Rock Creek Revised IRSC Appendix A.pdf

Rock Creek Stewardship IRSC Stanislaus National Forest

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APPENDIX A

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR SERVICE WORK ITEMS

SECTION I – DESCRIPTION OF WORK:

The objectives of this project are to increase forest health and vigor, diminish tree competition and mortality, and reduce hazardous fuels to reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfire by accomplishing the following:

1. Thin mixed conifer forest stands and fuelbreaks.

2. Remove included sawtimber and biomass/non-saw from the Contract Area.

3. Abate and remove hazardous standing fuels along project roads.

4. Reconstruct roads to chip van standards.

SECTION II – WORK ITEMS

Mandatory Item 1: Cut, Skid, and Remove Included Timber:

See Table A below for units:

Table A

Unit Acres

2 10 405 26 544 50 3 75 406 61 546 13 4 15 408 39 548 14 6 7 496 42 549 12 8 30 498 8 550 7 10 15 500 120 552 36 12 9 502 80 553 7 16 9 503 54 556 141 18 5 504 22 558 75 20 7 508 21 560 58 22 7 518 16 566 64 24 6 520 66 567 12 26 8 522 58 568 13 28 29 528 15 801 6 30 16 532 25 802 6 32 40 533 47 806 6 34 19 538 11 808 2 36 21 540 11 900 28

149 14 541 9 901 32

902 20

Cut and remove from Contract Area sawtimber trees which meet the minimum tree specifications as identified in Appendix B. Contractor and Forest Service will work closely for DxP implementation to ensure specifications are understood.

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Mandatory Item 2: Cut, Skid, and Pile Biomass/Cull:

See Table A above for units:

Skid all cut trees to agreed to landings. All felling (C6.41#), skidding (C6.42#), streamcourse (C6.5), erosion (C6.6#), and slash (C6.7#) requirements apply.

Within all cutting units except 801, 802, 806, 808 (1,655 acres), the following criteria shall be used for cutting and yarding of non-sawlog trees:

1. Within 250 feet of roads 3N21, 3N26, and 3N29:

(a) Cut live conifers, except DF and healthy SP, 4.0 to 9.9 inches DBH, to an average leave tree spacing of 25 feet from all other leave trees, and 37 feet from healthy black oak over 12 inches DBH.

(b) Cut all dead conifers with no visible green needles within 1 tree length of any road shown on the contract area map.

(c) Within 150 feet of above roads cut all dead conifers with no visible green needles greater than 8.0 inches DBH. From 150 to 250 feet of above roads cut up to 25.9 inches DBH.

2. Outside of the 250 feet stated above:

(a) Cut live conifers, except DF and healthy SP, 4.0 to 9.9 inches DBH, to an average leave tree spacing of 20 feet from all other leave trees, and 37 feet from healthy black oak over 12 inches DBH.

(b) Cut all dead conifers with no visible green needles within 1 tree length of a system road shown on the contract area map.

(c) Cut all dead conifers with no visible green needles 8.0 to 25.9 inches DBH.

Within cutting units 801, 802, 806, 808 (20 acres), the following criteria shall be used for cutting and yarding of non-sawlog trees:

1. Cut all live conifers 4.0 to 9.9 inches DBH.

2. Cut all dead conifers with no visible green needles 8.0 to 25.9 inches DBH.

3. Cut all dead conifers with no visible green needles within 1 tree length of road 3N17 and 3N29C.

For green trees 4.0 to 9.9 inches DBH and dead trees 8.0 to 14.9 inches DBH there is an estimated 73 TPA with an average DBH of 8.1 and an average height of 35 feet. There is an estimated 64,135 sawtimber tops.

For dead trees 15.0 inches DBH and greater there is an estimated 16 TPA with an average DBH of 20.6 and an average height of 87 feet. All material meeting the YUMD specification of C6.7# created from Item 1 shall be brought to a landing.

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Mandatory Item 3: Cut, Skid, and Remove Hazardous Roadside Fuels:

See Table B below for roadside units:

Table B

Unit Miles

Unit Miles 50 0.4 70 0.2 51 0.1 71 0.6 52 0.4 72 0.3 53 1.1 73 0.1 54 0.4 74 0.5 55 0.5 75 0.1 56 0.4 76 0.2 57 0.1 77 1.4 58 0.2 78 0.1 59 0.1 79 1.0 60 0.3 80 0.5 61 0.3 81 0.2 62 0.7 82 0.6 63 0.8 83 0.3 64 0.2 84 0.1 65 0.3 85 0.1 66 0.1 86 0.1 67 1.5 87 0.1

68 0.4 88 2.2

69 0.4 89 2.2

99 0.1

Cut, skid, and remove (as cull logs) dead trees 10 inches DBH and greater with no visible green needles one tree length from the route of haul. All felling (C6.41#), skidding (C6.42#), streamcourse

(C6.5), erosion (C6.6#), and slash (C6.7#) requirements apply.

Estimated volume to remove is 16,935 tons. Estimated number trees is 3,983 with an average DBH of 24.2 inches and an average height of 93 feet. Maximum cut distance from the road is 200 feet.

Mandatory Item 4: Road Reconstruction of Haul Routes (30.9 miles)

See Appendix D for Road Reconstruction requirements.

Optional Item 5: Removal of Green Biomass:

Green biomass generated from the sawtimber tops in mandatory Item 1, as well as biomass from mandatory Item 2 meeting minimum specifications for utilization in Appendix B, Division A shall be chipped and removed from National Forest System Land. Estimated quantities to remove is 35,933 green tons of biomass trees and 7,510 green tons of sawtimber tops.

Optional Item 6: Removal of Cull Logs:

Cull logs generated from mandatory Item 2 meeting minimum specifications for utilization in

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Appendix B, Division A shall be removed from National Forest System Land in either chip or log form. Estimated quantity to remove is 60,426 tons.

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 during the Fire Precautionary Period April 1st to December 1st.

(2) When seasonal operating restrictions for active raptor nests are in effect. All areas of restriction are shown on CAM and listed in the solicitation under Protection Measures Needed for Plants Animals, Cultural Resources, and Cave Resources. Restrictions would apply.

(3) If new nests are discovered,

(4) When soil moisture conditions create excessive risk of damage to the soil,

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

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

(7) 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.

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, or hand-written request) an in the field consultation with the Forest Service to inspect work progress, review contract specifications, or clarify issues. The Forest Service shall respond to Contractor’s request within 5 working days, excluding weekends and federal holidays.

GOVERNMENT QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN

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

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

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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 (GTM), 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

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 and variable radius plots along a grid to record whether density, basal area, best tree selection, and other requirements are being met and to what extent.

3. Plots and grid will be distributed so that a representative sample is obtained.

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

7. A random starting point will be selected for the first plot location and plots will be spaced to achieve at least one plot per 10 acres, cutting unit will have a minimum of 10 plots. Plots will be distributed on a systematic grid with the spacing measured in horizontal distance and cardinal directions as designated on a map. Plots may be located using GPS coordinates.

8. At each plot, the Government will examine the plot area and record findings on the items listed below:

a. Plot number

b. Number of trees to be left.

c. Number of trees left on plot.

d. Number of satisfactory trees.

e. Number of deficient trees.

f. Number of excess trees.

- Trees meeting cut specifications will be counted as excess trees

- Trees in excess of trees to be left will be counted as excess

9. Work quality will be calculated on the form as follows:

No. Trees Deficient + No. Excess Trees

-------------------------------------------------- = % Unsatisfactory work

No. Trees to be left

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100% – % Unsatisfactory work = % Work Quality

10. Deviations from these procedures will be documented on the inspection results.

Unsatisfactory Performance

1. If the work quality falls below the minimum Acceptable Quality Level (AQL), the COR will immediately notify the Contractor, in writing, and order them to improve the quality of subsequent work. If the quality of subsequent work is not raised above the minimum AQL within the specified time frame of the written notice, a Cure Notice will be issued.

2. When the work quality falls below the AQL percent as a result of excess trees, the Government will do the following:

Order rework to be performed and withhold payment until excess trees are cut and the results of a post-rework Government inspection show work quality meets the minimum AQL. No rework shall be performed until authorized by the COR.

3. Repeated failure to produce work quality at or above the AQL percent will be considered reason for no payment and/or 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.

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

ITEM DESCRIPTION SCHEDULE UNIT Min AQL

Cut, Skid, and Remove Included

Timber

MANDATORY ACRE NA

2 Cut, Skid, and Pile Biomass/Cull logs MANDATORY ACRE 90%

Cut, Skid, and Remove Hazardous

Roadside Fuels

MANDATORY MILE 95%

4 Road Reconstruction of Haul Routes MANDATORY MILE 100%

5 Removal of Green Biomass OPTIONAL ACRE 95%

6 Removal of Cull Logs OPTIONAL ACRE 95%

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SECTION V – PAYMENT METHODS

Percentages as calculated herein shall be rounded to the nearest whole percent or number as indicated below.

Method of Measurement for Acreages and Mileage

Acreages were determined by using Global Positioning Systems (GPS). The mileages were determined using

Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The acreage for each work item will be rounded to the nearest acre and the mileage will be rounded to the nearest 1/10th of a mile and is final unless:

a. The contract is modified or,

b. The Government makes a determination to remeasure or,

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

Remeasurement

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

2. If remeasurement indicates that a difference of less than ten percent exists, the Contractor shall pay for the actual costs of the remeasurement. Under this condition, payment will be made on the acreage or mileage stated on the project maps. If the remeasurement indicates the actual acreage or mileage varies by more than ten percent from that stated on the project maps, the payment will be made on the remeasured acreage or milage and the Forest Service will pay for the cost of the remeasurement.

Acceptance and Payment – Item 2 Cut, Skid, and Pile Biomass/Cull Logs

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

2. In the event that formal inspections are used, the rate of payment to the Contractor will be calculated as follows: a) work quality of 90 percent or higher, Contractor will be paid 100 percent of their bid rate; b) work quality less than 90%, the work is unacceptable and will either require rework or no payment will be made.

Acceptance and Payment – Item 3 Cut, Skid, and Remove Roadside Fuels

Full payment will be made when visual and/or measurement inspection indicates specifications have been met. If measured AQL is less than 95% then a rework will be done to get to 95%.

Acceptance and Payment – Item 4 Road Reconstruction of Haul Routes

Full payment will be made when visual and/or measurement inspection meets 100% AQL.

Acceptance and Payment – Item 5 Removal of Green Biomass

Upon Optional Item agreement, payment will be made when visual inspections meet 95% AQL.

Acceptance and Payment – Item 6 Removal of Cull Logs

Upon Optional Item agreement, payment will be made when visual inspections meet 95% AQL.

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* 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 live conifer 4.0 inches to 9.9 inches DBH, and any dead conifer greater than 8.0 inches DBH.

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

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

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

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.

CULL LOGS: Log segments produced from dead trees meeting size specifications as defined in Appendix

B, Division A.2.

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 3 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 more than 25% 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 parallel to one another as tight and compact as possible.

DYING TREES: Trees with the crown foliage changing from green to red or yellow. Any tree that has pitch tubes indicating Western 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.

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DSH: Diameter stump height, measured 6 inches up on the uphill side of the tree or stump.

GTM: Government Technical Monitor

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

HEALTHY: tree with greater than 30% live crown ratio, no insect activity, no mistletoe, and no signs of disease.

HEALTHY REGENERATION: Young, healthy, dwarf mistletoe free conifers, less than 4 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.

NON-SAWTIMBER TREE: For all conifer species, minimum diameter of 4.0 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.

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.

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.

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.

TPA: Trees per acre.

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.

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