Whaleback and Huckleberry Meadow Enhancement 2026-27 Slash/Pile Project

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is requesting bids on pre-commercial thinning, brush cutting, and slash treatment services for up to 124 acres of meadow enhancement within Whaleback Unit 2 on Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest lands near Union Creek, Oregon under ITB 307-26, with bids due November 2, 2026 at 3:00 PM and a mandatory pre-bid conference and site visit on October 21 at 9:30 AM at the High Cascades Ranger District office in Prospect.

Bidders must demonstrate three years in business and provide three references from similar projects within the last five years. The scope requires hand-tool-only vegetation cutting, including pre-commercial thinning of small-diameter conifers, slash bucking, lopping, and hand piling of materials into 6-foot-cube piles covered with polyethylene plastic. Technical specifications detail tree selection criteria, buffer zones around riparian areas and huckleberry patches, and leave-tree avoidance areas. Contractor access is restricted November 4–13, 2026 during the General West Cascade Elk Season, and operations are subject to Industrial Fire Precaution Levels that may limit work during fire season beginning early June. All work must be completed by June 30, 2027, with invoices due by July 31, 2027.

Compensation is calculated on a per-completed-acre basis; acreage may be adjusted up or down based on the successful bid price to align with the Agency's allocated budget. A mandatory kick-off meeting and site visit must occur within 15 business days after contract execution. The contractor must maintain Commercial General Liability Insurance of at least $1 million per occurrence and $2 million annual aggregate, Automobile Liability Insurance of $1 million, and Workers' Compensation Insurance as required by Oregon law. The contract is awarded to the lowest responsible bidder whose bid substantially complies with all requirements. Questions are due October 22 by 3:00 PM, with answers provided by October 23. Notice of Intent to Award is anticipated November 5, 2026, and contract execution is expected November 6–9, 2026. The project is funded through the Pittman-Robertson Act and a Good Neighbor Authority Agreement, with match funding from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.