W912ES-17-T-0016_Forest_Survey_RFQ.pdf

SEE ADDENDUM

(No Collect Calls)

W912ES-17-T-0016 20-Mar-2017

b. TELEPHONE NUMBER

651-290-5406

8. OFFER DUE DATE/LOCAL TIME

10:00 AM 04 Apr 2017

5. SOLICITATION NUMBER 6. SOLICITATION ISSUE DATE

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION

PREVIOUS EDITION IS NOT USABLE

STANDARD FORM 1449 (REV. 2/2012)

Prescribed by GSA – FAR (48 CFR) 53.212

(TYPE OR PRINT)

(SIGNATURE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER)

ADDENDA ARE

26. TOTAL AWARD AMOUNT (For Gov t. Use Only )

23.

CODE 10. THIS ACQUISITION IS

SUCH ADDRESS IN OFFER

17b. CHECK IF REMITTANCE IS DIFFERENT AND PUT

BELOW IS CHECKED

TELEPHONE NO.

W912ES9. ISSUED BY

18b. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN IN BLOCK 18a. UNLESS BLOCK

7. FOR SOLICITATION

INFORMATION CALL:

a. NAME

LAURA D NABITY

2. CONTRACT NO. 3. AWARD/EFFECTIVE DATE 4. ORDER NUMBER

(TYPE OR PRINT)

30b. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER 30c. DATE SIGNED 31b. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER

30a. SIGNATURE OF OFFEROR/CONTRACTOR 31a.UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

0 27a. SOLICITATION INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-1. 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-3. 52.212-5 ARE ATTACHED.

25. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

1. REQUISITION NUMBER

20.

ADDITIONAL SHEETS SUBJECT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SPECIFIED.

OFFEROR TO COMPLETE BLOCKS 12, 17, 23, 24, AND 30

SOLICITATION/CONTRACT/ORDER FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS

W81G6763378655

ARE NOT ATTACHED

27b. CONTRACT/PURCHASE ORDER INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-5 IS ATTACHED. ADDENDA ARE ARE NOT ATTACHED

(BLOCK 5), INCLUDING ANY ADDITIONS OR CHANGES WHICH ARE

SET FORTH HEREIN, IS ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS:

. YOUR OFFER ON SOLICITATION

28. CONTRACTOR IS REQUIRED TO SIGN THIS DOCUMENT AND RETURN

% FOR:SET ASIDE:UNRESTRICTED OR X

SMALL BUSINESSX

WOMEN-OWNED SMALL

BUSINESS (WOSB)

17a.CONTRACTOR/ CODE FACILITY

OFFEROR CODE

CONTRACTING DIVISION

USACE - ST PAUL

180 5TH STREET EAST

SUITE 700

ST. PAUL MN 55101-1678

18a. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BY CODE

RATED ORDER UNDER

DPAS (15 CFR 700)

13a. THIS CONTRACT IS A

13b. RATING

CODE15. DELIVER TO CODE B6R0NN0 16. ADMINISTERED BY

12. DISCOUNT TERMS11. DELIVERY FOR FOB DESTINA-

TION UNLESS BLOCK IS

MARKED

SEE SCHEDULE

14. METHOD OF SOLICITATION

RFQ IFB RFPX

NATURAL RESOURCE SECTION

RANDALL URICH

USACE - NATURAL RESOURCES

1114 SOUTH OAK STREET

LACRESCENT MN 55947-1338

TEL: 507-895-6341 FAX:

FAX:

TEL: SERVICE-DISABLED

VETERAN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS

8(A)

HUBZONE SMALL

BUSINESS

ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED

WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS

(EDWOSB)

SIZE STANDARD:

$7.5 M

NAICS:

115310

X

OFFER DATED

29. AWARD OF CONTRACT: REF.

DELIVER ALL ITEMS SET FORTH OR OTHERWISE IDENTIFIED ABOVE AND ON ANY

COPIES TO ISSUING OFFICE. CONTRACTOR AGREES TO FURNISH AND

EMAIL:

TEL:

31c. DATE SIGNED

SEE SCHEDULE

SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/ SERVICESITEM NO. QUANTITY UNIT UNIT PRICE AMOUNT

24.22.21.19.

32g. E-MAIL OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE

SOLICITATION/CONTRACT/ORDER FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS

(CONTINUED)

PAGE 2 OF94

ACCEPTED, AND CONFORMS TO THE CONTRACT, EXCEPT AS NOTED: ______________________________________________________

32a. QUANTITY IN COLUMN 21 HAS BEEN

RECEIVED INSPECTED

32b. SIGNATURE OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT

REPRESENTATIVE

32c. DATE 32d. PRINTED NAME AND TITLE OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT

REPRESENTATIVE

32e. MAILING ADDRESS OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE 32f . TELEPHONE NUMBER OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE

37. CHECK NUMBER

FINALPARTIALCOMPLETE

36. PAYMENT35. AMOUNT VERIFIED

CORRECT FOR

34. VOUCHER NUMBER

FINAL

33. SHIP NUMBER

PARTIAL

38. S/R ACCOUNT NUMBER 39. S/R VOUCHER NUMBER 40. PAID BY

41a. I CERTIFY THIS ACCOUNT IS CORRECT AND PROPER FOR PAYMENT

41b. SIGNATURE AND TITLE OF CERTIFYING OFFICER 41c. DATE

42a. RECEIVED BY (Print)

42b. RECEIVED AT (Location)

42c. DATE REC'D (YY/MM/DD) 42d. TOTAL CONTAINERS

STANDARD FORM 1449 (REV. 2/2012) BACK

Prescribed by GSA – FAR (48 CFR) 53.212

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION

PREVIOUS EDITION IS NOT USABLE

SEE SCHEDULE

20.

SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/ SERVICES

21.

QUANTITY UNIT

22. 23.

UNIT PRICE

24.

AMOUNT

19.

ITEM NO.

W912ES-17-T-0016

Section SF 1449 - CONTINUATION SHEET

ITEM NO SUPPLIES/SERVICES QUANTITY UNIT UNIT PRICE AMOUNT

0001 500 Each

Survey Sample Plots - Base

FFP

Forest Resource Survey Services for the Mississippi River between Hastings, MN & Guttenberg, IA according to the Statement of Work. Base Year on-site performance period May 1 - October 1, 2017.

FOB: Destination

MILSTRIP: W81G6763378655

PURCHASE REQUEST NUMBER: W81G6763378655

NET AMT

0002 500 Each

OPTION Survey Sample Plots - Base - Addtnl Work

FFP

Forest Resource Survey Services for the Mississippi River between Hastings, MN & Guttenberg, IA according to the Statement of Work. Base year Option for Additional Work (up to 500) with on-site performance period May 1 - October 1, 2017.

FOB: Destination

1001 500 Each

OPTION Survey Sample Plots - Option Year #1

FFP

Forest Resource Survey Services for the Mississippi River between Hastings, MN & Guttenberg, IA according to the Statement of Work. Option Year #1 with on-site performance period May 1 - October 1, 2018.

1002 500 Each

OPTION Survey Sample Plots - Addtnl Work #1

FFP

Forest Resource Survey Services for the Mississippi River between Hastings, MN & Guttenberg, IA according to the Statement of Work. Option Year #1 - Option for Additional Work (up to 500) with on-site performance period May 1 - October 1, 2018.

2001 500 Each

OPTION Survey Sample Plots - Option Year #2

FFP

Forest Resource Survey Services for the Mississippi River between Hastings, MN & Guttenberg, IA according to the Statement of Work. Option Year #2 with on-site performance period May 1 - October 1, 2019.

2002 500 Each

OPTION Survey Sample Plots - Addtnl Work #2

FFP

Forest Resource Survey Services for the Mississippi River between Hastings, MN & Guttenberg, IA according to the Statement of Work. Option Year #2 - Option for Additional Work (up to 500) with on-site performance period May 1 - October 1, 2019.

3001 500 Each

OPTION Survey Sample Plots - Option Year #3

FFP

Forest Resource Survey Services for the Mississippi River between Hastings, MN & Guttenberg, IA according to the Statement of Work. Option Year #3 with on-site performance period May 1 - October 1, 2020.

3002 500 Each

OPTION Survey Sample Plots - Addtnl Work #3

FFP

Forest Resource Survey Services for the Mississippi River between Hastings, MN & Guttenberg, IA according to the Statement of Work. Option Year #3 - Option for Additional Work (up to 500) with on-site performance period May 1 - October 1, 2020.

4001 500 Each

OPTION Survey Sample Plots - Option Year #4

FFP

Forest Resource Survey Services for the Mississippi River between Hastings, MN & Guttenberg, IA according to the Statement of Work. Option Year #4 with on-site performance period May 1 - October 1, 2021.

4002 500 Each

OPTION Survey Sample Plots - Addtnl Work #4

FFP

Forest Resource Survey Services for the Mississippi River between Hastings, MN & Guttenberg, IA according to the Statement of Work. Option Year #4 - Option for Additional Work (up to 500) with on-site performance period May 1 - October 1, 2021.

INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

NOTES TO QUOTERS

This is a 100% Small Business Set-Aside solicitation. The Contractor’s quote shall contain sufficient information so that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) can determine that the vendor has a clear understanding of the requirements. The Contractor should be prepared to defend any discrepancies between the price quoted and a fair and reasonable estimate prepared by the Government.

NAICS CODE: 115310 Business Size Standard: $7,500,000.00

To assure timely and equitable evaluation of quotes, contractors must follow the instructions contained herein. The quote must be complete, self-sufficient, and respond directly to the requirements of this solicitation. Quoters are encouraged to ask any questions regarding this solicitation. Technical related questions will be accepted up to 72 hours prior to the close of the solicitation. This requirement is for the acquisition of commercial services.

Submit an electronic proposal to Laura.D.Nabity@USACE.army.mil You may also deliver hand carried offers to 180 5th St East, Suite 700, Attn: Laura Nabity, Contracting, St Paul, MN 55101- 1678 and must be time stamped no later than the stated due date stated above.

As a department of the Federal Government of the United States the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is a tax-exempt organization. Certificate of Exemption number is 62-1642124.

Quote Preparation Instructions

1. Contractors shall complete blocks 17a, 30a, 30b, and 30c on page 1 of the SF 1449. In doing so, the contractor accedes to the contract terms and conditions as written in the Solicitation, with attachments.

2. Contractors shall complete and submit the Schedule of Items. (Beginning on page 3 -inserting proposed unit [“UNIT PRICE”] and Total price for each CLIN item on the Schedule of Items. Please note that a price must be entered on all CLINS as partial quotations will not be accepted.

3. Quoters shall provide the qualification documents for the individual who will be managing field data collections. (Qualified Personnel – referenced in Statement of Work section 2.1.)

4. Prior to award contractor must be registered with the System for Award Management System (SAM) database at https://www.sam.gov.

Electronic Quote Format

All quote information shall be provided on, or formatted to, standard paper size.

Electronic proposals provided via e-mail shall be submitted in Microsoft Word or Excel format or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) as applicable. It may be necessary to send multiple emails to keep the e-mail within the firewall size of 8MB. Quotes sent in multiple e-mails shall be numbered to include the total sent, for example “E-mail 2 of 6.”

Exchanges with Offerors after Receipt of Offers/Quotes/Proposals

Contractors may be asked to clarify certain aspects of their offer/quote/proposal. Clarification conducted to resolve minor or clerical errors will not constitute discussions and the Contracting Officer reserves the right to award a contract without the opportunity for revision. The Government intends to award a single contract without discussions with respective contractors.

The Government, however, reserves the right to conduct discussions if deemed in its best interest. Required items and specifications are listed in Schedule of Items and Statement of Work.

CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION

CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

CONTRACTING POINTS OF CONTACT

Shamron (Shea) Richardson, Contracting Officer Laura Nabity, Contract Specialist U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District 180 5th St. East, Suite 700 St. Paul, MN 55101

Laura Nabity Telephone: Office 651-290-5406 E-mail: laura.d.nabity@usace.army.mil

Only a warranted Contracting Officer acting within their delegated limits has the authority to issue purchase orders, modifications or otherwise change the terms and conditions of this contract. If an individual other than the Contracting Officer attempts to make changes to the terms and conditions of this contract you shall not proceed with the change and shall immediately notify the Contracting Officer.

ON-SITE POINT OF CONTACT

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Attn: Andy Meier 1114 South Oak Street La Crescent, MN 55947-1560

Telephone: Office 651-290-5899 Email: Andrew.R.Meier@usace.army.mil

ON-SITE PERFORMANCE

Base year: May 1, 2017 – October 1, 2017 Option Year 1: May 1, 2018 – October 1, 2018 Option Year 2: May 1, 2019 – October 1, 2019 Option Year 3: May 1, 2020 – October 1, 2020 Option Year 4: May 1, 2021 – October 1, 2021

INVOICES

Submit invoices to:

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District Attn: Andy Meier 1114 South Oak St La Crescent, MN 55947-1560 Phone: 651-290-5899 E-mail: Andrew.R.Meier@usace.army.mil

All Invoices shall be sent via mail, email or FAX to the Point of Contact. Invoices with errors or that are not acceptable per FAR Clause 52.212-4 will be immediately returned and a new invoice with a new date must be submitted for payment. Failure to do so may cause a delay in payment to the contractor.

Payment will be made by: USACE FINANCE CENTER

5722 Integrity Drive BLDG S-787 Millington, TN 38054-5005

The US Army Corps of Engineers as an agency of the Federal Government is tax exempt. Tax ID# 62-1642142.

STATEMENT OF WORK

STATEMENT OF WORK / SPECIFICATIONS

Forest Resource Survey

1. GENERAL

1.1 1 Background

A new forest resource survey (forest inventory) is needed for the Mississippi River Project, St. Paul

District on land owned or managed by the Army Corps of Engineers (COE). This survey will provide foresters and land managers with site and stand specific information on diversity, forest health, structure and invasive species needed to make sound management decisions and plans. The forest resource data collection utilizes a combined variable‐radius point sampling protocol to collect a variety of forest overstory metrics and a fixed‐area plot protocol to collect general information on understory trees and herbaceous communities. Variable‐radius plot data collected includes, but is not limited to, tree species, health, crown class, diameter, and basal area per acre as well as tree height and age on a small subset of canopy trees. Fixed‐area plot data collected includes canopy density, understory height, tree regeneration, and a general assessment of herbaceous plants.

1.2 Scope of Work

The Contractor will measure sampling points at locations identified by the Government while collecting actual geographic coordinate data at the center of each sampling point. Data will be collected based on the specifications listed in the sections below. The Contractor will then provide forest resource survey data in the digital format described below.

1.3 Location of Work

Lands to be surveyed under this contract are located between Mississippi River mile 815 just east of Hastings, MN and river mile 613.5 just south of Guttenberg, IA. Generally, these lands are located in the river floodplain and accessible mainly by boat. These lands are owned by the COE and co‐managed with the US Fish and

Wildlife Service as part of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge.

1.4 Period of work

Contract period shall be for one base year and four, one year options. The options will be exercised at the

Government’s discretion. The on‐site performance period for each year is from 1 May through 1 October. In addition, an additional work option will be included for each year, which may include up to 500 plots. Additional work options exercised must be fully performed within the same on‐site performance period as for that option year. See the Contract Administration Data section below for details on how and when options will be exercised.

2. REQUIREMENTS OF PERSONNEL

The Contractor shall furnish all labor, supervision, materials, equipment, transportation, and supplies needed to perform all field sampling and documentation to accomplish the tasks described in this statement of work.

2.1 Qualifications of Personnel

2.1.1 The Government is relying upon the expertise of the Contractor and/or its subcontractor to complete this work. Consequently, the Contractor shall ensure that an individual meeting the professional forester qualifications described below is on staff to oversee and provide supervision of data collection for all field crews collecting data throughout the period of performance of this contract. This qualified individual will be required to be present in the field with the field crews a minimum of 25% of the field season. The Contractor shall submit the appropriate qualification documents (based on the list below) with their quote to confirm that a qualified individual is available to manage field data collection. An individual will meet the qualifications required for a professional forester for purposes of this contract if any one of the following criteria can be met (a‐e):

a. An individual who holds current Society of American Forester’s (SAF) Certified Forester (CF) classifications. Documentation: A copy of the individual’s CF credentials plus a resume or biosketch describing the individual’s experience.

b. An individual who is currently an SAF Candidate Certified forester with a minimum of one year field experience related to forest inventory. Documentation: A copy of the individual’s CCF credentials, plus a resume or biosketch describing the individual’s experience.

c. An individual with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in forestry or Bachelor of Science – Forestry (B.S.F.)

from a SAF Accredited Forestry program plus a minimum of one year of professional field experience in forest inventory. Documentation: A copy of the individual’s diploma or academic transcripts indicating successful completion of an applicable program and a resume or biosketch describing the individual’s experience.

d. An individual with an Associate’s degree from a SAF Accredited technical program, plus three years of professional, independent field experience in forest inventory. Documentation: A copy of the individual’s diploma or academic transcripts, indicating successful completion of an applicable program, plus a resume or biosketch describing the individual’s experience.

e. An individual with any other degree and 5 years of full‐time, independent forestry field experience plus a minimum of 3 years of field experience under the supervision of a qualified field forester.

Documentation: A resume or biosketch describing the individual’s applicable education and experience.

A list of SAF accredited institutions can be found at:

http://www.forestry.ok.gov/websites/forestry/images/saf_2012_college_guide.pdf

2.1.2 The Contractor must also provide a list of personnel and their qualifications, whether staff or subcontractors, who will be responsible for field data collection. This list is due no later than 10 business days prior to the start of work.

2.1.3 Any changes or updates in staffing shall be provided to the Government in writing within 10 calendar days of the change along with the required qualification documents.

3. GENERAL SAMPLING METHODS

Up‐to‐date Global Positioning Systems (GPS) units must be used for data collection. The Contractor may use any GPS system that is capable of providing data in the format and accuracy as described herein.

3.1 Sampling Description and Information

3.1.1 Location

The government will provide the Contractor with maps displaying the location of each sampling point for a given year (base or option), and for the additional sampling points if that option is exercised in a given year.

These maps will also include the boundaries of terrestrial areas as defined by the latest (2010/11) US Geological

Survey‐Upper Midwest Environmental Science Center (USGS‐UMESC) Upper Mississippi River System Land

Cover (http://www.umesc.usgs.gov/management/dss/umrs_land_cover_viewer.html GIS layer. Maps will also include boundaries for lands owned or managed by the COE. These maps will delineate forested lands from other terrestrial lands. Other terrestrial lands will be hereafter in this document be referred to as

“non‐forested” lands. Assigned sample points in this contract will generally be located within areas defined by the USGS‐UMESC land cover as a forested cover type. Non‐forested lands will NOT be sampled as part of this contract unless a specific resource need has been identified by the Government. If a non‐forested sampling point is assigned, it will be clearly identified. A thorough description of the distinction between forested and non‐forested lands is provided in Appendix A of Attachment 1 – Figures and Tables.

The exact land areas to be included in the survey will be provided to the Contractor by the Government as

GPS coordinates along with maps, access points, sample grid overlay, and acreages. Field collected GPS coordinates shall be recorded by the Contractor at each sampling point and submitted to the government utilizing the NAD1983 UTM Zone 15N projected coordinate system, with units in meters.

The Contractor must be prepared to move to different locations within the overall project area within 5 business days’ notice to address priority inventory needs of the Government.

3.1.2 Site Access

As needed, the Contractor shall provide their own boats to complete the work. The boats must be licensed to operate in the States of Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa. The Contractor shall not access sites via non‐public lands without approval from the landowner. The Contractor shall also not access sites via any public lands or waters with access restrictions that prohibit transit through an area.

All sites to be surveyed as part of this contract are accessible across public land or through public waters from public boat landings. However, some sites maybe easier to access through private land or areas with otherwise restricted access. It will be the Contractor’s sole responsibility to gain permission to access sites, although the

Government Point of Contact may provide pertinent information to assist the Contractor with determining how to gain access.

3.1.3 Quantity

The Government anticipates the completion of 500 sampling points per year. Up to an additional 500 sampling points could be exercised (Options for additional work CLINs) each year. A sampling point consists of a Fixed Plot and a Prism Plot and, at every fifth sampling point, an Age Plot. Both the Prism Plot and the Age Plot are placed in the same location as the Fixed Plot. Details of these plot designations are provided in the Data Collection section below. For purposes of payment, each sampling point (Fixed and Prism Plot or Fixed, Prim and Age Plot) will be considered a single unit under each CLIN. Sampling points will be grouped into Areas for each option;

these areas will group points by spatial location and will be used to streamline data submission and quality assurance procedures. Areas will be defined both in Attachment 4, Overview Aerial Photos, and Attachment 5, Inventory Plot Coordinates.

3.1.4 Plot Establishment

The Contractor will be provided with a list of sampling points and GPS coordinates for those sampling points.

The location of sampling points for the base year are included in Attachment 5. Distribution of points and access to points for future option years (and for the additional sampling points if that option is exercised in a given year) will be generally similar to the points included for the base year, though points in any given option may occur anywhere within the Location of Work described in section 1.3. Sampling points will be distributed at a rate of approximate 1 point per 2.5 acres of forested area, or roughly 330 feet between points. To minimize bias, the sampling grid has been created with points oriented in a north‐south direction across all COE forested areas and will not be altered based on local conditions. Points falling outside of forested areas in this grid will not be sampled. The Contractor will sample each sample point provided as specified in any given task order.

Points shall not be arbitrarily relocated in the field. Points falling within the forested sampling area but near the edge of a non‐forested area (as defined above and in Appendix A of Attachment 1 – Figures and Tables) shall be done in place and not relocated further to the interior. Any such edge points shall be sampled using a modified walkthrough technique which is described in the data collection Prism Plot paragraph below. Sampling points requiring the use of the walkthrough technique will be identified in the Government provided list of sampling points (Attachment 5). The Contractor will not independently add or remove sampling points without prior government approval unless the Government provided point actually occurs in a non‐forested sampling area.

For all Government provided points not sampled, the Contractor shall record a justification for not sampling.

This justification and point location shall be provided to the Government along with the corresponding data submittals. The Contractor may determine in the field whether the Government provided walkthrough designation for a given sampling point is appropriate or not. Justification must be provided by the Contractor for any walkthrough point(s) determined to not require the use of the walkthrough technique. This justification shall be shall provide to the Government along with the data submittals.

Upon locating the plot center in the field, the Contractor shall mark and label the plot center using a wooden stake a minimum of 36 inches tall, 3/8 inch thick and 1 inch wide. All such wooden stakes shall be painted at the top with orange paint and shall be labeled with the unique Fixed Plot number and the sampling date. All surveyed plots shall be marked accordingly to facilitate random QA inspections (as described in Section 4, below). This plot center shall be the center for the Fixed, Prism and Age plots as described in the following paragraphs. The Government may alter the plot marking requirements; however, if plot marking requirements are changed, the Government will supply the Contractor with the necessary materials at no additional cost to the Contractor.

3.1.5 Field Tools

Field tools shall be the following unless otherwise specified by the Government. The Contractor shall be responsible for providing all field tools. The Contractor shall utilize standard procedures for the use of all measurement tools unless otherwise specified. Standard procedures will be considered to be those defined in the U.S. Forest Service Timber Cruising Handbook (hereafter FS‐TCH), publication number FSH 2409.12. A full version of the FS‐TCH is available online at:

http://www.uky.edu/~jmlhot2/courses/for480/USFS%20Timber%20Cruising%20Handbook.pdf and will be provided to the Contractor at the time of Contract award. For each tool and for some definitions below, either a reference in the FS‐TCH or, if no reference is available in the FS‐TCH, a short description will be provided. Where a description is provided in this contract, that description supersedes any content in the FS‐TCH.

1. BAF 10 wedge prism or angle gauge (FS‐TCH Ch. 30, Sec. 35.21a, pp. 110‐113)

2. Clinometer (FS‐TCH Ch. 10, Sec. 13.24, p. 24)

3. Compass (No reference in FS‐TCH) ‐ Used to follow directional transect grid lines to assist in the determination of where plots are established. A compass will also be used to identify the location of the first tree in the variable‐radius sample to be measured as well as the location of fixed‐radius plots.

4. Diameter tape (FS‐TCH Ch. 10, Sec. 13.11, p. 20)

5. Biltmore stick (No reference in FS‐TCH) ‐ A tool for estimating tree volume based on diameter and merchantable height. The diameter scale on the Biltmore stick may be used in this contract to measure tree diameter. If a Biltmore stick is used, highly asymmetrical trees shall be measured on two faces with the average of the measurements recorded. A Biltmore stick shall never be used when the diameter of the tree exceeds the maximum gradation on the stick. In this case, a diameter tape shall be used.

6. GPS (FS‐TCH WO AMENDMENT 2409.12‐2000‐4 Ch. 50, Sec. 52.2, p. 5 of 9 (document p. 221)) – The contractor will be required to use a GPS unit capable of 1.5 m accuracy and must provide the Government with documentation of the GPS unit to be used at the time of submitting a bid.

7. Increment borer (No reference in FS‐TCH) ‐ A hand operated drill with a hollow bit that extracts a wood core from the stem of a tree. An increment borer shall be used to determine age and growth ring index for the age plot.

8. Paint sticks (No reference in FS‐TCH) ‐ A paint “marker” used to mark trees as they are measured.

These tools reduce error by providing evidence that a tree has already been measured.

3.1.6 Definitions

1. Sampling point ‐ generic reference for general location where prism, fixed, and possibly age data are collected from.

2. Plot center– The center point referenced/used in collecting prism and fixed data.

3. Prism plot (FS‐TCH Ch. 30, Sec. 35.1, pp. 107‐109) – A variable radius plot sample where the area of the plot is directly proportional to the basal area of the tree it represents. Radius of the plot increases proportionally to the diameter in tree being surveyed. Multiple trees will be measured and recorded for each prism plot.

4. Fixed plot ((FS‐TCH Ch. 30, Sec. 34.1, p. 93) – Fixed radius plot is used to sample trees that are less than the specified breakpoint diameter (4” DBH) and to classify site conditions. Fixed plot is an area of a measured distance from plot center to a defined radius. Only a single record will be recorded for each fixed plot.

5. Age plot – Annual rings are counted to determine the origin of the tree by extracting an increment core from the tree using an increment borer. Only a single record will be recored for each age plot.

6. Count tree (FS‐TCH Ch. 30, Sec. 35.21a‐35.22, pp. 110‐115) – In each prism plot 10 BAF Wedge Prism or Angle Gauge is used to determine visually whether or not the tree should be sampled (“in” or “out”) and thus considered a “count tree” using standard forestry practices. Rather than measuring “limiting distance” for borderline trees, every other borderline tree shall be considered a “count tree”. The pattern of borderline trees as being “count trees” should be continued from sampling point to sampling point; that is, if the last borderline tree is measured as a “count tree” at the previous sampling point, the first borderline tree at the next sampling point should not be measured as a “count tree” and vice versa. Limiting distance may be utilized in cases where trees are difficult to see from the sampling point center. In cases of oblong trees, the tree diameter used for calculating limiting distance shall be taken with a Biltmore stick on the face of the tree facing plot center. For each prism plot, the total number of count trees will be called Total Trees (Appendix 1, Table b) for quality assurance assessments and the contractor’s number for Total Trees will be compared to the Government’s Total Trees.

7. Diameter at breast height (DBH, FS‐TCH Ch. 10, Sec. 13.11, p. 20 and Sec. 14.13, pp. 25‐36) – Diameter at breast height (DBH) which is 4.5 feet off the ground. This is the height at which tree diameter measurements shall be taken unless special cases apply. If special cases are encountered, the Contractor shall follow procedures in the FS‐TCH to determine the proper location for tree diameter measurements. In cases of abnormalities at 4.5 feet, the contractor shall measure diameter at the closest point above or below the abnormality that is representative of tree diameter, rather than calculating DBH at 4.5 feet as outlined in the FS‐TCH. In instances where an unusual tree is encountered that does not fit into the special cases described in the Timber Cruising Handbook, the Contractor may use professional judgment to best determine DBH and shall record the tree in the TR_UNUS field described in the Prism Plot data collection section below.

8. Woody Vegetation – Any perennial vegetation with hardened, lignified stems. This classification includes trees, shrubs and lianas, with the exception of poison‐ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) which shall be considered non‐woody for this contract. Perennial herbaceous plants with hardened annual stems shall not be classified as woody.

3.2 Data Collection

As described above, each sampling point includes a Fixed Plot and a Prism Plot. Every 5th sampling point includes an Age Plot. A specific description of sampling protocols for each plot type is given below. The allowable values for each sampling variable are provided in Tables a., b., and c in Attachment 1 – Figures and Tables).

3.2.1 Fixed Plot

A GPS point will be collected at the fixed plot center.

PL_NUM – This is the unique point number provided for each sampling point by the Government. This number will be populated by the Contractor to all Prism Plots and Age Plots associated with a sampling point, but is unique for each Fixed Plot.

OV_CLSR – Overstory closure shall be determined through means of ocular estimation in increments of 10 percent for trees in coverage area over the understory plot.

OV_HT – Overstory height is the measurement of co‐dominant canopy layer using a clinometer within plot area.

A single tree at each fixed plot shall be measured for height; this tree shall be a tree that was selected as a

“count” tree in the prism plot and shall be representative of the average height of the co‐dominant canopy layer. This tree shall not be leaning, broken, uprooted, or otherwise un‐representative of the canopy. The tree to be used for the OV_HT measurement shall be marked with a single vertical blue slash from a paint stick at

4.5 feet.

UND_HT – Understory height is the average height of tree species (not including shrubs) in an area inside 16.7 feet from plot center, based on an ocular estimation. Understory height is restricted to trees 2 feet tall and greater. If the understory height is less than 2, no data shall be recorded.

UND_COV_50 – Understory coverage noting presence/absence of tree species greater than or equal to 2 feet tall and less than or equal to 4 inches DBH in 1/50 acre plot (16.7 radial feet from plot center). Possible values are 0 (trees absent in 1/50th ac plot) or 1 (1 or more trees present in 1/50th ac plot).

UND_COV_1000 – Understory coverage noting presence/absence of tree species greater than or equal to 2 feet tall and less than or equal to 4 inches DBH in four 1/1000th acre plots (3.7 radial feet) in cardinal directions at 13 feet from plot center (see diagram in Figure 3 in Attachment 1 – Figures and Tables ). Possible scores consist of 0 (no trees in 1/1000th acre plot) to 4 (trees in each of the 1/1000th acre plot), with one point for each 1/1000th ac. plot containing 1 or more tree seedlings or saplings.

UND_SP1– Understory species 1 referencing most dominant woody species (including trees, shrubs and vines) of woody vegetation greater than or equal to 2 feet tall but less than or equal to 4 inches in diameter within 1/50th acre plot. It is acceptable for the Understory Species fields to be left blank if there are no woody understory species within the 1/50th ac. plot area.

UND_SP2 – Understory species referencing 2nd most dominant woody species (including trees, shrubs and vines) of woody vegetation greater than or equal to 2 feet tall but less than or equal to less than 4 inches in diameter within 1/50th acre plot. It is acceptable for the Understory Species fields to be left blank if there are no woody understory species within the 1/50th ac. plot area.

UND_SP3 ‐ Understory species referencing 3rd most dominant woody species (including trees, shrubs and vines) of woody vegetation greater than or equal to 2 feet tall but less than or equal to less than 4 inches in diameter within 1/50th acre plot. It is acceptable for the Understory Species fields to be left blank if there are no woody understory species within the 1/50th ac. plot area.

GRD_SP1– Dominant herbaceous species within 1/50th acre plot. If species cannot be determined, enter the code for Genus or at last resort, family. It is acceptable for the Ground Species fields to be left blank if there are no herbaceous species within the 1/50th ac. plot area.

GRD_SP2 – Second most dominant herbaceous species within 1/50th acre plot. If species cannot be determined, enter the code for Genus or at last resort, family. It is acceptable for the Ground Species fields to be left blank if there are no herbaceous species within the 1/50th ac. plot area.

GRD_SP3 – Third most dominant herbaceous species within 1/50th acre plot. If species cannot be determined, enter the code for Genus or at last resort, family. It is acceptable for the Ground Species fields to be left blank if there are no herbaceous species within the 1/50th ac. plot area.

NOT_SP1 – Notable species 1 includes listing species of relative importance in terms of most significance to lesser significance within 1/50th acre plot area for management implications. Species shall be listed in following order as they occur in plot area: invasive woody, invasive herbaceous, previously undocumented woody species, and herbaceous species outside of typical floodplain forest vegetation. If species cannot be determined, enter the code for Genus or at last resort, family. It is acceptable for the Notable Species fields to be left blank if there are no notable species within the 1/50th ac. plot area.

NOT_SP2 – Notable species 2 includes listing species of relative importance in terms of most significance to lesser significance within 1/50th acre plot area for management implications. Species shall be listed in following order as they occur in plot area: invasive woody, invasive herbaceous, previously undocumented woody species, and herbaceous species outside of typical floodplain forest vegetation. If species cannot be determined, enter the code for Genus or at last resort, family. It is acceptable for the Notable Species fields to be left blank if there are no notable species within the 1/50th ac. plot area.

NOT_SP3 – Notable species 3 includes listing species of relative importance in terms of most significance to lesser significance within 1/50th acre plot area for management implications. Species shall be listed in following order as they occur in plot area: invasive woody, invasive herbaceous, previously undocumented woody species, and herbaceous species outside of typical floodplain forest vegetation. If species cannot be determined, enter the code for Genus or at last resort, family. It is acceptable for the Notable Species fields to be left blank if there are no notable species within the 1/50th ac. plot area.

NOT_SP4 – Notable species 4 includes listing species of relative importance in terms of most significance to lesser significance within 1/50th acre plot area for management implications. Species shall be listed in following order as they occur in plot area: invasive woody, invasive herbaceous, previously undocumented woody species, and herbaceous species outside of typical floodplain forest vegetation. If species cannot be determined, enter the code for Genus or at last resort, family. It is acceptable for the Notable Species fields to be left blank if there are no notable species within the 1/50th ac. plot area.

NOT_SP5 – Notable species 5 includes listing species of relative importance in terms of most significance to lesser significance within 1/50th acre plot area for management implications. Species shall be listed in following order as they occur in plot area: invasive woody, invasive herbaceous, previously undocumented woody species, and herbaceous species outside of typical floodplain forest vegetation. If species cannot be determined, enter the code for Genus or at last resort, family. It is acceptable for the Notable Species fields to be left blank if there are no notable species within the 1/50th ac. plot area.

FP_MISC – Fixed plot miscellaneous comments may be added as necessary. FP_Crew – Crew leader.

FP_Date – Date of Fixed Plot Data Collection. It is recommended that this field is set as an auto‐populating field for data collection.

FP‐Time – Time of Fixed Plot Data Collection. It is recommended that this field is set as an auto‐populating field for data collection.

3.2.2 Prism Plot

The prism data is intended to capture information on the overstory canopy and includes data on count trees in the variable radius plot using a 10 BAF a wedge prism or angle gauge, with count trees selected using the procedures described in the Field Tools section above. The Contractor shall use the plot center established for the Fixed Plot as the Prism Plot center. All count trees within the plot shall be tallied and measured, and each measured tree shall be recorded with the same PL_NUM as the corresponding Fixed Plot. Most prism plots will have multiple records since multiple trees will be measured for each prism plot.

Trees shall be tallied in a clockwise direction, starting with the first tree east of due north (0 degrees). The Contractor shall mark each tally tree with a paint stick. The first tree tallied shall be marked with three vertical slashes using an orange paint stick at 4.5 feet. Every subsequent count tree shall be marked with a single vertical slash at 4.5 feet, with the exception of the tree marked with a single vertical blue slash for OV_HT in the Fixed Plot. Borderline trees that are determined to be out shall be marked with a single horizontal orange slash at 4.5 ft.

Slashes shall be made in such a way that they are visible from the plot center, but not so large that they are visible from a much greater distance. The data for each count tree shall be individually recorded in a separate point feature on the GPS unit. The GPS point does not need to be collected directly at the count tree but must be collected within the vicinity of the plot center.

The following shall will be collected for every count tree at the plot location. Plots with no count trees shall be documented by recording a Prism feature and selecting “no tree” for the tree species. Trees on the “border” of t h e variable radius plot (where it cannot be visually determined whether they are in or out) shall be included in every second instance. Any trees that are measured as borderline trees shall be noted accordingly in the TR_BDWK field described below.

If a fixed plot center falls near the edge of the forested sampling area (e.g. adjacent to open water or non‐forested marsh), the prism plot shall be measured as a walkthrough plot. The theoretical basis for walkthrough plots for variable radius sampling can be found at:

http://www.fs.fed.us/ne/newtown_square/publications/other_publishers/ne_2004_ducey001p.pdf; a graphic illustration of the technique is also included in Figure 1 in Attachment 1 – Figures and Tables. Any trees between the fixed plot center and the forest edge that are closer to the forest edge than to the plot center shall be noted according to the procedure described in the TR_BDWK field (explained below). Any trees that are closer to the fixed plot center than the forest edge, or which are not between the fixed plot center and the forest edge, shall be tallied normally. The determination of distance between the tally tree and the plot center shall be measured only in very rare circumstances. In most cases, an ocular estimate will be sufficient. In cases where it is unclear whether the tree is closer to the plot center or the forest edge, a determination of whether the tree should be tallied as a walkthrough tree may be made by pacing from the plot center to the tree, then pacing from the tree to the forest edge. If the number of paces between the tree and the plot center is greater than the number of paces between the tree and the forest edge, the tree would be recorded as a walkthrough tree in the TR_BDWK field. Otherwise, no additional data needs to be recorded for the tree. The Contractor does not need to complete any additional processing with the walkthrough information. In summary analyses conducted by the Government, trees recorded as walkthrough trees will be double counted to correct for bias introduced by plots that incorporate a large area outside of the forested sampling area.

PL_NUM ‐ The plot number for each prism plot shall be equal to the associated Fixed Plot number and should be unique to an individual fixed plot. Multiple trees at each Fixed Plot will receive the same Prism PL_NUM, however, the Prism PL_NUM shall not be duplicated at multiple Fixed Plots.

TR_SP ‐ Tree species of “count” tree. If there are no count trees in the plot, record “no trees” in this field. If a tree is dead and the species cannot be determined, the TR_SP shall be recorded as “Unknown”.

TR_BDWK – Designation of “in” borderline trees (brdr) and/or walkthrough (walk) trees for double‐counting (bdwk for both borderline and walkthrough). This field will default to blank. The objective of this field is to facilitate Quality Assurance procedures and to allow for post‐processing by the Government of walkthrough trees. All trees that are counted as “in” but fit the criteria for borderline must be indicated as “brdr” or “bdwk” in this field.

TR_DIA ‐ Measurement of tree diameter at breast height (DBH), 4.5 feet from ground, to nearest inch.

Allowable tools include: diameter tape, logger tape, or Biltmore stick. The US Forest Service timber cruise handbook provides protocols on the measurement of unusual situations or problem trees (see DBH definition in the definitions section above). If there are no count trees in the plot, select zero for this field.

TR_UNUS – Designation for a tree as a tree with a particularly unusual diameter that requires a professional judgment call on where to take the diameter and/or on whether a tree should be measured as a single stem o r as multiple stems. The default value is blank. If the professional judgment call is on location o f diameter only, “yes” shall be selected for the tree with an unusual diameter only. If the judgment call is on the number of stems in a clump, “yes” shall be selected for each of the stems in the clump. For example, in Figure 2 in Attachment 1

– Figures and Tables, in example 3.a, there would be one tree with a designation of “yes” for TREE_UNUS. In example 3.b and 3.c, an individual could make a judgment call that there are either four trees (3.b) or one tree (3.c), since the tree splits at 4.5 feet. If it is determined that there are four trees (3.b), there shall be four records in the data file and each record shall be recorded as “yes” for TREE_UNUS. If is determined that there is only a single tree (3.c), there shall only be one record in the data file and this record shall be recorded as “yes” for TREE_UNUS. There will be no accuracy assessment for this field; it will instead be used to help compare Government and Contractor trees during the QA process.

TR_CL – Tree canopy class menu pick list to include: (D: top of tree’s canopy extends above the general canopy of surrounding trees), co‐dominant (CD: top of canopy is at roughly the same height as the general canopy and the tree has a wide area of unshaded leaf area at the top), intermediate (I: top of canopy is at the same height of or slightly below the height of the general canopy and the tree receives some sunlight, but only a small amount, from above), suppressed (S: top of canopy is completely below the bottom of the general canopy of co‐dominant trees). If there are no count trees in the plot, select “no trees” in this field. The canopy class for dead trees or trees with broken tops should be the current position of the highest point of the tree relative to the main canopy.

TR_HLTH – Tree health list to include: vigorous (V), stressed (S), significant decline (SD), and dead (described further below). The “dead” field includes multiple options to assess the mortality agent. If there are no count trees in the plot, select “no trees” in this field. Numerous factors are used to determine tree health. Crown dieback is the single most important factor to consider. The presence of epicormic branching may be used as a component in defining the health class, however, different tree species produce epicormic branches in response to different environmental triggers and epicormic branching is not necessarily an indication of stress or significant decline.

Vines shall only be considered if they are having a substantial impact on crown health and structure. The classes are defined as follows. Vigorous: tree has a vigorous canopy with no dieback, minimal epicormic branching, and no significant disease. Stressed: tree has one of the following factors: dieback comprising of less than 50% or more of the canopy, epicormic branching, defoliation, or significant vine competition. Significant decline: tree has one or more of the following: dieback comprising 50% or more of the canopy, significant epicormic branching, significant defoliation, broken top or major vine competition. Dead: tree is a standing stem with no live foliage or live branches. There is, however, no stand‐alone option for recording a dead tree; one of the five following options must be chosen for each dead tree. Dead‐insect/disease (D‐ID), Dead‐beaver (D‐B), Dead‐storm (D‐S), Dead‐other (D‐O; Dead‐other should be used for any tree for which a specific mortality agent can be identified but when that mortality agent doesn’t fit into the three previous categories), Dead‐unknown (D‐U; Dead‐unknown should be u s e d when the mortality agent cannot be identified).

TR_MISC – Miscellaneous comments may be added as necessary allowing up to 60 characters to be entered.

TR_CREW – Crew leader.

TR_DATE – Date of Prism Plot Data Collection. It is recommended that this field is set as an auto‐populating field for data collection.

TR_TIME – Time of Prism Plot Data Collection. It is recommended that this field is set as an auto‐populating field for data collection.

3.2.3 Age Plot

The age plot consists of the collection of age data from a single tree (hereafter Age Tree) selected on 1/5 of established fixed plots. The Age Tree is selected from the sample of Prism trees at a given fixed plot location. A GPS coordinate shall be taken at the location of the Age Tree, and an increment core shall be taken at breast height to the pith of the tree. Rings shall be counted on the core according to the field descriptions below.

Trees selected as Age Trees shall be representative of the trees in the fixed plot area and shall be a dominant or co‐dominant canopy tree. No trees with signs of past suppression shall be used and trees shall not be selected specifically on the ease of reading rings. No leaning, broken, or otherwise abnormal trees should be used as Age Trees. Every Age Tree shall b e marked with a vertical and horizontal blue slash in the form of a cross (+). An Age Tree may be the same as the OV_HT tree in the Fixed Plot. If this is the case, it should be marked with both a vertical blue slash and a vertical a n d horizontal blue slash in the form of a cross (+).

PL_NUM – Plot number coinciding with the unique Fixed Plot number.

AGE_SP – Age Tree species.

AGE_DIA – Diameter measured at breast height to nearest tenth of an inch using a diameter tape.