Sierra National Forest (SNF5) Roadrunner Fuels Reduction and Site Preparation.

The Department of Agriculture Forest Service seeks fuels reduction and site preparation services on the Sierra National Forest, with proposals due August 21, 2026 and questions due August 18 at close of business. This is a Total Small Business set-aside under NAICS 115310 (Support Activities for Forestry) with a $34 million size standard.

Work is performed in the Tamarack ridge area of the High Sierra Ranger District, Prather, California, from August 28, 2026 through July 23, 2027. The contract requires treatment of fire-impacted and beetle-mortality stands, felling standing dead trees (minimum 4 snags per acre at 20 inches diameter at breast height), thinning surviving conifer saplings to 18 by 18 feet spacing, and treating slash and brush through piling, mastication, or hand work. The base scope covers 810.7 acres of felling and 810.7 acres of piling and vegetation treatment, with optional line items for 311.3 additional acres and 18 acres of hand-work felling and piling.

Contractor personnel and equipment must comply with multiple constraints: mechanical equipment limited to 35% slope (45% for certain treatments), GPS accuracy at 30 feet, spark arrestors on chainsaws, and OSHA rollover protection. Work is subject to Limited Operating Periods protecting Yosemite toads (daily equipment checks, restricted piling in occupied meadows) and spotted owls (March 1 through August 15) and fishers (March 1 through June 30). Snag removal is prohibited within 200 feet of Highway 168 and residential areas. Operations near residences are restricted to 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM weekdays only. Work suspension applies 48 hours after precipitation events and when soil conditions risk rutting. Noxious weed prevention through equipment cleaning certification is required. Payment is based on government-validated acreage completed.

The contract is firm-fixed for one year. Evaluation criteria are Technical Approach, Responsibility and Experience and Past Performance, and Price. Service Contract Labor Standards apply with Fresno County, California prevailing wage rates. Site visits are strongly encouraged but not required. The incumbent contractor is not named. Contact Chris Kane, christopher.kane2@usda.gov, for questions.