124151 O3 Cost Sheet.xlsx

This is a cost sheet related to a tree clearing service contract solicitation issued by the Nebraska Game & Parks Commission for work at Merritt Reservoir State Recreational Area in Cherry County, Nebraska. The project encompasses 216.6 total acres requiring removal of eastern red cedar, Rocky Mountain juniper, and scattered ponderosa pine through mulching and cutting/piling methods. The work must be divided into units of at least 50 acres, with 50 percent completion required in the first year and the remaining 50 percent in the second year. A mandatory solicitation conference is scheduled for January 21, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at 88079 State Highway 97, Valentine, Nebraska. Written questions must be submitted by January 28, 2026, with state responses posted by February 4, 2026. Electronic bid responses are due via ShareFile by February 10, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. Central Time. The state intends to post an Intent to Award by February 20, 2026, with contract finalization by March 4, 2026, and award by March 5, 2026. The contract will run from execution through June 30, 2027, with potential extension by mutual agreement.

The cost sheet presents placeholder values showing grasslands at 41.5 acres and wetlands at 175.1 acres, both with zero cost per acre and zero subtotal. Bidders may negotiate reduced per-acre thinning rates in exchange for removing and utilizing merchantable timber, subject to specific removal conditions, which could offset project costs through marketable material removal. The project is subject to legislative appropriation of funds with no advance payments permitted. Contractors must maintain insurance coverage including $2,000,000 Commercial General Liability, statutory Workers' Compensation, and $1,000,000 Commercial Automobile Liability, and must be registered with the Nebraska Secretary of State. Work is restricted to dry or frozen ground conditions and limited by specific timeframes to avoid interference with campground operations and events such as the Nebraska Star Party.