Contractor for Hazard Fuel Reduction / Defensible Space

Tuolumne County is soliciting proposals from qualified vegetation management contractors to provide defensible space and hazardous vegetation removal services on private residential properties participating in the Community Wildfire Defense Grant Program.

Contractors will perform vegetation treatments in accordance with property-specific work plans prepared by the County's Project Manager to achieve compliance with California Public Resources Code Section 4291 (PRC 4291). Work will include the removal and disposal of hazardous vegetation, brush, and small trees, as specified in individual work orders, while maintaining safe work practices, protecting property improvements, and complying with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations.

There are 2,215 private, improved parcels in the project area. The grant estimated 1,290 parcels may be eligible for treatment. The County is currently collecting Right of Entry (ROE) permits from property owners in this project area. The exact number of parcels that will be treated under this RFP will depend upon the number of received and approved ROEs. Should the number of approved ROEs be greater than available grant funding, parcels will be prioritized based on strategic risk reducing locations, as well as homeowners with income, age and physical limitations.

All work performed on this project must be complete by July 31, 2028.

Background

Tuolumne County has received competitive grant funding through the USDA Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG) Program to reduce hazardous vegetation on private residential properties in high wildfire risk areas throughout the County. The program is designed to assist eligible homeowners in achieving defensible space compliance in accordance with California Public Resources Code Section 4291 (PRC 4291) by removing hazardous vegetation within 100 feet of homes and other major structures at no cost to participating property owners.

This project is part of a broader, countywide "all lands" wildfire resilience strategy and complements landscape-scale fuel reduction efforts being implemented by the County and the Stanislaus National Forest through the Social and Ecological Resilience Across the Landscape (SERAL) projects, as well as other wildfire mitigation initiatives led by Tuolumne County, the Tuolumne Fire Safe Council, Tuolumne County Resource Conservation District and other regional partners.

Project Details

• Reference ID: RFP-2025-0141
• Department: County Administration Office
• Department Head: Roger Root (County Administrative Officer)

Important Dates

• Questions Due: 2026-08-12T23:00:00.000Z
• Pre-Proposal Meeting: 2026-08-06T16:00:00.000Z — Wood Mill 13679 Big Hill Rd. Columbia, CA 95310

Meetings & Milestones

Evaluation Criteria

• Qualifications and Experience (25 pts)
• Service Delivery, Methodology and Approach (35 pts)
• Reasonable Cost of Service (40 pts)

Submission Requirements

• Proposal Elements (required) —

   

  1. Statement of Understanding and Approach
     • This section must demonstrate an understanding of the Services. It should describe the general approach, organization and staffing required for the Services requested. If necessary, preliminary investigations, due diligence, and research shall be discussed in this section.
     • This section should include the following:
       • An implementation plan that describes in detail (i) the methods, including controls by which your firm or entity manages projects of the type sought by this RFP; (ii) methodology for soliciting and documenting views of internal and external stakeholders; (iii) and any other project management or implementation strategies or techniques that the respondent intends to employ in carrying out the work.
       • Detailed description of efforts your firm or entity will undertake to achieve client satisfaction and to satisfy the requirements of the "Scope of Work" section.
       • Detailed project schedule to complete the project by July 31, 2028, identifying all tasks and deliverables to be performed, durations for each task, and overall time of completion, including a complete transition plan. Include your plan to deal with fluctuation in service needs and any associated price adjustments.
       • Detailed description of specific tasks you will require from County staff. Explain what the respective roles of County staff and your staff would be to complete the tasks specified in the Scope of Work.
       • Proposers are encouraged to provide additional innovative and/or creative approaches for providing the service that will maximize efficient, cost-effective operations or increased performance capabilities. In addition, the County will consider proposals that offer alternative service delivery means and methods for the services desired.
       • Proposers are also requested to identify any County owned facilities or property which Proposer would propose to use or lease, purchase, or rent from the County in connection with the services to be performed, including information about the terms of any proposed lease, purchase or use of such equipment and facilities, and how this proposed structure affects the overall cost proposal to the County, if applicable.
  2. Company Information
     • This section shall include contact person information, address and telephone number of the company main office and branch offices. Each Company shall identify itself as to the type of organizational entity (corporation, sole proprietorship, partnership, joint venture, etc.). Any supplemental information that Company believes may be pertinent to the selection process may be provided.
     • The Proposal shall identify any litigation, mediation, or arbitration, regarding the performance of any services similar to the Services, in which the Company has been involved in the past five (5) years. If the Services require a license or certification, the Proposal shall include any claims or disciplinary action taken against Company or any of Company’s key personnel within the past five years.
  3. Company Personnel
     • This section shall contain names, contact numbers and description of experience, including licenses and/or certifications, of all key personnel who would be assigned to perform the Services. Members of the Company’s professional team (managers, contact person, etc.) should be identified by name, title, phone number, and description of the portion of work they will be assigned to perform under this Agreement. Also include major subcontractors (if any) and their degree of involvement in this program. If the Company is including any subcontractors, the Company shall identify how long the Company has worked with the subcontractor.
     • An affirmative statement should be included that the proposer and all assigned key professional staff are properly licensed to practice in California.
  4. Disclosure
     • Please disclose any and all past or current business and personal relationships with any current County elected official, appointed official, County employee, or family member of any current County elected official, appointed official, or County employee. Any past or current business relationship may not disqualify the firm from consideration.
  5. Experience, Qualifications and References
     • The Proposal must demonstrate that the Company, or its key personnel, meets the minimum experience requirement in in the Minimum Qualifications Section with a legally registered business name, that provides services of a similar type and scope as described in the Scope of Services. A Company shall not have filed for bankruptcy under any business name over the past five (5) years.
     • Company shall provide at least 3 references, within the past 5 years, of clients for whom services have been performed that are comparable in quality and scope to that specified in this RFP. The references shall include client names, addresses, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses of the clients for whom prior work was performed and include an explanation of the services provided along with project start and end dates.
• Proposal Cost (required) —

  Proposer shall upload a fee schedule here. Information should include any and all costs associated with the fulfillment of the Scope of Services.

• Pricing (required) —

  Select the option that best suits the pricing needs for this solicitation.

  • An Electronic Pricing Tableallows vendors to enter pricing directly into the system, and the system can automatically tabulate pricing results and provide pricing analysis.
  • A Separate Pricing Document will not be automatically tabulated. It will be received by each respondent as a document upload that will need to be evaluated manually.
• Do you know what the Initial Term will be for the Contract? (required) —

  Adjust the sentence below as needed.

• Initial Term (required) —

  The term of the initial contract awarded under this RFP will be for _________________. (Enter the number of years/months in the following format ex: one (1) two (2) week)

• Initial Term (required)
• Extensions (required) —

  Allow extensions for the resulting agreement?

• Extension Options (required) —

  By mutual agreement, this contract may be extended for ______________, under the following circumstances. (Enter the number of years/months in the following format ex: one (1) two (2) week)

• Termination (required) —

  Please select the number of "days" appropriate in the blank space of the sentence below:

• Insurance Requirements (required) —

  Does this project and/or service require any of the following insurance provisions?