Commercial Timber Sale - Redden State Forest - Rayne Tract

The Delaware Department of Agriculture Forest Service is seeking bids for a commercial timber sale and thinning operation at Redden State Forest's Rayne Tract, encompassing 186.2 acres across three stands located approximately 1 mile east of Georgetown, Delaware, near the corner of Savannah Road and Rudd Road. The procurement requires the removal of pulpwood and sawtimber using the savanna thinning method, with specific operational specifications for each stand: Stands 3 and 5 require a residual basal area of 50 square feet per acre with skid roads on 75-foot centers, while Stand 4 requires a residual basal area of 60 square feet per acre with skid roads on 50-foot centers. Successful bidders must demonstrate prior harvesting experience, qualified crew certifications, appropriate equipment capabilities, and the ability to comply with all Best Management Practices and erosion and sediment control requirements under Delaware law. Bidders must submit a $5,000 certified check as a bid deposit and carry liability insurance with minimum coverage of $100,000 per person and $300,000 per occurrence, plus $50,000 in property damage insurance and workers' compensation coverage. Bids must be received by 1:00 p.m. on May 7, 2026, at the Department's offices in Dover, Delaware, with public opening and reading of proposals occurring immediately thereafter. Contract award is expected within 30 calendar days of bid opening, with a contract term of 365 calendar days from execution and possible extensions available upon written request at least two weeks before expiration. Evaluation will be based on 100 points: prior harvesting evaluations (15 points), ability to perform contract requirements and crew qualifications (5 points), equipment capabilities (5 points), and bid amount (75 points), with payment made weekly based on haul/weight slips submitted to the Forest Service from state-certified scales.

The RFP does not identify any set-aside designations, disadvantaged enterprise restrictions, or incumbent vendors or current contractors. The document does not indicate limitations on organization types that may respond to this procurement. No specific award value or budget range is provided in the available documentation; however, compensation will be determined by the bid amount submitted and the actual volume of timber harvested and delivered, as measured by weight slips from state-certified scales. The successful bidder must also assume full responsibility for all restoration and seeding of landing sites and roads upon completion of operations, and failure to meet crew member approval, maintain required insurance, or comply with operational specifications will result in forfeiture of the bid deposit.