Specifications include, but are not limited to: 3. Contract Requirements – Natural and Cultural Resource Protection 3.1. The Contractor’ shall adhere to the entirety of the current Forest Practice Rules and Act as well as the additional rules enacted by the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection as related to all forestry practices in California’s Southern District including, but not limited to: 3.1.1. Fire prevention and suppression 3.1.2. Protection of waterways and riparian zones 3.2. A copy of these rules can be found at: 2021 Forest Practice Rules 3.3. The Contractor shall comply with the Forest Practice Rules and Act (FPRA) and Public Resources Code (PRC) including but not limited to Sections 4427 and 4428 which identify the minimum requirements for fire prevention in California’s fire-prone Southern District. 3.4. Contractors will be operating equipment in rocky areas which can result in sparking and potential wildfire ignitions on remote mountainous terrain. As such, in addition to the minimum requirements of the FPRA and the PRC, State Parks CDD requires equipment operators to carry an appropriate fire suppression system to assist with immediate suppression of accidental equipment and/or wildfire ignitions. 3.5. The Contractor shall also avoid areas where sensitive natural or cultural resources are located. Where known, these will be identified and/or flagged prior to the beginning of work with orange/white striped Special Treatment Zone flagging. 3.6. A State Park resource monitor may be on site during the work and may mark additional areas that are to be avoided. 3.7. Due to the potential sensitive nature of rock outcroppings, the crew shall ensure that biomass does not accumulate on, nor be placed upon, rock outcroppings. 3.8. The Contractor’s subcontractors may receive instruction from State Parks Staff regarding how to identify natural and cultural resources in the work area. 3.9. The Contractor’s subcontractors shall immediately report potential natural or cultural findings to State’s Representative. 4. Contract Requirements – Fuels Reduction 4.1. Contractor shall complete fuels reduction work across the fifty-nine (59)-acre site including constructing burn piles and chipping vegetation as appropriate. 4.2. The Contractor shall remove live and dead limbs up to six feet (6’) or onethird (⅓) the total tree height for trees eighteen feet (18’) or less on conifers to reduce ladder fuels. Oak trees shall not be included. 4.3. The Contractor shall cut and move dead and down timber to dispersed burn piles, which will be constructed in a manner that facilitates proper consumption of all material. 4.4. The Contractor shall buck up downed wood smaller than nine inches (9”) DBH into sections and place into burn piles. 4.4.1. Slash/down woody material to be piled generally constitutes material from one inch (1”) diameter to nine-inch (9”) diameters. 4.4.2. All slash/down woody material over one foot (1’) in length will be piled. 4.5. Contractors shall remove fuel ladders which is comprised of live trees, snags, and shrub species within 10’ of drip line and in drip line of mature canopy of trees. 4.5.1. Maximum DBH is fourteen inches (14”) for live small trees and snags removal. 4.5.2. Tree species removal preference in order from most to least removal preference: • Incense Cedar • White Fir • Jefferey Pine • Big cone-Douglas Fir • Oaks (Black Oak, Canyon Live Oak, Interior Live Oaks, Shrub Oak) 4.5.3. The Contractor shall remove brush within ten feet (10’) of drip line and within drip line of mature canopy of trees. 4.5.4. Brush species (woody perennial plant smaller than tree) removal preference in order to most to least removal preference: • Ceanothus species • Mountain mahogany • Manzanita species 5. Burn Pile Preparation 5.1. The Contractor shall construct burn piles which have a broad range of different sized fuels to facilitate proper and complete burning of material in each pile. 5.2. Burn piles shall be sufficiently free of soil and other noncombustible material for effective burning. 5.3. The Contractor shall place wax paper (or other designated materials) upon burn piles to keep the piles dry and ready to burn. 5.3.1. Strips of wax paper will be placed to cover an approximately five feet (5’) x ten feet (10’) area at about three-quarters (¾) of the height of the burn pile. The wood for the remaining top quarter (¼) of the pile will be placed to secure the wax paper in place. 5.4. Burn piles will be constructed outside the drip line of any standing live tree, dead snag or brush stands or tall vegetation. Forest canopy openings will be utilized for acceptable piling areas. 5.5. The size and frequency of the burn piles will vary and depend upon the terrain, topography, and the conditions directly surrounding each burn pile. 5.5.1. Pile size is five feet (5’) x six feet (6’) in a paraboloid shape. 5.5.2. Maximum size of piles will be determined by the opening dimension of residual forest canopy and tree susceptibility of crown scorch or mortality. 5.5.3. When burn piles are on a significant slope, the Contractor shall also make use of bucket/cup trenches on the downhill portion of the scratch line. Be careful when building piles on steep slopes because as the piles burn down, they can break apart and send burning materials to roll downhill into unwanted areas. 5.5.4. Each pile shall be built and compacted by laying limbs, stems, cut boles and other slash to minimize air space. 5.5.5. Each pile shall include an area for kindling for prompt ignition and to aid in combustion for larger slash. These fuels shall be placed in the center or bottom of pile so that they will burn after a snow or rain event. 5.6. Piles shall be located so that burning will not damage standing live trees or physical improvements such as fences, poles, buildings, signs, tables, grills or cattle guards 5.6.1. Piles shall not be located on roads, bearing survey markers, in drainage ditches, or within stream-courses. 5.7. In some areas, the contractor’s hand crew shall use a tracked or wheeled chipper to assist with fuels reduction. 5.7.1. All material over nine inches (9”) and up to sixteen inches (16”) shall be chipped. 5.7.2. All large logs over sixteen-inch (16”) DBH shall remain undisturbed for habitat. 5.8. The contractor shall ensure that the use of the chipper is dispersed throughout the project areas, to integrate both pile burning and chipping in most areas of the site. 5.9. Contractor shall ensure the chipped material is dispersed so as to limit the chips from piling any greater that two inches (2”) deep. 5.10. All dimensions are estimated and may be adjusted at the State Representative’s discretion to meet the specific characteristics of the site 5.11. If the Contractor’s pile placement is unacceptable, it shall be the State Parks Representative discretion to inform of relocation, consolidation or to clear space to prevent residual tree mortality.
