Cosumnes River Ecological Reserve Whaley Unit Permit for Excess Vegetation Disposal Permit P2026201

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a Permit for Excess Vegetation Disposal (Grazing) on approximately 175 acres of the Whaley Unit within the Cosumnes River Ecological Reserve in Sacramento County, California. The primary objective is to engage an experienced livestock operator to conduct vegetation management through cattle grazing under a four-year and nine-month permit agreement commencing December 1, 2026, and terminating August 31, 2031, with an annual grazing period of seven months from January 1 to July 31. The permittee must manage a maximum of 11 Animal Units (AUs) per month and comply with all Site Operation Plan requirements detailed in the permit documents. Qualified bidders must demonstrate a minimum of five years of wildlife-friendly grazing experience on public or conservation easement protected lands, provide two references from the past five years or one from the past two years for similar work, possess the ability to respond to emergencies within one hour, and maintain appropriate livestock. Evaluation of proposals will occur on a 150-point scale assessing qualifications (pass/fail), experience and organization (10 points), emergency response capability (10 points), detailed proposals addressing six management goals (15 points each totaling 90 points), and the proposed annual fee (40 points). Critical dates include a mandatory site inspection on May 7, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at 8656 Twin Cities Road, Galt, California; a proposal submission deadline of May 15, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. under sealed cover; evaluation and ranking on June 8, 2026; potential interviews on June 11, 2026; and an anticipated award date of June 16, 2026.

No specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises or restrictions limiting organizational types have been identified in the procurement documents. No current incumbent vendor has been designated for this opportunity. The permit requires the selected awardee to obtain comprehensive insurance coverage meeting state requirements, including a Certificate of Liability Insurance with minimum coverage limits of $1,000,000 per occurrence for Commercial General Liability (or Farm Liability) and Automobile Liability, $300,000 for Damage to Rented Premises, and $3,000,000 for General Aggregate, with all insurers rated at least A-/FSC Class VII by A.M. Best Company. Workers' Compensation insurance or an acceptable waiver letter is required, and the State of California must be named as an additional insured on all liability policies. The annual permit fee will be calculated as the proposed fee per AU per month multiplied by 11 AUs multiplied by 7 months, with fees due semi-annually on December 15 and April 1 each year; specific award values are not predetermined but will be determined based on the bidder's proposed pricing structure. Awardees must also comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and maintain the premises in condition upon expiration or earlier termination, with reasonable wear and tear excepted.