The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Region 4 awarded a $265,893 definitive contract to Vegetation Management Services LLC for precommercial thinning at Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge on September 23, 2026, under a total small business set-aside.
VMS is an SBA-certified HUBZone firm. The originating solicitation calls for selective mechanical thinning and mastication of bottomland hardwood timber across 430 acres in two treatment units (216 and 214 acres) within the Sherburne Wildlife Management Area in Iberville Parish, Louisiana. Work involves reducing basal area to favor desirable species, particularly oaks greater than 10 inches diameter at breast height, with no slash standing greater than 1 foot above ground. The contractor must furnish all labor, materials, equipment, and supplies, including low ground pressure forestry mulching machines capable of felling and mulching hardwood trees, with maximum ground pressure of 5.2 psi. All equipment must be pressure-washed before entering refuge property. Treatment timing is subject to dry-condition windows and hunting season coordination directed by the Government Representative.
The contract runs from award through December 31, 2027, with potential extension of up to one year if site conditions remain unfavorable. Place of performance is Lottie, LA. The contract carries firm fixed pricing. NAICS code 115310 applies; the small business size standard is $34 million.