Overview

Stewardship West is pleased to announce that we are accepting proposals for the Kingsbury Cut-to-Length (CTL) Mechanical and Hand Thinning Project on the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit near Stateline, NV. Stewardship West and the USDA Forest Service are partnering to implement forest restoration and hazardous fuels reduction treatments as part of the NV Energy Resilience Corridor Project. This phase of work includes approximately 342 total acres consisting of 291.5 acres of mechanical cut-to-length thinning and fuels reduction treatments, as well as 50.5 acres of hand thinning and pile work.

The project area is located north of Kingsbury Grade (NV 207) and east of Highway 50 within the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit near Zephyr Cove and Stateline, Nevada. Forest conditions within the project area include overstocked mixed conifer stands requiring thinning to improve forest health, reduce hazardous fuels, and increase wildfire resiliency for surrounding communities and infrastructure. Treatments are focused within NV Energy’s “Zone 3” resilience corridor adjacent to powerline infrastructure and high-use recreation and residential areas.

You will be responsible for providing all labor, materials, and equipment necessary to complete the project. Work includes commercial cut-tree-mark thinning, biomass removal and mastication, hand thinning and piling, road maintenance, erosion control, and temporary road construction. Mechanical operations will utilize cut-to-length harvesting systems and forwarders, with hand crews completing treatments in steeper or more sensitive areas. Approximately 4,497 tons of biomass and sawtimber material are anticipated to be removed from the project area.

Mechanical treatment units include Unit 13 (approximately 136.9 acres) and Unit 16 (approximately 154.6 acres), where marked conifers between 10” and 29.9” DBH, along with designated hazard trees, will be removed while retaining approximately 20 trees per acre. Unit 1013 consists of approximately 50.5 acres of hand thinning treatments targeting trees less than 14” DBH with spacing objectives of roughly 35–40 feet between leave trees. Slash generated from operations will primarily be masticated or removed to landings for biomass removal, with hand piles constructed in designated hand-treatment units.

Due to the proximity of private property, recreation infrastructure, powerlines, utilities, and environmentally sensitive areas, you should be prepared to conduct technical felling and operate under strict resource protection measures. Operations are limited to between 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM and special protections will be required for stream crossings, wetlands, trails, and the Douglas County Sewer Authority Export Force Main pipeline located beneath portions of the haul route.

The anticipated project start date is July 13, 2026, with substantial progress expected during the 2026 operating season and full project completion anticipated by December 31, 2027. Stewardship West anticipates that at least 60% of the mechanical treatment acreage and 50% of the hand treatment acreage will be completed by the end of the 2026 season.

A MANDATORY pre-proposal field meeting will be held on Friday, June 5, 2026 at 10:00 AM.The meeting location is approximately 700 feet up Sewer Plant Road in Zephyr Cove, NV. Representatives from Stewardship West and the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit will be onsite to review treatment areas, hauling routes, infrastructure protections, and answer contractor questions regarding project specifications and operations.

Questions regarding the RFP must be submitted no later than 5:00 PM on Monday, June 8, 2026 to Project Manager Robert DeSotle at rob@stewardshipwest.org.

Proposal submissions are due no later than 5:00 PM PST on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. Proposals will be evaluated based on best value criteria including experience, understanding of scope, schedule, equipment capabilities, and overall project cost.

A draft contract, project maps, appendices, and bid schedule are included within the Request for Proposals package. Please contact Robert DeSotle with any questions regarding the project or proposal requirements. We appreciate your interest in partnering with Stewardship West and look forward to working with you on this important forest resiliency project.