THOMAS CREEK CONSERVATION AREA, DUVAL COUNTY Cooked Hoof Road Timber Sale

The St. Johns River Water Management District is seeking sealed bids for a timber sale located in the Thomas Creek Conservation Area within Duval County, Florida. The procurement involves a clearcut harvest of approximately 118 acres of a slash pine plantation established in 1993, with an estimated timber volume of 2,800 tons of pine pulpwood, 2,880 tons of chip-n-saw, 4,790 tons of sawtimber, and 566 tons of hardwood. Bidders must submit several required documents, including a Bid Schedule, Respondent Qualification Form, Certificate of Entity's Authority to do Business in Florida, and an Affidavit of Non-Collusion. The successful bidder must have a logging crew supervisor with current certification from a logger-training program approved by a Sustainable Forestry Initiative Implementation Committee. The bid is due on March 20, 2025, at 2 P.M. at the District's headquarters in Palatka, Florida, with bids to be publicly opened immediately after the submission deadline. The contract term is 12 months from the effective date, with provisions for potential extensions.

The timber sale requires an advance payment of 15% of the estimated timber value and includes a security deposit of $5,000. While no specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises are mentioned, bidders must demonstrate the ability to harvest all merchantable timber within the sale area, which is bounded by a railroad track, bayhead swamps, and a posted property boundary. The sale area is located in Section 27, Township 1 North, Range 25 East, and maps are included in the attached agreement. Although a specific budget range is not explicitly stated, the timber sale involves substantial volume across multiple timber classifications, suggesting a significant potential contract value. The procurement appears to be open to qualified logging and timber harvesting companies with appropriate certifications and the capability to complete a comprehensive clearcut harvest within the specified conservation area.