CT_source_ITB_Nye-HolmanSF_Inasive_project_2026.pdf

Invitation to Bid

CT DEEP – Invasive Plant Treatment – Multi-year Compartment 4, Nye-Holman State Forest, Tolland, CT (61 acres)

Introduction The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is charged with conserving, improving, and protecting the natural resources and the environment of the state of Connecticut as well as making cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable energy available for the people and businesses of the state. The agency is also committed to playing a positive role in rebuilding Connecticut’s economy and creating jobs – and to fostering a sustainable and prosperous economic future for the state.

The Division of Forestry seeks to develop a vigorous, resilient, forest environment capable of sustaining the wide range of demands that the public places on these lands. These demands include a variety of recreational experiences, natural diversity (including threatened and endangered species), the preservation of unique sites (both geologic and archaeological), the provision of raw materials as forest products, and the maintenance of wildlife and fisheries habitats.

Project Description / Scope of Work:

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is soliciting quotes for the eradication of invasive plants across 61 acres of forestland. The invasive plants are found throughout Compartment 4 of Nye-Holman State Forest in Tolland, CT. The treatment sites can be accessed from Patten Road (State Forest Road) and the Nye-Holman Archery Range Trail parking lot, both of which are accessed from S River Road in Tolland, CT. The successful vendor should expect to traverse the forest on foot and/or UTV, applying herbicide selectively to target plants.

Proposed treatment times are summer/fall of 2026 with a follow-up treatment in spring/summer of 2027.

Treatments may include foliar, cut stump, and/or basal bark application as needed. The invasive plants desired for treatment are primarily Japanese barberry and multiflora rose. These plants have colonized many of the rich and moist soil areas, as well as stream banks, throughout compartment 4. DEEP additionally requests that any other non-native invasive plant encountered during the project implementation be eradicated as well. Most of the treatment sites are in forest stands, with occasional roadside clusters along Patten Road. The parking area for the Nye- Holman Archery Range trail also has many invasives plants along the perimeter which are spreading further into the forest. Intensity of required invasive plant treatment is described in map to accompany this Invitation To Bid.

Invasive plant density varies across stands. Treatment intensities have been broken out into 4 categories: High, Moderate, Low and None. High intensity treatment areas have large thickets of invasive plants that carpet the forest floor. Moderate intensity treatment areas have sporadic clusters of invasive plants on the forest floor and along physical features. Low intensity treatment areas have mostly sparse single or small-group presence of invasive plants. Areas that are labeled as “None” will not require treatment at this time.

Acreage of treatment intensities:

High – 40 acres Moderate – 14 acres Low- 7 acres

DEEP is seeking quotes from licensed herbicide applicators to apply appropriate herbicide solutions, using accepted methodology, timing, and application rates to effectively kill 95% of all invasive plants within the treatment area while minimizing drift or other herbicide disturbance/injury to native species. Products used, equipment, treatment methods, timing, application rates, follow-up plans, and associated costs should be detailed by the contractor as part of their quote. Foliar herbicide applications may need to be combined with cut-stump treatments to ensure effective long-term control of larger plants and vines.

Due to the existing population density and likelihood of long-term seed banking in the soil, DEEP is seeking a multi-year treatment effort to attain the highest level of control possible.

Interested Parties:

• May evaluate the treatment site at their own convenience.

• Are invited to attend a pre-bid site meeting / showing with the State’s monitoring forester and project supervisor. See below for pre-bid site walk details.

Pre-Bid Site Meeting:

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2026 - 9:00 AM

Meeting Location:

Nye-Holman Archery Range Trail parking lot on S River Road, Tolland, CT

Bids Due:

Bids are due to CT Source / DEEP monitoring forester by 4:30 PM, Tuesday, July 7th, 2026.

Questions may be directed to the State’s Monitoring Forester

Bids must be submitted via CT Source

DEEP monitoring forester contact:

James Halleran Forester I 166 Chestnut Hill Road, Stafford Springs, CT 06076 James.Halleran@ct.gov (475)213-0975

Vendor selection criteria:

The vendor will be selected through a competitive bid process.

Terms and Conditions:

By submitting an application in response to this Invitation to Bid, an applicant implicitly agrees to comply with the following terms and conditions:

• Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action. The State is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer and does not discriminate in its hiring, employment, or business practices. The State is committed to complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and does not discriminate on the basis of disability in admission to, access to, or operation of its programs, services, or activities.

• Preparation Expenses. Neither the State nor the Agency shall assume any liability for expenses incurred by a proposer in preparing, submitting, or clarifying any proposal submitted in response to this Invitation to Bid.

• Exclusion of Taxes. The Agency is exempt from the payment of excise and sales taxes imposed by the federal government and the State. Proposers are liable for any other applicable taxes.

• Freedom of Information Act. All information submitted in a proposal or in response to a request for additional information is subject to disclosure under the Connecticut Freedom of Information Act as amended and judicially interpreted. A proposer's responses may contain financial, trade secret or other data that it claims should not be public (the "Confidential Information"). A proposer must identify specifically the pages and portions of its proposal or additional information that contain the claimed Confidential Information by visibly marking all such pages and portions. Provided that the proposer cooperates with DEEP as described in this section, the DEEP shall, to the extent permitted by law, protect from unauthorized disclosure such Confidential Information. If the DEEP receives a request for a proposer's Confidential Information, it will promptly notify the proposer in writing of such request and provide the proposer with a copy of any written disclosure request. The proposer may provide written consent to the disclosure or may object to the disclosure by notifying DEEP in writing to withhold disclosure of the information, identifying in the notice the basis for its objection, including the statutory exemption(s) from disclosure. The proposer shall be responsible for defending any complaint brought in connection with the nondisclosure, including but not only appearing before the Freedom of Information Commission, and providing witnesses and documents as appropriate.

An Invitation to Bid is not an offer. Neither this Invitation to Bid nor any subsequent discussions shall give rise to any commitment on the part of the State or the Agency or confer any rights on any proposer unless and until an agreement is reached by the necessary parties.

Required Disclosures. In its Proposal Form each proposer must disclose, if applicable:

• Its inability or unwillingness to meet any requirement of this Bid, including but not limited to any of the Terms and Conditions noted herein;

• If it is listed on the State of Connecticut’s or United States Government (including any agency thereof) Debarment List;

• If it is ineligible, pursuant to Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-57b, to be awarded the bid because of occupational safety and health law violations;

• All resolved and pending arbitration and litigation matters in which the proposer or any of its principals (regardless of place of employment) has been involved within the last five (5) years;

A proposer’s acceptability based on these disclosures lies solely in DEEP’s discretion. A failure to disclose or an inaccurate response shall, in DEEP’s sole discretion, be grounds for disqualification.

Reservation of Rights:

The Agency reserves the right to amend or cancel this Invitation to Bid on any date and at any time, if the Agency deems it to be necessary, appropriate, or otherwise in the best interests of the State.

a. No Acceptable Proposals. In the event that no acceptable proposals are submitted in response to this Invitation to Bid, the Agency may reopen the procurement process, if it is determined to be in the best interests of the State.

b. Award and Rejection of Proposals. The Agency reserves the right to award in part, to reject any and all proposals in whole or in part, for misrepresentation or if the proposal limits or modifies any of the terms, conditions, or specifications of this Invitation to Bid. The Agency may waive minor technical defects, irregularities, or omissions, if in its judgment the best interests of the State will be served. The Agency reserves the right to reject the proposal of any proposer who submits a proposal after the submission date and time.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

In submitting this Proposal Form, the undersigned proposer acknowledges that the price(s) include all labor, materials, transportation, hauling, overhead, fees and insurances, profit, security, permits and licenses, and all other costs to cover the completed work called for in the ITB. Except as otherwise expressly stated in the ITB, no additional payment of any kind will be made for work accomplished under the price(s) as proposed.

Invitation to Bid (ITB)

CT DEEP Invasive Plant Treatment- Multi Year

REQUIRED DISCLOSURES

1. Exceptions to the Bid ☐This proposal does not take exception to any requirement of the Bid, including any of the Contract Terms set forth in the ITB.

or

☐This proposal takes exception(s) to certain of the ITB requirements, including the following Contract Terms set forth in the ITB. Attached is a sheet fully describing each such exception.

2. State Debarment List. Is the proposer on the State of Connecticut’s or the Federal

Government’s Debarment List?

If answer is yes, please explain and state if the matters are pending or resolved.

☐Yes ☐ No

3. Occupational Safety and Health Law Violations Has the proposer or any firm, corporation, partnership or association in which it has an interest (1) been cited for three (3) or more willful or serious violations of any occupational safety and health act or of any standard, order or regulation promulgated pursuant to such act, during the three-year period preceding the proposal (provided such violations were cited in accordance with the provisions of any state occupational safety and health act or the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, and not abated within the time fixed by the citation and such citation has not been set aside following appeal to the appropriate agency or court having jurisdiction) or

(2) received one or more criminal convictions related to the injury or death of any employee in the three-year period preceding the proposal?

If “yes,” attach a sheet fully describing each such matter.

4. Arbitration/Litigation Has either the proposer or any of its principals (regardless of place of employment) been involved for the most recent five (5) years in any resolved or pending arbitration or litigation or received any civil or criminal penalties?

If “yes,” attach a sheet fully describing each such matter.

NOTE: THIS DOCUMENT, IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED A VALID PROPOSAL, MUSTBE SIGNED BY A PRINCIPAL OFFICER OR OWNER OF THE BUSINESS ENTITY THAT IS SUBMITTING THE PROPOSAL. SUCH SIGNATURE CONSTITUTES THE PROPOSER'S REPRESENTATIONS THAT IT HAS READ, UNDERSTOOD AND FULLY ACCEPTED EACH AND EVERY PROVISION OF EACH DOCUMENT COMPROMISING THE ITB, UNLESS

AN EXCEPTION IS DESCRIBED ABOVE.

TITLE: (PRINT NAME)

DATE: (SIGNATURE)

Work Requirements & Restrictions:

• Please submit a bid price/rate for each treatment area on the subsequent Bid Response Form. Please feel free to include additional narrative and explanation of treatment methods, timeframes, etc. on additional pages as needed.

• Proposals should include a minimum of 95% control. If this requires a follow-up treatment, please include that in your proposal.

• The use of imazapyr products is prohibited

• The vendor is requested to post signs on affected trails daily advising users of the forest of ongoing herbicide application.

• The vendor shall carry and maintain at all times during the term of the project, sufficient general liability insurance to satisfy its obligations under this project.

There are sensitive animal species that are, or may be, present, in the treatment areas or surrounding areas.

The following special precautions, training, and/or restrictions will be required during treatment activities:

• Use herbicides that are safe for use around aquatic areas.

• All workers marking and treating invasive species must be provided with training material to be aware of and recognize the state listed Special Concern reptile species, Glyptemys insculpta (Wood turtle).

DEEP will provide photographs and narrative material regarding G. insculpta identification to the contractor prior to beginning treatment.

• Spot treatment methods should be used whenever possible to avoid application to non-target, native vegetation. Spot treatment may be used at any time of year.

• Broadcast herbicide treatments (including that from a vehicle) is not restricted during turtle’s dormant period (November 1- April 1).

o Avoid vehicle broadcast during most active time (May 15-September 15), to avoid crushing females traveling to nesting spots. If vehicle broadcast must be used, sweep for turtles in front of vehicle and travel at slow speeds to allow spotting and movement of turtles in path.

o Leave at least 100ft buffer of streams if vehicle broadcast treatment applied during non-dormant period.

Treatment Area Descriptions & Bid Response Form Please include a bid price/rate for each treatment area on this form. Bid proposals may also have additional treatment information and rate explanation attached and included in the submittal.

Acres Density Notes Bid Price/Rate

40 High Dense thickets of Japanese barberry, occasional multiflora rose – forest floor coverage greater than 40% and upwards of total stand coverage

14 Moderate Significant patches of Japanese barberry, sporadically clustered along forest floor – between 20-40% forest floor coverage

7 Low Sporadic individuals and small patches of Japanese barberry

– below 20% forest floor coverage

Total Price

BID NOTES: