HARVESTING OPERATIONS
PROVISION
Section 2310. Felling. PURCHASER shall comply with the following requirements for felling:
[ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS WILL APPEAR IN THE CONTRACT DEPENDING ON THE SPECIFIC PRESCRIPTION AND THE DECISIONS MADE DURING SALE PREPARATION]
( )Prior to the beginning of felling Operations, PURCHASER shall mark the locations on the ground of all skid roads, subject to STATE approval. Felling shall be "to lead" to those marked trails and those trail locations adhered to.
( )Prior to the beginning of felling Operations, PURCHASER shall mark the locations on the ground of all cable corridors, subject to STATE approval. Felling shall be "to lead" to those marked cable corridors and those cable corridors adhered to.
( )Felling Operations shall not be allowed from *______through *______, unless otherwise approved by STATE.
( )Fell all (*trees)(*trees and Snags) (*within "Right-of-Way Boundary" signs) (*or marked with * paint) between the points specified in Project No(s). *___ in Section 2610, "Project Work."
( )Fell all trees (*and Snags) marked with * paint on (Area(s) *______) (*the Timber Sale Area).
( )Fell all (*unmarked) trees in Group Selection Area(s) *______.
( )A feller-buncher with a lateral reaching boom is required for all mechanical felling.
( )Fell not more than [Number](*______) additional [Species] (*______) trees designated by STATE on (Area(s) *______) (*the Timber Sale Area). Trees that may be designated have been reserved in Sections 2220 through 2250, "Reserved Timber."
( )Where ground Operations have been approved in the Operations Plan, felled trees shall be topped at a diameter not less than *______inches prior to Yarding, unless otherwise approved in writing by STATE.
( )In portions of the Timber Sale Area which are to be cable yarded, (*the top log segment of every tree shall not be topped or limbed, but shall be yarded to the Landing with limbs and top attached) (*trees shall be yarded prior to limbing or topping).
( )All tail trees and lift trees which sustain “major damage” shall be topped or girdled at least 40 feet high for Snag creation.
( )Fell all (*trees)(*trees and Snags) on (Area(s) * ) (*the Timber Sale Area) which are * feet or more in height (*and * inches or more DBH), (or contain a log segment that meets or exceeds the minimum removal specifications in Section 2045, "Log Removal,") except those designated as "Reserved Timber" in Sections 2220 through 2250, "Reserved Timber." This requirement also applies to brushy species such as vine maple, cascara, cherry, and willow.
( )Fell all marked trees on Area(s) * .
( )Fell all trees and Snags on Area * R/W.
( )Fell all Snags which are * feet or more in height and * inches or more DBH, within * feet slope distance (*inside)(*on either side of) the timber sale boundary shown as "Snag Corridor" on Exhibit A.
( )Fell all Snags throughout the remainder of Area(s)* which are *______feet or more in height and * inches or more DBH, except those designated as "Reserved Timber" in Sections 2220 through 2250, "Reserved Timber." [Used with previous option if needed.]
( )Fell all Snags which are * feet or more in height and * inches or more DBH, within * feet slope distance of roads to be constructed as shown on Exhibit A.
( )Trees that will damage roads shall be felled prior to road construction or improvement.
( )Bearing witness trees in Area(s) *______shall be cut above any scribing or as marked.
( )Prior to felling in (Area(s) *______)(*the Timber Sale Area), PURCHASER shall arrange to have all the cutters who will work in (*this area) (*these areas) (*the Timber Sale Area) meet with STATE to review the requirements specified in Section 2310, "Felling," (*Section 2320, "Thinning Specifications,") and Sections 2220 through 2250, "Reserved Timber." PURCHASER shall give STATE 48 hours advance notice before starting a new cutter on (Area(s) *______) (*the Timber Sale Area) to allow STATE the opportunity to brief the cutter on (*this section) (*these sections).
[ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS MAY APPEAR IN THE CONTRACT IF “AUTOMARK THINNING”WAS THE SELECTED OPTION DURING SALE PREPARATION]
( )Fell all trees (*greater than * inches DBH) not needed to meet residual stand specifications in Section2320, "Thinning Specifications," except those designated as "Reserved Timber."
( )(*Hardwood [*and cedar] trees) (*Trees other than Douglas-fir) shall not be felled without prior approval from STATE except in rights-of-way, skid roads, cable corridors, and Landings.
( )Prior to felling a Setting, all skid roads, Landings, cable corridors, intermediate support trees, rub trees, and Tailholds shall be marked on the Setting by PURCHASER and approved by STATE. Felling of trees within cable corridors, skid roads, and Landings shall be done prior to felling the remainder of the Setting. (*Rub trees may be removed after the completed Yarding of the Setting has been approved by STATE.)
( )Fell additional trees designated by STATE within the Timber Sale Area which are infected with Phellinusweirii root rot. Mark the top of these stumps with 2 parallel chain saw cuts. Cuts shall be made perpendicular to the face cut and be a minimum of 1 inch in depth.
( )Fell all trees (*marked with *______paint on the bole below stump height)(*within "Area Boundary" signs).
( )Fallers are required to identify and fall trees that show infection by Phellinusweirii, a root disease, on (Area(s) *______) (*the Timber Sale Area). Any Douglas-fir that is within * feet of a stump showing symptoms of Phellinus must also be felled. Prior to felling on the Timber Sale Area, PURCHASER shall arrange to have all the cutters that will work on (Area(s) * ) (*the Timber Sale Area) meet with STATE to review the indicators of this disease.
STATE may require certain trees or Snags, described by the preceding specifications, to be left standing if they are needed for wildlife habitat, or if the Snags do not constitute a fire or safety hazard. STATE shall designate such trees or Snags at the time of timber felling.
Trees shall not be felled across Timber Sale Area boundaries, unless authorized in writing by STATE. Any trees that fall across Timber Sale Area boundaries shall be yarded back into the Timber Sale Area prior to limbing or topping.
PURCHASER shall employ the following timber cutting practices on the Timber Sale Area(s), unless otherwise approved by STATE:
[ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS MAY APPEAR IN THE CONTRACT, WHICH SPECIFY STANDARDS FOR FALLING PRACTICES INTENDED TO MAXIMIZE VALUE OF TIMBER REMOVED TO THE STATE, AND MINIMIZE UNNECESSARY DAMAGE DURING FALLING OPERATIONS]
( )Logs shall be no longer than 40 feet plus trim.
( )Trees shall be felled to the longest lay, using the necessary means (wedging, jacking, etc.), favoring a quartering uphill lead.
( )Trees shall not be felled across draws, over ridges, or across previously felled trees.
( )Trees that cannot be controlled into desired felling patterns (Snags, rotten-butted trees, heavy leaners, etc.) shall be felled first, and the direction of subsequently felled timber corrected accordingly.
( )Trees within the Timber Sale Area whose best lay will be adversely affected by road construction shall be felled concurrently with Right-of-Way Timber. PURCHASER shall notify STATE prior to cutting any trees posted with "Right-of-Way Boundary" signs.
( )Windfalls shall be bucked off as close as practicable to the roots to ensure maximum recovery of merchantable volume. Those which cannot be bucked safely shall be left with a merchantable log attached and either bucked on the Landing or moved by rigging into a safe position for bucking.
( )Windfalls not parallel to the felling pattern, that cannot be removed first, shall be bucked into lengths necessary to control breakage prior to the felling of standing timber. Preferred lengths of logs may have to be altered when bucking windfalls.
( )Swing cuts shall not be used on trees with a stump diameter greater than 10inches.
( )Face cuts shall be used on trees with a stump diameter greater than 10inches.
( )Maximum stump height shall be (* *10) inches (or * percent of stump diameter, whichever is greater.) (*, unless otherwise approved by STATE.) Heights shall be measured on the uphill side.
( )Felling Operations shall not be allowed from *______through * .
.
[THE FOLLOWING LANGUAGE WILL APPEAR IN THE CONTRACT WHEN THERE IS A SPECIFIC DATE THAT MUST BE MET TO COMPLY WITH T&E SURVEY PROTOCOLS]
( )All felling on (Area(s) *______) (*the Timber Sale Area) must be completed by *______.
Rev. 10/04
INTENT/EXPLANATION
This section establishes what timber must be cut, what trees must be left and where specific leave areas are located, i.e., snag areas, adjacent to riparian areas, or along roads, etc. This section may also contain options that govern how the felling must be done, and options for pre-felling instructions. These requirements vary from sale to sale depending on management objectives. This section covers felling requirements for merchantable trees, non-merchantable brush and tree species, and snags associated with clearcuts, partial cuts, salvage sales, and road right-of-ways. If there are any critical timing issues with the timber felling, such as compliance with ODF T&E policies, those are identified in this section.
POLICY REFERENCES
None.
GUIDANCE FOR ADMINISTERING THE PROVISION
It is important that the Contract Administrator understand what was intended in selecting the falling standards that were included in the contract. The specific standards chosen during sale preparation may have been intended to achieve a variety of objectives related to site preparation, biological diversity, long-term site productivity, future vegetation management, and/or reforestation. Become familiar with the goals and objectives that the standards are intended to achieve. If in doubt, visit with sale preparation personnel and/or refer to the sale preparation files to determine the desired outcome and how the contract specifications were intended to achieve it. If there are timing restrictions on the felling operation, the Contract Administrator should consult with sale preparation personnel and become familiar with the specific reasons and intent. If T&E issues are involved, it may also be advisable to visit with the Area Biologist for updates on the status of any T&E sites in proximity to the timber sale.
Several of the statements in this provision are intended to require pre-planning before operations take place. It is critical that the Contract Administrator be aware of these requirements, and make sure that the Purchaser and all Subcontractors are also aware of them. These items should be discussed at the Pre-Operations meeting, and if necessary, addressed in the Operations Plan. It is always best to meet on the ground with the actual subcontractor who will be doing the work, rather than relying on the Purchaser to accurately communicate instructions. If the provision requires pre-marking or identifying areas on the ground, those areas should be inspected on the ground to assure they are reasonable and practical.
Remember that there is a direct relationship between felling and yarding. The fallers must know how the area is going to be yarded in order to achieve good production with low residual tree damage. Required pre-planning will benefit the Subcontractor and the State. The best chance of success isdirect communication between the Contract Administrator and the cutters. The Contract Administrator should stress the importance of the fallers communicating any issues related to felling to the CA as soon as possible. Potential issues may include or be related to: basal areas in auto mark thinnings, boundary tag discrepancies, reserved or designated timber discrepancies from the advertised contract, or interference with the intended logging plan.
Apparent non-compliance with falling specifications should first be discussed with the faller(s) in question to determine if there were legitimate reasons. The level of corrective action will depend on the Contract Administrator's knowledge of timber felling, the degree of non-compliance, and any mitigating factors, such as the degree to which there was disregard for the standard in question. Obvious cases of non-compliance, where the cutters clearly knew better and there was disregard for the standard, require suspension of felling operations, until the Purchaser agrees to remedy the situation, and/or potential billing for reserved trees cut. Less obvious cases in terms of intent or motivation may be resolved through direct dialogue with the faller(s) to correct the situation.
APPROVAL AUTHORITIES
The ContractAdministrator has the authority to determine compliance with the standards and specification in this provision. Unit Forester approval may be necessary if non-compliance results in damage for which the Purchaser will be billed.
WHO TO CALL
Contact Unit Forester or experienced timber sale Contract Administrator with any questions.
TRAINING METHODS
On the job training with experienced Contract Administrators and Unit Forester.
PROVISION[The following provision is utilized for specific timber sales on the SunPassStateForest]
Section 2315. Stage Logging. PURCHASER shall employ the following logging practices on the Timber Sale Area, unless otherwise approved in writing by STATE.
In order to protect reserved timber and reproduction, PURCHASER shall stage log the Timber Sale Area in the following manner:
(a)Prior to felling a Setting, all Landings and skid roads and trails shall be marked on the ground by PURCHASER, subject to STATE approval. Timber located within the approved skid trails shall be felled and yarded prior to felling adjacent timber.
(b)After completion of Yarding of skid trails, PURCHASER shall fell and yard smaller diameter timber. This timber shall be felled and bunched by utilizing a mechanical feller-buncher and be whole-tree yarded. (*Portions of the Timber Sale Area may require performance of this stage more than once.)
[OPTION]
*All timber that can be cut with no damage to the Reserved Timber and can be safely handled by feller-buncher shall be mechanically cut. To minimize damage to the Reserved Timber, this may take more than one entry.
(c)Subsequent stages of hand-felled timber shall be directionally felled (wedging, jacking, etc.) in a manner to facilitate skidding and to protect Reserved Timber.
Rev. 10/04
INTENT/EXPLANATION
Normally this section is only used in the Klamath-Lake District (Eastside logging). It is intended to more specifically describe the chronology of operations that must occur to achieve the intended outcome on the ground.
POLICY REFERENCES
Eastern RegionLongRangeForest Management Plan.
Link to Strategies section of Eastern Region FMP:
GUIDANCE FOR ADMINISTERING THE PROVISION
Marking all landings and skid roads prior to felling and requiring stages of felling and yarding, are good practices for protecting reserved timber and reproduction.
APPROVAL AUTHORITIES
The Contract Administrator has the authority to determine compliance or non-compliance with this provision.
WHO TO CALL
Contact Unit Forester or experienced timber sale Contract Administrator with any questions.
TRAINING METHODS
On the job training with experienced Contract Administrators and Unit Forester.
PROVISION
Section 2320. Thinning Specifications. PURCHASER shall comply with the following requirements for selecting Residual (*conifer) Trees on (Area(s) *______) (*the Timber Sale Area), (*except for those specifications listed in Section 2310, "Felling"):
(a)Residual tree spacing shall be varied to preserve the trees (*of good form and vigor) with the largest diameter and height and maintain a residual stand structure within the following limits:
(1)Residual Basal Area on each acre shall be at least *______square feet and not more than *______square feet for Area(s) *______, *______, and *______; (*and) at least *______square feet and not more than *______square feet for Area(s) *______, *______, and *______; and at least *______square feet and not more than *______square feet for Area(s) *______, *______, and *______.
[THE FOLLOWING LANGUAGE WILL APPEAR IN THE CONTRACT IF RELATIVE DENSITY WAS CHOSEN AS THE MEASURE]
( )The Relative Density target on the Timber Sale Area is *______on Area *______, *______on Area *______, and *______on Area *______. STATE reserves the right to alter the residual Basal Area requirement where necessary to obtain the Relative Density target. Relative density is calculated by dividing the residual Basal Area by the square root of the average residual stand DBH.
( )Residual average stand DBH shall not be less than *______inches on Area *______, *______inches on Area *______, and *______inches on Area *______.
(b)Acceptable residual (*conifer) trees are those having a Live Crown Ratio of at least 30 percent, and without sweep, scarring, disease, or leaning more than 10 degrees from vertical. (*Conifer) trees with multiple tops and crooks are acceptable if the defect is at least 40feet above the ground.
In portions of the stand where there are insufficient acceptable (*conifer) trees to meet the residual specifications listed above, trees with the least defect and largest diameter, height, and live crown shall be preserved.
(c)(*Conifers less than * inches DBH,) hardwoods (*, and cedars) shall not be counted when calculating the residual specifications listed above.
[THE FOLLOWING LANGUAGE MAY APPEAR IN THE CONTRACT IF NECESSARY TO ADDRESS SITUATIONS WHERE STOCKING LEVELS ARE UNKNOWN OR BELIEVED TO BE INSUFFICIENT TO MEET THE SPECS]
( )In portions of the stand where there are insufficient conifer trees to meet the residual specifications listed above, PURCHASER shall also leave hardwood trees to meet the minimum Basal Area requirement in (a) above.
( )Portions of the Timber Sale Area may have an insufficient number of trees to make thinning silviculturally desirable. PURCHASER may propose to exclude such areas from the thinning specifications and felling requirements. PURCHASER shall designate on the Operations Plan and mark on the ground proposed excluded areas. Proposed areas approved by STATE shall be excluded from the thinning specifications and felling requirements.
[THE FOLLOWING LANGUAGE WILL APPEAR IN ALL THINNING CONTRACTS]