The National Park Service awarded a purchase order to RJO Services, LLC, a small business, on September 25, 2026, for towpath hazardous tree management at Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, with a ceiling value of $150,328.82. The order is a Total Small Business set-aside.
Work is performed at Williamsport, Maryland across approximately 40 miles of towpath (mileposts 1–184.5) spanning Montgomery, Frederick, Washington, and Allegany counties and the District of Columbia. The scope includes removal of 248 trees, pruning of 61 trees, grinding of 5 stumps, and eight optional cyclic maintenance and trail inspection tasks. All work must comply with ANSI A300 and ANSI Z133 standards. Key personnel include an ISA Certified Arborist, TRAQ Certified professional, and ISA Board Certified Master Arborist with minimum five years' experience; all inspection personnel must be ISA Certified Arborists.
Performance runs September 30, 2026 through September 29, 2027. Restricted work periods apply April 1–May 15, 2027 for Northern Long Eared Bat protection and May 15–August 15, 2027 for avian nesting protection. Work hours are 7:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m. ET Monday–Friday excluding federal holidays. The requirement originated from a solicitation posted September 10, 2026 with quotes due September 23, 2026.