Japanese Beetle Quarantine Area Yard Debris Sites

The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) is issuing a Request for Qualifications and Quotations (RFQQ), Solicitation K6447, to procure services for constructing, staffing, and operating yard debris collection sites within the Japanese Beetle quarantine area in Yakima County, specifically in Grandview and/or Sunnyside, Washington. The objective is to establish compliant drop-off facilities that enable residents and businesses to properly dispose of regulated yard debris—including grass clippings, leaves, branches, brush, weeds, flowers, roots, windfall fruit, and vegetable garden debris—without violating WAC 16-470-717 restrictions that prohibit moving regulated articles outside the quarantine zone during the active Japanese Beetle flight season (May 15 through October 15). The contractor must construct and operate a facility capable of accommodating a minimum of 2,000 cubic yards of collected waste, verify that customers are located within the quarantine area using government-issued identification or utility bills, and maintain operations during the flight season while potentially conducting collection activities outside this period with WSDA approval. The contractor is responsible for obtaining all necessary permits and must comply with Washington Department of Ecology and local health authority regulations, with WSDA suggesting adherence to WAC-173-350-320(2) exemption #3 to potentially avoid permitting requirements. Evaluation will be based on a maximum of 400 points distributed across three criteria: state and local compliant drop-off site(s) operation (150 points), staffing and operation plans (150 points), and ability to maintain Japanese Beetle quarantine requirements (100 points), with proposals limited to five pages. Key dates include a preproposal conference on February 4, 2026, a questions and answers deadline of February 9, 2026 (with answers posted by February 10), a bid due date of February 20, 2026, apparent successful bidder announcement on February 25, 2026, and contract award anticipated March 2, 2026, with the initial contract term running from March 2 through December 31, 2026, and potential extension through December 31, 2027.

The WSDA evaluation process incorporates state procurement preference points totaling 100 of the 600 possible points, with 50 points available for Washington Small Businesses, 25 points for Certified Veteran-Owned Businesses, and 25 points for Executive Order 18-03 compliance (firms without mandatory individual arbitration clauses). The contract award will be made to the lowest responsive, responsible bidder offering the best total value pursuant to RCW 39.26, and WSDA reserves the right to award multiple contracts to different vendors for different service areas. Between 2022 and 2025, existing drop-off sites in Grandview and Sunnyside received more than 14,000 cubic yards of yard debris, demonstrating established infrastructure and community demand for these services. Bidders must submit required documentation including Bidder's Certification (Exhibit A-1), Bidder's Profile (Exhibit A-2), performance requirements confirmation, and completed bid pricing worksheets to the WSDA procurement coordinator. The estimated contract value is $350,000 for professional service fees and expenses during the initial contract term, though WSDA provides no guarantee of minimum purchases. All bid submissions are public records subject to disclosure under Washington's Public Records Act unless statutorily exempt, and submissions should be directed to Laura Holmes, Procurement Coordinator, at Laura.Holmes@agr.wa.gov.