Statement of Work Manual Release.pdf

SPECIFICATIONS

FOR

NATIONAL FORESTS IN ALABAMA

MANUAL RELEASE

DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATION/WORK STATEMENT

100 - GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS

100.01 - Scope Furnish all labor, supplies, tools, transportation (except items specified in Division Government-Furnished Property) and supervision necessary, including at least one individual fluent in both English and the native language each field crew who will stay with the crew, for the manual cutting using hand tools of vegetation competing with planted seedlings. Please note, it is the responsibility of the contractor, or outgoing crew supervisor, to bring new crew supervisors up to date with contract specifications and project status. Crews must also be able to identify the following yellow pine species to meet contract specifications:

• Longleaf pine

• Shortleaf pine

• Loblolly pine

• Virginia pine

100.02 - Description and Location All areas are within the boundaries of the National Forests in Alabama on the Shoal Creek and Talladega Ranger Districts in Clay, Cleburne and Talladega counties. Maps for locations of treatment areas will be provided.

100.03 - Transportation and Treatment Area Access – All roads leading to treatment units should be accessible with a four-wheel drive vehicle. However, during periods of wet weather, longer walk-ins, ½ mile or greater, may be required.

100.04 - Description of Treatment Areas The release areas are 3-7 year old plantations that were planted with longleaf or shortleaf pine seedlings.

100.05 - Boundaries Boundaries of areas to be worked have usually been marked with 3 orange slashes painted on trees or specified flagging. To avoid confusion, the COR will explain and show type of delineation to the contractor upon request at the start of work on each treatment area. Some units may contain “special areas” that are designated on the ground by three white slashes painted on boundary trees. These areas are excluded from treatment and contractor personnel are instructed NOT to enter these areas.

100.06 - Government Furnished Property

There is no government furnished property in this contract.

100.07 - Contractor –Furnished Items

Manual Treatments

Manual treatments require the cutting of woody vegetation within the boundaries of designated stands using small-engine powered cutting tools such as chainsaws or brush saws, or similar handtools. The contractor is responsible for providing all supplies needed for supporting this equipment. Mechanical ground disturbing equipment, such as bushhogs, feller-bunchers, etc. will not be allowed on this contract.

200 - TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

200.01- Maintenance Requirements Equipment will be maintained in an operable condition capable of safely performing the required work.

200.02 - Protection of Streams, Lakes, and Reservoirs The contractor shall take precautions to prevent pollution of streams, lakes, and reservoirs by fuels, oils, other chemicals, silt, or other harmful materials. Contractor shall schedule and conduct operations in a manner to avoid siltation or contamination of streams, lakes, and reservoirs, loss of embankment materials during high flow periods, and interference with movement of migratory fish. All streams will be kept free of contractor-generated debris.

200.03- Permits and Responsibilities for the Work The contractor shall, without additional expense to the Government, be responsible for obtaining any necessary licenses, certifications and permits, and for complying with any applicable Federal, State, and municipal laws, codes, and regulations in connection with this contract.

200.04- Fuel Spills Contractor shall be responsible for all costs of damages, cleanup, and decontamination should a fuel spill occur.

COR shall be notified immediately of any spill or accident.

200.05- Method of Measurement The unit acreages were determined by Global Positioning System (GPS) traverses of the treatment area boundaries that were then plotted in a Geographic Information System (GIS). For this contract, this acreage is considered actual acreage and not an estimate.

300 - TREATMENT SPECIFICATIONS

300.01 - Items to be Treated Treat those items that are not specified as reserve trees in 300.02 – Reserve Trees.

300.01a - Treatment Methods and Amounts

Treatment Method – Manual Release Typical pine plantations have been planted at a stocking of 681 trees per acre (8’x8’) and will have an average survival of 475-600 trees per acre. Cut woody stems within 4’ that are over-topping and competing with planted seedlings. All longleaf and shortleaf pine will be retained regardless of spacing. If no longleaf or shortleaf pine is present within 10’, leave on a 8’x8’ spacing, the best quality:

1. oak (white oak has the highest preference)

2. hickory

3. loblolly pine

All other trees > 2’ in height will be cut. All cut trees must be completely severed from the stump and will not be left hung up in a leave tree. Loblolly and Virginia pine must be severed below the bottom of any green limbs.

All stumps must be < 6” in height.

300-02 - Reserve Trees The following is a description of reserve trees that are not to be treated as part of these treatments:

• ALL longleaf pine or shortleaf pine, regardless of size, is to be considered a reserve tree and is not to be treated.

• Flowering dogwood trees greater than 4 inches DBH.

• Den trees and snags (unless they pose a hazard).

• Any other trees marked with paint (red-property line, light blue-Pinhoti trail, blue or white -resource protection area, orange- leave tree, white or blue banded-RCW cavity trees) or flagging.

• In release areas, oak and hickory shall be considered a reserve tree and is not to be treated, unless it is suppressing longleaf or shortleaf pine, thinned to a 10’x10’ spacing or otherwise designated by the

COR.

• In release areas, if none of the above are present, loblolly pine may be retained on a 10’x10’ spacing.

• Other trees, species, or size classes designated by the COR.

400 - INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

Tenth acre plots will be taken a minimum of one plot per ten acres on each unit. Each plot can have no more than 5 stems left uncut that falls within the above specifications to be cut. The contractor will be given a chance to re-perform or take a ten percent reduction in pay for that unit’s price if the specifications are not met.