Fall Viewing Opportunity, Cone Collection

The Fremont-Winema National Forest is offering a fall viewing opportunity related to a potential solicitation for cone collection activities planned in fiscal year 2019. Due to anticipated snow conditions during the upcoming season, this fall may present the only chance for interested parties to inspect the project sites physically. The project focuses on collecting cones from several conifer species such as whitebark pine, Ponderosa pine, Incense Cedar, and sugar pine. Collections will depend on cone crop availability and budget determinations made after surveys in spring or summer 2019. Seed collection will target established genetic locations including seed orchards, seed production areas, and natural stands, with a particular focus on breeding zones in the Watson Creek Fire area within the Paisley Ranger District. Whitebark pine collections will cover known sites across seven districts. There will be no scheduled group tours or Forest Service accompaniment for prospective bidders, placing the responsibility on offerors to conduct their own physical inspections to assess site conditions. The solicitation is identified as 1204U319P0001 under NAICS code 113210, managed by the Fremont Winema National Forest office in Lakeview, Oregon. Interested parties can contact technical lead Kari O'Leary or purchasing agent Linda C Watson for more information. This notice serves only as an early viewing opportunity and does not guarantee a solicitation, which depends on conditions evaluated after cone surveys later in the fiscal year.