Turkey Trot 23/24 Timber Sale

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Florida Forest Service is seeking sealed bids for the sale of timber. This is a per unit, logger select, second thinning sale of approximately 265 acres of mature slash pine plantation on the Snipe Island Unit of Big Bend Wildlife Management Area located in Taylor County, Florida (see attached tract & location maps.) Contract length is twelve (12) months. This harvest is a second thinning. Timber to be removed will be harvested based upon the following criteria and in order of importance: diseased, damaged, defective, forked and suppressed trees shall be harvested first followed by a portion of the intermediate and co-dominant trees to achieve a residual basal area of 30-50 square feet per acre.

Approximately 32 acres of the sale area has been marked as an example area. Within the marked sample areas, the trees marked with Blue paint represent CUT trees. The pine trees with no paint are not included in the sale. Upon completion of harvest within this area, the marked area should be a good reference as to the desired density and quality of leave trees for the remainder of the sale area. The remainder of the sale area has not been marked (there are 5 sample areas marked to be used as an example). It will be the responsibility of the buyer to leave an average of 30 to 50 square feet of pine basal area per acre. The remainder of the sale area, being unmarked, will include co-dominant and suppressed trees of poor quality and form and those trees with obvious defects such as forks, cankers, crooks, and broken tops.

Boundaries of the sale areas are forest type changes, roads or flagging as depicted on attached sale maps. This will be a twelve (12) month contract. The estimated volumes are: 926 tons pine pulpwood, 1,206 tons pine chip and saw, and 3,132 tons pine sawtimber. Each timber sale settlement is to be written in two separate checks in the following percentages: 90% to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and 10% to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. All checks should be sent to the Forester-In-Charge along with all other settlement information. Interested parties may obtain complete bid information by contacting Michael Edwards at (352) 540-6041.

The Florida Forest Service reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive any irregularity in bids received.