Commercial Timbersale - Blackbird State Forest - White Road Tract

The Delaware Department of Agriculture Forest Service is soliciting bids for a commercial timber sale at Blackbird State Forest's White Road Tract through a Request for Proposal process. The procurement involves harvesting approximately 10 acres of sawtimber comprising 85 trees with a total volume of 49,559 board feet, including poplar (40,092 BF), hickory (7,756 BF), maple (983 BF), and gum (728 BF). Bidders must submit sealed proposals by 1:00 p.m. on June 3, 2026, with public opening and reading occurring at the Delaware Department of Agriculture Forest Service office located at 2320 S DuPont Hwy, Dover, DE 19901. The successful bidder must execute contract documents within 30 calendar days of notification, with the contract terminating 365 calendar days after execution unless extended. Evaluation is conducted on a 100-point scale consisting of prior harvesting evaluations (15 points), ability to perform including crew qualifications and references (5 points), equipment capability (5 points), and bid amount (75 points). Bidders must provide the total bid price per thousand board feet (MBF), names and references of all harvesting crew members subject to departmental approval, and certification of non-collusion. Required qualifications include maintaining liability insurance with minimum coverage of $100,000 per person and $300,000 per occurrence, plus property damage insurance of $50,000, and full compliance with best management practices, erosion and sediment control requirements, and state forestry regulations.

The solicitation does not identify specific set-aside designations or restrictions limiting bidder eligibility by organizational type or disadvantaged enterprise status. No incumbent contractors or existing vendor relationships are referenced in the available procurement documents. Each bid must be accompanied by a certified check deposit of $5,000 made payable to the Delaware Department of Agriculture Forest Service, which will be retained as a performance guarantee. The award value is directly tied to the bid amount submitted per thousand board feet, with the contract structure establishing compensation based on successful timber harvesting completion. Award notification will occur within 30 calendar days of bid opening, and the successful bidder assumes full responsibility for all restoration work, cleanup, and adherence to environmental and operational standards specified in the contract documents.