NCFS-TIE 2026 Longleaf Pine Cone Harvest

The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Forest Service is requesting bids on pinecone collection services at two longleaf pine orchard sites in Bladen County, with bids due September 23, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. ET and a non-mandatory site visit on September 9, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. ET.

The scope spans simultaneous cone collection at Site 1 (32 acres, 481 trees, approximately 2,500 bushels) at 1404 Sweet Home Church Road, Elizabethtown, NC, and Site 2 (20 acres, 433 trees, approximately 1,500 bushels) at 570 Lula Long Road, Elizabethtown, NC, for an estimated total of 3,000 bushels. The contractor must furnish and operate four 4-wheel-drive lifts with a minimum 60-foot working height; additional lifts may be required at contractor expense if cone maturation accelerates. Hand or clipper collection of cones, bagging by family number, debris removal, and minimization of tree and limb damage are required. A bilingual job foreman must be provided. The North Carolina Forest Service will furnish crates, sacks, and containers and will provide pickup services.

Pricing is per-bushel collected, with separate unit prices required for Site 1 and Site 2 on Attachment A. The contract term runs from final execution through November 25, 2026. Weekly invoicing is due, with payment upon Contract Administrator approval. Award will be made to the lowest responsive bid. The awarded vendor must register with the North Carolina Secretary of State prior to contract execution. Financial stability certification, customer references, and background checks are required as conditions of award. Written questions are due September 16, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. ET, with responses provided by September 18, 2026.