Contractor Pool for Fuels Reduction & Habitat Restoration

Wasco County Soil and Water Conservation District is soliciting proposals to establish a contractor pool for fuels reduction and habitat restoration, with questions due November 9, 2026 and proposals due November 30, 2026 at 1:00 PM. The RFP is issued with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and Oregon Department of Forestry for the Stockton Oak Project within the White River Wildlife Area in Wasco County, Oregon. Eligibility requires contractors to be currently licensed by the Oregon Secretary of State, in compliance with applicable state tax laws, and to hold a current Oregon contractor license.

Pool members will perform mastication treatments, mechanical cut and pile treatments, and hand cut and pile treatments with herbicide application, plus additional restoration or fuels reduction treatments. Work is assigned project by project through future Mini-RFPs under Work Order Contracts, and selection into the pool does not guarantee work. The SWCD intends to award up to eight Agreements-To-Agree, with an initial term of two years and a maximum duration of six years including extensions. Required insurance includes workers' compensation, professional liability ($1,000,000 per claim), general liability ($1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 annual aggregate), and automobile liability ($1,000,000 per occurrence).

Pricing is not evaluated in this pool RFP; cost proposals are evaluated in Mini-RFPs when projects are assigned. Proposals are scored on a 100-point system: relevant fuels reduction and restoration experience (25 points), state and public contract experience (15), personnel qualifications (25), equipment capacity and suitability (15), references and past performance (15), and proposal quality and completeness (5). Submissions require a completed Proposal Cover Sheet and responses to five qualification questions covering company information, organizational qualifications, relevant project experience (minimum three and maximum six projects), equipment inventory, and safety programs.

The protest period ends November 23, 2026 at 5:00 PM, proposal opening occurs November 30, 2026 at 1:01 PM, and evaluation is due for completion by December 4, 2026. Proposals go to Abbie Forrest at the SWCD office, 2325 River Road, Suite 3, The Dalles, OR 97058.