Cowboy Hat Stewardship IRSC - Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit

Updated Oct 24, 2026

Sources Sought from the Forest Service, for work in South Lake Tahoe, California. Due Nov 2, 2026, 1:00 PM (UTC-8), 9 days left.

Official notice and attachments

Description

This Sources Sought / Request for Information (RFI) is issued solely for market research and planning purposes. It does not constitute a solicitation or a promise to issue a solicitation in the future. The Government will not reimburse accompanying costs.

Any answers or attachments provided are based upon the best information available at the time of the site visit and are subject to change. 1. Background & Purpose USDA Forest Service seeks capability statements from qualified vendors able to conduct forest thinning and vegetation treatments in areas burned by the Caldor Fire.

The goals of the project are to reduce hazardous fuels and create conditions appropriate for reestablishing forested landscapes. Stewardship Authority shall be utilized to award an Integrated Resource Service Contract. In accordance with the approved NEPA decision, Cut-to-Length harvesting is the required logging mechanism.

CTL typically consists of a harvester cutting and processing trees at the stump and a forwarder transporting the material to a designated landing location over a slash mat. The purpose of this SS/RFI is to gather information on vendor capabilities, invite prospective vendors to an organized site visit on 11/3/2026 before snow limits access, and provide draft documents to so that vendors can assess whether the opportunity is one to follow and potentially quote.

2. Anticipated Scope of Work The project objectives shall be met by performing the following service work. Cut, process, and forward to landings or pile included biomass in 3 units across 205 acres.

Within these units, cut standing dead conifer trees and forward to landings or pile. Treat fuels by mechanically masticating existing dead and down material, project-generated slash and brush. Remove slash and large dead and down to landings when necessary to meet the fuels treatment specification.

Remove biomass and cull logs from landings to off-Forest disposal sites. Construct temporary road to facilitate thinning treatment and decommission the roads prior to demobilization. Perform road maintenance and erosion control on roads used for biomass removal or otherwise damaged by Contractor’s operations.

Perform hand thinning and piling if awarded. 3. Place of Performance The project is located on the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit in portions of Township 11N Range 18E Section 5, and Township 12N Range 18E Sections 32 and 33; Mount Diablo Meridian, approximately 0.5 miles southeast of the intersection of California Highway 89 and US Highway 50. 4.

Period of Performance Anticipated start date: Early Summer 2027. Performance deadline: 9/15/2027. This deadline is linked to grant funding expiration.

5. Site Visit An organized site visit will occur on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. local time. Interested parties will meet in South Lake Tahoe, CA at the east end of Oneidas Street at the Forest Service Gate: 38°51'53.0"N 119°59'40.7"W. This location is south of Lake Tahoe Airport off of Pioneer Trail Road.

Interested parties should email Karen Ruklic at [email protected] by 1:00 p.m. PT on November 2, 2026, if they plan to attend. 6. Requested Capability Statement Content Company information (UEI, address, email, POC, business size and socio-economic status).

Relevant experience focused on thinning via Cut-to-Length logging system and hazardous fuel reduction. Key personnel and crew qualifications. Equipment lists and mobilization capabilities.

Past performance references. 7. Response Instructions & Due Date Any information submitted by vendors to this this SS/RFI is voluntary.

Responses should be submitted electronically to Karen Ruklic at [email protected]. All responses are due no later than Monday, November 2, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. PT.

Contracting contact

• Karen Ruklic, Contract Specialist · [email protected] · (208) 702-3519

As published on the official notice. Ask questions in writing and before any questions deadline the notice sets.

Is your business small enough?

For NAICS 113310, a business counts as small if it has no more than 500 employees (SBA size standard). This notice is set aside, so only businesses under that size, or in the named program, can bid. SBA table, current as of Oct 15, 2026.

Companies that win this kind of work

Federal contractors paid for logging work, who also hold Forest Service contracts (last 12 months): possible competitors, or partners to team with.

• Peachtree Lumber Company, Inc $99.6 million in this trade
• Noble Excavating Inc $6.5 million in this trade
• J J Excavation Inc $6.3 million in this trade
• Summitt Forests, Inc. $2,500 in this trade
• Miller Timber Services, Inc. $2,500 in this trade

About the buyer

The USDA Forest Service awarded $4.3 billion in contracts in the last 12 months; its biggest suppliers were Kiewit Infrastructure South Co, Perimeter Solutions LP and Aero-Flite, Inc.. See what Forest Service is buying now.

Who can bid: Small Business set-aside

Total and partial small business set-asides are open to any business under the SBA size standard for the notice's NAICS code.

All open Small Business set-asides.

Logging contracts right now

There are 9 open government contract opportunities in this trade (NAICS 113310), 3 posted in the last 7 days; 44% are set aside for small businesses. The agencies buying the most are Forest Service, Department of the Army and Department of the Navy. Most of the work with a stated place is in Texas, California and North Carolina. A notice in this trade gives a median of 43 days from posting to deadline; this one gives 10 days.

All open logging contracts

Coming up in this trade

Planned contracts from the agencies' procurement forecasts, often months before a solicitation. Plans can change.

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