Contracting
Mark Twain National Forest annually on average procures goods and services valued at more than two million dollars from non-government sources.
In addition, Mark Twain National Forest offers stewardship contracting opportunities, which include exchanges of goods for services, and commercial timber sales through competitive bids.
Stewardship Contracting Opportunities
In 2003, Congress enacted legislation allowing US Forest Service to enter into stewardship contracts, which can be as long as 10 years, to meet land management objectives.
Stewardship contracting authority allows forest products to be exchanged for ecological restoration services, which may include thinning and removing brush; restoring watershed areas, and restoring wildlife and fish habitat.
Stewardship contracting opportunities also allow private businesses and organizations to do tree thinning and small trees and undergrowth removal as partial payment, with stewardship contractors keeping part of what they remove.
Stewardship contracting is focused on working with other federal, state, regional, non-profit and private partners.
Commercial Timber Sales
Commercial timber sales are governed by separate federal regulations.
Prospective bidders are contacted individually as well as having legal notices about upcoming projects available through local newspapers of record.
Other Contracting Opportunities
Forest Service procurements are guided by Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and other U.S. Department of Agriculture and Forest Service rules and regulations. These are different from private contracting practices and are based on public laws instead of the Uniform Commercial Code.
Contracted services include but are not limited to:
- Tree thinning
- Archeological surveys
- Boundary line surveys
- Road and trail maintenance
- Janitorial services and waste removal
- Building construction, maintenance and repairs
- Botanical surveys
Contracting with US Forest Service
Requests for proposals and solicitation for bids is done through the federal government’s web site “Federal Business Opportunities” also commonly referred to as “Fed Biz Opps.”
More Information on Contracting
Three web sites provide information on contracting for goods and services with the federal government.
- Federal Business Opportunities siteknown as FedBizOpps is where commercial vendors may search and retrieve opportunities solicited by the entire Federal contracting community, including US Forest Service.
- Department of Agriculture’s Office of Procurement and Property Management.
- US Forest Service acquisitions.