FAC120 Category 4 - Invasive Japanese Barberry Control RFP.pdf

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Department of Conservation and Recreation

Division of Water Supply Protection | 180 Beaman Street | West Boylston, MA 01583 www.Mass.gov/DCR | Tel: (508) 792-7806

Maura T. Healey

Governor

Kimberley Driscoll

Lieutenant Governor

Rebecca L. Tepper

Secretary

Nicole LaChapelle

Commissioner

Request for Proposals

RFP Title: Invasive Japanese Barberry Control

Statewide Contract: FAC120, Category 4

Commbuys Bid: BD-26-1020-DCRWS-DC700-128519

Description of Need Summary: This Request for Proposals (RFP) is posted by the

Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), Division of Water Supply Protection

(DWSP) for the purpose of obtaining pricing estimates for control of invasive Japanese

Barberry within selected areas on Prescott Peninsula totaling 32.4 acres located in the

Quabbin Reservoir Watershed. See details below.

Commonwealth Eligible Entity Engaging a Vendor:

Eligible Entity Name: Department of Conservation and Recreation

Type of Eligible Entity: State Agency

Eligible Entity Mailing Address: 180 Beaman Street, West Boylston, MA 01583

Contact Name: Ken MacKenzie

E-Mail Address: ken.mackenzie@mass.gov

Telephone: 857-202-0071 (cell) https://www.mass.gov/orgs/department-of-conservation-recreation https://www.commbuys.com/bso/bid/bidSummary.sda?docId=BD-26-1020-DCRWS-DC700-128519 mailto:ken.mackenzie@mass.gov

This Request for Proposals (RFP) does not commit DCR to approve a Statement of Work

(SOW), pay any costs incurred in the preparation of a bidder’s response to this RFP, or to engage for products or services. DCR reserves the right to accept or reject any or all quotes received as a result of this RFP and to contract for some, all, or none of the responding vendors as a result of this RFP. DCR further reserves the right to negotiate with any or all responding vendors or to cancel this RFP, in part or in its entirety, if it is in the best interest of the agency to do so. All pricing, terms, and conditions of this contract apply to any award made as a result of this RFP.

Scope of Work:

Project Description:

The Prescott Peninsula is an area restricted to general public access on the Quabbin

Reservoir reservation in the town of New Salem, MA. Prior to taking for watershed purposes, the land was mostly in agricultural use as evidenced by the many stone walls that once surrounded arable fields and pastures. For many decades following the land takings, deer populations grew drastically in the absence of hunting, allowing horticultural plantings around old homesites to flourish and come to dominate large areas of the forest understory. Japanese barberry is present in high densities in many areas at Quabbin including on the Prescott, with some thickets nearly impenetrable to human passage and clearly impeding the ability of native tree seedlings to develop.

Using an Integrated Vegetation Management approach, this project will test several possible strategies to controlling barberry where it grows in heavy densities in multiple sites that total 32.4 acres.

Project Tasks:

1. Mulch all Japanese barberry within the Mulch treatment areas identified on the accompanying map (28.4 acres in total). Vendor shall use equipment approved by the issuing authority. Preferred equipment shall include wheeled or track-mounted vehicles with either a front end (skid steer) or boom mounted

(mini-excavator) mulching head suitable for woody shrubs. Equipment must be sized to navigate within a mature forest without damaging tree roots or bark/stems

2. Apply systemic herbicide as a foliar spray to Japanese barberry within designated Herbicide areas identified on the accompanying maps (4 acres in total). Selective (e.g. triclopyr) or non-selective (e.g. glyphosate) herbicides that are listed on the Massachusetts Rights of Way Sensitive Areas Materials List are acceptable.

3. A full report shall be delivered in writing to DCR upon completion of the work. The report shall include:

• a complete list of chemicals/products used and concentrations of each in all spray mixes

• total amount of spray mix applied

• type of spray equipment used

• total person-hours required for herbicide application activities

• Type of mulching equipment used

• Total person-hours required for mulching activities

Bidders Conference:

A bidders conference will be held on Friday, May 1, 2026 at 9:30 a.m. Meeting location will be at DWSP Gate 17 off Route 202 in New Salem (Coords: 42.456663, -72.373689;

search in Google for 214 Cooleyville Road, New Salem, MA 01355, the gate is just past this house).

Other Project Requirements and Information

• All work must be completed by June 30, 2026.

• DCR staff will place markers at all reed canary grass treatment sites. DCR will also pre-treat some of those sites using string trimmers to test efficacy of herbicide application with and without thatch removal.

• Access to the Prescott Peninsula work area will be through Gate 17 on Cooleyville

Road. DCR staff will be available to open and close gates or arrange for the vendor to temporarily add their own contractor padlock.

• The use of pesticides or herbicides which carry a mobility rating as provided for by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or which have been determined by the Commonwealth using United States Environmental Protection

Agency standards to pose a threat or potential threat to Ground Water are prohibited.

• Herbicides used on this site shall be limited to products which can be found on the Massachusetts Rights of Way Sensitive Area Materials List

(https://www.mass.gov/service-details/rights-of-way-sensitive-area-materials-list).

• Care shall be taken to minimize drift and to avoid application of herbicides to native non-target plants.

• The spray mix shall contain blue dye at a rate sufficient to determine the extent of sprayed area. DCR staff will monitor the progress of this work and intervene if off-target spraying is deemed excessive.

Estimated Duration of Project: 2-4 days

Anticipated Completion of Project: June 30, 2026 https://www.mass.gov/service-details/rights-of-way-sensitive-area-materials-list

Evaluation Criteria:

• Availability: vendor can meet project deadlines (35%)

• Project Cost (25%)

• Completeness of proposal (20%):

o Proposal includes acknowledgement of the project tasks and requirements.

o List all materials and equipment vendor proposes to use to complete the tasks.

• Experience in similar work (20%)

Responses:

Responses (bids/quotes) are to be submitted to DCR electronically via the “Create

Quote” function contained in Commbuys system. Responses must include an attached formal proposal outlining service, and a total proposed cost entered into the “Items” tab. If you are a vendor on the FAC120 Category 4 contract and have not registered on Commbuys, you are required to do so. Vendors should consult the

Commbuys Vendor Registration Job Aid. Help is available from the Commbuys Help Desk at 617-720-3197.

Billing Contact: Department of Conservation & Recreation

180 Beaman Street

West Boylston, MA 01583

Attn: Christy Raillo christy.raillo@mass.gov

Questions: Please submit all questions via the Q&A section located in Commbuys by

May 8, 2026 – 12:00 P.M.

Answers to Questions will be submitted by: May 12, 2026 – 12:00 P.M.

RFP Responses are due by: May 14, 2026 – 2:00PM

Estimated Award Date: May 27, 2026

Attachments:

• Figure 1 – Prescott Barberry – Locus Map

• Figure 2 – Prescott Barberry – North Units Map

• Figure 3 – Prescott Barberry – South Units Map https://www.mass.gov/info-details/completing-vendor-registration-in-commbuys#overview mailto:christy.raillo@mass.gov