RFP FAQs
To ensure a fair, transparent, and competitive procurement process, all submitted questions and corresponding responses will be reviewed and posted publicly on this page.
Only written responses posted on this webpage shall be considered official clarifications to the RFP. Verbal discussions, phone conversations, or informal email exchanges are not binding and shall not modify the terms of the RFP.
CLERC reserves the right to update this page periodically. Contractors are responsible for reviewing this page prior to submitting a proposal.
Contractor RFPs
General RFP FAQ
These answers apply to all CLERC vegetation management RFPs. For details specific to a project (prescription, safety briefing, site access, and more), see that project's own Q&A section.
Contacts: Laura McAndrews Sammel, Operations Director, is your direct contact during the RFP process. Once the contract is awarded, Cindy Jassar, Fire Resilience Program Manager, will be your direct contact. Cindy will be on site often during your project's implementation and will approve the invoices.
Questions? documents@theclerc.org · (707) 261-0008 ext. 3
Questions? documents@theclerc.org · (707) 261-0008 ext. 3
Laura McAndrews Sammel, Operations Director, is your direct contact during the RFP process. Once the contract is awarded, Cindy Jassar, Fire Resilience Program Manager, will be your direct contact. Cindy will be on site often during your project's implementation and will approve the invoices.
The Site Visit is not required. Though highly encouraged, All CLERC pre-qualified contractors are welcome to bid on any project regardless of their attendance to the Site Visit. You're always welcome to reach out to us at documents@theclerc.org or (707) 261-0008 ext. 3.
All information to be used to consider a contractor's bid must be included on the Contractor Proposal form. You may include as much information as needed, even if the writing becomes very small. Additional information will not be accepted as part of the application. To be considered, contractors are expected to bid on the entire project.
Due to the structure of the grant that we are using for this project, we are unable to provide advances. To receive payment, contractors may submit a monthly invoice dated on the last working day of each month and should be submitted no later than 5-10 days after the end of the month. Contractors will be paid when CLERC is reimbursed by the USDA. Our standard payment terms are Net 30.
Cost/value is one criterion that the proposals are evaluated on. We have a rotating committee of three people that also score the proposals on project understanding/implementation approach, equipment/staffing/operational capacity, past performance/references, and responsiveness/completeness of proposals. The contractor with the highest score is awarded the contract.
The City of Clearlake requires a permit to remove oaks trees. They will need the location and number of trees to be removed. There is a cost for this permit, usually in the $300 range.
Project specific FAQS
To view FAQs from previously awarded RFPs, CLICK HERE
RFP-0017 — Contractor Q&A
Harrington Flat Road North Roadside Clearing (CWDG-2)
Project-specific questions and answers. For contacts, site visit, invoicing, proposal scoring, and tree permits, see the General RFP FAQ.
Proposal deadline: [ADD DATE] by 5:00 PM
Questions? documents@theclerc.org · (707) 261-0008 ext. 3
Questions? documents@theclerc.org · (707) 261-0008 ext. 3
Boggs Lake borders the western section of this project. Boggs Lake Ecological Reserve is a 46-acre protected area in Lake County, California, encompassing a rare upland vernal pool formed on volcanic ash substrate that creates seasonal wetland conditions supporting endemic and endangered flora. It is a special place for Lake County. There isn’t any work on the Boggs Lake grounds scheduled for this project. However, while the community is very wildfire aware, they are also very environmentally concerned, so they will likely have questions for the contractor selected for this project.
This is a key evacuation route with many homes along the road. This is a roadside shaded fuel break treatment, thinning/spacing will be more significant 30’ from the roadside with outlined spacing up to 100’ from the roadside on the parcels that we have rights of entry for. We expect landowners to want to be heavily involved with work done on their properties. We want to balance what the landowner wants with the most appropriate fire mitigation treatment, so CLERC team members will be available to help the selected contractor negotiate that.
Remove trees less than 6” DBH and all ladder fuels (including poison oak). Be aware of herptiles potentially migrating during the autumn months (particularly turtles and newts).
If additional rights of entry are secured, CLERC will add those parcels via an amendment upon mutual agreement with the contractor.
This is a key evacuation route with many homes along the road. This is a roadside shaded fuel break treatment, thinning/spacing will be more significant 30’ from the roadside with outlined spacing up to 100’ from the roadside on the parcels that we have rights of entry for. We expect landowners to want to be heavily involved with work done on their properties. We want to balance what the landowner wants with the most appropriate fire mitigation treatment, so CLERC team members will be available to help the selected contractor negotiate that.
Remove trees less than 6” DBH and all ladder fuels (including poison oak). Be aware of herptiles potentially migrating during the autumn months (particularly turtles and newts).
If additional rights of entry are secured, CLERC will add those parcels via an amendment upon mutual agreement with the contractor.
Dead and dying tree hazards, snakes, local traffic that tends to move very fast, steep rocky terrain, poison oak, ticks, and mosquitos (there has been one case of West Nile Virus in Lake County this season).
Roadside mitigation (for the parcels that we have rights of entry) is 100’ from the edge of the road. Right of way clearing (for all other parcels) is 10-15’ from the middle of the road.
Yes. If you tell the county that you are partnering with CLERC, they will waive the fee. Traffic control will usually not be necessary if you’re conducting work further in from the roadside, unless needed for safety (such as when there is not a safe place to park equipment).
Generally, yes. We want to be cautious as soil can be soft in this area and we don’t want to create berms. Some landowners will not allow heavy equipment on their property.
Cut vegetation can be mulched, as long as we are not creating ground disturbance. Chipping is preferred.
The selected contractor may fly a drone over the project site if they are properly licensed.
Yes
Yes, removing dead and dying trees is part of the prescription. PG&E will assist in removing trees that are impeding power lines.
The stated acreage includes parcels in the project area that we have received rights of entry for. If additional rights of entry are received, CLERC will amend the contract with the additional acres, upon the contractor’s approval.
It’s not required. If we need a cleared line, we can reach out to PG&E.
RFP-0030 — Contractor Q&A
Point Lakeview Phase 3 Roadside Clearing (CWDG-2)
Project-specific questions and answers. For contacts, site visit, invoicing, proposal scoring, and tree permits, see the General RFP FAQ.
Proposal deadline: Friday, September 11, 2026 by 5:00 PM
Questions? documents@theclerc.org · (707) 261-0008 ext. 3
Questions? documents@theclerc.org · (707) 261-0008 ext. 3
The prescription includes roadside clearance and a shaded fuel break between Point Lakeview Road and Konocti Vista Drive, Baylis Cove Road and Swedberg Road. There are many homes along these roads, so it is important to keep the ingress and egress as open as possible. The goal of this project is to reinforce the structures and evacuation routes at the base of the steep slope along Point Lakeview Road.
The areas of this project are very steep, and it will be tricky getting equipment in and out. We want as much of the biomass chipped on site as possible, though there are steeply sloped areas of the project that will require the chips to be removed from the project site (CLERC will attempt to secure sites for free chip delivery – otherwise they will need to be taken to the landfill). The area in the easternmost area of the project is difficult to access, with a cutbank that comes to the edge of a narrow road/driveway. Access to this area of the project will need to be closely coordinated with the local residents (though there are many vacation homes in this area, so that may be less of a concern when summer ends).
The treatment requires the removal of dead and dying trees, small diameter trees, and fuel ladders. All Tree of Heaven, an invasive species, should also be targeted for removal. An encroachment permit is required for this project, though the contractor will not need a dedicated traffic control crew, as long as there is appropriate signage and the crew is trained on traffic safety. The County will waive the application fee if they know that the contractor is working with CLERC.
The community in this area is very supportive of this project and have shown their support by submitting their Rights of Entry. As a result, it is unlikely that CLERC will add additional properties to this project with an amendment once work begins. Click here to visit CLERC’s Project Dashboard to view the Rights of Entry that have been received for this project.
The contractor selected for this project needs to expect directly interacting with local residents on a daily basis. When submitting your proposal, be specific about the methodology that you will use to get the work done on this challenging project.
The areas of this project are very steep, and it will be tricky getting equipment in and out. We want as much of the biomass chipped on site as possible, though there are steeply sloped areas of the project that will require the chips to be removed from the project site (CLERC will attempt to secure sites for free chip delivery – otherwise they will need to be taken to the landfill). The area in the easternmost area of the project is difficult to access, with a cutbank that comes to the edge of a narrow road/driveway. Access to this area of the project will need to be closely coordinated with the local residents (though there are many vacation homes in this area, so that may be less of a concern when summer ends).
The treatment requires the removal of dead and dying trees, small diameter trees, and fuel ladders. All Tree of Heaven, an invasive species, should also be targeted for removal. An encroachment permit is required for this project, though the contractor will not need a dedicated traffic control crew, as long as there is appropriate signage and the crew is trained on traffic safety. The County will waive the application fee if they know that the contractor is working with CLERC.
The community in this area is very supportive of this project and have shown their support by submitting their Rights of Entry. As a result, it is unlikely that CLERC will add additional properties to this project with an amendment once work begins. Click here to visit CLERC’s Project Dashboard to view the Rights of Entry that have been received for this project.
The contractor selected for this project needs to expect directly interacting with local residents on a daily basis. When submitting your proposal, be specific about the methodology that you will use to get the work done on this challenging project.
Be aware of traffic, steep slopes, cut banks, rocky terrain, mountain lions, rattle snakes, and curious/concerned residents.
This project does not include the properties on the lake side.
Remove the dead and dying trees. Large, healthy trees will be limbed up, but not removed. These will help to keep the slopes stable and intact.
Go ahead and trim those trees as much as you can.