Request for Proposals Watershed Forest Management Plan
Introduction
The City of Sumner (City) intends to establish a contract for forest health management planning and implementation for its Watershed located in Sumner, Pierce County. A forest health management plan will be created to achieve the forest health goals described in this RFP. The plan will serve as the foundation for future bid documents related to the implementation of the plan.
Request for Proposal (RFP) requirements and contractor selection criteria are detailed below. RFPs are due on or before 10:00 AM on Wednesday, November 26, 2025.
The City of Sumner, in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (78 Stat. 252, 42 U.S.C. 2000d to 2000d-4) and Federal Regulations, hereby notifies all bidders that disadvantaged business enterprises will be afforded full and fair opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, national origin, or sex in consideration for an award.
Background
The City of Sumner owns approximately 125 acres of forestland on the hillside of the eastern portion of town, bordered by Sumner Tapps Highway to the east and Salmon Creek to the west. The land is primarily owned and maintained to protect and utilize spring sources of drinking water. However, limited maintenance has resulted in invasive species growth and overgrowth issues.
Both invasive vegetation and a nearby forest fire have prompted the City to address fire risk reduction and overall forest management. To begin this effort, the City collaborated with Green River College students to develop a draft Invasive Species Management Plan (Appendix A), which helped justify a programmatic budget for ongoing forest management.
Project Scope of Work
The selected Contractor will work with the City to develop a Forest Health Management Plan, which will guide future bid documents and contracting of work for annual implementation. The plan should address the following goals:
- Improve general forest health
- Eliminate invasive species
- Address disease such as laminated root rot
- Improve successional understory community
- Reduce wildfire risk
Specific actions to meet these goals should be clearly defined and quantified (e.g., by acreage, plant counts, etc.) and structured so the City can bid individual portions annually.
Proposal Minimum Requirements
- At least five (5) years of prior experience conducting similar work
- Two (2) references or examples of similar projects
RFPs that do not meet these minimum requirements will be considered nonresponsive. Only one proposal per firm will be accepted.
RFP Selection Criteria and Process
All proposals will be reviewed and evaluated based on the qualifications and requirements outlined in this RFP by a panel selected by the City. Only proposals conforming to instructions and meeting the minimum requirements will be evaluated. Missing information may result in a lower evaluation score or rejection.
A. Anticipated Schedule
- RFP Issuance: October 22, 2025
- RFP Question Period Closing: November 19, 2025
- RFP Closing: 10:00 AM, November 26, 2025
- Notice of Award: January 19, 2026
B. Questions Submittal Format and Deadline
Questions must be submitted in writing via email to DerekB@sumnerwa.gov or bids@sumnerwa.gov by 10:00 AM on November 19, 2025.
The City will confirm receipt via email. Oral questions or questions sent to other contacts will not be accepted. Additional information or responses will be posted on the City’s website at sumnerwa.gov/bids.
C. Evaluation Criteria
The City will evaluate RFPs using the following weighted criteria:
| Criterion | Weight |
|---|---|
| Qualifications/expertise of the firm or project team and experience with similar projects | 25% |
| Contractor’s approach to the City’s project and proposed work plan | 40% |
| Familiarity with relevant standards | 15% |
| Past performance and references | 20% |
| Total | 100% |
The City reserves the right to waive technical defects and determine the sufficiency of qualifications and experience at its sole discretion.
D. Clarification and Negotiations
The City may seek clarification or enter into negotiations with the highest-scoring contractor(s). The City is not obligated to enter a contract and may choose not to move forward with any proposal. Only a City-issued written contract will be binding.
E. Proprietary Information
Information submitted may be subject to public disclosure under RCW 42.56. Proprietary information must be clearly marked as “PROPRIETARY.” The City will determine, in its discretion, whether such information qualifies for exemption from disclosure.
F. Award and Contract
Following review and evaluation, the City will notify contractors of awards. The anticipated award date is January 19, 2026. The selected contractor must enter into an agreement with the City within 30 days of selection. If not, the City may negotiate with the next-ranked firm. Any agreement resulting from this RFP will be subject to City Council approval.
The initial contract will be on-call, with a dollar value up to the amount approved in the 2025/26 biennium budget. A sample contract is included as Appendix B. The City reserves the right to include additional exhibits or modify existing ones as needed.
RFP Submittal
A. RFP Deadline
All proposals must be received by 10:00 AM, November 26, 2025. Proposals received after this time may not be considered. Proposals must be submitted electronically as a single PDF or Word document to bids@sumnerwa.gov. Faxed proposals will not be accepted.
The total proposal shall not exceed ten (10) pages, excluding the cover page and section dividers. Resumes count toward the 10-page limit.
B. RFP Format
The RFP submittal should follow the structure below:
- Company Information
Include business name, primary contact, address, phone, and email. - Company / Team Qualifications
Describe your team’s qualifications, experience, capacity, and ability to complete the full project scope. Include key team member resumes. - Approach to the Project
Describe your firm’s approach to developing the Forest Health Management Plan, including layout and format. - Familiarity with Relevant Standards
List and describe familiarity with standards relevant to forest health planning and implementation. - Past Performance / References
Provide at least two references for similar projects.
Authorized Signatory
The final proposal must include the following statement, signed and dated by an authorized representative:
“I certify to the best of my knowledge that the information in this application is true and correct and that I am legally authorized to submit this information on behalf of the applicant.”
