124151 O3 Solicitation List of Respondents.docx

This is a Solicitation List of Respondents document issued by the Nebraska Game & Parks Commission for a tree clearing service contract at Merritt Reservoir State Recreational Area in Cherry County, Nebraska. The project involves removing eastern red cedar, Rocky Mountain juniper, and scattered ponderosa pine across approximately 216.6 acres using mulching and cutting/piling methods. Contractors must divide work 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 was held on January 21, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the project site (88079 State Highway 97, Valentine, NE). Written questions were due by January 28, 2026, with state responses posted by February 4, 2026. Electronic solicitation responses were due by February 10, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. Central Time via ShareFile. Six responsive bids were received from Fegley Fence, Hoefs Skidloader Works LLC, Lazy 4K Arrow LLC, Seth Southpaw Spray CO LLC, VM West, and Wildlife & Wetlands Solutions. The state planned 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 term runs from execution through June 30, 2027, with potential extension by mutual agreement.

The contract requires compliance with standard state contractual provisions, including insurance coverage of $2,000,000 Commercial General Liability, statutory Workers' Compensation, and $1,000,000 Commercial Automobile Liability. Work is restricted to dry or frozen ground conditions and limited by specific timeframes to avoid interference with campground operations. Bidders may negotiate reduced per-acre thinning rates in exchange for removing and utilizing merchantable timber, subject to specific removal conditions. The project is subject to legislative appropriation of funds with no advance payments permitted. Contractors must be registered with the Nebraska Secretary of State and meet all state contractual requirements.