McLear Thinning Stewardship Project - Timber Contract with imbedded service work.

The Forest Service will soon be soliciting the McLear Thinning Stewardship Project located in Allegany County, VA approximately 5 miles west of Covington, VA along Route 600. This project includes thinning of approximately 61 acres of a 40 year old stand and involves a combination of timber and service work items associated with the stewardship project. The resultant contract will be considered a timber contract with imbedded service work. Timber to be cut within the project area includes an estimated 670 CCF of non-sawtimber products designated for cutting. In addition, there is within the contract area an estimated volume of 400 to 600 tons of traditionally non-merchantable woody biomass that the contractor agrees to remove at a fixed rate. Five stewardship service work items are included in the project. Mandatory service work items include: 1) disking, liming, fertilization, seeding, and mulching of approximately 5 acres to create wildlife openings and/or linear strips and 2) the removal of the woody material from 4 inches to 2 inches in diameter on the merchantable trees designated for cutting (approximately 400 tons). Optional service work items include: 3) cutting and removal of understory and midstory stems from 2 inches to 4 inches in diameter at breast height (approximately 600 tons), 4) planting 20 stems of hard and/or soft mast species in the wildlife openings, and 5) construction of an earthen berm to block vehicular access to the harvested unit. Proposals will be evaluated on a best value basis and offerors must submit a technical proposal describing how harvesting and service work will be completed, as well as, a total value for the timber and the per unit rate for completing each service work item. The Forest Service expects to solicit this stewardship contracting project by July 11, 2008. If you have questions or would like to receive a copy of the solicitation package, please contact Russ MacFarlane or Gene McGregor at the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest, 5162 Valleypointe Pkwy, Roanoke, VA 24019, phone +1 (555) 000-0000.