Fsm 2400

WO AMENDMENT 2400-2004-4
EFFECTIVE DATE: 06/i0/2004
DURATION: This amendment is effective until superseded or
removed.

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CHAPTER 2450 - TIMBER SALE CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION

2453.11c - Urgent Removal Extension
1. Regional Forester Determination. Promptly after a significant catastrophic
event that affects timber on other ownerships, Regional Foresters shall determine if
adequate cause for urgent removal extensions exists (36 CFR 223.53). Based on
discussions with Contracting Officers, timber sale purchasers, and their staff, the
Regional Forester must verify in writing whether:
a. A specific catastrophe has occurred for which urgent removal extensions
can be granted;
b. The manufacturing facilities or logging equipment capacity available to
purchasers are insufficient to provide for both the rapid harvest of damaged
non-National Forest System timber in need of expeditious removal and the
continued harvest of undamaged (green) timber under contract with the Forest
Service; and
c. Failure to harvest the damaged non-National Forest System timber
promptly could result in the following:
(l) Significant private or other public resource loss,

Wo AMENDMENT 2400-2004-4
EFFECTIVE DATE: 06/10/2004
DURATION: This amendment is effective until superseded or
removed.

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CHAPTER 2450 - TIMBER SALE CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION

(2) Pose a threat to public safety, or
(3) Create a threat of an insect or disease epidemic to National Forest System
or other lands or resources.
2. Contracting Officer Actions. Upon a determination by a Regional Forester
that urgent removal extensions may be granted to facilitate harvest of non-National Forest
System timber in a particular geographic area, the Contracting Officer must take the
following adtions:
a. Accept written requests from timber sale purchasers, which include:
(l) An explanation of why the harvest of undamaged (green) National Forest
System timber within the term of the existing contract(s) will prevent or
otherwise impede the expeditious removal of damaged non-National Forest
System timber;
(2) Documentation that the manufacturing facilities or logging equipment
capacity available to a purchaser would be insufficient to provide for both the
rapid salvage of damaged non-National Forest System timber in need of
expeditious removal and continued harvest of undamaged (green) timber
under contract with the Forest Service; and
b. Within 14 days of receiving a request from a timber sale purchaser, the
Contracting Officer must make a binding preliminary detemfination that the
purchaser’s sales will qualify tbr urgent removal extensions, based on the
assumption that certain Volumes of catastrophically damaged timber from
non-National Forest System lands were purchased. Before making the
preliminary determination, or granting the extension, the Contracting Officer
must verify: ............
(I) That it is likely that the undamaged (green) timber from National Forest
System land would be delivered to the same manufacturing facilities as are
needed to process the damaged non-National Forest System timber or the
National Forest System timber sale contract would require the use of the same
logging equipment as is needed to remove the damaged non-National Forest
System timber from the area affected by the catastrophe. If the purchaser’s
documentation is logical, well-presented, appears reasonable, and is consistent
with the Contracting Officer’s general knowledge of the purchaser’s

WO AMENDMENT 2400-2004-4
EFFECTIVE DATE: 06/10/2004
DURATION: This amendment is effective until superseded or
removed.

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CHAPTER 2450 -TIMBER SALE CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION

operations, the documentation must only be sufficient that the Contracting
Officer is satisfied that a need exists;
(2) That extension of the contract will not be injurious to the United States and
will protect, to the extent possible, the health of the National Forest System
lands;
(3) That the extension would not adversely affect other resource management
objectives to be implemented by the timber sale being extended;
(4) That the timber sale contract to be extended is not a sale containing
damaged, dead, or dying timber subject to rapid deterioration;
(5) That the purchaser has not been granted a previous urgent removal
extension on the same timber sale contract based on the current catastrophic
event;
(6) That the revised timber sale contract term will not exceed l0 years from
the date the contract was awarded; and
(7) That the contract is not in breach, and all work items, payments, and
deposits are current.
c. Grant the urgent removal extension for the estimated amount of time
required to harvest and process the damaged timber on non-National Forest
System lands, up to a maximum of 1 year. If needed, the extension must
include a requirement that purchasers make cash payment to cover the costs of
remarking the timber on the sale area m: reestablishing cutting unit boundaries.