RFB02182026 For License Salvage Timber Sale

The Commonwealth of Kentucky, Department of Finance and Administration Cabinet, Division of Real Properties, on behalf of the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves, is issuing Request for Bids (RFB) 785 2600000350 for a License Salvage Timber Sale at Frances Johnson Palk State Nature Preserve located in Pulaski County, Kentucky. This solicitation seeks qualified timber harvesting contractors to remove downed timber and timber debris from approximately 168.63 acres within the preserve. The successful bidder will have two years from contract execution to complete all timber removal operations and must submit a lump sum payment bid for all timber products harvested, with road improvement costs deductible from the total price. The forestry data indicates the stand contains approximately 3,445 board feet per acre with a projected harvest of 338 board feet per acre, dominated by sawtimber species including Red Oak (37.5 percent of total volume), White Oak (27.6 percent), and Hickory (20.9 percent). Bidders must qualify by conducting a required site visit coordinated by the OKNP area manager and must provide up to three landowner references from timber harvesting work completed within the past five years, or character references if lacking prior experience. Evaluation criteria allocate 55 points to revenue payable to the Commonwealth and 45 points to evaluation of prior work quality based on references. Bids must be submitted by 3:00 PM Eastern Time on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, at the Division of Real Properties, Bush Building, 3rd Floor, 403 Wapping Street, Frankfort, Kentucky, with bid opening occurring on the submission date and public access available via conference call at 502-782-CONF (2663) using code 240522021. Interested parties should contact Kelly Hawkins at 502-229-4366 for additional information.

The Commonwealth reserves the right to reject any or all bids, and no online bidding is permitted for this opportunity. Bidders must obtain liability insurance with a $1,000,000 Combined Single Limit and comply fully with all Kentucky Forest Conservation Act Best Management Practices, including equipment cleaning, water quality protection, and proper road maintenance. A performance bond of $5,000 is required within five days of contract signing, with an additional $10,000 bond required before operations commence; the full $10,000 bond and complete lump sum price must be paid prior to any harvesting activity. No live trees may be cut except those posing safety hazards, and all operations require approval and oversight from the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves, with a Kentucky Master Logger required to be present during all harvesting activities. The solicitation does not specify set-asides for disadvantaged enterprises or restrictions on organizational types eligible to respond, nor does it identify incumbent vendors or current contractors. No specific award value or budget range is disclosed in the available documentation, as compensation is determined through the competitive bidding process based on the lump sum amount submitted by the successful bidder.