size of 10 acres, with exceptions for smaller stands of high ecological value, unique plant communities, small pine plantations, or critical habitat that should not be lumped into adjacent stands. Large roads and fire breaks, where practical, were digitized out and not included in a stand. However, if a plot falls in an area that has been mistyped, the plot will be taken where the plot falls.

Each sample location will consist of multiple nested subplots including a fixed radius ground cover sample, a fixed radius regeneration sample, a fixed radius mid-story sample, and a variable radius overstory sample plot of either a 10 or 20 BAF (Figure 1). Note that when inventorying pre-merchantable pine plantations, BAF plots will not be used (see

Section F and Appendix A).

B. Notable Features

Field crews will record Notable Features (NF), which are plants or animals that are of particular importance to ecosystem dynamics, i.e., “species of interest” (indicator and/or threatened & endangered (T & E) species), and invasive/exotic species. NF observations will be recorded when they are present on or near the plot. As the cruiser is traveling from point to point they will look for NFs. If observed in transit to a plot, NFs should be recorded on the next plot visited and a “T” should be entered in the comment box on the “Inv” tab.

Figure 1. Nested plot design used for merchantable conditions.

Plot Screen

Species of Interest and Wildlife Features Note the presence of wiregrass, little blue stem, bracken fern, runner oak, pitcher plants, and wildlife features such as gopher tortoise burrows, osprey nests, bald eagle nests, and red-cockaded woodpecker cavity trees. See Appendix H for photos of indicator and T & E species.

Invasive/Exotic Species Note the presence of Chinese tallow tree, air potato, Japanese climbing fern, Japanese/Chinese privet, Chinaberry, cogon grass, mimosa, Caesar weed, skunk vine, paper mulberry, large leaf lantana, camphor tree, coral ardisia (potentially north end of CFG), and

Brazilian pepper (possibly west end of CFG). Photographs of plant species can be found in

Appendix H.

C. Ground Cover

Ground cover observations will be conducted in a 1/1000th acre fixed-radius plot (3.7 foot radius) and will classify the ground cover in 10% increments for each of 10 ground cover classifications (Appendix A and D). The 10 classifications are: pine straw, leaf litter, live woody stems, dead wood, vines, grass, forbs, ferns, bare soil/rock, and palmetto. Live woody stems and palmetto must be < 4.5 feet tall to be included in this plot. The total for all classifications observed MUST equal 100% for each plot.

D. Regeneration

Regeneration will be tallied in the 1/250th acre fixed-radius plot (7.4 foot radius.). Any tree seedling within the plot that is < 4.5 feet tall and at least ankle high will be identified to species level or assigned to a species group: longleaf, slash, loblolly, sand, and shortleaf pine; oak/hickory, gums, maples, or other hardwoods. The number of corresponding stems per species or species group will also be counted and recorded. Regeneration will be

“established”, i.e., will show at least second year growth. DBH will NOT be collected on this nested plot. The species list with species codes can be found in Appendix D.

E. Midstory

Trees and other vegetation with a DBH < 3.6 inches that are also > 4.5 feet tall will be measured in a 1/100th acre fixed radius plot (11.8 foot radius). The number of corresponding stems per species or species group within each 1 inch DBH class will be counted and recorded. Average total height for each 1 inch DBH class will be estimated.

Stems with a DBH < 1.0 inch (shrubs like gallberry and fetterbush) will be recorded in the

0-inch DBH class. In addition, all cabbage palms regardless of size will be recorded on this plot since their growth form is not conducive to being detected with a prism (BAF 10 or

20). It is not necessary to record DBH for cabbage palm. The species list with species codes can be found in Appendix D.

F. Overstory

Within a 10 or 20 BAF variable-radius plot, the following data will be measured and recorded for all live and dead “in” trees that are > 3.6 inches DBH: species, DBH, and Tree

Quality Index (TQI). TQI and product classes for overstory trees can be found in Appendix

B. Total height will be measured and recorded for the first stem of each merchantable species on the plot. If the first merchantable tree encountered has a broken top with no established leader, take the height on the next merchantable tree of the same species.

SilvAssist Dashboard will automatically perform a height regression based on the measured trees to populate the non-measured trees and merchantable height for volume calculations and reporting. Height to live crown will also be recorded for all height measurement trees (pine or hardwood). Height to a sawtimber stopper will be recorded if present. Percent defect can also be recorded for sawtimber trees where applicable

(Appendix C). Age and site index measurements will only apply to pine species and a minimum of 3 age-height pairs will be taken on dominant or co-dominant pine species within sampled stands. The trees selected for site index measurements should be the first dominant or co-dominant pine species encountered within a plot. Species code must be recorded by the cruiser for each tree tallied. The species list with species codes can be found in Appendix D.

TQI will have five classes; 1) tree with no physical limitations, 2) minor restrictions, i.e., currently chip-n-saw (CNS) size and defects prevent from merchandising as CNS but will grow into sawtimber, 3) always pulpwood, 4) dead (snag), and 5) always cull (see

Appendix D). SilvAssist Dashboard uses an auto assignment feature for TQI. TQI should remain on the auto assignment of 1, unless the tree is downgraded by the cruiser to lesser a

TQI of 2, 3, 4, or 5.

Trees will be tallied in a clockwise orientation starting from the first tree north; the first tree will be flagged. DBH will be measured to the nearest 0.1 inch. If a TQI of 2 or a stopper height is used, record a tree comment code for that tree record. See Appendix F for list of tree comment codes described in Section C.

In pine plantations < 10 years old, the overstory plot will be skipped and midstory and tree regeneration data will be collected in a 1/40th acre plot (18.6 foot radius). Tally stems in this plot even if they are > 3.6 inches DBH. The ground cover plot (1/1000th acre) will be treated the same as previously described.

G. Plot Monumentation Standards

All plots will have a “plot center flag” that will be hung from any branch nearest to plot center at eye-level. This flag will include the sample plot number and the cruiser’s initials

Flagging will also be inserted into the ground at plot center and hung from the first tallied tree and all height trees at DBH. All audited plots will have an additional flag of a different color that indicates the auditor’s initials. If the first tree in a plot cannot be used as a height tree, then any alternate height trees should be flagged as well. If the cruiser checks a tree and deems it to be out, a small piece of flagging (3 to 5 inches long) should be placed in the bark to indicate that the borderline tree was checked and the cruiser should write “in” or

“out” on the flag.

H. Boundary Correction

Correction for boundary overlap of stands or property boundaries will be accomplished by the Walkthrough Method. This is similar to the Mirage Method, but statistically more defensible. It entails doubling the critical distance to a tree near a boundary. If the doubled distance is greater than the distance to the boundary line, the tree is counted twice.

Specific instructions and information regarding this method will be covered in the training session for the cruisers and is illustrated in Appendix F. If a plot center falls within 15 feet of the stand edge, then collect a 180 degree arc of trees within the stand and double every tree. The Walkthrough Method is very accurate until the plot center becomes so close to the edge that the only way a tree is doubled is that it is at a 90 degree angle to the plot center and stand edge.

In the 1/100th and the 1/250th acre plots, it is appropriate to use the count field for the number of stems. In the 10 or 20 BAF plots, the count field should not be used unless the

Walkthrough Method or half-plot method is being used. In this case, each tree that is doubled should have a 2 in the count field.

I. Measurement Procedures

Tree diameters will be measured with either diameter tapes or other acceptable method to the nearest 0.1 inch. Limiting distances will be measured with a Forge Echo, measuring tape or other authorized measurement tool. Tree heights will be measured as total height with a traditional clinometer, digital clinometer, or laser. All plots will be tallied starting from the first tree to the north and working in a clockwise direction.

J. Sample Auditing Specifications & Procedures

An internal audit of primary data collection accuracy will be conducted on 3% of the sample points visited during all phases of the inventory. Any plots taken in the field can be audited by F4 Tech. Using the same GIS plot layout from the initial sample, the auditor will navigate to the original plot locations. During the audit, the plot will be tallied according to the initial specifications. Plot by plot comparisons can then be made at any time after the audit is completed. A brief summary of auditing requirements is found in Appendix G.

K. Other

Note in the plot comment or on paper any other observations of interest such as dump sites or anything else that would be of interest to DEP or from a modeling perspective.

III. Project Personnel

F4 Tech staff will include Craig Hedman (DEP project manager), Rick Davis (operations manager), Jenn Santoro (project forester), and Harrison Peterson (project forester). F4

Tech project foresters will conduct all inventory auditing and will utilize sub-contractor assistance for field work as well as F4 Tech forest technicians. All field crews/cruisers will be required to attend a one-day training session regarding safety requirements (per the

DEP contract), property access, and plot measurement procedures.

Contact

Craig Hedman

Cell Phone Number

(850) 524-0627

Email Address chedman@thinkf4.com

Rick Davis (850) 528-6812 rdavis@thinkf4.com

Harrison Peterson (850) 528-2192 hpaterson@thinkf4.com mailto:chedman@thinkf4.com mailto:rdavis@thinkf4.com mailto:hpaterson@thinkf4.com

Appendix A. Summary of Plot Information Collected

Element

Plot Comments

Ground Cover Regeneration Midstory Overstory

Plot Size: Merchantable Conditions

1/1,000th acre (3.7 foot radius)

1/250th acre (7.4 foot radius)

1/100th acre (11.8 foot radius)

10 or 20 BAF (variable)

Plot Size: Pre-merchantable Conditions

1/1,000th acre

(3.7 foot radius)

1/40th acre

(18.6 foot radius)

1/40th acre

(18.6 foot radius)

NA

Applies to pine plantations < 10 years old. Tally stems in the 1/40th acre plot even if they are > 3.6 inches DBH.

Notable Features

Yes

Record if in plots and while traversing from plot to plot.

Vegetation Specifications

Live woody stems and palmetto < 4.5 feet tall

Any tree seedling < 4.5 feet tall and at least ankle high

Trees and other vegetation < 3.6 inches DBH and > 4.5 feet tall

All live and dead “in” trees that are > 3.6 inches DBH

Species, Species Group, Other Key on understory vegetation.

Tree species or species groups

Woody species or species groups; record all cabbage palms regardless of size.

Tree and other woody species or species groups

See Appendix D.

Vegetation Abundance Data Record percent cover in 10% increments.

Record number of stems per species or species group

Record number of stems per species or species group per 1 inch DBH class.

Record species, DBH, and TQI for all live and dead trees.

Height NA NA Estimate and record mean height per 1 inch

Measure and record total height on the first

Element

Plot Comments

Ground Cover Regeneration Midstory Overstory

DBH class. Stems with a DBH < 1.0” (shrubs like gallberry and fetterbush) will be recorded in the 0 inch DBH class.

stem of each merchantable species on the plot. If the first merchantable tree has a broken top with no established leader, take the height on the next merchantable tree of the same species.

Height to Live Crown

Measure and record for all height measurement trees (pine or hardwood)

Height to Sawtimber Stopper NA NA NA Measure and record if present

Percent Defect NA NA NA Record for sawtimber trees where applicable.

See Appendix C.

Site Index

Take a minimum of 3 age-height pairs on dominant or co-dominant pine species per stand. Sample the first dominant or co-dominant pine species on the plot.

Stem Counts

The count field should not be used. However, if the Walkthrough or Half-plot methods are used, each tree that is doubled should have a 2 in the count field.

Appendix B

Tree Quality Index (TQI) and Diameter Specifications

TQI Code

Class

Name

Description

1 Excellent High Quality (no limitations other than physical dimensions)

2 Mediocre May eventually grow into sawtimber but currently has defects that limit it.

3 Poor Always Pulpwood

4 Dead Dead

5 Cull Defect prevents any product value

Diameter Specifications

Product

Min.

DBH

Max.

DBH

Min. Log

Length

Min. Top

DIB

Notes

Pine

Pulpwood

3.6"

40"

20'

3"

Chip-n-Saw

9"

13"

24'

6"

Excessive branching, sweep, or defect in sawlog: downgrade to pulpwood

Pine

Sawtimber

16'

8" defect in sawlog: downgrade to pulpwood

Hardwood

Pulpwood

3.6"

20'

4" defect in saw downgrade to pulp.

Hardwood

Sawtimber

16'

10" defect in saw downgrade to pulp.

Cull 0 Non-merchantable stems

Appendix C: Percent Cull Table

Cull Percent Table

LOGS

0.5

1.0 1.5

Position of Cull in Tree

2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0

1.0 55 45

1.5 41 33 28

2.0 32 28 23 19

2.5 28 23 20 16 13

3.0 25 20 18 15 12 10

3.5 21 18 17 14 12 10 8

4.0 20 17 15 13 12 9 8 6

4.5 18 15 14 12 11 9 8 7 6

5.0 17 14 14 11 10 9 8 7 6 4

Using and Recording Cull Percent

1. The above table estimates the % of each 8 foot segment of a log.

2. Estimate the 8 foot segment where the defect occurs.

3. Determine the appropriate cull % rounded to the nearest 10%

4. Record cull % as a single digit, i.e. "1" would be 10%

5. A cull % of "5" or higher automatically culls the entire tree.

6. If you prefer to record a cull tree, tally the cull % as "9"

Appendix D: Species Lists per Plot

Species/Group Name Species/

Group Code

Ground Cover Plot

(G)

Regeneration Plot (R)

Midstory Plot (M)

Overstory Plot (O)

Longleaf Pine LL R M O

Slash Pine SA R M O

Loblolly Pine LP R M O

Sand Pine PU R M O Shortleaf Pine SP R M O

Pond Pine PD O

Spruce Pine SU O

South Florida Slash Pine FP O

Oak/Hickory HO R M

Gums GM R M O

Maples MP R M O

Other Hardwoods OH R M O

Cabbage Palm CP M

Gallberry/Fetterbush GF M

Oak Species OK O

Live Oak LO O

Hickory/Pecan HP O

Magnolia MG O

Bays BY O

Cedars CE O

Cypress CY O

Palmetto* PL G M

Pine Straw NA G

Leaf Litter NA G

Dead Wood NA G

Live Woody Stems NA G

Vines NA G

Grass NA G

Forbs NA G

Ferns NA G

Bare Soil/Rock NA G

*Palmetto does not have a species code for the Ground Cover Plot. A species list is preloaded on the screen and % cover for palmetto will be entered.

Appendix E: Tree Comment Codes

Codes Item Description

L Limbs Large limbs, whorls or spike knots

F Fork Forked trunk

MF Multi-

Fork

Several main stems (basket top)

AF Above

Fork

Pulp height to 4" top taken above a lower lateral branch.

UR Upper

Range

Pulp height used is actually at the 4" point of the tree in the upper region of the stem

C Crook Abrupt bend in the main stem

S Sweep Gradual bend in main stem

CN Canker Cronartium or other bulging scar area in the main stem

M Marginal Tree grade is questionable ; the potential for some higher value product than pulpwood exists

V Low Fork Trunk forked below DBH. In this case each stem is tallied of a single root stock

ID Insect

Damage

Bark beetle attack, etc.

B Bent Main stem is bent over

PF Poor Form Main stem has characteristics that make it unsuitable for its' current product class (primarily CNS)

D Dominant Crown position superior to all adjacent trees

CD Co-

Dominant

Crown position relatively the same as the surrounding tallest trees

H Hollow Hollow

BS Butt Swell Swollen Base

Appendix F: Boundary Correction

Walkthrough Method

The Walkthrough Method is unbiased and easy to implement in the field since it does not actually require the cruiser to cross the boundary. The figure below depicts instances where sample ‘in’ trees are counted once and locations where they are counted twice. Simple instructions for each ‘in’ tree near the boundary are presented below:

Procedure:

1. Measure the distance from the point center to the sample ‘in’ tree.

2. While maintaining the same bearing, double the distance. If the endpoint falls outside the boundary, the sample ‘in’ tree is counted twice. All other ‘in’ trees are counted once.

3.

Half Plot – Plot is within 5 to 10 feet of stand edge

4. Do Nothing- Plot Center is inside of stand boundary of the typical limiting Distance

Appendix G: Audit Specifications

Quantitative variables to be evaluated:

Plot Location Must be within 50 feet of audit location.

Limiting Distance ± 1% of distance as measured with tape.

DBH (nearest 0.1 in.) ± 2% of diameter as measured with steel tape.

Plot Stem Count 1 pulpwood stem missed for every 25 stems tallied.

1 sawlog stem missed for every 50 trees tallied.

Height (total) ± 3% from height measured with laser, Vertex 3 or Suunto clinometer.

Product Class Pulpwood/CNS – 1 error per 50 trees tallied.

Saw Log ± 1 product per 100 trees vs. audit.

Audited Plot Volumes ≥ 90% of original total plot volume MUST be within ± 5% of the audited plot volume.

All Audited Plots Average variation in total volume measured by Standard Error MUST be within ± 5% of audited plots variation in total volume Standard Error.

Appendix H: Notable Features

Invasive/Exotic Species

Chinese Tallow

Air Potato

Chinese Privet

Japanese Privet

Cogon Grass

Mimosa

Chinaberry

Japanese Climbing Fern

Camphor tree

Paper mulberry

Skunk vine

Caeserweed

Large leaf lantana

Coral Ardisia

Brazilian-Pepper

Indicator Species

Pitcher Plant

Wiregrass

Little Blue Stem

Bracken Fern

Runner Oak