NIGP 98879: Ski Trail Maintenance and Repair

NIGP 98879 Ski Trail Maintenance and Repair, an Item code, encompasses seasonal snow grooming and winter trail upkeep on designated ski and snowmobile pathways. State and local governments under this code procure cross-country ski trail grooming with track and skate-lane setting, snowmobile trail grooming with multiple-track machines, clearing of downed trees and storm debris, and safety maintenance on backcountry winter trails. Issuing bodies are primarily state parks and recreation departments managing winter recreation programs on public forest lands. Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission appears as a repeat buyer, soliciting separate grooming contracts for different ski and snowmobile trail systems within the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. The work requires specialized snow-grooming equipment (grooming machines with tillers, track-setters, heated cabs, GPS systems, and safety lighting), documented operator experience, commercial general liability and automobile liability insurance, and all-inclusive hourly compensation covering equipment maintenance, fuel, storage, and operator labor.

Washington dominates recent activity under this code, with two active Washington State Parks solicitations posted in August 2026. The Mt. Adams Cross Country Trail Grooming RFP (RFP 527312, due October 15, 2026) covers 15.5 miles of designated cross-country ski trails in Skamania County with a 2025-2026 seasonal budget of $17,432.00 and an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity structure with a five-year initial term beginning December 1, 2026. The Cowlitz Area Snowmobile Trail Grooming RFP (RFP 527309, due October 13, 2026) covers approximately 77 miles of snowmobile trails in Lewis and Skamania Counties with a 2025-2026 seasonal budget of $46,916. Both solicitations offer a 10-point preference for Washington Small Business and/or Certified Veteran-Owned Business firms, require mandatory pre-bid conferences in September 2026, prohibit subcontracting without prior written approval, and structure compensation as hourly rates for documented grooming hours on fixed winter-season schedules (December through March).