Standard Contract Specifications 26 May 20.pdf

R8 - SOUTHERN REGION

NATIONAL FORESTS IN FLORIDA

STANDARD CONTRACT SPECIFICATIONS

FOR

LAND SURVEYING AND

LANDLINE MAINTENANCE

GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS

C.130 – Government Furnished Property*

Government-furnished property will be stored at either the work center of the respective Ranger District on which the project is located, or at the Supervisor’s Office in Tallahassee, and will be made available to the contractor, as needed, after the effective date listed on the Notice to Proceed.

Materials will be available for pick up Monday through Friday, except federal holidays. The contractor shall call the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) 24 hours in advance [(850) 491-4006] or a designated point of contact at the District. The Contractor shall be liable for all loss or damage of such delivered Government-furnished property until completion and acceptance of the work required under this contract.

When necessary and possible, the Forest Service will provide access through gates and across easements controlled by the Government. When such access is required, the contractor shall call the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) 24 hours in advance [(850) 491-4006] or a designated point of contact at the District.

The Government will furnish the following listed items:

A. Monuments for “Standard Corners Monumented” as identified in the Schedule of Items, shall be aluminum pipes with aluminum caps, and/or brass/aluminum tablets suitable for placement in concrete or stone.

B. “DEEP1” Magnets to be placed at base of “dig-in” Standard Forest Service Monuments.

C. Blank paper or electronic Form 7100-52 corner cards.

D. Boundary signs #54-2, Monument #54-9, #54-3 Bearing Tree Tags, #54-6 Location

Posters, Wilderness, and all other signs designated by the COR.

E. “Mag-Nails” and BT (Bearing Tree) washers.

F. Red Boundary Marking Paint, brush type, or other as appropriate.

G. 4”x4”x84” treated wood posts delineator sign posts (or aluminum sign posts in limited circumstances).

H. Aluminum nails (2-½” or 3-½”), and other fasteners suitable for fastening Forest Service

Boundary signs and Bearing Tree tags.

I. Courtesy copies of tract plats, descriptions, and corner cards pertinent to the projects that are known to be in the possession of the Forest Service. Any other pertinent records such as abstracts or acquisition survey records in the possession of the Forest Service may be viewed in the Forest Supervisor’s Office or District Ranger’s Office or made available otherwise if necessary.

J. Subscription to Avenza Maps Pro for either iPhone or Android platforms.

K. Miscellaneous tools incidental to surveying or boundary line maintenance as the COR deems appropriate.

L. Custom georeferenced PDF maps on an as-needed basis.

All unused or excess Government-furnished property shall be returned prior to payment. The contractor shall ensure that all project related trash, such as paint cans/lids, damaged signs, sign backing-paper, etc. is removed from the project site and disposed of properly, unless otherwise directed.

*In the event that the Government requires the contractor to provide the supplies, the Government will negotiate with the contractor on a rate to cover the required materials, as well as provide the contractor with specifications, diagrams, reputable vendors, and adequate time to acquire the materials.

C.140 – Contractor Furnished Items

All labor, equipment, research, supplies, and tools necessary to accomplish the work, unless otherwise specified, to include the following at a minimum:

A. Traverse Nails: Preferred Zinc Coated 6” 60d nails (Mag-Hub), or otherwise approved by

COR.

B. Rebar Monuments conforming to Standards of Practice for Professional Surveyors and

Mappers in the State of Florida pursuant to Chapter 5J-17 Florida Administrative Code for property corners (used infrequently).

C. “BenchTie” markers for setting vertical surface control points (used for topographic surveys, typically set in the base of trees near the site).

D. Lath, flagging, pin-flags, or other miscellaneous supplies associated with surveying.

E. Paint Brushes.

F. Waterproof, hardbound field notebooks.

G. Draft plats in PDF format, along with subsequent revisions, as necessary for final approval, when required.

H. 3 hard copies of final plat, unless otherwise directed by COR.

I. iPhone or Android Smartphone for Avenza Maps Pro application.

C.160 – Work Progression

The Contractor shall notify the COR prior to beginning the field work for each project. When more than one project area is involved, the work shall be substantially complete in each area prior to beginning work in another area unless otherwise directed by the COR.

DIVISION 200 – TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

C.200 – Notification of adjoining property owners

The contractor shall notify all adjoining land owners of intent to survey or perform Boundary Line Maintenance as applicable before beginning the fieldwork. A Certified Letter of Intent to survey to the landowner is required prior to beginning work on a contested line. All landowner contacts are to be documented and furnished to the COR.

The contractor shall obtain permission from adjoining landowners in the event that private property needs to be crossed.

In the event that an adjoining land owner creates a conflict, insists that the contractor leave, or otherwise becomes hostile, the contractor shall leave and notify the COR.

C.210 – Surveying

The contractor shall select the methods, equipment, and procedures to insure the requirements specified herein are met, provided they meet the minimum requirements set forth by the Standards of Practice for Professional Surveyors and Mappers in the State of Florida pursuant to Chapter 5J- 17 Florida Administrative Code. The contractor shall survey, paint, and post the boundary line according to the Government deed or description.

The contractor shall locate and tie the following items:

1. All corner monuments, including their accessories, and other evidence indicating a previous survey, whether recorded or not, along the boundary line.

2. Visible signs of possession, such as improvements, limits of timber cutting, mining operations, fields, gardens, fences, visible septic systems, etc., which are within 20’ of the boundary line on the private side and within 100’ on the line on the Government side.

3. Major topographic or cultural features, such as highways, roads, railroads, trails, streams, and ridges, etc., which are within 50’ of the boundary.

4. All utilities within 20’ of the boundary line on the private side and within 100’ of the line on the Government side.

Geodetic/survey grade GPS equipment and methods may be utilized for measurements by contractors having that capability when it saves cost and/or time compared to conventional methods, provided the contractor is capable of producing a survey-grade position in the environment. GPS shall not be used in a canopy or wooded environment. Where possible, access to wildlife openings, recent timber sale areas, or other areas with open sky on NFS lands will be made available to contractor in the event that they can be utilized for GPS observations. The use of GPS does not relieve the Contractor from the responsibility to search for and evaluate all evidence of previously performed surveys along a surveyed line and to tie evidence of encroachment and occupation onto government land.

State Plane Coordinates used and shown on surveys shall meet the requirements of Standards of Practice for Professional Surveyors and Mappers in the State of Florida pursuant to Chapter 5J-17 Florida Administrative Code. Positional data (including datum) and method of acquisition must be provided in the Surveyor’s Report and plat (if required).

The contractor shall, in the prosecution of the work, resolve all conflicts that are found along the boundary, within the contractor's authority, as it occurs within the rules, regulations, and laws which pertain to boundary line establishment, at no additional cost to the government, provided that such conflicts do not drastically alter the scope of the work. An example of a conflict might be where part of a red painted line does not agree with the USA’s title interests and falls drastically outside of the specifications for line marking.

Any dispute or unresolved conflicts shall be reported to the COR as soon as possible. The Contractor is not required to resolve disputes, but is required to report facts, and any professional opinions related to the dispute. The Contractor shall, in the area of dispute, perform only those items of work as directed by the COR.

C.211 – Practices

The standards for surveying set forth by the Standards of Practice for Professional Surveyors and Mappers in the State of Florida pursuant to Chapter 5J-17 Florida Administrative Code shall govern, providing they are not less than requirements set forth in these specifications and exhibits.

The contractor shall evaluate the physical and record evidence of all corners prior to use and acceptance as the true corner position. This shall include, but is not limited to, Forest Service records as well as monuments and accessories. Procurement of the survey notes, plats, and/or descriptions of adjoining or otherwise pertinent boundaries shall be the responsibility of the contractor.

The position of each corner tied or established by survey shall be determined as part of a closed survey or a point positioning procedure which meets standards for surveying set forth by the Standards of Practice for Professional Surveyors and Mappers in the State of Florida pursuant to Chapter 5J-17 Florida Administrative Code.

The posting, painting, signing, and monumentation of boundary lines and corners shall be in accordance with the Forest Service Standards.

All bearings shall either be in coordination with the existing USA Tract or referred to the true meridian, with the method of determination noted in the field book and/or plat, unless otherwise specified or agreed to by the COR.

C.212 – Controlling Corners

All surveys shall begin at, or be tied into, the appropriate controlling corners or existing corners of the subject tract accepted by the contractor and so noted on the final plat.

C.213 – Monumentation

Unless otherwise specified, Forest Service Boundary corners monumented as “Standard Corners Monumented” in the Schedule of Items shall be monumented using the type of monument provided by the Forest Service. In the past, the NFF has used (or accepted) a vast array of monument types on its estimated 11,000+ property corners. Today, under most circumstances, the NFF uses one type of monument:

1. Aluminum “Dig-in” monument, consisting of 2” inside diameter (2 3/8” OD) aluminum pipes, 30” long, with a 3¼” aluminum cap (with magnet under cap); henceforth to always be accompanied by a “DEEP1” underground magnetic marker, to be set several inches below the monument. See C.215 for instructions on setting a “Dig-in” monument.

“Dig-in” monuments meet US Forest Service standards and are generally the most common monument type found in the National Forest System. In certain limited circumstances, the contractor may be required to provide and install a rebar monument, set in accordance with the Standards of Practice for Professional Surveyors and Mappers in the State of Florida pursuant to Chapter 5J-17 Florida Administrative Code.

A 54-9 land survey monument sign shall be attached to an aluminum delineator post and placed alongside all monuments in accordance with Figure 1 (page 20), facing private lands, unless otherwise specified. Any time a corner is set, the contractor shall create a Form 7100-52 Corner Card and describe the type of monument set along with whether it features an anti-disturbance feature, such as a “DEEP1” magnet. Corner cards shall be filled out in accordance with C.231.

C.214 – Witness Corners

When a corner falls within a road right-of-way or in a body of water and a corner monument cannot be placed at the true corner position, a witness corner or corners shall be set on line.

Witness corners should be placed at a distance safe from disturbance and mistaken identity, and each cap shall be stamped “Witness Corner”, “Wit. Cor.” or W.C.”, with bearing and distance referenced to the true corner. Standard pipe corner or with identifying cap may be buried beneath the road surface. Bearing Trees shall be established in accordance with C.216 and Corner cards shall be filled out in accordance with C.231.

C.215 – Instructions for setting a “Dig-in” Monument

1. Determine the location for the corner. This can be done by intersecting distances from bearing trees provided there is sufficient evidence and data, otherwise this is done via survey.

If the bearing trees of record (or their remains) exist, or if there are sufficient records for the surveyor to feel confident that the accessories found are an accurate perpetuation of the original survey, then this is acceptable method of determining the position of the original monument’s location. Note the offset nails used in the picture below. The contractor can choose their own method of preserving the corner’s location prior to digging.

2. A hole is dug to a sufficient depth. Note the location of the reference nails to where the surveyor is working. This will ensure that they are not disturbed while he is digging. Also, note how the flanges along bottom of the monument have been bent at 90°. This will help to prevent it from being disturbed, and it can be easily done with a pipe wrench. Be sure to dig a hole wide enough for a tamping iron to fit around all side of the monument when you are installing it.

3. A DEEP1 Magnet is placed at the bottom of the hole. Once the desired depth is reached, use a digging bar or a pointed object to gouge a hole big enough for the magnet. Place the magnet in the center of hole with its black side down. When the magnet is in place, tamp several inches of dirt above the magnet. This will hopefully allow the magnet to remain in the ground if the monument above it is violently ripped out.

4. Orient the monument so that the top of the cap is facing north. Note that the cap stamping was done prior to installing it, and the base has been flared.

5. As you fill in dirt and tamp the soil around it, verify that the monument is being firmly set in the location that you originally measured. It is advisable to check the monument’s location after every layer of tamped dirt that you place around it. If needed, use a pipe wrench to rotate the monument so that the top of the cap continues to face north.

6. Once you are satisfied with the location and orientation of the monument, place a collar of stones (if available) around the monument, paint them red, and install a wood post in accordance with C.213.

C.216 – Bearing Trees and Objects - (see figure 1)

Bearing Trees are an important accessory to virtually all corners on the National Forest. Their intent is to put people on notice that a property corner is nearby and, perhaps more importantly, they exist to aid in the reestablishment of obliterated property corners. Bearing trees also serve as a marker for surveyors to verify that a corner has not been moved to a different location. It is likely that the contractor will be the last party to visit the property corner for a very long time.

Care shall be taken to ensure that every corner being perpetuated and its accessories are capable of surviving several decades before anyone returns to refurbish.

Each Forest Service property corner shall be witnessed by at least 3 healthy bearing trees 6” DBH or over, being located on Government lands as best as possible. When selecting new bearing trees, caution should be used to ensure their durability and longevity. Living trees with an apparent disease or parasite are not durable trees. If trees are not available, bearing objects (i.e. prominent boulders, other natural features, or identified pipes) may be used. Bearing objects are typically the last resort for witnessing corners and shall be marked accordingly so as to reduce the chance of being mistakenly identified as the actual corner. Seek COR direction in the event that a bearing object has to be set.

New Bearing Trees and references shall be established as needed. All Bearing Trees shall be described by species and DBH to within plus or minus 1". All new Bearing Trees shall be blazed at ground level (butt blaze) to the cambium layer, and the blaze shall face the monument. A “Mag- Nail” and BT washer shall be set flush in the butt blaze of the tree (nailed completely in, unlike signs), and as low to the ground as possible (to improve the chances that the nail will remain in the stump should the BT be logged). After the “Mag-Nail” and BT washer is installed, the contractor shall paint the blaze so as to cover up the exposed cambium layer of the tree.

When measuring from Bearing Trees, all distances shall be horizontal and measured to the center of the tree to the nearest tenth (0.1’) of a foot. An aluminum nail shall be set and left in the side of the tree (point of measurement to pull tape), perpendicular to the corner and in line with the center of the stump. The intent is to best represent where the center of the tree is so that the future stump or stump-hole can be identified and utilized when “proving” or reestablishing a corner. In the event that the tree has grown out of the ground at an angle which cannot be measured using the nail method, the contractor can forego the nail in favor of a good measurement to the center of the tree where it leaves the ground.

Bearing Trees located on NFS lands shall have a 6” red band painted approximately 6’ above the ground. A 54-3 Bearing Tree sign shall be installed above the red band on each Bearing Tree with the applicable fields on the sign engraved. The national standards call for the 54-3 to be placed below the band, but we have found that placing them above the band makes them more resistant to fire. Paint shall be neat, straight, level, and uniformly applied. All loose/flaky bark should be scraped off the tree before painting the band. Care should be taken to ensure that Bearing Trees are not girdled when the tree is being prepped for paint.

Where conditions permit, all new accessories shall be on Government land and preferably separated by not less than 30° in horizontal angle from the corner. 30° of separation is ideal, but not necessarily a controlling rule. In the event that there are no suitable trees on the government, the contractor shall only paint Bearing Trees located on private property where permission has been granted by the land owner. If the land owner objects, or if no suitable trees exist on private property, contact the COR for further direction. Bearing objects may be the only available means to witness the corner.

If record witnesses are called for then they shall be searched for, and their location relative to the corner monument checked and recorded on the corner card, in accordance with C.231.

Bearings on the 54-3 sign shall be engraved and shown from the Tree to Corner perspective. The description of the bearing trees noted on the Corner Card shall be the opposite: from Corner to Tree. All bearings shall be measured to the nearest degree, in quadrant bearing format, and shall include an adjustment for declination.

Existing 54-3 bearing tree signs shall be replaced if they are damaged, burned, faded, or if they report information different than that measured by the contractor. Signs shall be fastened to trees with two nails. Signs shall be pulled to the edge of the nail-head to ensure adequate space for the tree’s continued growth. The nails shall not be bent completely over, but shall be installed such that the sign does not wobble. Where possible and practical, old BT signs shall be reinstalled behind the new signs (using the same nails as the new sign).

The contractor shall not maintain or prepare a Corner Card or bearing trees to extraneous monuments; being corners that are not part of the USA’s title. The general rule on the NFF is to ignore extraneous monuments (with respect to refurbishment and maintenance) unless they were set by the Government. Private subdivision monuments, or corners of a junior standing, should not be considered for bearing trees or corner cards. Any private monuments that appear to create an overlap with NFS lands shall be noted on the Surveyor’s Report.

Bearing Trees and other official accessories shall be documented by listing them as they appear around the monument, starting first at the NE quadrant and working clockwise. E.g. a Bearing Tree being N01°W would likely be the final accessory to be noted.

FIGURE 1

C.220 - Clearing, Blazing, Posting and Painting of Boundaries - (Refer to figures # 2, 3, 4, & 5)

Clearing of brush and blazing shall not be performed on private property without obtaining prior permission of the landowner. Under no circumstance shall fruit trees, shade trees, ornamental trees, shrubs, or hedges in residential or developed areas be blazed, marked, or severed. Care shall be taken to ensure that brushed lines do not leave puncture hazards. Cut it flush or as close to flush as possible. Work safely!

A. Brushing and clearing of Boundary lines

a. Boundary Lines shall be brushed, limbed, and cleared of debris in such a manner as to enable the boundary to be recognized. The amount of brushing required will vary and be determined by the COR prior to beginning work. The purpose of the brushing is to allow bearing tree

6" red band

BT

5' to 6' bearing tree

Forest land behind this sign

BOUNDARY

PROPERTY

National

SURVEYLAND

MONUMENT

Please do not disturb

> 30°

TYPICAL CORNER MOUMENT

> 30° B

T

BT

TYPICAL BEARING TREE

PVT.

LAND

GOV'T.

LAND

BOUNDARY LINE

BOUNDARY LINE

sign #54-3 sign #54-2 sing #54-9 the blazing and signing to be inter-visible. Clearing shall include trees, branches, brush less than 2” in diameter, and allow line of sight between property boundary signs.

b. All debris from brushing be scattered on the Government side of the line.

c. The brushing standards may be adjusted as deemed appropriate by the COR.

B. Traverse Lines

a. Clearing sufficient only to permit line of sight will be done on traverse lines; otherwise clearing is to be kept to a minimum.

C. Blazes and Hacks

a. Blaze – Blazes shall be made into a cambium layer of tree not less than 4’ above ground, and will be 2” to 4” wide and 6” to 8” long.

b. Hacks – A single horizontal cut 4” above and below the blaze, penetrating the wood, but not notched.

FIGURE 2

ADJOINER'S LANDS

Blazes Hacks

GOVERNMENT LANDS

6" TO 8"

LINE-TREE

4' TO 5'

BLAZES AND HACKS

QUARTER BLAZE LINE BLAZE FACE BLAZE

FIGURE 3

D. Line Posting and Boundary Marking

a. Line-trees on the boundary line shall be hacked and blazed, on opposite sides of the tree, along the line and the blazes shall be painted with red paint.

b. Trees on Government side of line shall be hacked and quarter blazed 4’ to 5’ above the ground. No trees beyond 2 feet of the line shall be blazed. All blazes are to be painted with red paint on the Government side of the line.

c. Trees on private land shall be hacked and face blazed 4’ to 5’ above the ground. No tree beyond 2 feet of the line shall be blazed. Blazing and painting on private land are to be in accordance with prior arrangements with property owners. The blaze shall be painted with red paint.

d. Sign 54-2 (Property Boundary) shall be placed on wood posts, line-trees, and metal posts on the property line. Metals posts will always be used when the boundary line enters swamps and other areas not conducive for wood posts. The entire post shall be painted red and placed firmly and plum. If treated wood posts are encountered the contractor shall ensure that they are suitable for a decade or so of more service and painted red. If they are found rotten or otherwise incapable of service for much longer, the contractor shall properly dispose of them and replace. The applicable sign(s) shall be riveted/nailed/screwed on the posts.

FIGURE 4

E. Location of 54-2 signs

a. At each corner facing private land and bisecting the angle of the intersecting property lines.

b. On the boundary line at least 50 feet from each corner, but no more than 100 feet from each corner.

c. Inter-visible along the line attached to 4”x4”x7’ wood post and line trees, but not to exceed

100 feet where feasible.

d. At stream, trail, road crossings, and at ridge tops.

e. A line-tree may be substituted for a post except at road crossings. When line-trees are used, a sign shall be placed on said tree 5’ above the ground with aluminum nails left protruding at least 1”. The sign shall be pulled to the edge of the nails and the nails installed so that the sign does not wobble (but the nails shall not be bent over).

54-2 Sign

48" MAX

TYPICAL SIGN

AND POST INSTALLATION

LINE TREE

54-2 Sign 5'+/-

BOUNDARY LINE

Forest land behind this sign

BOUNDARY

PROPERTY

National

Forest land behind this sign

BOUNDARY

PROPERTY

National

FIGURE 5

C.222 – Boundary Line and Corner Maintenance

A. Corner cards shall be filled out in accordance with C.231.

B. The contractor shall ensure that all boundary/witness posts (wood or metal) are secure, plumb and in a serviceable condition. Damaged or deteriorated posts shall be replaced by the contractor. The entire post shall be painted whether previously painted or not.

C. All damaged, faded, or otherwise unreadable signs shall be replaced by the contractor. Any missing signs shall be replaced.

D. All existing blazes shall be scraped of loose bark and material, cleaned and repainted. No existing blazes shall be re-blazed or re-cut into the cambium!

E. Trees that previously were not marked but have subsequently grown within two feet of the boundary line and are at a minimum 4” in diameter shall be appropriately blazed and painted.

F. Brush along the boundary line shall be cleared and removed in accordance with section C.220.

Brush and debris shall be removed within a 4 foot radius around all monuments. Sensitivity to brushing on private property shall be in accordance with section C.220.

G. Care shall be taken to ensure that brushed lines do not leave puncture hazards. Cut it flush or as close to flush as possible.

H. Missing monuments are to be replaced based upon the existing evidence and accessories of the original corner (provided suitable evidence exists). Any time a corner is replaced the contractor shall create a corner card to describe exactly what was done.

NOTES:

Posts shall be plumb and solidly planted with a minimum of 24" in the ground.

54-2

54-2 at Ridge 54-2 at Trail 54-2 at Spacing 54-2 at

Road

PROFILE OF BOUNDARY LINE SHOWING SIGN PLACEMENT

MAXIMUM

200'

INTERVISIBLE

or

All sign posts to be set within 1 foot of true line.

54-2 Stream 54-2 at

>50' <100'

54-2 at Spacing at Corner at Corner

INTERVISIBLE

I. When painting the boundary line, the contractor shall not repaint dead trees; however, trees that appear to be dying shall be repainted.

J. When maintaining a property corner surrounded by a mound of stones, all of the stones in the mound shall be painted (without disassembling the mound). Standard Forest Service aluminum caps and brass discs shall not be painted, but the pipes or concrete that they are a part of shall be painted.

K. Should the contractor encounter an original wooden stake or monument otherwise incapable of surviving longstanding future service, being a monument possibly set during the original survey (whether standing or fallen over), the contractor shall photograph it, replace it with a Standard Forest Service monument and document what was found/set on a Form 7100-52 Corner Card.

L. Pictures of apparent encroachments, unauthorized use (such as ATV trails, permanent tree stands, etc.), trash piles, conflicting or extraneous monuments, or other issues that the contractor wishes to highlight, unless otherwise specified.

C.224 – Obliteration of Erroneous Lines

54-2 Signs, sign posts, and other evidence of line marking which are not on the boundary line (± 2 feet) shall be reported immediately to the COR and noted in the Surveyor’s Report and plat. The contractor is expected to obliterate erroneously painted trees and posts when they are found to be out of spec, provided their occurrence does not significantly alter the scope of the task order.

Should the contractor encounter a line which all or the majority of which is outside of these specifications, a separate work order may need to be issued for the obliteration of lines if required (pending CO approval).

C.225 – Other Surveys

A. Supplemental Specifications, Special Instructions, and exhibits will be issued for other surveys as necessary.

B. Any and all other surveys provided by the contractor shall be in accordance with the Standards of Practice for Professional Surveyors and Mappers in the State of Florida pursuant to Chapter 5J-17 Florida Administrative Code provided they are not less than requirements set forth in the statement of work.

C.231 – Form 7100-52 Corner Cards

One original electronic 7100-52 shall be completed for each corner monumented or maintained by the Contract Surveyor. The government shall provide them as either a Microsoft Word .doc or as a .pdf and the contractor shall fill them out and submit them prior to final payment. All information placed on the card shall agree with information in the field books, and a latitude/longitude shall be established and recorded. If the corner is located as part of a survey where survey-grade geodetic coordinates are capable of being computed, the preferred format is in DMS.SSS and State Plane Coordinates.

Corner cards shall be typed and signed by the surveyor and become property of the Forest Service.

If the contractor is setting a monument in accordance with an acquisition survey, the contractor shall so indicate in the remarks section of the corner card.

The contractor shall ensure that the monument being found is as described in the previous corner cards. If the original monument has been replaced in favor of something more durable there should be a corner card on file documenting the upgrade. In the event that there is not, a note shall be made in the Surveyor’s Report. The contractor shall verify that previously noted accessories are in place. In the event that no accessories are found, or none of the accessories match USFS records, the contractor shall notify the COR.

Monument height shall be recorded, in addition to other distinguishing characteristics. Example:

Found: 2 3/8” aluminum monument with 3-¼” Forest Service Cap set in mound of stones, firmly set, projecting 4” above mound.

If the height was previously recorded and the condition of the monument found differs substantially, the contractor shall make a note in the Surveyor’s Report. If the contractor suspects that the monument has been illegally moved or relocated, the contractor shall notify the COR as soon as possible.

Form 7100-52, Corner Cards, shall be prepared for each corner referred to in the original description along the project area. If the contractor discovers that the original description calls for a monument that cannot be found then the contractor shall prepare a corner card in the same manner as they would for a found corner. When describing the monument the contractor shall indicate that it is missing. Without a corner to perpetuate, the contractor will not be able to establish bearing trees. Any relevant information about the search the contractor conducted, theories as to what happened to the corner (i.e. destroyed by road construction, or washed out by creek, etc.) should be put in the Remarks section. “Missing” corner cards are in many ways just as important to document as “found” corner cards, as this documents a diligent effort to locate the USA’s title interests and it officially puts the Forest Surveyor on notice that the corner needs to be replaced.

The Remarks Section is primarily used to alert the Forest Surveyor of an issue related to the corner (in addition to the Surveyor’s Report). Common examples:

A. If the contractor finds an obliterated monument which cannot be reset without a survey.

B. If a witness monument needs to be reset to a position further back on the property line and away from a rapidly eroding bank.

C.240 – Boundary Conflicts

The COR will inform the contractor when issuing a delivery order of any known conflicts along any of the lines to be surveyed.

The contractor shall survey, paint, and post the boundary line according to the Government Deed.

Errors found in Government Deeds shall be reported to the COR immediately. In cases where disputed boundaries become impossible to mark because of hostile adjoining landowners, such lines and cases are to be reported to the COR. If the landowner is amenable, these lines shall be staked on the ground with 5/8 inch rebar or wooden stakes and lath in lieu of blazing, painting and posts. Otherwise, the contractor shall ensure that suitable control points are locally available so that the line can be staked out at a later date. If the case is settled prior to completion of the contract work order, the contractor will mark the line according to these specifications. Otherwise, the contractor will be paid as if the line had been marked.

Commonly used Signs

54-9 Land Survey Monument Sign 54-3 Bearing Tree Sign

Standard 54-2 Boundary Sign

Custom 54-2 Boundary Signs

27-6A National Forest Wilderness Sign

Custom Shield Sign (below) to be used in instances where the above signs are inapplicable, but putting the public on notice of a boundary is still practical. An example might be where the boundary line runs down a power line easement and the placement of a standard 54-2 on the nearst trees would be an incorrect statement.

C.260 – Tips, tricks, and examples of acceptable and substandard work

The following pictures are examples of good and bad work, and it is intended to highlight areas of common failure among new contractors. All work is subject to inspection and approval by the COR. The contractor will be required to fix any substandard work found prior to the final payment being made.

General Tips:

A. Use a plumb bob to measure your distances from BTs (**hint – the COR will almost always check the contractor’s measurements with a plumb bob!!!**).

B. When painting with paint cans and brushes, try pouring the paint into a bottle with a squeeze type nozzle, like a half gallon water bottle, ketchup bottle, etc. If you drop it, you likely won’t lose an entire gallon of paint.

C. Ensure your BT bands are straight and uniform. Crooked bands around a BT will result in the contractor coming back out to fix them.

D. Ensure your blazes are deep enough (cambium layer) and smooth. Shallow cuts into a blaze will often peel and flake off after the paint has been applied (see pictures below).

Substandard blazes will result in the contractor coming back out to fix them.

E. Pack out your trash. Paint can lids, sign backing-paper, discarded posts, etc. will be found by the COR (and the public).

F. Use zip-ties to transport aluminum sign posts. As you pull posts out of the stack you can retighten the zip-ties and make hauling them a much easier task.

G. Remember to nail your Mag-Nails on bearing trees low to the ground. The tree is likely to consume the nail/washer and we want to ensure that it is low enough to the ground so that a logger doesn’t cut below (or worse, into) the nail. The mag nail and washer’s purpose is to aid in our ability to locate old bearing trees with a metal detector at a much later date.

Blaze it deep enough! The below picture shows two blazes, the one on the left has sufficiently cut into the cambium layer (white, sappy layer) while the one on the right is substandard.

Scrape off the loose bark!!! In this photo, a recently painted tree has already lost some bark, and with it paint. If you are painting a tree that has been blazed before, scrape off the loose bark – just don’t go so deep as to reopen the blaze!

Remember to finish the job. It’s not uncommon to find where only part of the work was done. In this case, the contractor forgot to paint a new band and reused sign was not properly nailed.

In this example, a tree was blazed deep enough to create a scar, but subsequent shallow cuts have started to peel off and dry, and with it the paint!

An example of a crooked bearing tree band – which can be fixed with more paint (wider band).

Neatly applied paint, corner is free of brush and debris, and all of the rocks are painted. All that is missing is an aluminum sign post and 54-9 sign for this to be considered acceptable work.

Acceptable work; picture taken back when Carsonite posts were the standard (showing the property line). All BTs placed on NFS lands, 54-3 signs nailed above the band, 54-9 sign nailed to nearest BT (now 54-9 is to be placed on alum. post facing private lands if conditions permit).

In these examples, the reused sign was not properly nailed, sign was nailed below the BT band, and the bands were not scraped prior to painting.

The line on the left was properly brushed out, providing easy line of sight and inter-visibility of paint. The line on the right was not brushed to standards.

The picture on the left shows a BT with signs improperly installed. Signs should be installed as in the picture on the right. Note the razor sharp BT bands!

The picture on the left shows a sign post installed with bolts, rather than rivets, and one of the signs is missing a fastener. Boundary signs should be installed overlapped and sharing a common hole/fastener, as seen in the picture on the right.

Badly faded or burned 54-3 BT signs should be replaced, rather than reused. While the metal is still in decent shape, we still want them replaced if they are faded. When in doubt, replace the sign. Notice how the bark was scraped smooth prior to painting – and notice those incredibly straight bands!

This is an inappropriate method of salvaging an older sign, and it wastes nails.

These trees were painted in a manner inconsistent with FS standards. Paint shall be applied neatly and it shall only cover the blazes/hacks. These blazes were apparently made by a contractor, and the mistake came when he deviated from the oval pattern shown in Figure 2, C.220.

This bearing tree Mag-Nail wasn’t nailed all the way into the blaze, nor was it nailed low enough into the ground.

In this example, the contractor only painted one blaze, and chose to paint a fence post. Again, be mindful that you are completing all of your work; and apply paint only to trees, sign posts, and monuments. DO NOT paint private fence posts or corner posts; painting these posts implies the USA accepts them as the boundary.

In this picture, the paint is uneven and running; and the sign has been exposed to paint. Only neat work will be accepted. If you mess up and get paint all over your sign, use another one if the sign cannot be cleaned up.

This is an improper use of rivets, and an improper method of attaching a sign to a tree.

This is an example of a properly maintained “Class A” corner. Notice how the cap isn’t painted, but everything else is.

As mentioned earlier, you may find it easier to transport paint in a container such as this:

An excellent example of a bearing tree painted to standards. Notice the aluminum nail set low in the side (for measuring distances), perpendicular to the corner. The paint is even and neatly applied, the sign is above the band, and the Mag-Nail and washer is set flush relatively low. This is a model example.

This 54-3 was filled out and nailed to the tree correctly. Notice the applicable fields are filled out, the nails and sign protrude from the tree, all of the text was engraved into the metal. Also, notice the straight and neat band.

This is a picture to show you what a proper offset distance is for a 54-3 sign. Note, this picture shows our new nail, being thicker and 3.5” long. Note how the sign is pulled to the edge of the nails.

This is a very large property “line tree”. Notice the 54-2 sign, and see how it is nailed flush to the tree. This is incorrect, and it should be nailed such that the tree will [hopefully] not consume the sign as it grows.

DIVISION 300 – INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

C.305 – Quality Control

The Contractor has sole responsibility for maintaining quality control for all aspects of work performed under this contract.

C.310 – Inspections

The COR or his designated Inspector may make periodic inspections of each project as work progresses.

C.320 – Acceptance

No final approval of any project will be granted until all items specified are delivered to the COR and determined to fulfill all specifications, terms, and conditions of this contract. In a random minimum sample of ten percent, one hundred percent of the work must fulfill all specifications;

otherwise the contractor will be required to redo all of the work.