Silviculture Contract_SOW.pdf

FY22 CRD Silviculture Contract

Conasauga Ranger District

Chattahoochee-Oconee NFs

Statement of Work and PAY ITEMS

PART I—THE SCHEDULE

SECTION B—SUPPLIES OR SERVICES

Instructions to Offerors

The following schedule of items is estimated based upon the approximate acreage to be treated.

All Items must be bid to be considered (including any optional work items)

Item

Number

Item

Description Unit

Estimated

Quantity Unit Cost Total Cost

1 Manual Midstory Slashdown ac 215

2 Manual Release ac 68

TOTAL 283

SECTION C – SCOPE OF WORK

FY 2019 Conasauga Ranger District

Manual Slashdown and Planting Project

CHATTAHOOCHEE-OCONEE NATIONAL FORESTS

Floyd & Walker Counties, Georgia

C.1 DESCRIPTION OF WORK

This project includes the implementation of vegetation improvement treatments on the

Conasauga Ranger District of the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests.

Manual midstory control treatments will be conducted using chainsaws, brush cutters or other hand tools. The purpose of the treatment is to reduce fuels and accelerate the effects of prescribed burning in the stand as well as encourage the development of shortleaf pine and oak regeneration in the understory.

Manual release will be conducted using chainsaws, brush cutters or other hand tools. The purpose of the treatment is to release two-year-old planted shortleaf pine seedlings from loblolly and Virginia pine volunteers as well as other woody competition.

This work will be accomplished in strict accordance with the standards defined in this contract.

Individual tasks will be completed to the Acceptable Quality Level (AQL) described in section

C.5.

The Contractor(s) shall supply all labor, tools, supplies, permits and licenses, worker personal protective equipment and transportation necessary to perform required work on National Forest lands in accordance with the standards, provisions, and technical specifications contained herein.

C.2 PROJECT LOCATION

Work Item 01: Manual Midstory Slashdown

Areas to be treated are located within the boundaries of:

National Forest: Chattahoochee

District: Conasauga

County: Walker

State: Georgia

See attached Project Maps for locations of project sites. All area boundaries are marked with orange paint and/or flagging (color of flagging will be communicated at pre-work meeting).

Item Area Comp/Stand Treatment Acres

01 01 916/2, 3, 42 Manual slashdown of midstory 215

TOTAL 215

Area 01 was recently commercially thinned and burned and consists of a mixed stand of loblolly pine, shortleaf pine, oaks and other hardwood species. Vegetation to be treated consists of sapling and poletimber trees 1-8” diameter in the midstory

Area 01 is near Villanow, GA, south of GA-136 in Chattooga County. All areas are accessible by road (Furnace Creek Road), with some foot travel required. Area terrain ranges from relatively flat ground to gently sloping ridges to steep hillsides and side-slopes with small diameter trees and stump sprouting vegetation. See Appendix A map 2, attached.

Work Item 02: Manual Release Areas to be planted are located within the boundaries of:

National Forest: Chattahoochee

District: Conasauga

County: Floyd

State: Georgia

See attached Project Maps for locations of project sites. All area boundaries are marked with orange paint and/or flagging.

Item Area Comp/Stand Treatment Acres

02 02 952/11 Manual release 34

02 03 952/13 Manual release 34

TOTAL 68

Areas 02 and 03 were salvage harvested in 2019 to suppress bark beetle activity, then chemical site prepped, burned and replanted in shortleaf pine on a 10’ x 10’ spacing. Vegetation to be treated includes volunteer Virginia and loblolly pine as well as competing hardwoods.

Areas 02 and 03 are adjacent to each other on Calbeck Mountain in Floyd County, GA. All areas are accessible by rad (FS 955E), with some foot travel required. Area terrain ranges from gently sloping ridges to steep hillsides and side-slopes with small diameter trees and stump sprouting vegetation. See Appendix A map 3, attached.

C.3 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

WORK ITEM 01: MANUAL SLASHDOWN OF MIDSTORY (AREA 01) - SEE MAP 2

VEGETATION TO BE TREATED

All live trees that are between 1”- 8” dbh

VEGETATION NOT TO BE TREATED

• Trees < 1” dbh

• Standing dead trees (snags)

• Shortleaf pine trees

• Oak trees

• Dogwood trees >2” dbh

• Persimmons

• Shagbark Hickory

• Orange painted boundary trees

• Stream course boundary trees w/ pink paint

• Wetland boundary trees w/ white paint

• FS property boundary trees w/ red paint

• Other trees designated by COR/Inspector

• No trees shall be cut within the white and pink painted boundaries.

In areas where cutting all trees less than 8” will leave a gap greater than 50 feet with no overstory, choose a tree to release around every 12’

MANUAL SLASHDOWN PROCEDURE:

1. All trees, shrubs, and brush designated for cutting shall be severed from the stump. Trees felled will not be left lodged or leaning against other vegetation, or higher than 2 feet above the gournd. This may require cut trees to be bucked up into shorter segments.

2. Maximum stump height of cut trees, shrubs, and brush shall be 6 inches measured from ground level on the uphill side of tree to the top of stump.

3. Vegetation treated within 50 feet of any private property line, utility line right-of-way, trail, drainage ditch, road shoulder, road or driveway shall be felled away from those areas. All slash resulting from manual slashdown shall be immediately removed.

WORK ITEM 02: MANUAL RELEASE (AREAS 02 & 03) - SEE MAP 3

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Crop trees are two-year-old planted shortleaf pine. Crop trees were planted on an average 10 ft x

10 ft spacing. Contractor shall identify crop trees and then cut vegetation within a 5-foot clearing radius of selected crop tree, except for species/trees listed in section (b) below. The objective of treatment is to establish/re-establish a 10 ft x 10 ft spacing between shortleaf pine crop trees, while retaining the desirable hardwood component.

(a) Crop tree priority:

1. Shortleaf pine

If two (2) crop trees are within the stated 5-foot clearing radius of each other, contractor shall select individual tree with superior form, crown, and height and cut the other.

If no suitable shortleaf pine crop tree or desirable hardwood species [as listed section (b)] can be located, select loblolly pine as leave tree and proceed with cutting of vegetation within 5 feet of such tree. If a hardwood species is selected and is of stump sprout origin, thin sprout clump to single dominant stem.

(b) Do not cut any of the following trees, regardless of spacing, DBH, or location, unless for safety reasons:

1. Oak; if oak sapling is of stump spout origin then thin to single dominant stem

2. Flowering species > 1” dbh left after timber harvest (dogwood, redbud, serviceberry)

3. wildlife trees designated with paint by COR,

4. corner witness or property boundary trees marked with red paint,

5. other trees designated by COR, or

6. trees outside painted or flagged area boundary.

(c) Cut Trees:

Trees designated for cutting include Virginia pine, loblolly pine, red maple, sweetgum, yellow poplar, elm, and other hardwood species not specified in section (b), except where needed to attain desired spacing.

(d) Cutting Method:

Cut and leave by brush saw, chainsaw, or other handtool of efficiency. All trees and shrubs designated for cutting shall be completely severed from the stump and left to lie on ground. Maximum stump height of cut trees shall be 6 inches measured from ground level on the uphill side of tree to top of stump. Clearing radius around selected leave trees shall be 5 feet.

C.4 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

Estimated Start Date: TBD

Contract Duration: 5 months

Completion Date: TBD

C.5 PROJECT PROGRESSION

Item 01 Manual Midstory Slashdown

This item shall be completed by TBD Item 02 Tree Planting

This item shall be completed by TBD

C.5 MEASUREMENT AND PAYMENT

The Forest Service will monitor progress of Contractor to determine that work meets performance standards. Visual observation will be used. In addition, the COR/Inspector shall take standard 1/100th acre inspection plots by random sample. Each Area will be inspected separately, and the results will not be averaged.

For the herbicide application component of this project, the Forest Service inspector shall inspect the herbicide application within 30 days of application. This should generally provide time for the effects of the herbicide to become evident. Indications of herbicide application and incipient mortality shall be evident by visual deterioration of the treated plants, including drooping, wilting, chlorosis, interrupted seed maturation, and drying of plant parts (stem, leaves, reproductive parts), beyond recovery. Inspections shall determine both the adequacy of coverage of the project area and the efficacy of the application to the target species.

Forest Service inspections will be documented on Daily Diaries and placed in the contract file.

If work in part of an Area does not meet the Acceptable Quality Level given above, a Notice of

Non-Compliance will be issued by the COR. The COR may issue other cure notices if work is not being performed in a timely manner or does not comply with contract specifications.

Upon completion of an Area and notification by the Contractor, the COR or designated Inspector shall make an overall inspection of that Area. If a need for remedial work prior to acceptance is reflected by the COR/Inspector`s overall inspection, or by plot sample results, such remedial work will be performed before the Contractor moves to the next Area (if applicable). Contractor will not receive payment for unaccepted work until remedial work has been completed and accepted by COR/Inspector. If the inspection results in acceptance of the Area, the Contractor may immediately proceed with work on the next area(if applicable).

Performance Assessment Methods and Acceptable Quality Levels (AQL)

Task Quality/Performance

Standard

AQL Method of

Assessment

Penalty for Not

Meeting AQL

All Items Manual Midstory

Slashdown (Item 01):

Manual Release (Item

02):

(Item 01):

Minimum 90 percent of vegetation to be treated is treated properly and in accordance with technical specifications.

(Item 02):

Minimum 90 percent of vegetation to be treated is treated properly and in accordance with technical specifications.

Visual inspection by COR or

Inspector and use of random plots data within three days of manual treatments, excluding weekends and federal holidays.

Contractors not meeting the AQL at the final inspection will be required to perform remedial work prior to acceptance and payment. Such remedial work shall be performed at the

Contractor’s expense.

If the AQL is not achieved after

Contractor performs remedial work, a 2 percent reduction will be made in the award price and the government may require a third entry to correct unsatisfactory work at the Contractor’s expense.

Vicinity Map - FY22 CRD Silviculture Contract ± Created By: William Hunter

Date: 4/18/2022

0 4 82 Miles

Item 2/Area 2 and 3 - Manual Release - 68 ac

Item 1/Area 1 - Manual Midstory Slashdown - 215 ac

Map 1 of 3 Conasauga Ranger District, Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests

955E

955D

955H

955G

955B

955A

955C

Hidden Creek Manual Release Treatment - 68 ac FY22 CRD Silviculture Contracts ±

HiddenCreekReleaseTreatments

Created By: William Hunter Date: 4/18/2022

0 0.5 10.25 Miles

AREA 2

AREA 3

34 ac

34 ac

ITEM 2

ITEM 2

Map 3 of 3

6 32998

Pinnacle Manual Midstory Slashdown - 215 ac FY22 CRD Silviculture Contracts ±

Pinnacle Midstory Contract_final Stands Compartments

Created By: William Hunter Date: 4/18/2022

0 0.25 0.50.125 Miles

AREA 1

ITEM 1

Map 2 of 3