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FOREST SERVICE MANUAL
ALASKA REGION (REGION 10)
JUNEAU, ALASKA
FSM 7700 – TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM
CHAPTER 7720 – DEVELOPMENT
Supplement No.: R-10 7700-2004-2
Effective Date: November 22, 2004
Duration: This supplement is effective until superseded or removed.
Approved: /s/ Jacqueline Myers (for)
DENNIS E. BSCHOR
Regional Forester
Date Approved: 12/11/2004
Posting Instructions: Supplements are numbered consecutively by title number and calendar
year. Post by document; remove the entire document and replace it with this supplement. Retain
this transmittal as the first page(s) of this document. The last R-10 supplement to this title was
7700-2004-1 to FSM 7730.
New Document
7720
6 Pages
Superseded Document(s) by
Issuance Number and
Effective Date
7720 (7700-93-2, 11/5/93)
5 Pages
Digest:
7721.11: Updates reference to EM7100-15 Guidebook for Forest Service Signing.
7721.14a: Removes reference to Tongass “Area” (Chatham, Stikine, and Ketchikan).
R-10 SUPPLEMENT 7700-2004-2
EFFECTIVE DATE: 11/22/2004
DURATION: This supplement is effective until superseded or removed.
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FSM 7700 – TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM
CHAPTER 7720 - DEVELOPMENT
7721.04 - Responsibility
7721.04b - Regional Forester
4.
a. The Regional Structural Engineer is designated as the principal individual
responsible for preparation, review, and approval of designs, drawings, and
specifications for bridges and other transportation structures designed either in-house
or by contract.
b. Designs, drawings, specifications, and contract change orders for bridges and other
major road and trail structures shall be reviewed by the appropriate Regional Office
Staff and shall be approved by the Director of Engineering and Aviation Management
and the Regional Structural Engineer.
For the purpose of this section, the term major structure shall include:
(1) All culvert structures over 35 square feet end area or defined as long-span
structural plate structures in Division I, Section 12 of the current AASHTO Standard
Specifications for Highway Bridges.
(2) Retaining walls over 6 feet in height supporting fill and equipment surcharge load
or retaining walls over 10 feet in height supporting fill only.
(3) Structural elements of timber transfer facilities including floats and ramps.
(4) Trail Structures of special design not included in FSH 2309.18, Trails
Management Handbook, such as: trail stairways; viewing platforms; trail bridges;
elevated walkways; and so forth.
c. The Regional Engineer may delegate in writing, other individuals the authority for
structural design, design review, and approval for major transportation structures.
This authority may only be delegated upon written request from the Forest Supervisor
and will normally be granted only when the Forest has properly qualified and
experienced personnel available to perform and independently check the design work,
drafting, specifications, and cost estimates for transportation structures. Design
authority or design, review, and approval authority may not be redelegated (FSM
1239).
R-10 SUPPLEMENT 7700-2004-2
EFFECTIVE DATE: 11/22/2004
DURATION: This supplement is effective until superseded or removed.
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FSM 7700 – TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM
CHAPTER 7720 - DEVELOPMENT
d. The Forest Supervisor is delegated authority to determine which individuals are
qualified to design minor road and trail structures. This authority may be redelegated
only to the Forest Engineer.
7721.04c - Forest Supervisor
4.
a. Follow the planning, design, review, and approval process contained in FSH
7709.56b, Drainage Structures Handbook (see R-10 supplements) for all
transportation structures.
5.
a. Ensure that value analysis is completed and documented
for each project costing in excess of $1 million. (See FSM 7721.13.)
7721.1 - Design
7721.11 – Safety
By Memorandum of Agreement with the Federal Highway Administration, portions of the
Highway Safety Act (HSA) apply to forest development roads which are open to public travel by
a standard passenger car. These roads must comply with portions of the HSA regarding safe
design, operation, and maintenance.
Roads where the HSA applies are usually classified as Maintenance Level 3, 4, or 5.
Maintenance Level 1 and 2 roads are not subject to the HSA since these roads are not intended or
maintained for travel by standard passenger cars. User safety, however, is still a consideration
on all roads. If a REGULATORY or a WARNING sign is warranted on one of these roads, it
should be consistent with the guidelines in EM-7100-15 Guidebook for Forest Service Signing.
7721.12 - Environmental Considerations
1. Cost Comparisons. Identify cost comparisons between alternatives that fully satisfy
all project criteria and those that provide varying levels of compromise on environmental needs.
2. Borrow Pits. The inherent nature of road construction in Alaska necessitates the
location and development of rock quarry borrow pits at relatively frequent intervals. The
location, development, and rehabilitation of these pits must be done in such a manner that
environmental and scenic resource damage is minimized/mitigated in compliance with R-10 FSH
2509.22, Soil and Water Conservation Handbook. Location to reduce the degree of visibility
from viewpoints such as boat anchorages and travel routes is particularly important. Costs of pit
development and rehabilitation can be reduced with proper location.
R-10 SUPPLEMENT 7700-2004-2
EFFECTIVE DATE: 11/22/2004
DURATION: This supplement is effective until superseded or removed.
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FSM 7700 – TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM
CHAPTER 7720 - DEVELOPMENT
Minimizing/mitigating measures may include the following:
a. All pit development plans shall include erosion control plans. These plans shall
include a drainage design during the development and use of the material source and
designed permanent drainage controls to be installed following use and rehabilitation
of the site.
b. Locate pits away from the road a short distance and leave a screen of
vegetation/trees between it and the road. Where practical, a short-curved access road
into the pit will help screen it from the main road.
c. Locate pits behind topographic features and/or on slopes facing away from the
road or sensitive viewpoint.
d. Consider locating pits at greater intervals and weigh the costs of rehabilitation
against greater haul costs.
e. Locate and design pits as part of the road prism to create a scenic vista or parking
area for road users, if the opportunity is available.
f. Seeding and fertilizing. Mulching in some cases.
g. Immediately after use, the borrow pit shall be treated in accordance with R-10
FSH 2509.22, Soil and Water Conservation Handbook.
All borrow pits must be located, developed, and rehabilitated to minimize environmental and
scenic resource degradation. However, the intensity and cost of mitigating measures must be
weighed against the relative use and visibility of the individual road, as well as the need for
further use of the pit in the near future (1-5 years). Normally, a visual quality objective (VQO) is
assigned to specific roads or areas in the Forest Land Management Plan which will help
determine the degree of mitigation needed. This objective is based on the amount of public use
and scenic quality of the area.
In some areas that are accessible to campers, hunters, or fishermen, borrow pits are nearly the
only places that vehicles can be parked off the traveled roadway. Where this is a factor, give
special consideration to removal of hazard trees, rock overhangs, and other safety hazards.
Openings in screenings may also be necessary to allow vehicle access.
R-10 SUPPLEMENT 7700-2004-2
EFFECTIVE DATE: 11/22/2004
DURATION: This supplement is effective until superseded or removed.
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FSM 7700 – TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM
CHAPTER 7720 - DEVELOPMENT
7721.14a - Application of Special Contract Requirements and Service-Wide
Specifications.
1. Changes or Additions to Forest Service Service-Wide Specifications. Forest
Supervisors are authorized to approve Forest Special Project Specifications (SPS) for use in
Road Construction Contracts, except those required for structures. All SPS related to structures
must be approved in writing by the Regional Engineer before being included in a Public Works
or Timber Sale contract.
Forest changes of Service-wide Specifications and Regional SPS to identify specific
requirements of an individual project will be prepared as Forest SPS. All Forest SPS will be
indicated by a prefix of the Forest initials before the specifications number and a suffix of the
month and year of approval as follows:
a. Tongass National Forest:
625.1 (10/04)
b. Chugach National Forest:
625.1 (10/04)
7721.3 - Construction
7721.35 - Traffic-Control Devices and Appurtenances
A traffic control plan shall be made for each road construction or reconstruction project. This
plan shall include all traffic control devices through or around construction zones. The plan shall
also include all signs and markings needed after completion of construction. It may be a brief
written description of the control devices and their placement locations but should be clear and
accurate.
Construction zones traffic control devices shall be in place at the beginning of construction
operations. Where operations are performed in stages, only those devices that apply to current
conditions shall be in functional use. Remove or cover signs or markings that do not apply to
existing conditions.
Signs and markings planned for permanent installation shall be in place prior to removal of
construction zone controls and opening of the road facility to normal traffic operations.
Regulatory and warning construction zone and permanent control devices to be erected on roads
constructed by public works contract should be furnished and installed by the contractor.
Permanent regulatory and warning signs and markings to be erected on roads constructed by
timber purchasers shall be made a part of the timber sale contract. These signs and materials
shall be purchased by the Forest Service and not included as purchaser credit. Purchasers shall
make installations. Guide signs shall be furnished and installed by the Forest Service.
R-10 SUPPLEMENT 7700-2004-2
EFFECTIVE DATE: 11/22/2004
DURATION: This supplement is effective until superseded or removed.
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FSM 7700 – TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM
CHAPTER 7720 - DEVELOPMENT
7722 - STRUCTURES
7722.03 – Policy
Follow appropriate portions of FSH 7709.56 (See R-10 supplements).
7723.1 – Design
Follow procedures and approval authority of FSM 7721 for design of trail structures of special
design not included in FSH 2309.18, Trails Management Handbook.
Design bridges and other structures for the recommended load criteria of the current edition of
AASHTO Standard Specifications for Highway Bridges, Uniform Building Code or other
recognized design code or standard. Give appropriate consideration to other possible critical
load conditions (snow, snowmobiles, stock, trail vehicles, and so forth).