Request for Proposals: Grazing Leases

Request for Proposals

For Cattle Grazing Leases
 in Alameda and Santa Clara Counties 

Request for Proposals Deadline:  Wednesday, April 22, 2026 at 3 pm

Applicants must attend a mandatory pre-bid informational meeting on Friday, March 27, 2026 at 10:30 am at the Sunol Yard at 505 Paloma Way in Sunol, CA. 

Summary

The City and County of San Francisco (City), through its Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), is pleased to announce the opportunity for livestock operators to provide resource management services in the form of livestock grazing. 

The SFPUC is seeking proposals from qualified cattle operators to enter into leases with the City for grazing on the Alameda Creek Watershed lands in Alameda and Santa Clara Counties. The portion of the watershed under grazing lease encompasses approximately 33,000 acres and includes 18 grazing units ranging in size from approximately eight acres to approximately 10,636 acres. A grazing unit is a geographically defined area available for a single lease.

The SFPUC invites qualified applicants to submit proposals with their relevant experience and qualifications to work with the SFPUC to maintain and enhance the diversity of native plant and animal communities, enhance water quality, manage vegetative fire fuel loads, and maintain and improve grazing infrastructure. Existing SFPUC grazing tenants in good standing may submit proposals.

The SFPUC will award eight individual Grazing Leases through this Request for Proposals. The SFPUC will award one lease for each available Grazing Unit. Interested livestock operators may submit one proposal for more than one Grazing Unit. In the application cover letter, the applicant should list the Grazing Units in order of preference.      

This Request for Proposals describes the background and the process of preparing and submitting proposals and the necessary materials. The terms and conditions of the Cattle Grazing Lease are stated in the SFPUC lease template. Before submitting a proposal, each applicant should carefully examine the information in this Request for Proposal and fully understand all existing conditions and limitations. 

REVIEW THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Attachments to the Request for Proposals

• ADDENDUM 1: Grazing Lease RFP Questions and Answers
• ADDENDUM 2: Modification to Dates
• APPENDIX A: SFPUC Map of Alameda Watershed Grazing Units
• APPENDIX B: SFPUC Cattle Grazing Lease Template
• APPENDIX C: SFPUC Alameda Watershed Rangeland Management Plan
• APPENDIX D: SFPUC Grazing Unit Maps
• APPENDIX E: Grazing Unit Management Plans
  1. Calaveras Reservoir GUMP
  2. Maguire Peaks GUMP
  3. Mission Peak GUMP
  4. Paloma GUMP
  5. San Antonio Creek GUMP
  6. Sheep Camp Creek GUMP
  7. Confluence GUMP
• APPENDIX F: Animal Unit Month Pricing Index