Request for bids: Tree work at Salmon and Packer Creek in 2025

In 2020, the South Yuba River Citizens League was awarded a planning grant by the Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) to conduct a Yuba River watershed wide aspen assessment. This watershed effort catalogued the location, health, and size of aspen stands. In total, the assessment surveyed 123 aspen stands covering 490 acres of the 807,078 acres on Tahoe National Forest land within the Yuba River watershed. SYRCL’s Yuba Watershed aspen assessment paired on the ground stand evaluations with the development of a quantitative prioritization tool to select high priority aspen for restoration. Of the 132 aspen surveyed in the Yuba River watershed field assessment, the Aspen Prioritization Tool identified Packer and Salmon Creek as the top site suitable for aspen restoration.

Assessments at Salmon and Packer Creek divided the project into five distinct treatment units. There are different treatment prescriptions depending on the terrain, presence of aspen, and stand composition present at the site. The total project area is 315 acres. Of those 315 acres, 203 acres have prescriptions for treatment. Within the boundary area of influence are four Forest Service Campgrounds: Packsaddle, Berger, Diablo, and Salmon Creek. Organizational camps under special permit with the Forest Service are also present within the project: Camp Wasiu II, Camp Chrysalis, Woodland Camp, and Camp O-Ki-Hi. These campgrounds provide vehicle access to different parts of the project area through existing infrastructure.

The objectives for the aspen restoration of this project area include reducing canopy competition from conifers, increasing solar radiation on the soil to promote aspen regeneration, and to introduce prescribed fire on the landscape for general forest health and to stimulate aspen suckering. Aspen provide ecosystem services that affect surrounding ecological communities such as landscape-scale fire resilience and improved water quality. This critical habitat acts as a refuge for flora and fauna in the Sierra Nevada headwater ecosystems.

The project is conducted under the guidance of SYRCL, on public lands administered by the Tahoe National Forest. Work will be done under the supervision of SYRCL staff Anne Marie Holt, Forest Conservation Project Manager, who will manage contracting and invoices.

Link to Bid Post on the California Bid Network

BID TOUR: October 17, 2024 — send request to join by October 15th at 3:00 pm to Anne Marie Holt at AnneMarie@yubariver.org

SUBMISSION: via email to Anne Marie Holt — AnneMarie@yubariver.org — with “Add to List of Potential Bidders” in the subject line by October 15th at 3:00PM to join the List of Potential Bidders and receive further correspondence and information pertaining to the site visit occurring on October 17th.

LOCATION: Salmon and Packer Creek in Sierra County on the Tahoe National Forest.

CONTRACT TIMELINE

1. Bids Due: November 13th, 2024. Questions regarding bids must be submitted by November 7th at 5:00PM. Email by November 7th, 2024 with questions pertaining to this RFB. Questions received after November 7th 2024 may not be answered. Answers to all questions and any addenda will be
posted via email to the List of Potential Bidders.

2. Work must be completed between September 1st and October 24th, 2025 and September 1st and October 23rd, 2026. Work may be phased over multiple years.