Harvest Coniferous Seed Cones from orchard trees at Schroeder Seed Orchard in St. Paul, OR

The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) has issued an Invitation to Bid (ITB) #03590 for cone harvesting services at the J.E. Schroeder Seed Orchard located in St. Paul, Oregon, within Marion County. The procurement seeks a contractor to manually harvest coniferous seed cones, specifically Douglas-Fir, Western Red Cedar, and Western Hemlock, with an estimated total of 8,750 bushels. The contractor will be responsible for furnishing all necessary equipment, labor, and supplies to complete the cone harvesting between August 1, 2022, and October 31, 2022. Evaluation criteria will focus on determining the lowest responsive and responsible bidder, with the agency reserving the right to award all, part, or none of the bid items. A voluntary pre-bid tour was scheduled for July 22, 2022, with bid submissions due by August 2, 2022. The initial contract term is one year, with options to renew for up to four additional one-year terms, creating a potential maximum contract duration of five years.

The ITB includes a Certified Disadvantaged Business Outreach Plan requirement, mandating bidders describe steps to solicit certified minority-owned, woman-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, or emerging small businesses for potential subcontracting opportunities. Bidders must disclose their certification status and past contractual relationships with certified and non-certified firms. The current incumbent contractor is Rue Forest Contracting Inc., which has an existing contract with the Oregon Department of Forestry. While specific budget details are limited, a note to the file indicates a potential total estimated contract value of $311,675.00 over the five-year term, with the original 2022 contract estimate at $415,440.00. The actual 2022 invoiced amount was $155,713.00, suggesting flexibility in annual cone harvest volumes. The contract will include provisions for annual price increases and requires bidders to demonstrate financial resources, equipment capabilities, personnel expertise, and a clean performance history.