J.1 Allegheny NF - Cadastral Survey Specifications.pdf

USDA FOREST SERVICE

R9 – Eastern region

ALLEGHENY

NATIONAL FOREST

cadastral SURVEYINg

Land line location

And boundary maintenance

TECHNICAL

SPECIFICATIONs

REVISED 12/2022

north & south zones

USDA FOREST SERVICE, EASTERN REGION

ALLEGHENY NATIONAL FOREST SPECIFICATIONS FOR

CADASTRAL SURVEYING - LAND LINE LOCATION and BOUNDARY

MAINTENANCE WORK

SECTION 100 – GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS

110 PURPOSE OF CONTRACT

The purpose of this contract will be to perform the following items on the Allegheny National Forest:

(a) To locate the land, boundaries and monument the property corners as described in deeds into the United States.

(b) To paint, mark, and post existing property lines and corners.

(c) To conduct investigative land surveys along disputed property lines between corners, and to prepare the necessary plats and reports depicting the claim areas.

(d) To prepare survey plats of the lines retraced.

120 SCOPE OF CONTRACT

(a) Research supplemental records as specified in Section 206 and perform field investigation as necessary to conduct the survey.

(b) Identification and monumentation or maintenance of landlines and property corners involved as outlined in Sections 210, 230.

(c) Reestablishment of any lost or obliterated corners.

(d) Identifying old bearing trees and establishing new bearing trees as necessary and as outlined in Section 212 and shown on Exhibit C.

(e) Traversing/measuring of necessary lines and property corners in order to accurately offset and locate the property line as outlined in Section 220.

(f) Placing of intervisible markers along the property line as specified in Section 234 and shown on Exhibit G.

(g) Blazing, posting and painting of the property line in accordance with the enclosed specifications.

(h) Preparation of survey field books/electronic files and delivery to the Contracting Officer (CO) or the designated Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) as outlined in Section 240.

(i) Preparation of a survey plat or plats, as outlined in Section 251 and shown on Exhibit J, for property lines retraced, and also when necessary, preparation of plats to depict any claim areas.

(j) Preparation of the Land Corner Record Card (7100-52) as provided by the COR, and as outlined in Section 252 and shown on Exhibit H, for each Forest Service property corner surveyed, monumented, and maintained.

(k) Removal or obliteration of any existing erroneously painted property lines.

(l) Preparation of a surveyor’s report, highlighting important elements of the project as outlined in Section 253.

(m) Notifying adjoining owners that a survey will be conducted. Contact adjoining landowners relative to local monuments, corners and conditions, and obtain permission from adjoining land owners prior to the marking of lines for all dependent resurveys. (See Exhibit K)

(n) Award of this contract does not restrict the government from assigning survey tasks to government employees (force account surveys) nor from contracting work to other qualified contractors while this contract is in effect.

130 DESCRIPTION AND LOCATION

131 Location Areas requiring cadastral survey or landline maintenance work are located within the Allegheny National Forest (ANF) in northwest Pennsylvania. The ANF encompasses parts of the Counties of Warren, McKean, Elk, and Forest. (A general location map is shown on Figure 1)

FIGURE 1

Work to be performed will be specified in a statement of work (SOW) for each individual task order and will be located in either the Bradford Ranger District (North Zone) or Marienville Ranger District (South Zone). If a cadastral survey or boundary maintenance project is in close proximity to the line separating the Bradford and

Marienville Ranger Districts, work may be required on both districts or zones. (See Figure 1a)

FIGURE 1a

132 Description The areas to be surveyed are generally located in northern hardwood forests. Most ANF property lines are common to private land and were surveyed by the Forest Service prior to the acquisition of the individual tracts.

The government has not performed any pre-work in determining the current condition or existence of corners.

133 Access Access to property lines varies by Task Order. Access through government land is available. Securing access through non-government land is the contractor’s responsibility. The contractor is solely liable for acts of trespass. Written notice regarding access shall be provided to the land owner in a timely fashion prior to field survey activities commencing.

140 GOVERNMENT – FURNISHED PROPERTY

141 Delivery All government – furnished materials, supplies or property (hereinafter referred to as “government – furnished property”) shall be available to the contractor on regular business days from the hours of 0800 – 1600 or as otherwise arranged with the COR. The contractor shall allow 2 working days after verbal request to the COR. The government shall provide to the contractor, for use in connection with and under the terms of this contract, the property described as government – furnished property in these specifications. (See Section 143)

142 Liability Title to all government – furnished property shall remain in the government. The contractor shall be liable for all loss or damage of such government – furnished property until completion and final acceptance of work required under this contract.

North Zone

South Zone

= North Zone = South Zone

143 Property Government – furnished property shall consist of the following:

(a) Forest Service boundary descriptions, plats and location maps, and land corner record cards (FS-7100-52).

Additional written materials, such as deeds, abstracts and original field books are available to be used at the discretion of the Contractor; copies of such materials can be made upon request, when deemed necessary by the COR.

(b) Monuments, e.g. galvanized iron pipes or stainless steel pipes with bronze or brass caps, and bronze or brass tablets/disks for placement in concrete or stone.

(c) Boundary signs #54-2, monument signs #54-9, bearing tree signs #54-3, and stainless steel forest service bearing tree washers. (See Exhibit F)

(d) U-channel metal posts. (See Exhibit F)

150 CONTRACTOR FURNISHED ITEMS

The contractor shall furnish all technical and professional land surveying services, including all labor, equipment, supervision, transportation, operating supplies, record research costs, 1/4" nuts and bolts, aluminum or stainless steel nails suitable for fastening appropriate Forest Service signs, and other incidentals. Contractors shall also furnish boundary marking paint- brush type, oil based (non-aerosol, lead-free) or an approved equivalent, red in color, necessary to perform the survey, except data and materials to be supplied by the Government as listed under Section 143.

The services shall comply with all requirements of this contract. All work shall be performed by or under the DIRECT SUPERVISION of a person licensed to practice surveying in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and designated as being in “Responsible Charge”. The contractor is responsible for the conduct of his or her employees. The contractor shall maintain a courteous and professional attitude toward users of the National Forest and adjoining landowners when performing these services. Care shall be taken to protect the environment including, but not limited to, not littering, or damaging the land and vegetation unnecessarily.

160 DEFINITIONS

(a) Property Line - A boundary line between parcels of land under different ownership. The line as described in the deed of the United States. Unless otherwise qualified by the COR, this line will be a straight line between two property corners described in the conveyance.

(b) Meander Line – A property line or tie line consisting of a series of bearings and distances that define such features as roads, streams, and ridge tops. Unless otherwise qualified by the COR, courses will be tied in by survey and shown on the final plat of lines retraced.

(c) Tie lines – Any line which is used to prove and/or locate specific details of the boundary being surveyed.

(d) Interior Line – A line the same as (a) above, except that it separates two contiguous tracts owned by the Government. No remarking or repainting of these lines will be necessary.

(e) Corner - A point on the earth, determined by the surveying process, which defines an extremity on a boundary of land, an angle point on a boundary, or a point at which two or more boundary lines meet; this differs from a monument, which refers to the physical object placed or referenced at the corner's location on the ground.

(f) Lost Corner – A point of a survey whose position cannot be determined by the original monument or by acceptable evidence as to where the original monument was. Acceptable evidence would include, for example, proven witnesses with record bearings and distances to the corner location. Acceptable evidence would not include a mathematical solution to the corner position.

(g) Monument - The permanent physical object placed or referenced at the corner's location on the ground, set by a land surveyor. The standard for what monument type to use depends on terrain.

(h) Land Surveying - The application of specialized knowledge of the principles of mathematics; the related physical and applied sciences; and the relevant requirements of law to correctly measure, locate, and identify areas of land and water or to legally describe, plat, or map those areas for conveyance, acquisition, or recording. State laws further describe the profession of land surveying and should be consulted for each jurisdiction involved.

(i) Retracement and Resurvey - A retracement merely remeasures the lines of a former survey. A dependent resurvey is a retracement and reestablishment of the lines and monuments of an original survey, in their true original position in accordance with the best available evidence of the positions of the original corners. An independent resurvey is a new original survey. The difference between an original survey and a dependent resurvey is that the former creates parcels of land, while a dependent resurvey merely locates what has already been created.

(j) Cadastral Survey - The term cadastral survey is a land survey which creates, marks, defines, retraces, or reestablishes the boundaries, corners, and subdivisions of the public land of the United States.

(k) Boundary Survey - Retracement of cadastral surveys and other land surveys for the purposes of identifying land boundaries based on documents of record and historical evidence. This includes:

i. Planning, locating, establishing, and describing property boundaries; and

ii. Certifying land surveys as required by State statutes, local ordinance, professional land surveying standards of practice, and State-licensing requirements.

(l) Boundary Line Maintenance - The act of perpetuating and remarking, to Forest Service boundary line marking standards, previously marked boundary lines as determined by a Forest Service State-licensed professional Land Surveyor to be acceptable.

(m) Corner Maintenance - The act of perpetuating as necessary, previously marked and monumented corners determined by a Forest Service State-licensed professional Land Surveyor to be acceptable.

(n) Marking - The act of blazing and painting trees, and placing physical objects such as line posts or monuments, along a boundary line to Forest Service boundary line marking standards. This is done to perpetuate the boundary line location for land and resource management needs on National Forest System lands, and the adjoining non-National Forest System lands.

(o) Posting - The act of placing property boundary signs and line posts along a boundary line so it is recognizable for land and resource management activities.

(p) Right-of-Way - This is a partial interest in land that provides a legal right to cross over the lands of another, generally authorized by an easement. The term is also used to describe the physical strip of land upon which the easement is located, and the terms and use.

(q) Easement - A non-possessory partial interest held by one entity (dominate estate) in land of the fee owner (servient estate) whereby the dominant estate is accorded use of such land for a specific purpose. An easement restricts, but does not abridge, the rights of the fee owner to the use and enjoyment of the land.

(r) Convergence - The difference between grid (map) north and true (geodetic) north. At a given point, it is the angle measured clockwise from the tangent to the projection of the meridian to the northing coordinate line (grid north)—also called map angle or mapping angle. Grid north and geodetic north only agree at points along the central meridian, everywhere else in the coordinate system there is an angular difference between the two directions.

170 WORK PRIORITIES

When a task order has multiple work areas, if necessary, the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) will prioritize the work in the order of need.

SECTION 200 – TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

205 PREPARATORY ACTIVITIES

206 Record Research – It is the contractor’s responsibility to research real property records to obtain the title and survey history of the subject property and relevant adjoining properties. The government will provide the contractor access to government deed records and survey files at the time the work is specified.

207 Adjoiner Notification – Before field activities for land surveying begin, the contractor shall notify all adjoining land owners via certified mail letter of: intent to survey, to acquire permission for access to surveying projects, to acquire permission to use and mark corner reference trees/objects on private land, and to mark private trees along the property line per government specifications as described herein. Correspondence shall be delivered using U.S. Postal Service “Return Receipt Requested” or otherwise documented when contacts are made in person listing who was contacted, by whom and the date. Copies of such receipts and documents shall be maintained by the contractor and made available to the COR upon request. A sample letter of notification and intent to survey is shown on Exhibit K. Permission shall be obtained before clearing and marking on private property, similar to the permission card shown in figure 2 below. It is the responsibility of the contractor to obtain permission to enter private lands. The contractor is solely liable for acts of damage incidental to trespass.

FIGURE 2

210 CORNER MONUMENTATION AND ACCESSORIES

211 Corner Monumentation – All corners involved in this contract shall be reestablished or perpetuated according to these specifications. The contractor shall replace any existing property monument in poor condition or not identifiable as a property corner and shall notify the COR before doing so. Contingent upon COR approval, Class "A" monuments and Forest Service brass or aluminum capped monuments found in poor condition will be replaced and the old monuments shall be turned over to the COR. Monumentation shall be accomplished by using the type of monument provided by the Forest Service as specified in Section 143 (b) and installed as shown on Exhibit B. The blank caps or tablets shall be stamped as shown on Exhibit A, and include the year, surveyor’s registration number, government property lines, tract no., and corner identification. When replacing a 2” iron pipe monument, it shall be preserved by burying it alongside the new monument or laying it within the mound of stones surrounding the monument. No aluminum monuments will be used for corners on the Allegheny National Forest as they are susceptible to the porcupine’s voracious appetite. Corners which are acceptably monumented shall be maintained in accordance with Section 260. Methods used to reestablish the position of lost or obliterated corners require COR review and approval prior to monumentation.

(a) Normal Corner Sites – Monuments shall be set in accordance with Exhibit B. Backfill material will be carefully selected and firmly tamped in layers to provide maximum stability. If stones are available within a 150 foot radius, they shall be placed firmly around the exposed portion of the monument and painted red.

In regard to USFS boundary line survey of the

Grant permission to mark the property boundary on my side of the boundary line

Remarks:

Signature: Date:

ACME SURVEY

DOWN TOWN DISTRICT

ANYTOWN, PA 16275

FROM

STAMP

SAMPLE PERMISSION CARD

Allegheny National Forest which adjoins my property, I

Deny permission to mark the property boundary on my side of the boundary line

4"

6"

BACK FRONT

(b) Unusual Site Conditions – Unstable ground, wetland areas, cultivation, roads, residential site aesthetics, etc.

may require setting a witness monument or placing the monument flush with or below the surface. Other methods of monumentation, required by unusual site conditions, must be approved by the COR.

(c) Tree Corners – Where the corner is marked by a tree and identified as being the corner, the tree will be perpetuated as the corner. In some instances, and only when approved by the COR, a witness monument will be placed on the property line leading to the corner position. The witness monument shall be stamped as specified in section 211 (e) and will be placed within 10 to 25 feet of the tree. Original markings on the corner tree will not be destroyed, but will be painted. No new marks shall be placed on the tree. (See Exhibit D)

(d) Rocky sites – For corner positions on surface rock or bedrock close to the surface, the corner position should be marked by a brass or bronze tablet. Installation of brass or bronze tablets shall be seated using a hammer drill and countersink concrete drill bit and bonded by (grouting concrete) - Drylock fast plug hydraulic cement or equivalent. (See Exhibit B)

(e) Witness Monuments – Witness monuments will be placed on the property line leading to a true corner position that cannot be monumented as a normal corner due to unusual site conditions. Most often, site conditions requiring a witness corner are roads or bodies of water. The monument must be identified as a witness corner with the word "Witness corner" spelled out. An arrow will show the relationship of the witness to the true corner, a distance to the true corner will appear on the brass or bronze cap or tablet. (See Exhibit A)

(f) Line Marker Monuments – Monuments to preserve the location of property lines in addition to or in place of line post and line trees. Because the conditions which necessitate line marker monuments are hard to predict, line markers will be set at the discretion and approval of the COR. A line marker monument will be a Government – furnished monument set to the above specifications. The cap shall be stamped "Line Marker" and show the location and direction of the property line. (See Exhibit A)

212 Bearing Trees and Other Accessories – The contractor shall establish 3 healthy bearing trees for each corner when available, being a minimum of 5-inches in diameter breast height, and on government land. The original bearing trees called for are to be checked and new ones shall be established, if needed. Bearing trees or objects should be chosen so that the angle formed by the intersection of their respective bearings to the corner is as close as possible to 90 degrees, and located at no less than 30 degrees apart in angular measure from the corner.

All bearing trees shall be measured from the corner, witness corner, or line monument to the center of the tree base above the root crown. The distance recorded shall be measured horizontally and to the nearest one-tenth of a foot. The bearing shall be referenced to true north and to the nearest degree as determined by a handheld compass adjusted to account for magnetic declination or determined by other means to achieve the desired accuracy. Sound judgment shall be used to select healthy, dominant trees that will endure over time.

Recommended durable bearing trees in the Allegheny National Forest Include: Red and White Oak, White Pine, Hemlock, Red and Sugar Maple, Black Cherry and Black Gum. (See Exhibit C and C-1 for guidance)

Bearing trees should be clear of limbs and stubs up to 7 feet above the ground. If suitable bearing trees are not available, bearing objects, i.e., prominent boulders and other significant natural features can be used. Artificial objects such as identifiable pipes, utility poles, and house and camp corners can be used as accessories when no suitable bearing trees are available. The identification numbers on utility poles will be recorded on the land corner record card (FS 7100-52). Artificial witness objects shall not be painted or have a bearing sign attached. Bearing trees may not be necessary depending on spacing between monuments or due to site aesthetics; this exception must be approved by the COR.

(a) Identifying Bearing Trees on U. S. Government Land – The tree shall be marked as follows: blazed at the base of the tree above the root crown and scribed with the letters “BT”, or by affixing a forest service washer with a mag nail at the blaze above the root crown; blazed at a height of approximately 5 feet with a painted perimeter band at a height of approximately 6 feet; and a 54-3 bearing tree sign affixed at approximately 7 feet with aluminum or stainless steel nails left protruding a minimum of 1” to allow for tree growth. All blazes and signs shall face the corner. The blazes and band shall be painted red with a brush. (See Exhibit C, C-1)

(b) Identifying Bearing Trees on Private Land – No signs, blazes, paint or scribing shall be placed on an adjoining landowner’s tree, unless permission has been granted by said landowner. Each new bearing tree that is located on private land shall be marked at the base of the tree above the root crown and painted red. No other blazes or accessories shall be added to private trees unless permission by the private owner has been granted to do so.

(c) Aesthetic Considerations – The painting requirements for the bearing trees may be waived for sites where painting may be adverse to local aesthetics such as near planned developments. The approval of the COR is necessary to waive painting requirements.

(d) Accessories to Witness Monuments – When a witness monument has been established to perpetuate an inaccessible corner location, accessories shall be established to attest to the witness monument.

(e) Guard Posts – U-channel metal guard posts (furnished by the government) shall be firmly set within 2 feet of the corner monument, line monument, or witness monument, on the property line, with not less than 4 feet or more than 5 feet extending above the ground level. All posts shall have signs attached as described in Section 234 and as shown on Exhibits C and G.

213 Preserving Old Evidence – In completing any of the above work, care must be taken to preserve all old evidence.

Old blazes will not be remarked with an ax. New blazes will not be added above or below existing old blazes. This leads to future uncertainty as to the origins of the old blazes. The only way to remark an old blazed tree is with paint.

220 SURVEY METHODS AND PROCEDURES

221 Survey Practices – All surveys necessary to define National Forest boundaries shall comply with applicable state laws and regulations and with the Manual of Practice for Professional Land Surveyors in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as adopted by the Pennsylvania Society of Land Surveyors (See Exhibit L). Where state laws, practices, and regulations are less restrictive than the specifications contained herein, the specifications herein shall apply. The contractor selects the equipment, methods and procedures to be used in order to meet or exceed minimum specifications. The contractor shall locate and mark the straight line between monumented property corner positions using conventional survey traverse methods and survey grade Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) techniques and methods.

On those surveys that are not closed traverses, the appropriate equipment and methods to produce the needed precision will be used. The accuracy of measurement can be expressed by relative error of closure (precision) or by positional accuracies. The minimum error of closure on all closed traverses prior to any adjustments shall be 1:5000 (1 unit of error in 5,000 units). Error of closure exceeding 0.20 feet shall be adjusted accordingly.

Positional tolerances shall comply with or exceed the GNSS accuracy standards jointly established and implemented by the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). See Exhibit I, I-1, and I-2:

“Standards for the Positional Accuracy of Cadastral Surveys when using Global Navigational Satellite Systems (GNSS)”, “Best Practices for GNSS Operations”, and “Guidelines for the Use of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) in Cadastral Surveys”.

Checks are necessary to show that measurements are free from blunders and mistakes in reading and recording and free from instrument errors. The checks are to show reliability of the measurements and positions. Upon completion of a survey, the contractor shall furnish the raw observation files, unadjusted baseline closure results, constrained adjustment results and a tabulation of repeat baseline comparisons to the COR if requested.

The use of survey grade GNSS is a convenience and does NOT relieve the contractor from the professional obligation to search for and evaluate evidence from the original survey including all natural features (topographic and/or “passing” calls) such as creeks, rivers, roads, etc., which aid in the recovery or restoration of the original corner. Line trees, bearing trees and other corner accessories are expected to be thoroughly investigated.

Proper courthouse research will often include acquiring subsequent surveys along a surveyed line. In addition, the contractor is hereby directed to show the full extent of encroachments, possession and/or occupation onto the lands of the United States.

Geographic coordinate positions for all cadastral land surveys shall be established either by direct GNSS observation, indirect establishment by means of terrestrial based electro-optical technology (ground geodetic surveying), or indirect establishment by calculation. The survey methods and accuracies shall be dependent on the needs dictated by the project. All cadastral surveys for both corner positioning and control on public lands using survey grade GNSS technology shall comply with or exceed the GNSS accuracy standards jointly established and implemented by the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). (See Exhibit I, I- 1, & I-2)

222 Basis of Bearing/Horizontal datum (Geodetic datum) – Survey project bearings shall be Pennsylvania Grid North, PA State Plane Coordinate System (3701 PA North Zone), as determined using survey grade GNSS static observations and post-processed with National Geodetic Survey (NGS), Online Positioning User Service (OPUS) or equivalent post-processing software. The horizontal datum (geodetic datum) and realization shall be that of which is currently recognized by the National Geodetic Survey, i.e. the most current realization of the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS), e.g. NAD1983_2011(EPOCH:2010.0000), Unverified or assumed bearings from previous surveys are not acceptable and do not meet Allegheny National Forest, cadastral surveying specifications.

Scaling of a State Plane Coordinate projection “to ground”, i.e. “modified” State Plane Coordinates is not acceptable. This procedure generates coordinates with values similar to “true” State Plane and can cause confusion and difficulty reproducing said coordinates for future use.

Allegheny National Forest corners shall be reported as PA State Plane Coordinates, (3701 PA North Zone), in U.S. Survey feet until the U.S. Survey foot is superseded by the International Foot, (i.e. 1 foot = 0.3048 meters exactly) and coordinates shall be referenced on the survey record card (FS-7100-52) shown on Exhibit H and on the survey plat (See Example Plat on Exhibit J). Coordinates shall be reported to the nearest hundredth of a foot, and shall include appropriate metadata.

223 Mapping Distances - Measured distances on the final plat shall be grid distances in U.S. Survey feet, utilizing the PA State Plane Coordinate System and current NGS horizontal/vertical datum, i.e. the most current realization of the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS). (See Section 222)

An average combined scale factor shall be shown on the plat to no more than 6 decimal places, accompanied by a note “to convert a grid distance to a ground distance divide the grid distance by the average combined scale factor of ……..”. In lieu of an average combined scale factor, the combined scale factor for each Forest Service corner may be stated within the “Summary of Forest Service Corner Coordinates” as described in Section 251 (e).

230 BOUNDARY LINE MARKING AND POSTING

231 Clearing of the Property Lines – Clearing of traverse lines should be limited, but sufficient clearing shall be completed to permit line of sight on traverse lines. In accordance with adjoining property owner approval, the property line will be brushed for a distance of 2 feet on each side of the line unless it is defined by such features as active roads, hedges or streams. Clearing shall include trees, branches and brush less than 2" in diameter and allow line of sight between property boundary signs. All debris from brushing shall be scattered on the government side of the property line. Line trees will be left to adequately mark the specific location of the line.

232 Blazing of the Property Line – Trees within 2 feet of the Property line will be blazed as described below and as shown in Exhibits E, E-1, and E-2.

(a) Blazes and Hacks – When trees of approximately 5 inches diameter breast height and greater are located within a 4 foot wide corridor along the true line (2 feet on each side), they shall be blazed in sufficient quantity to make the true line visible. A blaze is made by cutting off, at breast height (approximately 4 to 5 feet above the ground), a vertical strip of bark and a very thin layer of the underlying live wood tissue. The strip should be about 6 inches long, 2 to 4 inches wide, and the top and bottom ends should be smoothed out. A hack is a single horizontal cut made with the blade of an ax or machete and is about 4 inches above and below the blaze. The cut should go through the bark and penetrate well into the wood. Hacks are considered part of the blaze, except as noted. (See Exhibits E, E-1, E-2)

(b) Line Trees – These are trees on the Property line. They will be blazed where the line enters and leaves the tree. The blazes on line trees will not include hacks. (See Exhibits E, E-1, E-2)

(c) Quarter Blazes – Suitable trees within 2 feet of the property line, on the government side of the line, will be quarter blazed. The blazes will include hacks. (See Exhibits E, E-1, E-2)

(d) Face Blazes – Suitable trees within 2 feet of the property line, on the opposite side of the line from the government, will be face blazed. The blazes will include hacks. Permission shall be obtained for blazing of trees on private land. (See Exhibits E, E-1, E-2)

(e) Old Blazes – Old blazes will not be remarked with an ax or machete. The only way to remark an old blazed tree is by repainting the blaze.

(f) Roads and Streams – No blazing or painting is required where the National Forest boundary lies along the center line of an improved road. Where the National Forest boundary is defined as the center of a stream, trees at the edge of the stream on the United States side of the line will be blazed and painted.

(g) Ridges – When the property line is defined as a ridge, the center or high point of the ridge will be blazed, painted and posted.

(h) Line Marker Monuments – Line marker monuments will be set at the discretion and approval of the COR. (See

Section 211 (f))

233 Painting of the Property Line – All blazes on the government side of the line are to be painted with a brush and boundary marking paint- brush type, oil based (non-aerosol, lead-free) or an approved equivalent, red in color.

Paint shall cover the blaze and shall extend at least 2 inches beyond the perimeter of the blaze onto the bark of the tree. (See Exhibit E-2)

234 Posting of the Property Line – Forest Service Boundary signs (54-2) as shown in Exhibit F are provided by the government. Sign placement shall conform to the specifications below and as displayed in Exhibit G. Boundary Signs (54-2) affixed to line trees shall be attached with aluminum or stainless steel nails so that the signs face private land. The nails shall be left protruding a minimum of 1” to allow for tree growth.

234.1 Property Boundary Signs 54-2

(a) Corner and Witness Monuments – This sign will be attached to a U-channel metal post with ¼” nuts and bolts, as described in Section 212 (e) and as shown on Exhibits C and G .

(b) Corner Trees – Where the corner is marked by a tree, sign 54-2 shall be attached to the tree above the corner monument sign 54-9 as shown on Exhibit D.

(c) Property lines - Sign will be affixed to line trees above blazes or on U-channel metal posts with ¼” nuts and bolts, and placed firmly on the Property line. These signs will be inter-visible, and are not to exceed 330 feet. Signs will be placed at all road, stream, trail crossings, hill tops, and areas of encroachment on government land. (See Exhibit G)

(d) Posts – Sign will be affixed to a U-channel metal post with ¼” nuts and bolts. U-channel metal posts shall be firmly placed on the property line, in the absence of eligible line trees, with not less than 4 feet or more than 5 feet extending above the ground level. (See Exhibit G)

(e) Line Marker Monuments – Sign will be attached to a U-channel metal post with ¼” nuts and bolts above sign 54-9, and placed on the property line within 2 feet of the line marker monument, with not less than 4 feet or more than 5 feet extending above the ground level. (See Exhibit G)

234.2 Land Survey Monument Sign 54-9

(a) Corner and Witness Monuments - This sign will be placed below sign 54-2 on the same U-channel metal post as described for sign 54-2 and as shown on Exhibits C and G.

(b) Corner Trees – Where the corner is marked by a tree this sign will be affixed to the tree below sign 54-2 and as shown on Exhibit D. The sign will be attached with aluminum or stainless steel nails. Nails shall be left protruding a minimum of 1” to allow for tree growth.

(c) Line Marker Monuments – Sign 54-9 will be placed below sign 54-2 on the same U-channel metal post as described for sign 54-2.

234.3 Bearing Tree Sign 54-3

(a) All data except Township, Range and Section shall be stamped or scribed legibly in the appropriate place. The sign shall be attached to all bearing trees with aluminum or stainless steel nails, left protruding from the bearing tree a minimum of 1 inch, and above the red painted perimeter band facing the monument as shown on Exhibit C.

235 Obliteration of existing, erroneous painted lines – When erroneously painted lines of government origin exist between corners of the survey, the erroneous paint shall be removed by scraping or shaving it off with a sharp blade. Said cutting shall be performed in such a way as to remove the paint without adding marks to the tree which could be mistaken for property line blazes, and without unnecessarily exposing the wood beneath the bark. Erroneously marked trees, less than 3 inches in diameter and on the government side of the property line shall be cut down.

240 FIELD NOTES

241 Field notes are written records of field work, made and recorded at the time the work is done, in standard, waterproof field books. Electronic data collectors shall be used in conjunction with field books. Notes shall be recorded in such a fashion as to allow another technically qualified person to retrace the survey without consulting with the contractor.

242 Survey notes - The contractor shall keep an accurate and complete record of the survey in a standard field book.

Field books shall contain, at a minimum, the following data:

(a) An index in front of the book which shall include a brief description of work and corresponding page numbers.

(b) Names and duties of party members, weather conditions, instruments used, location of work and date for each day work is performed.

(c) Corner search and monumentation documentation including a description and time of search efforts, results of search, and justification of corner position.

(d) Sketch of each corner location showing found physical evidence, topographic features, and planimetric features such as roads, streams, etc.

(e) Distances crossing all definite, reasonably permanent topographic or cultural features. Artificial objects which are material to identification and line marker monuments will also be noted.

(f) Statements by adjoining landowners or other knowledgeable persons relative to property line and corner locations.

(g) Location and descriptions of all corners to adjoining property found along the line of the survey, and whether they agree or conflict with the property line surveyed, e.g. ½” rebar, 1.5 feet north of line.

(h) A small summary sketch showing the general area, topographic features, boundary lines run, boundary lines painted, and corners set.

243 Electronic data collectors – If the contractor uses an electronic data collector, the following shall be furnished to the government along with the standard field book:

(a) A paper print of the original field measurements, including erroneous data, prior to any editing, manipulation or adjustment.

(b) A paper print of the final data formatted in a manner that will permit the COR to relate the data to the field books, plats and any computations performed with the data, i.e. point plot/control diagram of the survey data.

(c) An ASCII, Text (.TXT), or an Excel (.CSV) file of all survey points. Point data shall be in order by Point #, Northing, Easting, Elevation, and Description.

(d) Electronic descriptions of Allegheny National Forest Corners shall be as follows: Brass/Bronze capped 2” pipe

= BCP, 2” iron pipe = 2” I.P., Class “A” concrete monument # 409= CA409, Aluminum Capped 2” pipe = ACP.

250 PLATS, REPORTS AND RECORDS

251 Plats – Plats shall be prepared in a CADD system format and furnished to the COR in a dwg or pdf file format, along with a minimum of 3 paper copies and one mylar map. The mylar map will be recorded at the appropriate county courthouse if deemed necessary by, and at the discretion of the forest land surveyor, and recorded at the government’s expense. Additional paper copies of the plat may be requested by the COR depending on the number of tracts surveyed. Plats shall be sized Letter (8-1/2" x 11"), Legal (8-1/2" x 14"), Tabloid (11" x 17"), C- Size (18" x 24"), or D-size (24" x 36"). Deviation from the standard paper map sizes requires COR approval. (See Example Plat on Exhibit J) All contractor produced plats shall become the property of the government and the government shall have the right to reuse the plats as deemed necessary without further compensation to the contractor.

The plat shall have the surveyor’s seal and signature along with the following:

(a) U.S.A., USDA Forest Service Tract Number(s) and name, e.g. “Tract 167, Kane Estate”

(b) State, County, Township, Forest and Ranger District.

(c) Surveyor’s Certificate shall state: “I,_________, certify that I am a Registered Professional Land Surveyor in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. I further certify that this plan is true and correct and represents a survey completed by me or under my direct supervision, and that all monuments and markers shown hereon are located and installed as shown and are in accordance with applicable state laws and the USDA Forest Service, Allegheny National Forest land surveying specifications.”

Deviation from this certification language must be approved by the COR.

(d) Dates of survey, description of the project and work performed.

(e) A “Summary of Forest Service Corner Coordinates”, geographically referenced as PA State Plane Coordinates shown to the nearest hundredth of a foot in a tabular format (see Section 221, 222):

i. Reference horizontal/vertical datum and realization (current NGS Datum), and methods used, e.g. Static positioning, NGS OPUS Static, Real Time Kinematic (RTK), a Real Time Network (RTN) utilizing Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS).

ii. Within the legend, face of the plat, or within the “Summary of Forest Service Corner Coordinates”, describe the physical characteristics of the corner or witness monument found, set, or reestablished, e.g.

Replaced an existing old 2” iron pipe in a mound of stones with a set 2” stainless steel pipe with bronze cap.

(f) Adjoining owners, tax parcel numbers, deed references, recorded and unrecorded map references.

(g) Accuracy/Precision statement (this item shall be addressed on the plat in the Surveyor’s Certificate or within the “Summary of Forest Service Corner Coordinates” by referencing the “Allegheny National Forest Cadastral Surveying and Boundary Maintenance Technical Specifications” described herein and the “Standards for the Positional Accuracy of Cadastral Surveys when using Global Navigational Satellite Systems (GNSS)” as shown on Exhibit I)

(h) Scale

(i) Legend

(j) Measured and record bearings and distances:

i. Record data to be shown in parentheses, e.g. (N 02° 48’ E, 2.45 chains = 161.7 feet)

ii. Measured distances on the final plat shall be grid distances, utilizing the PA State Plane Coordinate

System and current NGS Horizontal/Vertical datum and realization, i.e. the most current realization of the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS. (See Section 222,223)

iii. An average combined scale factor shall be shown on the plat to no more than 6 decimal places, accompanied by a note “to convert a grid distance to a ground distance divide the grid distance by the average combined scale factor of ……..”. In lieu of an average combined scale factor, and for larger project areas, the combined scale factor for each forest service corner may be stated within the “Summary of Forest Service Corner Coordinates” as described in Section 251 (e).

(k) North arrow and basis of bearing:

i. Measured bearings shall be PA Grid North bearings, PA State Plane Coordinate System (3701 PA North

Zone). (See Section 222)

ii. Show a computed geodetic bearing on a minimum of one property line. In lieu of showing a geodetic bearing, the convergence angle of each forest service corner can be stated on the plat or within the “Summary of Forest Service Corner Coordinates” in tabular form as described in Section 251 (e).

(l) Metadata:

i. Linear/measurement Units: Grid distances, as expressed in U.S. Survey feet, until superseded by the

International Foot, (i.e. 1 foot = 0.3048 meters exactly)

ii. Horizontal datum, Epoch: North American Datum of 1983_2011 (EPOCH 2010.0000) or current NGS datum, i.e. the most current realization of the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS).

iii. Vertical datum/Geoid Model used to compute orthometric heights: North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (Computed using Geoid18) or current NGS datum, i.e. the most current realization of the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS).

iv. Coordinate System (Mapping Projection): Pennsylvania State Plane Coordinate System, SPC (3701 PA North)

(m) Found gaps or overlaps, conflicts or encroachments

i. Existing survey monumentation along the property line shall be located and shown on the final plat with reference made as to whether the location of the monument coincides with the government property line surveyed. A description of the monument and offset to the property lined shall be referenced on the final plat. (See also Survey notes, Section 242 (g))

(n) Apparent use or rights-of-way (power lines, roads, etc.) and other pertinent topographic features

(o) Sheet numbers (if multiple sheets)

(p) Contract and order number

(q) Vicinity/general location map

252 Corner Record Cards (FS-7100-52) – Corner record cards shall be completed by the contractor for each corner maintained or monumented, (including Line Marker Monuments and witness corner monuments). All information on the corner record card will agree with information in the fieldbooks. Corner coordinates, geographically referenced as PA State Plane Coordinates shall be shown to the nearest hundredth of a foot and shall be referenced to the current NGS datum, i.e. the most current realization of the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS). Corner record cards will be printed on standard card stock paper (set printer setting to card stock). Corner record cards will be signed and sealed by the contractor and become the property of the USDA Forest Service. (See Exhibit H) Corner record cards shall become the property of the government and the government shall have the right to reuse them as deemed necessary without further compensation to the contractor.

253 Surveyor’s Report – The contractor will include a Surveyor’s Report. This report will identify pertinent information relative to the survey. The report will include a comparison of the measured and record data, and will describe the full extent of unauthorized use and occupation, encroachments, trespass, and title claims onto the lands of the United States. In instances of missing corners or other unusual circumstances, the contractor shall fully explain the method and reasoning in reestablishing the corner.

260 PROPERTY CORNER MAINTENANCE

261 Monument Maintenance – When property corner monuments are in accordance with Section 211:

(a) Monument caps and tablets shall have proper markings.

(b) The corner monument shall be firmly and securely set in the ground. Loose or leaning monuments shall be straightened and reinforced with additional stones.

(c) Clear brush and small trees (less than 2” in diameter) around the monument, and from the monument to the bearing trees or objects.

(d) Scattered mounds of stone shall be rebuilt. Corners without mounds and where stones are available within a radius of 150 feet shall have a stone mound constructed similar to Exhibit B. Stones shall be painted upon completion of the corner maintenance.

(e) When the corner position is coincident with a live, healthy tree, the tree blazes shall be repainted and signed in accordance with Exhibit D.

262 Accessory Maintenance – When maintaining a Forest Service corner, the accessories shall be maintained as follows:

(a) Descriptions of existing witness or bearing trees and objects should be verified and entered on the Corner Record Card (FS-7100-52).

(b) Dead, damaged, dying or missing trees or objects should be reported on the Corner Record Card. When existing accessories are in poor condition, additional accessories shall be established as described in Section 212.

(c) Existing blazes on bearing trees shall be repainted. Painting can be waived for sites where painting may be adverse to local aesthetics, but this waiver must be approved by the COR.

(d) No new blazes shall be added to existing witness or bearing trees.

(e) Metal U-channel corner guard posts should be firmly set as described in Section 212 (e).

270 CONFLICTS

271 Notification – The contractor will be informed by the government of any known conflicts prior to the commencement of surveying or maintenance activities. Any conflicts discovered by the contractor in the course of the project, including: Unauthorized use and occupation, encroachments, trespass, and title claims shall be reported to the COR verbally as soon as practical, followed by written documentation to the COR.

272 Field Procedures – The contractor will survey such areas as directed by the COR, keeping full notes thereof and furnish a separate plat and report of the disputed line and the land involved to the COR if directed to do so.

The contractor will survey, blaze, paint and post the property line as described in the government’s deed, up to the limits of the claimed area. No marking or posting within the claimed area will be done until the issue is settled and the contractor is notified by the COR.

273 Payment – If the case is settled prior to the completion of the contract, the contractor will mark the line. Otherwise the contractor will be paid in accordance with contract unit prices, or portion thereof, for all work actually completed and accepted. An equitable adjustment of delivery order price, performance dates, or both, will be made for any additional work, as authorized by the Contracting Officer, resulting from a conflict and not included within the existing pay items of this contract.

SECTION 300 – INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

310 INSPECTIONS

The COR or designated Inspector shall make periodic inspections of each project as work progresses for compliance with contract requirements. The COR or designated Inspector will contact the contractor as needed to review work items and requirements. Checks will include, but are not limited to, bearings and distances, monument placement, field books, line painting and marking, etc.

320 ACCEPTANCE

Final acceptance of all work performed under the contract will only be made after the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) has inspected and accepted all field work and other data submitted by the contractor, and determined that the work fulfils all specifications, terms, and conditions of the contract. If, upon review by the COR, it is found that rework is required to meet contract requirements, the COR will review these items with the contractor within 21 calendar days after receipt of final submittals. Any required rework will be specified in writing and shall be accomplished at no expense to the government.

All government – furnished property not used on this contract shall be returned by the contractor to the USDA Forest Service.

SECTION 400 - MEASUREMENT

410 MEASUREMENTS

01. Marking and Posting Property Line___________________________________________________ Mile

To brush, blaze, paint and post the property line between…