Provide comprehensive cone collection and seed collection tree climbing training services.

New Mexico Highlands University is soliciting bids for comprehensive cone collection and seed collection tree climbing training services under a sole-source procurement with a deadline of August 22, 2026. SEGI Reforestation Inc. is the sole-source awardee; the procurement is posted for the mandatory 30-day protest period and represents a decision-flipping constraint — no competitive bidding will occur.

The scope encompasses specialized training in tree seed and cone collection climbing techniques to develop a New Mexico-based workforce supporting the state's reforestation needs through the New Mexico Reforestation Center. NMHU determined that SEGI is the only vendor nationwide offering comprehensive training at the required scale. Tree seed collection is an extremely specialized discipline with limited qualified practitioners; while skilled tree climbers exist in arboriculture, firms providing climber training lack the necessary expertise in seed collection. SEGI currently provides similar training for state and federal seed collection climbers in California under contract to CALFIRE.

The contract value is $116,700. The sole-source awardee is SEGI Reforestation Inc., located at 2006 Woody Road, McKinleyville, California 95519-8049, with primary contact Garrison Rowland (garrison.rowland@segireforestation.com, +1 530-470-3570). The procurement was approved by Jennifer Madrid, Director of the Purchasing Department, on July 23, 2026.