P2025107 Request for Proposal Tehama Wildlife Area - Plum Creek Allotment

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a Permit for Excess Vegetation Disposal through cattle grazing on the Plum Creek Allotment within the Tehama Wildlife Area in Tehama County. The procurement seeks experienced livestock owners and operators to conduct grazing operations on approximately 1,088 acres, with the primary objectives of vegetation management and deer winter range habitat protection. Bidders must have a minimum of ten years of wildlife-friendly grazing experience on public or conservation easement protected lands and demonstrate the ability to respond to emergencies within two hours. The proposal requires only cattle for grazing, with strict residual dry matter (RDM) guidelines of a minimum of 446 pounds and a maximum of 800 pounds per acre at the end of each annual grazing period. The RFP includes a comprehensive evaluation process with pass/fail assessments and a scoring system worth up to 140 points across eight specific operational goals. Key dates include a mandatory site inspection on October 17, 2025, at 1:00 p.m., proposal submissions due by October 31, 2025, at 5:00 p.m., evaluation and ranking on November 3, 2025, and a proposed award date of November 12, 2025.

The permit will be a four-year and seven-month agreement, commencing December 1, 2025, or upon state approval, with an annual grazing period from January 15 through May 15 each year. There are no specific set-aside designations or restrictions for disadvantaged enterprises mentioned in the documentation. The annual fee will be calculated based on the proposed fee per acre multiplied by 1,088 acres and four months of the grazing period, with payments due annually from November 2025 through December 2029. Successful bidders must provide comprehensive insurance documentation, including Commercial General Liability with minimum coverage of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $3,000,000 aggregate, Automobile Liability of $1,000,000, and comply with Workers' Compensation insurance requirements. The CDFW reserves the right to reject all proposals and is not obligated to award the permit, with evaluations conducted on a best-value basis rather than lowest cost. While a specific budget range is not explicitly stated, the permit's financial structure suggests a potential annual value based on the per-acre fee proposed by the successful bidder.