AUBURN, Calif. — Placer County’s Board of Supervisors yesterday approved three separate agreements totaling $1,335,418 for mechanical thinning services as part of the ongoing French Meadows Ecological Restoration Project.

The contracts were awarded to AAA Tree Service LLC, Dowling Underground & Networking Inc., and McKellar Tree Service and Logging Inc., with work scheduled to commence and be completed during the 2026 operating season.

The county’s decision to award contracts to three qualified vendors simultaneously reflects the scale and urgency of the project.

Due to the size and geographic distribution of treatment units — combined with a limited seasonal window — awarding work to multiple contractors allows crews to proceed concurrently across multiple areas and significantly increases the likelihood that all thinning will be completed on schedule.

“The French Meadows project represents one of the most significant forest health efforts in Placer County’s history,” said Placer County Regional Forest Health Coordinator Kerri Timmer.  “Awarding these contracts to three experienced vendors allows us to move forward aggressively this season, treating more acres in less time and reducing the wildfire risk that threatens our communities, watersheds and the landscapes we all depend on. This kind of coordinated, landscape-scale work is exactly what is needed to build long-term forest resilience across the Sierra Nevada.”

The award follows a competitive procurement process.

The total project cost of $1,335,418 will be offset entirely by grant revenues and there is no additional impact to the Placer County General Fund.

Contract Details and Funding Sources

AAA Tree Service LLC — $515,518
Funded by $316,317 from the Sierra Nevada Conservancy’s Wildfire Recovery and Forest Resilience Grant Program; $36,583 from a separate SNC grant sub-awarded in 2019; and $162,618 from previously received timber revenue.

Dowling Underground & Networking Inc. — $495,000
Fully funded by the SNC’s Wildfire Recovery and Forest Resilience Grant Program.

McKellar Tree Service and Logging, Inc. — $324,900
Fully funded by the SNC’s Wildfire Recovery and Forest Resilience Grant Program.
The county realized a cost savings of $231,933.