SERAL Phase III, Part 2

The County of Tuolumne is seeking proposals from qualified individuals to conduct forest fuels reduction projects.

Contractors will conduct forest fuel reduction using a suite of treatments such as mastication, hand thinning, chipping and piling, and the creation of fuelbreaks as authorized in the Master Stewardship Agreement (MSA) the County has with the USDA, Forest Service, Stanislaus National Forest on behalf of the Yosemite Stanislaus Solutions (YSS) Collaborative and contained in the Social and Ecological Resilience Across the Landscape (SERAL) Record of Decision. The County has received additional funding to create a contiguous fuelbreak by connecting private land parcels. These fuelbreaks will encompass both federal and private property ownership.

The County intends to select Contractors that meet the specifications of this Solicitation based on best value.

The Phase 3 project consists of approximately 7,200 acres of fuelbreaks and fuel reductions combined. This RFP is for work on the last 4 items totaling approximately 3,280 acres. Specifications and different treatment actions are detailed in Section 2. Scope of Services. It is the County’s intent to have all forest fuels reduction and fuelbreak work completed by October 31, 2026.

In December 2017, the Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors approved a Master Stewardship Agreement (MSA) with the USDA, Forest Service, and Stanislaus National Forest on behalf of the Yosemite Stanislaus Solutions (YSS) Collaborative, giving the County authority, over the next 10 years, to work with the Forest Service to conduct landscape restoration activities on the Stanislaus National Forest within the boundaries of Tuolumne County. In July 2024, this agreement was extended an additional 10 years until 2038. The County has received additional funding to create a contiguous fuelbreak by connecting private land parcels. These fuelbreaks will encompass federal and private property ownership.

The Supplemental Project Agreements (SPA) developed under the MSA are for the purpose of protecting, enhancing, and restoring forest and watershed health and bringing economic opportunities to the local area. The County is using the collaborative group YSS and its sub-partners inside YSS to assist with Forest Health Projects.

Tuolumne River Trust (TRT) has been sub-contracted by the County for program administration and project management. TRT will supervise Contractors and oversee the work being done on this project on federal property. The County has subcontracted a team of Registered Professional Foresters (RPFs) to manage project activities on private property in collaboration with TRT and oversee compliance with Forest Practice Rules on private property with day-to-day project management performed by TRT.