2027 LaCroix Ranger District IRSCs

1. Background & Purpose

The U.S. Forest Service seeks capability statements and questionnaire responses from timber operators, fuels contractors, or firms with both capabilities able to conduct hazardous fuels reduction treatments through timber harvest in difficult to access locations within the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) on the LaCroix Ranger District.  There are four (4) main project areas associated with this RFI and shown on the table below.

Unit Name                                         Acres                    Volume MBF

Can Crusher Treatment Area             417                        3,927

Finkus Treatment Area                      1061                      6,366

Pac Man Treatment Area                   450                        5,447

Wild Treatment Area                          175                        1,050

Totals                                               2,103                    16,790

2. Anticipated Scope of Work

• Timber Removal:
• Harvest approximately 16.8MMBF (million board feet) of low-value timber via clearcut, shelterwood, and/or commercial thinning across 2,100 acres in four project locations.
• Temporary road construction and obliteration.
• Slash piling and covering.
• Service work may include:
• Pre-commercial thinning and/or Timber stand improvement
• Forest system road improvements for erosion control and water quality
• Manual and/or mechanical fireline construction
• Fuel Break establishment and maintenance
• Hazardous Fuel Reduction (Hazardous fuels include balsam fir and other small diameter sub-merchantable species, dead standing, dead down, brush, limbs, and logging slash.)
• Mastication/Mulching/Crushing
• Chipping
• Slashing
• Manual or mechanical cut and pile, including covering
• Removal of non-merchantable (biomass) material

3. Place of Performance

Four project areas located on the LaCroix Ranger District of the Superior National Forest. Locations are identified on the attached map

4. Period of Performance

A solicitation is anticipated to be posted no later than spring of 2027 with all work completed by May 2031 if awarded.

5. Requested Capability Statement

• Capability Statement elements:
• Company information (UEI, address, POC, socio-economic status).
• NAICS codes registered
• Summary of relevant experience in conducting timber harvest in northern Minnesota, including timber removal via thinning or clearcut, crushing and/or slashing sub-merch material, temporary road construction in winter/summer conditions, and general road maintenance on forest roads during hauling.
• Experience with stand improvement and hazardous fuel reduction treatments.
• Safety program details and crew qualifications.
• Equipment lists and mobilization capabilities.

6. Project Questionnaire

1. What is your interest in all or some of the identified project areas?  If you are not interested in certain areas or treatments, please explain.
2. Are the timeline and period of performance dates, as outlined in this RFI, feasible for your company?
3. What potential challenges or obstacles do you foresee in executing this project, and how might they impact your operations?
4. What benefits do you anticipate from this opportunity?
5. What is your experience with Designation by Prescription or Description without individual tree marking (basal area, spacing, species, etc.)?
6. How would you propose pricing be structured?
7. Is there anything you would like to add that could improve the project plan prior to the solicitation of proposals? We welcome any comments or suggestions that might enhance project design and execution.

7. Response Instructions & Due Date

Responses must be submitted electronically to: [email protected] and [email protected].  All responses are due no later than 08:00 A.M. PDT on 06/01/2026.  Late submissions may not be considered.

8. Open House

We invite interested parties to attend an in-person informational open house. Please RSVP with Lori Karau via email if you plan to attend at [email protected] to help ensure we have an appropriately sized meeting area. Please respond by May 19, 2026, at 5:00 P.M Central.

• Open house information: Wednesday May 20th, 2026, from 4:00 P.M - 6:00 P.M Central time. The meeting will be held at the LaCroix Ranger District office, 320 N Hwy 53, Cook, MN 55723