East John Bethea 25/26 Timber Sale

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Florida Forest Service is seeking sealed bids for a timber sale on approximately 310 acres of 23- to 33-year-old planted slash pine located in John M. Bethea State Forest in Baker County. The procurement involves a fourth-row thinning with logger select methodology across four distinct areas: Area One (41 acres), Area Two (95 acres), Area Three (68 acres), and Area Four (106 acres). The primary objective is to remove every fourth row of trees and selectively harvest additional trees to achieve a target basal area of 60 square feet per acre, prioritizing the removal of diseased, damaged, defective, forked, and suppressed trees. Estimated timber volumes for removal include 9,948 tons of pine pulpwood and 5,029 tons of pine chip-and-saw and better. The contract will be for twelve months, with sealed bids to be opened on November 18, 2025, at 10:00 AM EST at 137 Se Forestry Circle, Lake City, Florida. Interested parties must contact Garrett Henderson at (904) 259-2157 for complete bid information, and the Florida Forest Service reserves the right to reject any and all bids.

The timber sale opportunity appears to be open to all qualified bidders without specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises. The sale area is located on an SFI Certified Forest (Forest #NSF-SFI-FM-C0245755), indicating compliance with sustainable forestry standards. Decks and skid trails will be designated with blue paint, and property boundary trees marked with white bands or property signs are not to be harvested or damaged. While specific award values are not explicitly stated, the volume of timber (approximately 14,977 total tons) suggests a potentially significant contract value. The Forester-in-Charge retains the flexibility to adjust the target basal area per acre or number of trees per acre based on variations in stand and site conditions. The sale is authorized by Wilton Simpson, Commissioner of Agriculture, with Glenn Davis of the Suwannee Forestry Center available for additional information at (386) 243-6240.