1 Scope

NOTE This standard governs site clearing: the cutting and removal of above-ground vegetation, the grubbing of stumps and roots, the stripping and management of topsoil, the protection of features designated to remain, and the disposal or reuse of cleared material. (1.1)

NOTE Site clearing is the first land-disturbing operation on most projects, opening the ground for the grading, utility, and structural work that follows. Because it is the operation that first exposes soil to rainfall, it is also the point at which the project's stormwater obligations begin. (1.2)

1.3 The Work of this section includes the following.

Clearing of trees, shrubs, brush, grass, weeds, and vines within the limits of disturbance.
Grubbing of stumps, roots, and buried organic debris to the specified depth below finish subgrade.
Stripping, stockpiling, and disposition of topsoil.
Protection of trees, shrubs, monuments, utilities, and site features designated to remain.
Removal and off-site disposal, or on-site chipping, mulching, or composting, of cleared material.
Demolition and removal of minor above-grade site features such as fences, signs, and small slabs not addressed by a dedicated demolition scope.

NOTE The following Work is excluded from this section and is governed by the standards named. (1.4)

Mass grading, cut and fill, compaction, and borrow are governed by EarthworkEarthworkResolves to the current edition.sync/earthwork.
Erosion and sediment control BMPs (silt fence, sediment basins, inlet protection) are governed by Erosion And Sediment ControlErosion and Sediment ControlResolves to the current edition.sync/erosion-and-sediment-control; these measures must be in place before clearing begins.
Demolition of existing buildings, pavements, foundations, or utilities of significant scope is governed by Selective DemolitionSelective DemolitionResolves to the current edition.sync/selective-demolition.
Subdrainage installed after stripping is governed by SubdrainageSubdrainageResolves to the current edition.sync/subdrainage.
Final grading, topsoil placement, and re-vegetation or seeding are follow-on operations outside this section.

1.5 Erosion and sediment controls required by Erosion And Sediment ControlErosion and Sediment ControlResolves to the current edition.sync/erosion-and-sediment-control shall be installed and functional before any clearing operation begins.

2 Referenced Standards

2.1 Work of this section shall comply with the latest adopted edition of each of the following unless a specific edition is cited.

2.2 Where referenced standards conflict, the more stringent requirement shall govern unless the Engineer of Record directs otherwise in writing.

2.3 State-administered stormwater permit numbers and acreage thresholds vary by jurisdiction and shall be identified in the project's temporary erosion and sediment control documents rather than in this section.

Standard	Title
ANSI Z133-2017	Safety Requirements for Arboricultural Operations
ANSI A300 (Part 1)-2017	Tree, Shrub, and Other Woody Plant Management — Standard Practices (Pruning)
ISA BMP (2017)	Tree Protection During Construction (Best Management Practices)
40 CFR Part 122	EPA NPDES Permit Regulations — Construction General Permit
NRCS CPS 460 (Sep 2020)	Land Clearing (Conservation Practice Standard)
OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart E	Personal Protective and Life Saving Equipment (Construction)
OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart O	Motor Vehicles, Mechanized Equipment, and Marine Operations
ASTM D2487-17	Classification of Soils for Engineering Purposes (Unified Soil Classification System)
ASTM D4427	Classification of Peat Samples by Laboratory Testing

3 Submittals

3.1 Action Submittals

3.1.1 The Contractor shall submit the following action submittals before clearing operations begin:

Clearing and grubbing plan showing limits of disturbance, clearing limits, and areas of selective clearing.
Tree protection plan identifying trees to remain, Tree Protection Zone (TPZ) radii, and fencing details.
Schedule of operations coordinated with erosion and sediment control installation.
Proposed method and routing for disposal of cleared material, including hauling destinations or on-site processing locations.
Arborist qualifications where an ISA Certified Arborist is required.

Action Submittalscheckbox

☑ Clearing and grubbing plan

☑ Tree protection plan

☐ Schedule coordinated with ESC installation

☑ Disposal method and routing

☐ Arborist qualifications

3.2 Informational Submittals

3.2.1 The Contractor shall submit the following informational submittals:

Copy of the NPDES Construction General Permit authorization or state-equivalent coverage where land disturbance triggers it.
Open burning permit and air quality district authorization where on-site burning is proposed and permitted.
Utility locate confirmations (811 one-call tickets) covering the clearing area.
Survey documentation establishing and confirming monuments and property corners before clearing.

Informational Submittalscheckbox

☑ NPDES CGP or state-equivalent authorization

☐ Open burning permit

☑ Utility locate confirmations (811)

☑ Survey monument confirmation

3.3 Closeout Submittals

3.3.1 The Contractor shall submit the following closeout submittals at completion of clearing:

Disposal records or weight tickets documenting off-site disposal of cleared material.
Record documentation of topsoil stockpile locations, volumes, and stabilization measures.
Survey confirmation that monuments and property corners remain in place or have been replaced.

Closeout Submittalscheckbox

☑ Disposal records / weight tickets

☑ Topsoil stockpile record documentation

☐ Monument survey confirmation

4 Quality Assurance

4.1 Tree felling, limbing, and removal shall be performed in accordance with ANSI Z133.

4.2 Pruning cuts made to retained trees during clearing shall be performed in accordance with ANSI A300 (Part 1).

4.3 Tree Protection Zones shall be established and maintained in accordance with the ISA Best Management Practices for Tree Protection During Construction.

4.4 An ISA Certified Arborist shall supervise felling of trees 6 in. DBH or greater located near structures or within or adjacent to a Tree Protection Zone.

ISA Certified Arborist required on-siteradio

○ Required for all tree removal

● Required for trees 6 in. DBH or greater near structures or TPZ

○ Not required

Minimum arborist field experiencerange

years

015

Default: 5 years

NOTE Latent tree mortality from construction root damage often does not appear until one to three years after the work, long after the clearing contractor has demobilized. Requiring arborist supervision at the point of clearing is the only practical control, because the damage is invisible at the time it is done. (4.4.1)

4.5 Heavy clearing equipment shall be operated in accordance with OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart O.

4.6 Personal protective equipment for chainsaw and clearing operations shall comply with OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart E.

5 Regulatory and Environmental Conditions

NOTE Land disturbance of 1 acre or more triggers coverage under the EPA NPDES Construction General Permit; some states set lower thresholds. (5.1)

NOTE Several western states reduce the coverage threshold to 0.5 acre, and some municipalities impose still-lower limits. The applicable threshold and permit number are jurisdiction-specific and are established in the project's general requirements; this section assumes that determination has been made. (5.1.1)

5.2 The Contractor shall not begin clearing until the project's stormwater permit coverage, where required, is in effect.

5.3 Clearing shall observe any seasonal restrictions imposed by the jurisdiction for migratory bird nesting, wetland buffer protection, or burn bans.

5.3.1 Jurisdictions commonly close clearing windows during nesting season or impose dry-season burn bans. A specification silent on seasonal restrictions invites a costly mid-operation work stoppage; the applicable windows shall be identified before mobilization.

Seasonal clearing restriction appliesradio

● No seasonal restriction

○ Migratory bird nesting window

○ Wetland buffer seasonal restriction

○ Dry-season burn ban

5.4 Utility locates through the 811 one-call system shall be completed and confirmed before clearing begins.

5.5 Clearing within a horizontal offset of a marked buried utility shall be performed by hand methods until the utility is positively located and protected.

Hand-clear offset around marked buried utilitiesrange

ft

05

Default: 2 ft

NOTE A grubbing tooth or dozer blade will sever an unmarked utility as readily as a tree root. The hand-clear zone around known buried utilities is the buffer that keeps mechanized grubbing away from infrastructure that the locate has flagged but not yet exposed. (5.5.1)

6 Clearing Limits and Survey Protection

6.1 Clearing limits and the limits of disturbance (LOD) shall be staked or flagged in the field before clearing begins.

NOTE Clearing limits define where vegetation is removed; the limits of disturbance define where any ground disturbance, including stockpiling and equipment access, is allowed. They are not always the same line, and an ambiguous LOD is the most common cause of over-clearing beyond property lines and easements. (6.1.1)

6.2 Vegetation outside the clearing limits shall not be removed or damaged.

6.3 Survey monuments and property corners shall be flagged and confirmed before any clearing equipment enters the site.

6.4 The Contractor shall be responsible for the cost of resurvey and replacement of any monument or property corner destroyed during clearing.

NOTE A re-establishment survey after a corner is lost is expensive and delays the downstream work that depends on those control points. Flagging monuments before mobilization is a low-cost precaution against a high-cost loss. (6.4.1)

6.4.2 The clearing limit setback from the property line shall be specified and staked in the field before clearing begins.

Clearing limit setback from property linerange

ft

025

Per drawings — civil site plan, clearing limits (deferred by default)

7 Clearing Configuration

7.1 The clearing configuration shall be as selected below.

Clearing configurationradio

● Standard clearing and grubbing (full disturbance)

○ Selective clearing (designated vegetation retained)

○ Strip-only (surface clearing without grubbing)

○ Clearing with on-site topsoil salvage

○ Clearing with off-site topsoil disposal

NOTE The configuration determines whether stumps are grubbed, whether specific vegetation is retained, and whether topsoil is salvaged. Standard clearing and grubbing with full disturbance is the most common case and is the default; the other configurations address selective retention, fill-over situations, and topsoil disposition. (7.1.1)

7.2 Strip-only clearing shall be used only where the area will be filled with 3 ft or more of compacted fill and organic settlement is acceptable, or for temporary access roads.

NOTE Strip-only clearing leaves stumps in place. It is appropriate where the fill depth is sufficient to prevent differential settlement from affecting the finished surface. (7.2.1)

7.3 Within designated selective-clearing areas, only the vegetation tagged for removal shall be cut; all other vegetation shall be protected as designated to remain.

7.4 Hand clearing without heavy equipment shall be used within Tree Protection Zone fencing and within designated environmental buffer zones.

Hand clearing required within TPZ and buffer zonesradio

● Required

○ Not required

8 Clearing Operations

8.1 Above-ground vegetation within the clearing limits shall be cut and removed, including trees, shrubs, brush, grass, weeds, and vines.

8.2 Trees shall be felled in a controlled manner that does not damage vegetation, features, or utilities designated to remain.

8.3 Cut vegetation shall be removed promptly and shall not be allowed to accumulate in a manner that obstructs drainage or erosion controls.

8.4 Minor above-grade site features designated for removal, such as fences, signs, and small slabs, shall be demolished and removed under this section.

NOTE Removal of existing structures, pavements, foundations, or utilities beyond minor above-grade features is not part of this section and is governed by Selective DemolitionSelective DemolitionResolves to the current edition.sync/selective-demolition. (8.4.1)

9 Grubbing

9.1 Stumps, roots, and buried organic debris shall be excavated and removed to the specified depth below finish subgrade within areas to receive fill, pavement, or structures.

9.2 Grubbing depth shall be measured below finish subgrade, not below existing grade.

Grubbing depth below finish subgraderange

in

1224

Default: 18 in

NOTE Where significant cut is taken, stumps measured from existing grade can remain inside the compaction zone after grading. Referencing finish subgrade ties the grubbing depth to the surface that the pavement or structure will actually bear on. (9.2.1)

NOTE A grubbing depth of 12 in. is typical for residential and light commercial subgrade, 18 in. for standard highway subgrade, and 24 in. for heavy pavement subgrade. The 18 in. default reflects the most common case. (9.2.2)

9.3 Stump grinding to the specified depth below grade shall be used in lieu of dozer-grubbing where soil disturbance must be minimized, such as on tight or urban sites.

Stump removal methodradio

● Dozer or excavator grubbing

○ Stump grinding

9.4 Buried organic material, old dump material, and construction debris encountered during grubbing shall be removed and disposed of.

NOTE Buried stumps from prior clearing, old dump sites, and construction debris are routinely discovered during grubbing and trigger change orders when the specification is silent. Stating that subsurface organics and debris are removed under this section establishes the expectation before the surprise. (9.4.1)

9.5 Cavities and depressions left by grubbing shall be backfilled and compacted in accordance with EarthworkEarthworkResolves to the current edition.sync/earthwork.

10 Topsoil Stripping and Stockpiling

10.1 Topsoil shall be stripped from areas to be disturbed and shall be kept segregated from subsoil and subbase material.

Topsoil stripping requiredradio

● Strip and salvage

○ Strip and dispose off-site

○ Do not strip

NOTE Co-mingling topsoil with subsoil destroys the organic horizon and forces the owner to import topsoil for landscaping at significant cost. The value of stripping is realized only if the stripped material stays segregated. (10.1.1)

10.2 Topsoil shall be stripped to the full depth of the encountered organic horizon.

Topsoil stripping depthrange

in

412

Default: 6 in

NOTE A stripping depth of 6 in. covers the typical organic horizon; depths greater than 12 in. are uncommon except on agricultural land. The actual depth is whatever organic horizon is present, so the depth above is a planning value, not a cut-off. (10.2.1)

10.3 Salvaged topsoil shall be stockpiled at the designated location shown on the approved clearing and grubbing plan.

10.4 Salvaged topsoil shall not be placed within any Tree Protection Zone, drainage path, or area required for access.

Topsoil dispositionradio

● On-site stockpile for reuse

○ Off-site disposal

10.5 Topsoil stockpiles shall not exceed the maximum height specified.

Topsoil stockpile maximum heightrange

ft

68

Default: 6 ft

NOTE Stockpiles taller than 8 ft compact under their own weight and develop anaerobic conditions that degrade the seed bank and microbial viability of the salvaged topsoil. Keeping the pile low preserves the very property that made the topsoil worth saving. (10.5.1)

10.6 Topsoil stockpiles inactive for more than 14 days shall be stabilized with temporary seeding or mulch.

Stockpile stabilization methodcheckbox

☑ Temporary seeding

☐ Mulch

☑ Perimeter silt fence

☐ Permanent vegetative cover

10.7 Topsoil stockpiles inactive for more than 30 days shall receive permanent vegetative cover.

10.8 The perimeter of each topsoil stockpile shall be protected with sediment control in accordance with Erosion And Sediment ControlErosion and Sediment ControlResolves to the current edition.sync/erosion-and-sediment-control.

NOTE An unprotected stockpile is an exposed pile of fine, erodible soil that generates heavy sediment loading and can place the project in violation of its stormwater permit. Stockpile stabilization is a permit condition, not an optional courtesy. (10.8.1)

11 Tree and Vegetation Protection

11.1 Trees and vegetation designated to remain shall be protected throughout the Work.

11.2 A Tree Protection Zone (TPZ) shall be established around each tree designated to remain.

11.3 The TPZ radius shall be the greater of 1 ft per inch of trunk diameter at breast height (DBH) or the tree's drip line, and shall be not less than 6 ft regardless of DBH.

TPZ radius basisradio

● Greater of 1 ft per in. DBH or drip line

○ 1 ft per in. DBH

○ Drip line

Minimum TPZ radiusrange

ft

610

Default: 6 ft

NOTE The 1-ft-per-inch-DBH rule is the dominant US practice and is referenced by most state DOT and municipal specifications; it approximates the critical root zone within which feeder roots concentrate. Using the greater of the calculated radius and the drip line protects the wider of the root and canopy footprints. (11.3.1)

11.4 TPZ fencing shall be installed at the TPZ perimeter before any clearing equipment enters the site.

NOTE Fencing shown on the plans but installed after equipment has mobilized protects nothing. A single dozer pass inside the TPZ can sever 60 to 80 percent of a tree's feeder roots, and that damage is done before the fence goes up. The sequence — fence first, then clear — is the entire point of the requirement. (11.4.1)

11.4.2 The Tree Protection Zone fencing type shall be specified and shall be installed before any clearing equipment mobilizes on the site.

TPZ fencing typeradio

● Orange safety fence

○ Chain-link fence

11.4.3 The minimum height of Tree Protection Zone fencing shall be specified and installed before any clearing equipment mobilizes on the site.

TPZ fencing minimum heightrange

ft

46

Default: 4 ft

11.5 Within a fenced TPZ there shall be no grading, stockpiling, equipment parking, trenching, or other disturbance.

11.6 Pruning of retained trees made necessary by clearing shall be performed by or under the direction of an ISA Certified Arborist in accordance with ANSI A300.

12 Disposal of Cleared Material

12.1 Cleared vegetation and debris shall be disposed of by the method specified.

Disposal method for cleared vegetationradio

● Off-site haul to licensed facility

○ On-site chipping and mulching

○ On-site composting

○ On-site burning (where permitted)

NOTE The contract must state the disposal method, because the cost difference between off-site hauling and on-site chipping is large, and silence invites either an unpriced premium for hauling or an unpermitted burn. The default below assumes off-site disposal to a licensed facility, which is the broadly acceptable case. (12.1.1)

12.2 Cleared material shall not be buried on site.

12.3 Where on-site chipping is specified, chips intended for mulch reuse shall be screened to a maximum particle size as specified.

Maximum mulch chip sizerange

in

24

Default: 3 in

12.4 On-site open burning shall not be performed unless permitted by the local jurisdiction and air quality district and authorized by permit.

On-site burning permittedradio

● Not permitted

○ Permitted under jurisdiction permit

NOTE Where the contract is silent on disposal, contractors sometimes assume burning is allowed, producing an air quality permit violation. Burning is permitted only where the jurisdiction explicitly allows it, and then only under permit conditions that govern pile size and setback. (12.4.1)

12.5 Where burning is permitted, burn piles shall observe the size and setback limits established by the air quality district permit.

Burn pile maximum diameterrange

ft

610

Default: 8 ft

Burn pile minimum setback from structuresrange

ft

50100

Default: 50 ft

13 Soil Characterization

13.1 Stripped material shall be characterized to distinguish reusable topsoil from unsuitable subsoil and organic soils.

13.2 Soils shall be classified in accordance with ASTM D2487 for stockpile management and reuse decisions.

13.3 Where significant peat or highly organic soils are encountered, the material shall be classified in accordance with ASTM D4427 and removed rather than stockpiled for reuse.

NOTE Peat and highly organic soils are not topsoil; they continue to decompose and settle and have no value as a finish-grade growing medium. Classifying them correctly keeps them out of the salvage stockpile and out of the structural section. (13.3.1)

14 Installation

14.1 Clearing shall proceed in the sequence established in the approved schedule: erosion and sediment controls first, then tree protection fencing, then clearing, then grubbing, then topsoil stripping.

NOTE The sequence is not arbitrary. Stormwater controls must precede the first soil disturbance to satisfy the permit; tree protection fencing must precede clearing so that equipment never reaches the root zone; and grubbing follows clearing so that stumps are exposed for removal. (14.1.1)

14.2 The Contractor shall protect adjacent property, existing improvements, utilities, and features designated to remain from damage during all clearing operations.

14.3 Areas cleared and grubbed shall be left in a condition ready for the grading operations of EarthworkEarthworkResolves to the current edition.sync/earthwork.

15 Delivery, Storage, and Handling

15.1 Salvaged topsoil shall be stored in stockpiles managed in accordance with the topsoil stockpiling requirements of this section.

15.2 Cleared material awaiting disposal shall be stored only within the limits of disturbance and shall not obstruct drainage or erosion controls.

15.3 Equipment and fuel shall not be stored or refueled within any Tree Protection Zone or designated buffer.

16 Spare Parts

NOTE This section requires no spare parts; site clearing produces no installed components requiring spares. (16.1)