PCRD Bugle Post Treatment Thinning and Fuels Reduction

The Department of Agriculture Forest Service's Prairie City Ranger District is soliciting services for precommercial thinning and fuels reduction across multiple forest units in the Bugle Project Area. The contract encompasses thinning operations and grapple piling services targeting conifer trees between 12 inches in height and 9.0 inches in diameter at breast height, with specific requirements for 20x20 foot spacing and leave tree selection prioritizing certain species including Western Pine, Ponderosa Pine, Douglas Fir, and others. Contractors must maintain adequate two-way communication capabilities for fire reporting, comply with Industrial Fire Precaution Level restrictions during the fire season (April 1 to October 31), and operate equipment within environmental constraints including maximum 35% slope limitations and wet soil avoidance. The contract includes comprehensive fire protection and suppression requirements with mandatory fire planning, specific firefighting equipment, and operational restrictions based on daily fire precaution levels. Offers are due by September 10, 2025, at 3:00 PM CST, with contract award expected as a firm fixed-price arrangement under NAICS code 115310 with a small business size standard of $11.5 million.

This opportunity is designated as a 100% small business set-aside with no identified incumbent contractors mentioned in the documentation. The base contract covers 449 acres across seven primary units (Units 3, 6, 8, 138, 139, 145, and 266) with optional units potentially expanding the scope to 1,245 total acres including Units 4, 84, 148, 173, and 299. The performance period extends from October 1, 2025, through November 1, 2026, for base units, with optional units potentially extending to November 1, 2027. Work will be performed in the Malheur National Forest near John Day, Oregon, specifically within the Conroy Cliff Travel Management Area where hunting season restrictions may apply during October periods. The contract involves treatment of forest units ranging from 30 to 317 acres each, located at elevations between 5,400 and 6,200 feet with slopes ranging from 0-50%. Contractors will be required to achieve a target density of approximately 109 trees per acre while maintaining 6-foot setbacks from any existing fences.