Urban Forest Master Plan

Chatham County is seeking proposals from qualified consulting firms to develop an Urban Forest Master Plan for unincorporated areas of the county. The project requires a comprehensive assessment of the urban forest, including data collection, stakeholder engagement, and development of a 20-year strategic framework with 5-year implementation strategies. Key deliverables include a tree canopy assessment with GIS data layers, draft and final plan documents, analysis maps, and presentation materials for the Board of Commissioners. A mandatory pre-proposal conference is scheduled for December 11, 2025, at 10:00 A.M. via WebEx, with proposal submissions due by 5:00 P.M. on January 6, 2026, through the county's procurement portal. The evaluation process will be conducted in three steps: initial proposal review focusing on experience, qualifications, project understanding, and MBE/WBE participation (worth 100 points), potential interviews, and final fee negotiations with the highest-ranked firm. Evaluation criteria include 30 points for experience, 30 points for qualifications, 25 points for project understanding, and 15 points for MBE/WBE participation.

The county emphasizes local and minority business enterprise (MBE/WBE) participation and requires proposers to demonstrate commitment to equal employment opportunity practices. Successful proposers must obtain Chatham County business licensing and maintain specific insurance coverages, including Commercial General Liability of $1,000,000, Worker's Compensation with $500,000 minimum limits, Business Automobile Liability of $1,000,000, and Professional Liability insurance of $1 million per claim. The project budget ranges from $80,000 to $100,000, with the selected consultant required to execute the contract within 30 days of award and not commence work until receiving a Notice to Proceed. Previous relevant work includes a canopy assessment from 2014 by the Savannah Tree Foundation and a canopy change assessment (2010-2019) by Georgia Tech, with existing GIS layers and tree inventory data available for consultant use. The county also has an existing tree ordinance, which will provide context for the urban forest master plan development.