FY26 Pre-Commercial Thinning Services

The ARNG-MTC Fort Pickett Forestry Section is soliciting pre-commercial thinning services on 56.5 acres of 5-year-old immature Southern Pine stands at MTC-Fort Pickett in south-central Virginia, with bids due August 6, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. via eVA Quick-Quote. Award priority applies to DSBSD-certified micro businesses or small businesses when bids are up to $10,000 and $100,000 respectively, provided bids are determined fair and reasonable.

Work must commence within 30 days of contract award and be completed no later than June 15, 2027. Thinning shall reduce stand density to approximately 436 trees per acre using hand release methods only—chainsaws, long-handle shears, and brush saws. Mechanical thinning is prohibited. Residual trees must be preferred species (Southern Pine, Oak, or yellow poplar), positioned as dominant or co-dominant, free of injury or disease, with straight stems and full crowns. Unacceptable practices include cutting trees leaning against crop trees, leaving live limbs on stumps, creating stumps exceeding 2 inches, leaving incompletely cut trees, damaging crop trees, felling in streams or roads, and creating non-horizontal stumps. Terrain consists of gently rolling grades of 3 to 6 percent with some areas exceeding 8 percent along drainage ways; all thinning areas are accessible via well-maintained gravel roads.

Bidders must submit per-acre pricing with a grand total amount. Award will be made on grand total basis to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. Payment is made only upon completion and approval of all work by the Fort Pickett Forester or Contract Administrator; partial payment applies to satisfactorily completed acreage. Bidders must certify inspection of the job site and awareness of work conditions. All contractors and subcontractors performing services over $10,000 must comply with federal immigration compliance, drug-free workplace, nondiscrimination, and forced-labor prohibitions. The vendor transaction fee is 1 percent, capped at $500 for DSBSD-certified small businesses and $1,500 for other businesses.