Clark Bay Conservation Area; Clark Bay Longleaf Thinning Timber Sale

The Governing Board of the St. Johns River Water Management District is requesting sealed bids for a per-ton timber sale comprising approximately 173.3 acres within the Clark Bay Conservation Area in Volusia County, Florida, with bids due September 28, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. The sale involves logger-select thinning of mature longleaf pine stands established in 2004.

The scope requires removal of every third row for access, followed by selective thinning of remaining rows to achieve a target density of 150 trees per acre or a basal area of 50 to 60 square feet per acre. Harvesting priority is diseased, defective, and suppressed trees first, then intermediate and co-dominant trees as needed to reach target density; dominant trees shall not be harvested from remaining rows. The District estimates approximately 3,518 tons of pine pulpwood and 208 tons of chip-n-saw timber available, though the District does not guarantee that volume is present.

The agreement term is 12 months from the Effective Date, with a requirement that 50 percent of the acres be harvested within nine months if adequate harvesting conditions exist. The contract includes provisions for extension due to unforeseeable circumstances, with rainfall adjustments allowing one-day extensions for every half-inch of rain exceeding 15 percent above normal monthly precipitation.

Award will be made to the responsive and responsible bidder submitting the highest per-ton bid for pine pulpwood and better. An advance payment of 20 percent of the estimated timber sale value is required before contract execution and will be credited against initial weekly payments once harvesting commences. A security deposit of $5,000 is also required before execution. The logging crew supervisor must possess current certification from an approved logger-training program including Georgia's Master Timber Harvester, Florida's Master Logger, or Alabama's Professional Logging Manager. The purchaser must maintain commercial general liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate, workers' compensation insurance, and automobile liability coverage. The purchaser bears all costs for timber removal, equipment, labor, site restoration, and compliance with state and federal forestry regulations and Best Management Practices. Addendum 1 emphasizes that bids must be submitted exclusively through District-approved procurement portals; contact Procurement Specialist Breanna Pierce at (386) 643-1168 or BPierce@sjrwmd.org for questions or to verify solicitation authenticity.