Cross Bar / Al Bar Pine Straw Lease

Pinellas County is seeking a contractor to harvest pine straw from planted Slash pine located on Cross Bar and Al Bar Ranch, with the harvested material intended for sale on the open market. The contractor will lease designated blocks of timber from the county on a per-acre basis, with the county responsible for initial site preparation such as mowing and herbicide application at appropriate growth stages, based on recommendations from the county’s forestry consultant. After the county’s initial preparations and entry into the lease, the contractor assumes responsibility for ongoing timber stand maintenance and preparation, particularly after the trees reach six years of age. The contractor is limited to raking each stand of trees once annually, ensuring no stand is raked more than once within a twelve-month period. The solicitation, titled "Cross Bar / Al Bar Pine Straw Lease," was posted on February 28, 2024, with a response deadline of March 14, 2024. It is managed under solicitation number 23-0296-ITB, with the NAICS code 115310, indicating a focus on forestry services. The contract is overseen by Pinellas Utilities, a Florida-based agency, and interested parties can contact Soriel Cruz-Morales via email or phone for further information. The project aims to sustainably harvest pine straw while maintaining the health and growth of the timber stands, with the contractor responsible for all subsequent maintenance after initial county preparations.