University of Florida Timber Sale - Beef Unit

The University of Florida Board of Trustees is soliciting sealed, per-unit (pay-as-cut) offers for a timber sale and harvesting opportunity at its Beef Research Unit located in Gainesville, Alachua County, Florida. The procurement encompasses approximately 155 acres of timber across three distinct harvest types: Selective Harvest of Marked Natural Pine (62.1 acres), 3rd-Row Thin with Select in Plantation (60.7 acres), and a Clearcut area (32.5 acres). Bidders must submit offers on a per-ton basis with separate pricing for pine pulpwood/mulchwood/chips, dimensional pine, and blended hardwood. Qualified bidders must demonstrate Master Logger status and provide proof of required insurance, including Workers Compensation, Commercial General Liability ($1,000,000 per occurrence), and Automobile Liability ($1,000,000 per occurrence). The sealed offers are due by 3:30 PM on February 12, 2026, with the offer opening at 4:00 PM the same day, and potential contractors can inspect the property by contacting Aaron Smith at 850.688.4425. Award will be made on an all-or-none basis to a single offeror providing the optimum per-ton offer, with the successful bidder having one year to complete harvesting operations.

There are no specific set-aside designations or restrictions for disadvantaged enterprises mentioned in the procurement documents. The successful bidder must sign a Timber Sale Agreement and provide a $5,000 security deposit within 30 days of notification or two days prior to commencing harvesting. Payment terms require submissions no less than every two weeks, beginning no later than two weeks after harvesting commences, with all checks made payable to the University of Florida. While no specific incumbent vendors are listed, the procurement requires strict compliance with Florida Silviculture Best Management Practices and Forestry-Wildlife Best Management Practices, with additional expectations of reforestation or maintaining forestland in compliance with European Union Deforestation Regulations. The timber sale involves multiple pine stands with varying ages and compositions, including natural longleaf and slash pine plantations, with estimated tree densities ranging from 47 to 170 trees per acre and average diameters between 5.6 and 13.1 inches. Though no precise total contract value is specified, the comprehensive timber sale covers 155 acres of diverse forest terrain.