Tract-Wide 23/24 Timber Sale

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Florida Forest Service is seeking sealed bids for the sale of timber. This per unit timber sale with advance payment is a forest wide thinning of overstocked stands in the Richloam Tract of the Withlacoochee State Forest (see attached location and tract maps). The sale contains 98 acres of available timber for harvest. Timber available for removal and harvest technique will be defined by the forester in charge and will be approximately 35% of total volume within each stand within the sale area. Generally, the harvesting techniques within the planted areas of the sale will be the removal of every third row combined with an operator selection of diseased, defective, and suppressed trees in the remaining rows. The harvesting technique within the natural areas of the sale will be an operator select thinning to a residual pine basal area of 50-60 square feet per acre. Pine trees that are diseased, forked, overtopped should be favored for removal. Any longleaf pine trees found within any part of the sale should be favored for preservation. The management goal in all sale areas is to leave 50 to 60 square feet basal area of the healthiest and best formed pine trees and/or to the satisfaction of the forester in charge. Wetland areas and the fringe of wetland areas bordering the pine stands are not to be harvested including any large remnant live oak within the pine stands. The estimated volumes for this sale are 2,677 tons of chip-n-saw and better and 2,368 tons of pulpwood/mulchwood. The sale boundaries are designated by roads, distinct stand type changes, or orange paint. Any pine timber marked with orange paint is excluded from the sale and must not be harvested. Due to the vicinity of and inclusion of wetlands within the sale perimeter, all best management practices will be strictly adhered to. The length of the sale agreement will be for twelve (12) months. Interested parties may obtain complete bid information by contacting Daniel Taylor at +1 (555) 000-0000.The Florida Forest Service reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive any irregularity in bids received.