Hazard Mitigation and Fuels Reduction Services on Umpqua National Forest

The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) is soliciting bids for hazard mitigation and fuels reduction services on the Umpqua National Forest in Douglas County, specifically within the Tiller ranger district. The Invitation to Bid (ITB) S-62900-00015353 seeks a contractor to complete four primary projects totaling approximately 21 acres: snag felling on 14.9 acres (involving approximately 292 standing dead trees), roadside preparation on 2.2 acres along 0.52 miles with four staging locations, hand line preparation on 3.62 acres, and hand line creation of 3,200 linear feet. The project's key objectives include preparing the unit for a broadcast burn and restoring natural meadows by reducing Douglas-fir overcrowding and reintroducing low-intensity fire regimes that favor white oak, ponderosa pine, and sugar pine. Bidders must hold a valid Oregon Forest Labor Contractor License with a forest category endorsement and demonstrate workforce capabilities, including at least one employee with four years of professional falling experience and three with minimum one year of experience. The bid opening is scheduled for February 6, 2026, at 2:00 PM Pacific Time, with an anticipated Notice of Intent to Award on February 13, 2026, and all ground-based work to be completed by June 30, 2026.

The solicitation includes a Certified Disadvantaged Business Outreach Plan Form that requires bidders to disclose their certification status under ORS 200.055 and commitment to providing equal opportunity participation to certified firms. Potential certifications include Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE), Minority-Owned Businesses (MBE), Women-Owned Businesses (WBE), Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Businesses (SDV), and Emerging Small Businesses (ESB). The project has a budget limitation of $40,000.00, funded through timber sale revenue on the Umpqua National Forest. Contractors must provide comprehensive insurance coverage, including Commercial General Liability ($1,000,000 per occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate), Automobile Liability ($1,000,000 combined single limit), and Workers' Compensation. The contract requires equipment such as track-mounted masticators capable of reaching 25 feet, with operations limited to roadside use between February 1 and June 30, 2026. All equipment must be cleaned of invasive species seeds and inspected by the U.S. Forest Service prior to use, with work subject to ODF quality assurance inspections.