Timber Stand Improvements at Embarass River Bottom SNA

The State of Illinois, through the Office of Resource Conservation (RESCONSERV422), awarded a contract valued at $32,400.00 to Backwoods Tree Service under Open Market Small Purchase 27-422DNR-DIREC-P-102152. The contract period extends from the award date of September 28, 2026, through December 31, 2027. The work is performed at the Embarras River Bottoms State Natural Area (SNA) located in Lawrence County, Illinois.

Backwoods Tree Service will execute timber stand improvement activities across six designated restoration units (R6-1, R6-2, R11-1, R11-2, R11-4, and R14-2) encompassing approximately 216 acres. The scope of work includes tree thinning and crop tree release operations involving the felling of trees primarily less than 8 to 10 inches in diameter at breast height, followed by herbicide treatment of cut stumps and girdled stems. The contract operates on a firm fixed-price, hourly rate basis with an anticipated 216 labor hours for project completion. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources supplies all herbicide materials; the contractor is responsible for all equipment, labor, and related expenses. Standard insurance requirements include general liability coverage of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate, automobile liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence, and workers' compensation coverage as required by state law.