Lakeshore Revised IRSC Appendix A.pdf

Lakeshore Revised Stewardship IRSC Sierra National Forest

Page 1 of 8 High Sierra Ranger District

APPENDIX A

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR SERVICE WORK ITEMS

SECTION I – DESCRIPTION OF WORK:

The objectives of this project are to to reduce fuel accumulation within the wildland urban interface (WUI), restore areas of high intensity fire damaged ecosystems and to recover the value of the fire killed and damaged trees within a portion of the Creek Fire within the Huntington Lake Basin while addressing the area for the safety of the residents, recreationalist and forest staff. This will be done by accomplishing the following:

1. Cut fire killed trees adjacent to forest roads and trails to provide for public safety.

2. Remove salvageable included saw timber from the Contract Area to reduce hazardous fuel loading.

3. Mechanically remove cull trees to landings to be disposed of by FS.

4. Remove slash from units 76, 79, and 80 to a designated disposal site to be burned by FS.

5. Pile slash within the interior of units 77, 82, and 121 and construct fire-line around unit perimeters.

6. Reconstruct and maintain roads for safe access to the Contract Area.

SECTION II – WORK ITEMS

Mandatory Item 1: Cut and Remove Included Timber:

Unit Acres

77 171

82 87

121 5

Total 263

Cut and remove from Contract Area sawtimber trees 14 inches DBH and larger that are dead, diseased, or dying, marked with green tracer paint, and meet the minimum tree specifications as identified in Appendix B. For meadow protection, contractor shall utilize excavator (shovel loader) to remove down trees which shall be fully suspended with no ground disturbance.

Mandatory Item 2: Fell, Skid, and Deck:

Units 77, 82, and 121

• Cut all non-sawtimber (cull) trees that are 8.0 inches DBH to 13.9 inches DBH.

• Cull logs that are cut by contractor and/or previously downed that are larger than 8 inches in diameter and 12 feet in length shall be processed (root-wads severed, limbed and topped), skid and decked. Decks shall be located at agreed to locations.

• Slash may be processed and piled in units or at agreed to locations per Item 4.

Mandatory Item 3a: Cut, Skid, and Remove Cut Trees and Slash to Disposal Site to be Decked and Piled:

Unit Acres

76 13

79 54

80 87

Total 154

• Cut all dead trees that are 8.0 inches DBH and larger.

Page 2 of 8 High Sierra Ranger District

• All limbs, root-wads, bole pieces, top-wood greater than 3 feet in length and 3 - 7.9 inches in diameter, and all trees cut shall be removed from the units and transported to a designated disposal site as shown on the Contract

Area Map. Other sites may be agreed to by COR. Slash shall be piled at the disposal site as compact as possible and as high as possible for disposal (burning) by FS.

Mandatory Item 3b: Remove Slash to Disposal Site to be Piled:

Units 76, 79, and 80

• All limbs, root-wads, bole pieces, top-wood greater than 3 feet in length and 3 - 7.9 inches in diameter, and all trees not being removed as TSA (including activity slash) shall be removed from the units and transported to a designated disposal site as shown on the Contract Area Map. Other sites may be agreed to by COR. Slash shall be piled at the disposal site as compact as possible and as high as possible for disposal (burning) by FS.

Mandatory Item 4: Interior Piling and Fireline

Units 77, 82 and 121

Fireline shall be built around the boundary of each unit. Fireline should be 10 feet wide or the width of a regular dozer blade and scraped down to mineral soil.

Pile Specifications:

• Pile all cut trees less than 8 inches DBH, limbs, bole pieces, and top-wood greater than 3 feet in length and 3 - 7.9 inches in diameter for disposal by FS.

• Piles shall be constructed in a haystack like fashion with height approximately twice the diameter.

• Piles shall be as compact and as free of dirt as possible.

• The length of the pile shall be approximately equal to its width.

• Piles shall be at least 15 feet from the nearest leave trees and adjusted to the size of the opening.

• Piles shall NOT be located within 15 feet of drainages, Control Areas (CA), or unit boundaries, and 30 feet from snags.

• All trees partially pushed over, hung up, or positioned in an unsafe position, shall be felled, logs decked per Item 2, and slash piled.

• Protruding slash overhanging pile’s edge greater than 6 feet in length, shall be cut off and added to pile.

• Within the area impacted by the fire tornado in unit 82:

▪ Skid and deck all downed logs greater than 8 inches DBH and longer than 12 feet. Decks shall be accessible from roads and landings.

▪ Root-wads shall be split and added to the center of piles for efficient burning.

• Piles shall not be constructed within 50 feet of recreation resident tracts adjacent to unit boundaries.

Location of Piles:

• No mechanical or hand piling of slash within meadows, streams or within riparian vegetation.

• Piles shall be kept at least 50 feet away from all streams, meadows, springs, seeps, and other sensitive aquatic areas. Greater distances may be required in certain habitats as determined by the aquatic biologist.

• Contractor shall notify COR at least two weeks (14 days) prior to starting operations in unit 77.

Contractor shall coordinate implementation with the district aquatic biologist GTM for operations in the

Suitable Yosemite Toad (YT) habitat as shown on the Contract Area Map, which have the following restrictions:

▪ Piles shall not be constructed in open dry lupine areas with multiple rodent boroughs visibly present unless agreed to by district aquatic biologist GTM.

▪ Piles shall not be located withing areas flagged for avoidance by district aquatic biologist GTM.

• Do not construct piles within 20 feet of decaying stumps that are associated with rodent boroughs that provide for protection of summer and overwintering terrestrial habitats or within the YT.

Page 3 of 8 High Sierra Ranger District

Mandatory Item 5: Road Maintenance

See Appendix C for Road Maintenance requirements.

Mandatory Item 6: Road Reconstruction

See Appendix D for Road Reconstruction requirements.

Optional Item 7: Splitting Root-Wads Unit 80

All root wads shall be split by contractor prior to being removed to disposal site per Item 3. Very large diameter root wads may need to be split multiple times for efficient burning.

SECTION III – CONTROL OF WORK

The Contractor agrees to conduct its operations under this contract and other related business activities in compliance with

Federal, State, and local statutes, standards, orders, permits and other regulations.

The Contractor shall meet all State and local environmental quality laws applicable to National Forest system lands.

Work may be done any time during the term of the contract, except under the following conditions:

(1) When conditions are such that operations shall be restricted or ceased due to increased fire risk.

(2) When red flag warnings are forecasted over the contract area by the National Weather Service, all mechanical operations shall cease regardless of the forecasted Project Activity Level (PAL). Activities shown under level

“E” may continue.

(3) To allow for winter recreational opportunities when there is sufficient snow, operations may be restricted from December 21 – March 30 when contractor is notified by CO in writing with at least 7 days’ notice.

(4) Within Yosemite Toad (YT) habitat as shown on CAM and as listed in C6.241, 2-week notification prior to operations and coordination with District aquatic biologist is required. When possible, operations should be completed prior to October 1. After October 1, actions shall be coordinated with the district aquatic Biologist to determine locations so operator may continue operations without disturbing over wintering locations.

(5) When soil moisture conditions create excessive risk of damage to the soil. Work will be temporarily postponed if there is a 50% or greater forecasted rain event of 0.25 inches or greater to protect soils and dispersing YT individuals.

(6) Meadow tree removal will be determined by slope percentage; field verification of site suitability as determined by COR or other Government Technical Monitor (GTM), will occur before any treatments are implemented. If slope is greater than 15%, no treatment will occur in either the meadow periphery or interior on slopes unless specific treatment is assigned.

(7) Meadow Restoration activities will occur when meadows are at their driest (normally August and later) and tadpole metamorphosis has been completed.

(8) If cows are present in project area where trees are to be removed, contact the COR/GTM prior to operations.

(9) All active nest sites and areas of restriction are shown on the Contract Area Map (CAM) and listed in the solicitation under Protection Measures Needed for Plants, Animals, Cultural Resources, and Cave Resources.

Restrictions would apply when seasonal operating restrictions for active raptor nests are in effect and if new nests are discovered.

(10) The government reserves the right to prioritize the order in which Units are treated.

(11) When snow depth creates a situation where requirements cannot be met and/or work cannot be inspected, as determined by the COR.

(12) If any cultural or archeological sites are discovered during operations of this contract, work will be suspended in the immediate vicinity of the site until a reconnaissance survey is completed by the Forest Archeologist.

Areas excluded from treatment shall be deleted from the contract.

(13) No work shall occur on Memorial Day, 4th of July or Labor Day weekend.

Page 4 of 8 High Sierra Ranger District

SECTION IV – INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

For All Work Items:

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

GOVERNMENT QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN

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

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

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

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

Government Inspection Procedures Items 1-4

1. In the event visual inspection indicates work and/or rework to be in non-compliance with contract specifications, a series of verification plots shall be installed by the Government to determine compliance with specifications and percent of satisfactory work for treatment of each unit not meeting specification as observed with visual inspection.

2. Government verification plots will consist of a series of fixed area plots that will have 4 quadrants of pass or fail.

3. Plots and grid will be distributed so that a representative sample is obtained. Pile locations including landings may be sampled in plots to determine overall quality.

4. The COR or designated inspector will mark the center of each plot on the ground using flagging, stakes, or pin flags. Additional flagging will be hung near the plot center so that it may be seen from a distance. The inspector will include the plot number, their initials and date on the flagging.

5. Plots will be numbered to correlate with the inspection form and transects on a unit map.

6. The minimum number of verification plots, per treatment unit, shall be as follows:

Unit Acreage Minimum No. of Plots

1 – 9 1 plot per 2 acres

10 – 29 10 plots

30 – 59 1 plot per 4 acres

60 – 99 20 plots

100 1 plot per 5 acres

Page 5 of 8 High Sierra Ranger District

7. Determination of acceptability of the work performed will be based on Government verification inspections and will be considered conclusive.

8. At each plot, the Government will examine the plot area and record findings of non-compliance for failing quadrants.

Table 1 – Minimum Acceptable Quality Levels (AQL) of Work

ITEM DESCRIPTION SCHEDULE UNIT Min AQL

1 Cut and Remove Included Timber MANDATORY ACRE NA

2 Fell, Skid, and Deck MANDATORY ACRE 90%

3a Cut, Skid, and Remove Cut Trees and Slash MANDATORY ACRE 90%

3b Remove Slash to Disposal Site MANDATORY ACRE 90%

4 Interior Piling and Fireline MANDATORY ACRE 90%

5 Road Maintenance MANDATORY MILE 100%

6 Road Reconstruction MANDATORY MILE 100%

7 Splitting Root-Wades OPTIONAL ACRE 90%

Unsatisfactory Performance

1. If the work quality falls below the minimum AQL, the COR will immediately notify the Contractor, in writing, and order him to improve the quality.

2. If after rework has been performed and reinspected, and work quality still falls below minimum AQL percent, payment will either be made at a reduced rate, or not at all, as determined in SECTION V below.

3. Repeated failure to produce work quality at or above the minimum acceptable standard will be considered reason for contract termination for cause.

Reinspection Upon Contractor Request

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

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

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

SECTION V – PAYMENT METHODS

Method of Measurement for Acreages

Acreages were determined by using Global Positioning Systems (GPS). The acreage for each work item will be rounded to the nearest acre and is final unless:

a. The contract is modified or,

b. The Government makes a determination to remeasure or, Page 6 of 8 High Sierra Ranger District

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

Remeasurement

1. The Contractor may request, in writing, remeasurement of any units under this contract if he/she feels that acreage stated on the project maps is incorrect. The remeasurement must be within the existing perimeter of the respective unit. No variance of the unit perimeters as laid out on the ground for this contract will be allowed.

All requests for remeasurement must be made prior to payment for each completed unit. Remeasurement will be performed by the Government.

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

Acceptance and Payment - Items 1-4

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

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

(a) For work quality of 90 percent or higher, the Contractor will be paid 100 percent of their bid rate.

(b) For work quality from 85 to 89 percent after rework, the Contractor will be paid the total multiplied by the bid rate.

(c) For work quality 84 percent and less after rework, there will be no payment made to the Contractor.

Acceptance and Payment – Item 5 Road Maintenance

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

2. Only one rework opportunity will be allowed for this item.

Acceptance and Payment – Item 6 Road Reconstruction

Full payment will be made when visual and/or measurement inspection indicates specifications have been met.

* Stewardship Credits will be earned first, whenever practical. Forest Service Funds will be used if the availability of Stewardship Credits is exhausted or if appropriated dollars are obligated to a specific item.

SECTION VI – DEFINITIONS

ACCEPTABLE QUALITY LEVEL (AQL): Acceptance of work will be based on compliance with all specifications corresponding to the appropriate task(s); refer to the Performance Requirements Summary in Section

E.4 of the contract. A minimum AQL is required for all service work – hand or mechanical. The minimum AQL will receive a satisfactory performance rating.

BIOMASS TREES: Any conifer tree 8 inches to 13.9 inches DBH.

BOLE SPACING: The horizontal distance in feet from the edge of one leave tree bole to another leave tree bole, measured from the outside bark of each tree.

CAM: Contract Area Map

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

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

Page 7 of 8 High Sierra Ranger District

CONTROLLED AREA: Areas delineated by flagging for the purpose of protecting sensitive plants or heritage resources and other improvements to protect. The areas are marked on the ground; however, they are not on the

Contract Area Map.

COR.: Contracting Officer’s Representative

CROWN RATIO: The ratio of live crown length (tip of leader to base of the crown) to total tree length/height.

CROWN SPACING: The horizontal distance in feet between the dripline of a live crown to another live crown.

CLEARCUT: A cutting prescription in which all trees within a boundary are designated to be cut.

CROWN RATIO: The ratio of live crown length (tip of leader to base of the crown) to total tree length/height.

CROWN SPACING: The horizontal distance in feet between the dripline of a live crown to another live crown.

CULL LOG: A log not meeting the specified product requirements due to defect.

CUT TREES: Trees that do not possess the characteristics of desirable leave trees and are required to be cut. As described by the contract or otherwise marked to be cut.

CUTTING UNIT: See Treatment Unit definition

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

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

DECKING: Stockpiling of trees in a designated area.

DEAD/DYING TREES: Trees with the crown foliage changing from green to red, yellow, or needleless. Any tree that has pitch tubes indicating Mountain Pine Beetle infestation.

DESIGNATION BY SPECIES AND DIAMETER (DXSD): A cutting prescription in which species and diameter are used to determine which trees will be left and which will be cut.

DIB: Diameter inside bark.

DIRECTIONAL FELLING: Felling cut-trees or snags a pre-determined direction to protect natural resources and land improvements, and/or to facilitate planned skidding.

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

HEALTHY REGENERATION: Young, healthy, dwarf mistletoe free conifers, less than 4.9 inches in diameter, free of defect or characteristics listed in Section II, 2.2.2.

LEAVE TREE: Trees that possess desirable characteristics and that serve to create the basis for designated spacing requirements or are otherwise designated to be left.

MINERAL SOIL: State of soil, generally below where humus and large organic matter is not present. The absence of combustible material.

NON-SAWTIMBER TREE: For all conifer species, minimum diameter of 5 inches DBH to minimum diameter by species identified in Appendix B, Division A.

OVERSTORY REMOVAL: A cutting prescription where all trees greater than a specified size are cut. Trees less than the specified size are protected.

PAYMENT UNIT: See Treatment Unit.

PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS SUMMARY (PRS): Identifies the key service outputs of the contract that will be evaluated by the Government to assure contract performance standards are met by the Contractor.

Page 8 of 8 High Sierra Ranger District

PILING: Material moved to an agreed upon location shall be piled for future treatment by Forest Service.

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

Contractor.

PROJECT ACTIVITY LEVEL (PAL): U.S. Forest Service-Pacific Southwest Region (r5) fire precautionary system governing industrial operations associated with timber, stewardship, and service contracts. See Fire Plan.

RCA: Riparian Conservation Areas

RMA: Riparian Management Zones

RESERVE CLUMPS: Groups of trees within a treatment area that are protected from cutting, may also include

Individual Reserve trees.

SAWTIMBER TREE: Included timber meeting sawlog size specifications as defined in Appendix B, Division A.2.

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

SMZ: Streamside Management Zones

UNIT: See Treatment Unit.

TEMPORARY ROADS: Non-permanent roads that are constructed by Contractor for the purpose of treatment unit access.

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

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

WHOLE TREE YARDING: Whole tree logging includes cutting tree and removing the entire tree, including tops and branches, to the landing.

WILDLIFE TREE: Standing tree marked to be reserved as a wildlife tree. Used by birds and small mammals for shelter, nesting, perching, etc.