42048IFB26 River Styx Timber Sale

The St. Johns River Water Management District is issuing Invitation for Bids (IFB) 42048IFB26 for a timber sale on approximately 151.3 acres within the Longleaf Flatwoods Reserve in Alachua County, Florida. The procurement seeks sealed bids on a per-ton basis for the harvest and removal of an estimated 3,640 tons of pine pulpwood and 750 tons of chip-n-saw timber from mature slash pine stands previously thinned ten years ago. The sale area, located in Section 12; Township 11 South; Range 21 East and accessed at 10742 South County Road 325, Hawthorne, Florida, requires respondents to perform marked thinning in designated stands and logger-select thinning to achieve a density of 45 to 50 square feet of basal area per acre, with priority given to harvesting diseased, defective, and suppressed trees. Qualified respondents must hold current certification from an approved logger-training program such as Florida's Master Logger, Georgia's Master Timber Harvester, or Alabama's Professional Logging Manager, and must comply with Florida Silviculture Best Management Practices and Florida Forestry Wildlife Best Management Practices throughout all harvesting operations. Sealed bids are due by 2:00 p.m. on February 17, 2026, at the St. Johns River Water Management District Headquarters in Palatka, Florida, with public opening immediately thereafter. The contract term is 12 months from the effective date, with a requirement that 50 percent of acres be harvested within nine months if adequate harvesting conditions exist. Bids may be submitted through DemandStar eBidding, Central Bidding, or sealed delivery, and respondents must complete the required bid schedule form and provide proof of active E-Verify registration. Award will be made to the respondent submitting the highest responsive and responsible bid for the total amount.

The procurement documents do not indicate any specific set-aside designations or restrictions limiting responses to disadvantaged enterprises or particular organizational types. Respondents must provide an advance payment of 20 percent of the estimated timber sale value (non-refundable but credited against weekly payments) and a $5,000 security deposit before agreement execution. All successful respondents must maintain workers' compensation insurance, commercial general liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate, automobile liability coverage of $100,000/$300,000/$100,000, and other specified insurance requirements with the District named as an additional insured party. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the procurement documents. The specific award value or budget range is not disclosed in the solicitation materials; however, the estimated timber volume of approximately 4,390 total tons will determine the contract value based on the per-ton bids submitted by respondents.