SOW Mgt Habitat Forestry PTFLA53226119.pdf

SCOPE OF WORK

Harvesting Provisions for Pine Thinning

Mgt, Habitat, Forestry Project # PTFLA53226119

Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, NEW JERSEY

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

1.1 Introduction

The purpose of this Scope of Work (SOW) is to describe the methodologies and proposed schedule for tree thinning locations on the Lakehurst portion of Joint Base McGuire-Dix- Lakehurst (JBMDL). Additionally, information on restrictions are included to provide insight into scheduling constraints.

1.2 Overview

The Lakehurst portion of JBMDL, New Jersey, is a 7,400 acre (2995 ha) former Navy installation in Ocean County. The installation is in the northern portion of the Pinelands. Eight vegetation types broadly describe the area— deciduous forests, pitch pine barrens, cedar forests, other pine communities, shrub/scrub land, grassland, and areas influenced by water.

The environmental aspect of this contract will allow the habitat to naturally restore ground vegetation for native wildlife. Avian, mammalian, reptilian, and amphibian species will utilize the restored habitat for a variety of life cycle processes.

The contractor shall account for all merchantable timber on a per-unit basis. All work performed by the contractor shall conform to the applicable federal laws, regulations, and requirements as listed below.

Federal Laws & Regulations

• The Sikes Act, as amended (16 U.S. C. 670a)

• National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), 42 U.S.C. 432.1

• Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531-1543)

• Department of Defense (DOD) Regulations and Guidelines

• Environmental Effects of Army Actions, (32 CFR 651)

• Natural Resources Management Program (DOD Directive 4700.4)

• AFMAN 32-7003 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION (20 April 2020)

1.3 Thinning Requirements

1.3.1. Coordination. Coordinate work on the installation with the Environmental Staff.

• Schedule cutting trips to ensure access.

• Verify locations with potential hazards.

• Observe all facility range protocols.

• Request a list/map of known unique areas.

1.3.2. Merchantable Timber. When potentially marketable timber is sourced throughout the execution of this proposal, the sale will be discussed between the Contractor and the JBMDL Natural Resources Team. Small-Lot sales of forest products will not exceed $25,000.

• Timber that is identified by the Contractor/JBMDL Natural Resources Staff will be marked with either paint, ribbon, or forestry tags to ensure that the trees are maintained and undamaged until the point of harvest.

1.4 Objective

All areas shall be thinned down to basal area (BA) between 30-50 trees. All trees must be cut flush to the ground.

• The criteria for selecting which trees to save shall be based on the following factors, listed in order of importance: Health and condition of the crown, condition and quality of the bole, and the relative position of the tree in the stand. When the thinning is complete, there should relatively even spacing among the remaining trees with no preference given to leaving an even aged or uneven aged stand. However, in any pine-oak area of a stand, preference shall be given to retaining large and medium diameter oaks and well-formed small diameter oaks to increase the oak percentage in the stand and save more mast-producing trees for wildlife.

• With the guidelines stated above; 8” DBH or lower will be removed, 10-16” DBH will be classified as selective and could require JBMDL staff approval for removal, 30” DBH or greater will be avoided unless additional instructions are given.

• It is desired that the thinning operation will improve the future growth, spacing, and quality of the trees & habitat remaining.

• In Stand A, a clear cut 100 feet wide shall be cut along the installation boundary with Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area (WMA). The government will have the lines painted to show the borders of the clear-cut strip.

• Additional areas of thinning may be added during the contract by mutual agreement of the government and the contractor. All removal & clearing must follow the guidelines listed within this document unless otherwise address by JBMDL Natural Resources Staff.

• Additional strips of trees for clearing along roadsides and runway clear zone edges may be added during the contract by mutual agreement of the government and the contractor. All trees in these areas must be removed. Crowns (slash) must be removed or chipped and left on site with low impact to the natural restoration of the areas targeted for thinning.

1.5. Scheduling. Scheduling will attempt to address these issues below. Proportionally, more time will be spent in areas of high clearing.

• Rare, federal, or state-listed species and corresponding regulations will halt operations if necessary.

• Care will be taken not to damage any potentially sensitive habitats that could be encountered during operations.

• JBMDL Environmental Staff will be utilized in an event that any regulatory species or sensitive habitats are found to ensure proper protocols are followed and minimal disruption occurs.

• Boundaries for sensitive areas will be utilized and acknowledged by the Contracted party.

1.6. Harvesting

• Harvesting shall NOT begin before the contract is signed.

• Harvesting shall NOT take place between April 1 and September 30.

• Harvesting shall NOT begin until a Certificate of Insurance is received by the JBMDL

Natural Resources Office (Building 5, Route 547, Lakehurst NJ 08733) to the attention, JBMDL Natural Resources Manager.

The Contractor shall cut and remove said wood in compliance with the following instructions:

• Boundary line trees marked with blue paint are not to be cut.

• All trees that are cut must be removed in their entirety.

• All slash produced as a result of the logging activities shall be removed or chipped not to exceed a height of five inches. Stumps produced by tree felling shall be as low to the ground as possible, in all cases.

• All activities shall conform to acceptable standards defined in "Timber Harvesting

Guidelines for New Jersey", published by the New Jersey Chapter - Society of American Foresters, New Jersey Forestry Association, and the New Jersey Forest Service.

• The Contractor shall exercise all reasonable care against the origin and spread of fire on the property, and shall use his entire force to extinguish any fire found due to logging activity.

All wood chips shall be kept at least thirty feet (30') away from the roads. In case of fire, all attempts shall be made to notify JBMDL Natural Resources staff immediately.

• No felled trees are to be left hanging in other trees and must be pulled down as they occur.

• Garbage and trash, i.e. paper bags, boxes, oil cans, etc., will be cleaned up daily and removed from the installation.

• Trees are not to be felled onto the forest roads or trails. Roads must be kept clean of all trees, branches, and slash during the harvesting operations.

• No skidding, hauling, or driving will be allowed on or across paved roads, drainage ditching, or streams without prior approval of the JBMDL Natural Resources Manager.

• Vehicles or any other equipment used on this sale area will be placed so as not to obstruct traffic on any roadway.

• The Contractor, at the onset of harvesting, shall provide a listing to JBMDL Natural

Resources personnel of employees who will be working in the thinning area.

• Only the Contractor and subsequent employees are permitted to conduct processing of harvested timber at the deck sites.

• All work that is to be done will be monitored by JBMDL Natural Resources personnel, and their instructions shall be carried out in detail.

• Any wetland areas where harvesting equipment may cause rutting deeper than one foot shall be avoided.

• The Contractor will exercise all means of erosion prevention that may produce excessive soil damage. The use of low ground pressure equipment may be necessary.

• The Contractor will clean and remove dirt, mud, rocks, bark or other debris from paved roadways, logging routes, and firebreaks to reflect the original conditions found.

• The Contractor will conduct daily routine equipment cleaning & washing to reduce any additional possibilities of invasive species introductions/displacements when equipment is removed or introduced onto the JBMDL installation.

1.7 Liability & Insurance. The contractor shall, at their own expense, procure and thereafter maintain the following kinds of insurance with respect to performance under the contract. The JBMDL Natural Resources Office must confirm in writing the receipt of the items listed below.

• The required workmen’s compensation insurance shall extend to cover employer’s liability for accidental bodily injury or death and for occupational disease with a minimum liability of $100,000.

• General liability insurance shall be required on the comprehensive form of policy and shall provide bodily injury liability of at least $500,000 per occurrence and property damage liability of at least $20,000 per occurrence.

• Automobile liability coverage of at least $200,000 per person and $500,000 per occurrence for bodily injury and $20,000 per occurrence for property damage. Covering the operation of all automobiles used in connection with the performance of the contract. At least the minimum limits of $200,000 per occurrence for property damage shall be required.

Receipt of said confirmations shall constitute authorization for the harvesting to commence.

The Contractor is solely responsible for the protection and well-being of any equipment left on site.

• The Contractor shall pay to Seller as liquidated damages Thirty-five Dollars ($35.00) for each tree that is cut in violation of this Contract.

• The priority in determining which trees to remove during this thinning contract is attached as enclosure 1.

• This contract may be terminated at the convenience of the government after providing a 72-hour notice to the Contractor.

2.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

• Description of Survey Areas—See attached maps.

• Final Products—receipts of the number of tons must be provided.

Appendices

Site Descriptions—See attached maps.

3.0 SUPPORTING INFORMATION

3.1 Responsibilities

GOVERNMENT FURNISHED DATA: The COR will provide any available site drawings and/or historic data to the contractor at the initiation of the project, as well as the contact information for possible sources with experience in this line of work. The contractor is asked to inform the COR of a need for copies of available drawings or requests for other drawings, other data and/or reports.

The contractor will obtain all necessary permits prior to conducting field work.

3.2 Special Considerations

All original materials, databases, spatial layers, and text developed or gathered in the performance of the tasks listed herein will be provided to JBMDL.

4.0 IMPLEMENATION

Personnel operating under this Cooperative Agreement are required to work closely with Air Force personnel and contractors and ensure that their actions meet federal, state, local, and Department of Defense (DOD) requirements and policies.

Electronic copies of documents, briefings, and journal articles that use project data will be made available to DOD personnel at no additional cost.

5.0 AGREEMENT PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE (POP)

The entire harvesting operation shall be completed no later than March 31, 2023.

However, an extension may be granted at the convenience of the government by mutual agreement between the government and the Contractor. This extension shall be in the form of a signed memo from the JBMDL Natural Resources Manager to the Contractor.

6.0 POINTS OF CONTACT

JBMDL Natural Resources Mark Stevenson Environmental Asset Section Chief Environmental Assets Section

787 CES/CEIEA

Cell: 732-666-2158 Mark.stevenson.16@us.af.mil

Paul Mahon Natural Resources Program Manager Environmental Assets Section

787 CES/CEIEA

Cell: 609-658-6602 Paul.mahon.1@us.af.mil

AFCEC ISS

Ms. Jamie Evans Natural Resources Program Manager JBMDL Installation Support Section Air Force Civil Engineer Center Phone: 609-754-6164 jamie.evans.6@us.af.mil

Mike Luna Wildlife Biologist Environmental Assets Section

787 CES/CEIEA

Cell: 908-319-6600 michael.luna.17@us.af.mil

Zachary Batren Environmental Biologist - Forestry Environmental Assets Section

787 CES/CEIEA

Cell: 732-735-2241 Zachary.batren@us.af.mil mailto:Mark.stevenson.16@us.af.mil mailto:Paul.mahon.1@us.af.mil mailto:jamie.evans.6@us.af.mil mailto:michael.luna.17@us.af.mil mailto:Zachary.batren@us.af.mil

B A

C

D

F

Ü Joint Base

Installation Boundary

Stand C

McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst

Lakehurst Thinning Project Stands

Stand A

Stand B

0 0.25

0.5

Stand D

Stand F

1 Miles

0 0.25 0.5 1 Kilometers

Stand Acres Basal Area A 138.73 123 B 21.75 130 C 61.88 80 D 78.26 84 F 18.8 117

Installation Boundary DocBO LakB LasC PssA UR

AtsAO DoeBO LakkB MakAt PstAt Water

BerAt EveB LasB PHG PsuB

0 0.75 1.5 3 Miles

0 1 2 4 Kilometers

Lakehurst Soils

Installation Boundary Water Deciduous Forest

Agriculture Brushland/Shrubland Mixed Forest

Altered Lands Coniferous Forest Old Field

Vegetation

Installation Boundary Oak Pine-Oak

Atlantic White Cedar Oak-Pine Plantation

Mixed Hardwoods Pine

Forest Cover

A

Acres: 138.73 Basal Area: 123

Installation Boundary Stand A Road Centerline

0 600 1,200 2,400 Feet

0 180 360 720 Meters

Stand A

B

Acres: 21.75 Basal Area: 130

Installation Boundary Stand B Road Centerline

0 335 670 1,340 Feet

0 100 200 400 Meters

Stand B

C

Acres: 61.88 Basal Area: 80

Installation Boundary Stand C Road Centerline

0 420 840 1,680 Feet

0 125 250 500 Meters

Stand C

D

Acres: 78.26 Basal Area: 84

Installation Boundary Stand D Road Centerline

0 385 770 1,540 Feet

0 112.5 225 450 Meters

Stand D

F

Acres: 18.8 Basal Area: 117

Installation Boundary Stand F Road Centerline

0 345 690 1,380 Feet

0 100 200 400 Meters

Stand F