P2025108 Request for Proposal Tehama Wildlife Area - Plum Ridge Allotment

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is seeking qualified livestock owners and operators to obtain a Permit for Excess Vegetation Disposal through a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Plum Ridge Allotment within the Tehama Wildlife Area. The procurement involves cattle grazing operations on approximately 5,347 acres to manage deer winter range habitat while meeting specific residual dry matter (RDM) targets between 446 and 800 pounds per acre. Bidders must demonstrate a minimum of ten years' experience with wildlife-friendly grazing operations on public or conservation lands and the ability to respond to emergencies within two hours. The evaluation criteria allocate 140 total points across mandatory pass/fail requirements and scored proposals addressing eight specific operational goals, with cost proposals receiving 10 points based on the highest bid formula. 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 completion by November 3, 2025, and a proposed award date of November 12, 2025.

The permit is specifically restricted to cattle grazing and requires bidders to provide livestock that are evenly distributed across the allotment while avoiding negative impacts to riparian and wetland areas. Bidders must submit one original and three copies of the proposal in sealed cover to the CDFW Administrative Contact in Redding, California. The permit term will extend for four years and seven months, from December 1, 2025, to June 30, 2030, with an annual grazing period from January 15 through May 15. The annual fee will be calculated by multiplying the proposed fee per acre by 5,347 acres and the four-month grazing period, with payments due in November 2025 and December of subsequent years. Successful bidders must maintain comprehensive insurance coverage, including $1,000,000 in Commercial General Liability, with the State of California named as an additional insured. While no specific set-aside designations are mentioned, bidders must comply with detailed insurance and operational requirements outlined in the accompanying documentation. The contract does not include renewal options, and the total potential value will be determined by the winning bidder's per-acre fee proposal.