Regenerate NY Round 5-Request for Bid Application-Amended.pdf.pdf

GUIDELINES AND BID INSTRUCTIONS

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

Regenerate NY Forestry Cost Share Program Round 5

Amendment 1 – 1/28/2026

Supported by the USDA Forest Service Forest Landowner Support Initiative, Landowner Cost Share Payment Program and the Environmental Protection Fund for Climate

Change Mitigation and Adaptation

NYS SFS Grants Management Bid Event ID Nos.:

• RNY2025SP – Small Projects

• RNY2025LP – Large Projects

Apply through the SFS Vendor Portal https://esupplier.sfs.ny.gov/psp/fscm/SUPPLIER/?cmd=login&languageCd=ENG

Timetable of Key Events:

Phase 1 Bidding Period Begins Friday, January 16th, 2026

Information Webinar Tuesday, February 3rd, 2026

Phase 2 Grant Funds Unrestricted Wednesday, March 11th, 2026

Question & Answer Period Ends Thursday, August 27th, 2026

Bid Deadline Monday, August 31st, 2026 3 PM ET https://esupplier.sfs.ny.gov/psp/fscm/SUPPLIER/ERP/c/NY_SUPPUB_FL.AUC_RESP_INQ_AUC.GBL?

https://esupplier.sfs.ny.gov/psp/fscm/SUPPLIER/?cmd=login&languageCd=ENG

Table of Contents

1. Regenerate NY Supporting Landowners to Regenerate & Restore Forests

a) Round 5 Funding

d) Match Requirements

e) Post-Award Follow-up

f) Eligible Project Locations

2. Eligible Practices

a) Tree Planting Practice: Afforestation, Reforestation and Supplemental Planting ... 16

b) Regeneration Silviculture/Early Successional Habitat

c) Forest Health Resiliency Thinning

d) Competing Vegetation Control

e) Deer Exclosure

3. Bid Event Questions and Eligibility Review

Event Questions:

Eligibility Criteria:

Eligibility Review Process

4. Eligible and Ineligible Expenditures

a) Budget Costs Eligible for Payment

b) Costs NOT Eligible for Payment

5. Bid Submission

6. Grant Opportunity and General Information and Conditions

a) Grant Bid Requirements and Conditions

b) Tax Implications

c) Performance Based Budget

d) Work Plan

e) Debriefing Request

f) Protest Procedure

g) Department of Environmental Conservation Oversight

h) Sexual Harassment Prevention Certification

i) Executive Order 16

j. Gender-Based Violence and the Workplace Certification

k) SEQRA and Permits (if applicable to your project/may be revised)

l) Letters of Permission (if applicable to your project/may be revised)

m) Federal Requirements

n) Long-Term Support and Benefits

7. Method of Award

8. Grant Program Payment

9. Grant Program Reporting

10. What to Expect If You Receive an Award

a. Notification of Award

b. State of New York Master Contract for Grants (MCG)

I. Insurance Requirements II. Permit Requirements (if applicable)

III. State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) Documentation

c. Vendor Responsibility Questionnaire

d. Iran Divestment Act

e. Minority and Women Business Enterprise (MWBE) and Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Requirements

f. Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business (SDVOB) Participation Requirements ... 58

g. Procurement of Contractors/Subcontractors

h. Americans With Disabilities Act

i. Diesel Emissions Reduction Act 2006

11. Inquiries, Designated Contact Information, and Webinar Registration

APPENDIX 1 – NYS DEC Service Foresters APPENDIX 2 – Bid Submission Checklist

APPENDIX 3 – Herbicide Application Plan Template APPENDIX 4 – Financial Worksheet and Performance Based Budget Example

APPENDIX – Sample Work Plan, Timeline, and Objectives Worksheet APPENDIX 6 – Sample Letter of Agreement – Trusts

APPENDIX 6 – Sample Letter of Agreement - Landowner APPENDIX 7 – Certification for Sexual Harassment Prevention

APPENDIX 8 – Executive Order 16 Certification APPENDIX 9 – Gender-Based Violence and the Workplace Certification Form

APPENDIX 10 – Bidder Advisory of Federal Terms & Conditions

Amendment 1 provides additional information on submitting the financial workbook as an attachment to question #14 in SFS.

Budget Workbook Fix: Applicants may have issues uploading their excel budget workbook.

The original copy of the excel workbook caused an error when uploading to the SFS Management System. Applicants can do one of two options to solve this issue:

• Applicants may download a new version of the budget workbook from the download link on DEC’s Regenerate NY webpage https://dec.ny.gov/nature/forests-trees/private-forest-management/regenerate-new-york-grant-program. This version is an Excel Workbook with a .xlsx file type.

• Applicants may also change their original budget workbook from a macro-enabled excel workbook (.xlsm) to a standard excel (.xls). Excel will give a prompt asking if you are okay saving without macros; click yes.

Please note, the original copy of the excel workbook will remain on the SFS application page. If you download this version, please follow the second step listed above. If you have any issues, please reach out to the RegenNY@dec.ny.gov email.

https://dec.ny.gov/nature/forests-trees/private-forest-management/regenerate-new-york-grant-program https://dec.ny.gov/nature/forests-trees/private-forest-management/regenerate-new-york-grant-program mailto:RegenNY@dec.ny.gov

1. Regenerate NY Supporting Landowners to Regenerate & Restore Forests

Are your woodlands challenged by invasive species? Has your forest been impacted by significant forest health insects or diseases? Are you looking to expand your forest in open areas of your property to manage for future forest benefits, including wood products, wildlife, or biodiversity? The Regenerate NY program is here for you!

The purpose of the Regenerate NY grant program is to provide financial assistance to private landowners and not-for-profits in establishing new and/or restoring existing forest woodlands. Approximately $5,080,000 is available for Regenerate NY - Round 5.

Funding for this grant opportunity is provided by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service through the Inflation Reduction Act’s Forest Landowner Support Initiative Landowner Cost Share Payment Program and the Environmental Protection Fund for Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation.

The benefits of managing your forest are many. Our forests are our retreat and connection to nature. They provide us with a sustainable stream of income, which supports green jobs, can boost traditional agricultural systems through agroforestry practices. It’s where we recreate, participate in the long tradition of hunting, or learn more about the environment around us. Forests give us clean air, clean water, support biodiversity and wildlife, and mitigate climate change.

But forests in New York State face challenges. Overabundant deer populations and invasive species inhibit natural regeneration of young trees in our woodlands. More frequent droughts through the summer and shortened winters with less snow further stress forested ecosystems.

Now is the time to take action and start engaging with your land. Tree planting can assist you in bringing back trees more adapted to warmer summers, abandoned fields, To create a successful future forest, controlling invasive species and excluding deer will give your tree seedlings the fighting chance they need to succeed.

This grant supports new/underserved landowners and projects which restore tree regeneration and forest resiliency. Projects in which landowners are active or veteran military personnel, new forest owners, having owned their property for less than 10 years, and federally recognized Indian Nations or Tribes will be prioritized. DEC will also prioritize projects that require significant planting to afforest or reforest a portion of land, or those that are significantly degraded because of a forest health outbreak.

This grant program supports tree planting, restoration, and other forest establishment practices as noted below:

1. Tree Planting to establish forests on non-forest areas and re-establish areas of forest disturbed by forest pests, disease, storms and timber harvesting as well as supplement existing natural regeneration in forests to help increase resilience and/or species diversity.

2. Regeneration Silviculture/Early Successional Habitat to support the re-establishment of forests through natural regeneration and provide young forest/early successional wildlife habitat by opening the forest canopy to increase sunlight and decrease plant competition.

3. Forest Health Resiliency Thinning is intended to reduce tree competition and promote residual tree resiliency, diversify the stand structure and age diversity, and recruit large trees and downed woody material.

4. Competing Vegetation Control to eliminate or reduce invasive vegetation competing with natural regeneration of forests.

5. Deer Exclosures to protect tree seedlings from deer using tree tubes, deer fences or a slash wall barrier.

Projects must treat 5 acres or more and use at least one of the practices listed above.

All projects must be guided by a private forester or natural resource professional. If the proper light conditions to support planted trees or natural regeneration for the project do not yet exist, silvicultural operations may be necessary to create the necessary conditions.

More information for Bidders, including further details can be found in this Request for Applications (RFA).

*New this year*

• The maximum project award is increased to $1,000,000 o There are two opportunities available through this grant; Small Budget Projects (under $50,000) and Large Budget Projects ($50,000 - $1,000,000)A maximum of $1,000,000 is available for Small Budget Projects.

o Applicants will apply for the specific opportunity in SFS based on their proposed project request.

• Project applications must include an annual work schedule associated with the practice workplan and a detailed budget workbook.

o Applicants will need to complete a budget estimate prior to applying to select the correct opportunity. Budget templates can be downloaded either from the application or from the RNY website.

• Project payments will now follow a Performance Based Payment structure. The department will make milestone payments to the landowner once deliverables outlined in the workplan have been completed. See Section 8: Grant Program Payment for more details.

• A new practice, Forest Health Resiliency Thinning, has been added to the opportunity. See Section 2 (c): Forest Health Resiliency Thinning for more details.

o NYSDEC will cap awarded amounts in the Forest Health Resiliency Thinning practice at approximately $1,000,000 until March 10th, 2026, after which the cap will be removed.

• Up to $1,000,000 will be set aside for large scale afforestation and reforestation projects in support of the 25 Million Trees Initiative.

• Agency priorities: while Regenerate NY is for all eligible forest landowners, NYSDEC will prioritize specific forest practices and landowners. NYSDEC will reserve $1,000,000 for underserved landowners until March 10th, 2026, after which it will be available to all bidders:

1) Forest Practices:

a. Projects that target areas impacted by forest pests and diseases, not limited to hemlock wooly adelgid, emerald ash borer, and southern pine beetle,

2) Underserved Landowners:

a. Forest landowners who have owned their lands for 10 years or less, and/or;

b. Landowners who are active members, reserve members or veterans who were released from service under conditions other than dishonorable, from the military.

c. Indian Nations or Tribes

a) Round 5 Funding

• Approximately $5,080,000 in total is available for the Regenerate NY grant (Round 5).

• Funding for this opportunity is provided by the USFS LSR Landowner Support Grant and the Environmental Protection Fund for Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation.

• Bidders should request the amount of funding they can show is appropriate and reasonable for their project.

• There will be two separate opportunities available for this round:

o RNY Small Projects: Bidders with a project under $50,000 o RNY Large Projects: Bidders with a project between $50,000 and

$1,000,000

• Minimum grant amount per bid is $10,000; The Maximum grant amount per bid is

$1,000,000.

• There is a $1,000,000 cap to funds allocated towards the Forest Health

Resiliency Practice. If the total funds of the RNY 5 have not been exhausted by March 10th, then the cap will be lifted and Resiliency Thinning practices can continue to receive funds as detailed in Section 7, Method of Award.

• Up to $1,000,000 will be set aside for large scale afforestation and reforestation projects in support of the 25 Million Trees Initiative.

• There is no limit to the number of bids a single landowner or organization wishes to submit. Bidders may only submit one project per bid.

b) Eligible Bidders For the purposes of this grant program, the following entities are considered eligible bidders:

• Non industrial private landowners; defined as any individual, partnership, or for-profit entity that owns less than 2,500 acres of land,

• Land Trusts and Not-For-Profit Organizations and Associations, regardless of land area owned

• Indian Nations or Tribes recognized by the state or the United States with a reservation wholly or partly within the boundaries of New York State, or any combination thereof, regardless of land area owned

• Companies or organizations acting on behalf of non-industrial private landowners (listed above). Examples include:

o Quasi-government agencies (e.g., SWCD, IDA, Water Authority) o Private forestry business o Natural resource business focused on tree planting o Not-for-profit (NFP) corporations (qualified under Section 501(c)(3) of the federal Internal Revenue Code)

Projects for this application must be within a rural portion of New York, as defined by the US Census Tract data. Landowners can determine if their project meets this requirement by looking at the Landscape Scale Restoration Project Eligibility Tool here:

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/collections/7e0ca1a95e134de094c71cb3646372d3?item= 1 (Note: rural = outside the areas in red on the map)

Bidders must possess the knowledge, skills, and /or track record to successfully implement the project. DEC highly encourages landowners to partner with Not-For- Profit’s to help apply for this opportunity and manage the project.

For this grant opportunity, a NFP is subject to New York State’s Not-For-Profit Corporation Law, is qualified for tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Federal Internal Revenue Code, has an IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter to be incorporated in New York State and is current in their charities reporting requirements with the Office of the Attorney General.

Trusts https://storymaps.arcgis.com/collections/7e0ca1a95e134de094c71cb3646372d3?item=1

Bids that are submitted by Trusts having more than an individual landowner need to upload a Letter of Agreement in response to SFS bid “Event Question” 6 that provides who is the signatory for this bid and contract that includes brief project description, Scope of Work and Budget and state that all parties are agreed and able to move forward with a contract. A sample letter is provided in Appendix 6.

Partnership Scenarios If a proposed project involves a partnership, there are various scenarios that are acceptable and can enhance project success. Potential partnership scenarios anticipated under this RFA are described below.

Landowner Some landowners have the expertise and capacity to fully deliver the project by themselves. In this case, the landowner will be the Bidder and will submit the bid for grant funding. They will assume the responsibility for performing work consistent with this RFA and the State of New York Master Contract for Grants.

All payments will be issued directly to the landowner who will be responsible for 10% match, all SFS contract administration activity, contract execution, project management/implementation, progress reporting and documentation of expenses.

Landowner (Bidder) with Assistance In some cases, the landowner may want to submit the Bid but needs outside assistance with some of the responsibilities outlined above. In this case, the landowner will be the Bidder and will submit the bid for grant funding. All payments will be issued directly to the landowner who will be responsible for financial aspects of the project. The landowner is responsible for the 10% match, either in cash or in-kind services.

A landowner Bidder can receive assistance with SFS contract administration, contract execution, project management/implementation, progress reporting and documentation of expenses. This should be fully described in the project work plan.

a. Subcontract: The landowner can hire an outside expert forestry professional, conservation non-profit, quasi-government organization, and/or grant administrator via contractual services to be included in the project budget as an expense, limited to within a standard of 30% of project costs as discussed further in section 4, Eligible and Ineligible Expenditures.

b. In-Kind Services: Alternatively, the landowner may obtain assistance at no cost which can be included in the budget as in-kind match.

The outside entity providing assistance can be assigned a supportive role in SFS to develop necessary documentation and assist with the bid and/or contract, provided that the Landowner is the signatory and retains all approval/submittal roles.

If the landowner receives such assistance at no cost, a letter of commitment substantiating the collaboration from the partner, and if applicable, commitment of in-kind match, is required. This letter is to be uploaded in a single PDF in response to SFS bid “Event Question” 6, Proof of Private Land Ownership and/or Partnership.

Administrative Sponsor (Bidder) with Landowner In some cases, a Landowner can complete the project but may not want to enroll in SFS and submit the Bid. An administrative sponsor is an organization that applies in SFS on behalf of a Landowner. Landowners may request the aid of an administrative sponsor for various reasons, for example, if they lack the staff or administrative resources required to manage this grant

The administrative sponsor accepts responsibility to serve as a fiscal conduit for a DEC-funded project, receiving and disbursing funds related to the grant, and administering the requirements throughout the DEC grant process, including reporting of grant activity. The eligible Landowner completes the project, including responsibility for performance of the grant work plan, commitment of match, and long-term maintenance.

The administrative sponsor must upload a letter of agreement. The letter of agreement must be between the qualifying, eligible Landowner and the party that will serve as the administrative sponsor.

The agreement must:

• state the Bidder will serve as the administrative sponsor,

• state that the administrative sponsor will assume the responsibility for submitting the project bid,

• briefly describe the performance of work by all parties consistent with this

RFA, commitment of match and long-term maintenance by the Landowner, and

• state that the administrative sponsor will assume responsibility for the execution of a State of New York Master Contract for Grants.

Any bid including an administrative sponsor that does not include a required sponsor agreement will be disqualified in the eligibility pass/fail review. Any change in the nature of the agreement will require prior DEC Program Manager approval.

The organization the administrative sponsor is applying on behalf of must meet all eligibility requirements. Administrative sponsors must upload documentation in the bid on behalf of the eligible entity.

Project Sponsor (Bidder) with Landowner In some cases, a Landowner may not have any expertise regarding forestry or grant administration and, it may be preferable for the grant Contract to be entered into by another eligible entity that can serve as the long-term project manager and grant administrator – to fully conduct a project on behalf of the landowner. The following scenarios are options for project sponsors that want to submit a Bid on behalf of a landowner.

• Private Forestry Business Bidder

• Non-Profit / Quasi-government Agency Bidder

In these cases, the project sponsor will be the Bidder and will submit the bid for grant funding. They will retain the responsibility for performing work consistent with this RFA and the State of New York Master Contract for Grants. All payments will be issued directly to the project sponsor who will be responsible for financial aspects of the project. The project sponsor will be responsible for SFS contract administration activity, contract execution, progress reporting and documentation of expenses.

To provide for project management / implementation; a project sponsor may retain this responsibility, or subcontract it to a private forestry business.

A project sponsor is responsible for 10% match unless otherwise agreed with the landowner and must have agreement with the landowner regarding the source of match prior to application.

A project sponsor is also responsible for ensuring long term maintenance of the project unless otherwise agreed with the landowner and must have agreement with the landowner delineating long term maintenance responsibilities prior to application

A letter of agreement between the landowner and the project sponsor is required.

This letter is to be uploaded in a single PDF in response to SFS bid “Event Question” 6, Proof of Private Land Ownership and/or Partnership. A sample letter is provided in Appendix 6.

c) Proposed Project Timeframes All projects must have defined objectives, tasks, timelines, and deliverables accounted for in performance measures that can be completed and inspected prior to December 15th, 2029. Approximate contract term is dependent on how quickly funds are awarded.

The earliest anticipated contract start date is May 1, 2026. Costs outside of the contract period/term are ineligible. Project activity must fall within the Contract Term. Project expenditures prior to the Master Contract for Grants (MCG) start date and after the MCG end date are not eligible for funding. See Section 4, Eligible and Ineligible Expenditures for further information.

There will be no Time Extensions beyond the contract term end date. Bidders should not apply if they do not anticipate their project can be completed within the specified contract terms. All practices for projects must be completed prior to July 1st, 2029.

Additional project maintenance and monitoring required after practice completion will be undertaken by the awardee at their expense. See Section 2, Eligible Practices, Subsection, Monitoring and Maintenance, for further information.

d) Match Requirements Match is the portion of project expenditures not paid for with grant funds. Regenerate NY has a 10% match requirement for all projects funded in Round 5.

Grant funds are available for up to 90% of the requested budget. Bidders must match at least 10% of the grant funding amount. (Match must be from non-state/non-federal funding sources). Match is the portion of project expenditures not paid for with grant funds and not otherwise covered by funding. Match can be from local and/or in-kind contributions. For example, a $50,000 grant would require $5,000 in match for a total project cost of $55,000; with $50,000 funded by the grant. Local sources can include funding from other non-state and/or non-federal grant sources or from project partners.

In-kind contributions are non-cash donations provided by non-state and/or non-federal third parties which can include equipment, supplies, services, and other expendable property. Matching share contributions must support the objectives outlined in the work plan. Sales tax and project planning can be used as match.

Bidders will be required to provide the sources of all matching funds using the Match Worksheet in the SFS Grants Management System.

e) Post-Award Follow-up DEC Program Staff may work with bidders after the bid application is submitted to collect additional information detailed in this Bid Document, under the Grant Opportunity General Information and Conditions section 6 (m) Federal Requirements, to determine whether each submitted project complies with federal requirements. This additional information will neither delay nor be considered in the eligibility review, however, it will impact the Department’s ability to proceed to Contract with each bid selected for award.

All grantees notified of the need for additional information prior to Contract will be provided with a uniform set of instructions on the same date and the standard deadline for Contract execution will not be waived.

f) Eligible Project Locations Eligible projects for grant funding must be located on one or more contiguous properties within the State of New York. A contiguous property is defined as a single tax parcel or multiple tax parcels that are connected by a single point and owned by the same owner.

A bid must implement a project on 5 or more contiguous acres and include the necessary information required to meet all eligibility requirements. Bidders are required to upload a map of each project area in SFS Grants Management as part of SFS bid “Event Question” 10 - Project Location.” Hand-drawn maps will not be accepted.

Ineligible Locations - Lands owned by the state, county, city or any other municipality or governmental entity are not eligible for this opportunity.

All projects eligible for Regenerate Round 5 must be located within a federally designated Rural area. Bidders may use this tool to identify whether their project is within a rural area – anywhere outside the areas in red.

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/collections/7e0ca1a95e134de094c71cb3646372d3?item=

2. Eligible Practices Regenerate NY projects must support tree regeneration, restoration, and other establishment support through:

1) Reforestation/Afforestation,

2) Regeneration Silviculture/Early Successional Habitat,

3) Forest Health Resilience Thinning

4) Competing Vegetation Control, and/or

5) Deer Exclosure practices

The requirements for implementation of these practices are reflected in the standards and specifications. Bidders should carefully review the practice information below, and the pass/fail eligibility criteria contained in this Bid Application to avoid disqualification.

Requirement: The Practice Template form must be completed with basic site information and practice-specific information.

The Practice Template form must be downloaded from the SFS bid “Event Comments and Attachments” link, completed by the Bidder, and uploaded to SFS bid “Event Question” 12 to be considered for funding.

Alignment with Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Practices

Each practice has different requirements as reflected in standards and specifications.

These specifications often align with the Natural Resource Conservation Services’ Field Office Technical Guide (FOTG), for which applicable reference numbers are listed below.

• 314-Brush Management Practices

• 315-Herbaceous Weed Control

• 490-Site preparation

• 612-Tree Planting

• 647-Early Succession Habitat o Wildlife Openings o Low shade removal o Overstory removal

• 342-Critical Area Planting

• 391-Riparian Forest Buffer

• 382-Fence

• 666-Forest Stand Improvement

To receive payment, the practice standard either needs to be installed to NRCS standards or meet the standards included below for each Regenerate NY Practice in this RFA. A DEC forester will sign off on either standard.

The Regenerate NY Program evaluates cost effectiveness based on the current year USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service Environmental Qualify Incentive Program (NRCS EQIP) cost rates for New York, which can be found here:

https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/getting-assistance/payment-schedules. These rates should serve as a guide for developing program costs, however real costs for practice implementation will be covered by this program as reasonable.

Note* NRCS EQIP Rates are only based on 75% of the full cost of practice installation, while the Regenerate NY payment rates are determined based on the entire project cost, including installation, labor and materials, excluding match requirements. Please carefully consider differences in project estimates; it is expected that bids for Regenerate NY projects will be above NRCS’s EQIP rate by at least a 25% margin.

Deviations from these costs will be accepted on a case-by-case basis where justification is provided, such as estimates and quotes.

The above codes can be used to find the correct practice sections within the NRCS EQIP cost rates document to find the relevant information (**hint: use control F function to quickly find each section**).

https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/getting-assistance/payment-schedules

a) Tree Planting Practice: Afforestation, Reforestation and Supplemental Planting The goal of this practice is to establish new forests in areas that are not currently forested or supplement inadequate natural regeneration in existing forests after a natural disturbance or treatment.

These practices CANNOT be used to establish or maintain orchards, ornamental plantings, nurseries or Christmas tree farms.

The bidder is required to complete the General Site Conditions and Afforestation/Reforestation Sections of the Project Template Form and upload it to SFS bid "Event Question" 12 to be eligible to receive an award.

Aligned NRCS EQIP Practices

Funding is allowed for projects by the following aligned NRCS EQIP Practices, or the standards and specifications outlined in the section below, as they apply to the project. For Tree Planting practices, compare the NRCS EQIP cost rates for the practices below to the costs for your project to evaluate cost effectiveness.

• 490-Site preparation

• 314-Brush Management Practices

• 612-Tree Planting

• 342-Critical Area Planting

• 391-Riparian Forest Buffer

Practice Cost Payments

Materials and tasks that are approved for payment for this practice include:

• Planning by a forester or natural resources professional

• Cost of tree planting contractor and/or forester/natural resources professional

• Purchase of bare root or containerized tree or shrub seedlings

• Groundcover to assist with weed control

• Labor hours to prepare the site and plant seedlings on the site

• Materials and labor for tree protection and survival (except for competing vegetation control (ex: weed mats and herbicide) costs which are covered in Practice 2 and deer fencing costs which are covered in Practice 4)

• Rental or leasing equipment directly related to site preparation and the planting and/or maintenance of tree seedlings

• Purchase of tools (under $5,000 per unit)

• Other techniques as approved by DEC to assist or enhance tree planting success.

General Standards and Specifications

Site Evaluation

Evaluate the site to determine necessary site preparation, and if mulching, supplemental water or other treatments (e.g., tree protection devices, shade cards, brush mats, etc.) are needed to assure adequate survival and establishment. Based on the site conditions, select site-adapted plant materials, planting methods, and planting seasons to minimize the need for supplemental water and/or nutrients and maximize the tree survival rates.

Tree Species

In general, native trees species should be used for planting projects, however naturalized, non-invasive, non-native trees will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis based on landowner goals or as an appropriate substitution upon DEC Approval.

Species should be regionally suitable, and/or selected for the desired future forest type.

Species may also be based on plant stock availability, planting season, and/or other factors.

Tree species must conform with the current forest type or desired future forest type.

Several factors should be considered when selecting trees for planting including:

• Native forest type of project location

• Site factors such as soil type, drainage and aspect

• Hardiness zone

• Ability to perform future maintenance, such as thinning and pruning

• Landowner goals

• Growth rates

• Appropriate species for restoring critical and unique forested habitats.

Plantings must consist of trees. Project tree stock specifications must be included in estimates. To ensure planting success, DEC may require bidders to use different planting stock based on site, project timelines, stock availability and other unforeseen situations.

Select viable, high-quality, and adapted plant materials. Select planting stock that conforms to established seed transfer protocols within the State and complies with minimum standards accepted by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Do not plant any species on the Federal or State invasive species or noxious weed lists.

New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets’ list of prohibited and regulated invasive plants can be found at https://agriculture.ny.gov/plant-industry/invasive-species. The United States Department of Agriculture’s National Invasive Species Information Center has both federal and regional prohibited species lists which can be found at https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/subject/lists.

Site Preparation Depending on site factors, there will likely be a need for some site preparation. Site factors that may indicate a need for site preparation include:

• Compacted soils (such as if the field was previously used for agriculture), which likely indicate a need for tilling, https://agriculture.ny.gov/plant-industry/invasive-species https://agriculture.ny.gov/plant-industry/invasive-species https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/subject/lists

• Steep slope or erodible soils (silt or clay), which likely indicate the need for erosion control, and/or

• Presence of vegetation cover on the site (>30% cover), will require mechanical control (ex: mowing), vegetation exclusion (ex: weed mats, gravel mulch), and/or herbicide control prior to planting (refer to section 2 (d) of this document for the competing vegetation control practice)

If the proper light conditions to support planted trees or natural regeneration for the project do not yet exist, silvicultural operations may be necessary to create the necessary conditions.

Planting Guidance

A guide for tree planting can be found at:

https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_forests_pdf/tftplantmaint.pdf

Choose appropriate planting dates and handling methods to increase rates of survival.

Typically, plantings have the most success if completed in the fall prior to frost or the early spring following thaw. Select planting techniques and timing appropriate for soil and site conditions.

For projects establishing new forest areas or re-establishing forests after a harvest, natural disturbance, or dieback:

• The target planting density if using bare root seedlings is 500 trees per acre o Bareroot seedlings should be between 5”-14” in height with a maximum 3-

3 age (3 years in seed beds and 3 years in transplant beds) o Plantings using bare root stock should target sizes at or below 1” caliper

• The target planting density if using containerized seedlings is 100 trees per acre and may use a maximum container size of 5-gallons.

• Projects may be allowed to alter the target trees per acre depending on the species planted or the forest type being replanted, site conditions, type of tree stock. For example, special or rare ecological habitats may require fewer trees per acre than a softwood plantation.

• Depending on the landowners’ goal planting stock (bare root or containerized) a higher or lower number of trees per acre may be planted upon approval by DEC.

For projects that are planting trees to supplement existing natural regeneration in a forest, fewer trees may be required per acre based on the current natural regeneration. The Bidder will provide the number of trees or trees per acre required to adequately supplement existing regeneration based on site factors, current forest type, and light conditions. These conditions are crucial for overall project success and will be used in the evaluation process.

Any tree stock purchased outside New York State must be USDA approved. Select only viable, high-quality, and adapted plant materials. Select planting stock that conforms to established seed transfer protocols within the State and complies with minimum standards accepted by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_forests_pdf/tftplantmaint.pdf

Supplemental water may need to be provided to plantings. Watering systems can be included as part of payment or match costs. Erosion and water quality must be controlled and maintained during site preparation activities and project operations.

Tree Protection

Tree protection is required for all hardwood plantings and for softwood plantings with a high browse preference by deer (e.g., cedar). Tree protection may include fencing or tree shelters and be tall enough to protect seedlings until they can escape browse pressure. For protecting plantings of 9 acres or more it may be more cost effective to use fencing than tree shelters on a per acre basis. For planting projects that require installation of a deer fence, projects apply for and follow the Guidelines and Standards for the Deer Exclosure Practice (section 2e of this document).

In addition, protect tree, seeded areas, and naturally regenerated areas, from unacceptable adverse impacts of pests, wildlife, livestock, human disturbance, and/or fire. Protect from pests, as necessary, by applying integrated pest management techniques for pest prevention, avoidance, monitoring, and suppression. Projects may include planting groundcover to limit competing vegetation with trees.

Required Survival Rates

Total seedling survival for bare root stock must be 65% or greater during the contract period to receive full funding for this practice.

Total seedling survival for containerized stock must be 75% or greater during the contract period to receive full funding for this practice.

Monitoring & Maintenance

As part of this bid, the landowner will include a long-term monitoring and maintenance section in the workplan. Once implemented to the specifications listed above, the landowner will monitor this practice throughout its lifespan to evaluate success. The site should be frequently inspected within the first several years of practice establishment to determine tree survival and address threats to establishment (i.e., insects, disease, browsing, competing vegetation, etc.).

The landowner is expected to perform the actions necessary at the project site to achieve at least a 65% survival rate for bare root seedlings and 75% survival rate for containerized seedlings for the duration of the contract period, with the long-term goal of establishing planted trees within 10 years. Maintenance activities after the project is completed and beyond the contract term must be conducted at the landowner’s expense.

Monitoring records should be maintained by the landowner throughout the lifespan of the practice and available upon request by DEC. These records should provide the necessary information needed to enable the DEC to evaluate the site. DEC and partners may also conduct on site monitoring throughout the lifespan of the project to evaluate project and program success.

Additional long-term maintenance can be expected for:

• Sites that have existing vegetation cover and/or presence of invasive species where long-term mechanical control (ex: mowing), vegetation exclusion (ex:

weed mats, gravel mulch), and/or herbicide control may be necessary to exclude competing vegetation from the site.

• Sites that have a high population of mice and voles (mostly recent agricultural lands)

• Silty or compacted soils, which are more prone to frost-heaving.

Steep slopes, south or southwest-facing aspects, high elevation, and in sites with high wind that may increase tree stock water loss.

b) Regeneration Silviculture/Early Successional Habitat The goal of this practice is to create short term early successional habitat from degraded and unproductive forests, transition stands to a composition that is suitable for future climate resilience and create conditions which are favorable for natural and artificial tree regeneration. The objective of the project must be to perform silvicultural treatments or wildlife habitat creation that open the forest canopy to allow for sufficient light to reach the ground to stimulate the growth and establishment of desirable tree regeneration.

If the proper light conditions to support planted trees or natural regeneration for the project do not yet exist, silvicultural operations may be necessary to create the necessary conditions.

This practice targets:

• Low quality stands or poorly growing stands with a high percentage of cull trees and/or unacceptable growing stock (UGS) that could be removed to facilitate natural regeneration, but little or no markets for the wood exists.

• Forest stands that have a closed canopy, that have stagnated in the stem exclusion stage or have limited understory regeneration.

• Forest stands where most of the canopy trees have a live crown ratio of 30% or less.

These stands will also have a sufficient likelihood of regenerating to improve growing stock species composition within the next 10 years, if this practice is applied correctly.

This practice will not apply to timber stand improvement thinning in pole timber sized stands for the purposes of residual stand volume growth. Stand prescriptions must detail desired outcome and purpose of treatments.

For this practice, the Bidder is required to complete the General Site Conditions and Forest Stand Restoration Sections of the Project Template Form and upload it to SFS bid "Event Question" 12.

For Restoration Silviculture practices, compare the NRCS EQIP cost rates for 647-Early Successional Habitat to the costs for your project to evaluate cost effectiveness.

Practice Cost Payment

Payment is allowed for projects by the following aligned NRCS EQIP Practices for 647- Early Successional Habitat or the standards and specifications outlined in the section below, as they apply to the project. Materials and tasks that are approved for payment for this practice include:

• Planning by a forester or natural resource professional

• Forester or logging contractor work

• Equipment use and labor for marking and cutting according to treatment prescription to restore degraded stands.

• Site preparation work.

• Rental or lease of equipment

• Purchase of tools (under $5,000 per unit)

Costs associated with road development, best management practices, and maintenance are not covered under this grant, but can be counted towards match amounts.

The following treatment or combination of silvicultural treatments are eligible under this practice:

• Even-aged regeneration treatments using o Shelterwood systems o Seed tree systems o Overstory removal o Clear-cuts (including patch and strip cutting)

• Uneven-aged regeneration treatments using o Group selection

• Forestry techniques documented to create resilient forest and wildlife habitat or establish regeneration in peer reviewed literature

• Bidders can also follow the NRCS Standard for 647-Early Successional Habitat, IF the intent is to allow the area to grow into forest.

o Wildlife openings o Low shade removal o Overstory removal

Prescriptions are to be developed by a forester using the project template. Additional forms can be accepted as supplemental information, but the template form must be correct and complete. Work plans should use available guidelines for species and species groups to determine spacing, density, size-class distribution, number of trees, and amount of understory species to be retained. Stocking will be described in terms of basal area per acre, trees per acre, between-tree spacing, or by any other appropriate and professionally accepted density or stocking protocol.

In addition, Work Plans should describe:

• the current and desired future condition of each stand that will be treated. Include the species, cover type, and size-class distribution.

• the extent or size and orientation of treatment area(s)

• trees and understory species identified and to be retained to achieve all planned purposes.

• if creating early successional habitat, state wildlife species targeted and intention to allow habitat to follow natural succession to become forest.

Best Management Practices must be incorporated into the work plan for installation and maintenance, maintained to the standards put forth in the New York State Voluntary Best Management Practice for Water Quality Guide-BMP Field Guide.

The bidder may need to conduct mitigation on invasive and native vegetation competing with tree regeneration if 30% or more of the stand is covered. If so, this work should be described, and the Competing Vegetation Control practice should also be applied for as part of this bid.

Monitoring and Maintenance

As part of this bid, the landowner will include a long-term monitoring and maintenance section in the workplan. Once implemented to the specifications listed above, the landowner will monitor this practice throughout its lifespan to evaluate and ensure success to reach the long-term goal of establishing tree regeneration within 10 years.

This may include additional costs to the landowner with no additional funding, if additional practices are needed to properly secure tree regeneration. The site should be frequently inspected within the first several years of practice establishment to determine tree survival and address threats to establishment (i.e., insects, disease, browsing, competing vegetation, etc.).

Monitoring records should be maintained by the landowner throughout the lifespan of the practice and available upon request by DEC. These records should provide the necessary information needed to enable the DEC to evaluate the site. DEC and partners may also conduct on site monitoring throughout the lifespan of the project to evaluate project and program success.

c) Forest Health Resiliency Thinning Following the last century of farmland conversion, large scale planting projects, and broad natural regeneration, many forests across New York have reached a mature monocultural condition with low size class diversity, stagnant growth, declining forest health, and loss of large structures and down woody recruitment. With increase competition for site resources and cool, shaded, humid understories, pest and pathogen https://extapps.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_forests_pdf/forestrybmp.pdf outbreaks have become more prevalent across the landscape. Conversely, poor harvesting practices and significant forest health outbreaks have left swaths of woodlands in an understocked state, with trees of poor vigor, undesirable species, and abundant invasive species.

This practice is intended to target forest stands susceptible to widespread forest health outbreaks, stands that’s have been significantly impacted by a previous outbreak, and stands that are composed of an undesirable overstory limiting regeneration of climate resilient species.

This practice targets:

- Overstocked forest stands with high inter-tree competition (relative density)

- Low species diversity

- Limited size class diversity

- Stands with offsite species or potentially offsite under future climate scenarios

- Forest stands that are dead, displaying substantial dieback of the canopy, or otherwise failing tree species due to poor harvesting practices or a natural disturbance

- Limited presence of standing (snags) or down woody material

- High potential of forest health outbreak, either due to overabundance of susceptible tree species, current presence of insect or disease, or prevalence of forest health disturbance within the nearby vicinity.

Aligned NRCS EQIP Practices: 666 – Forest Stand Improvement

Payment is allowed for projects by the following aligned NRCS EQIP Practices, or the standards and specifications outlined in the section below, as they apply to the project.

- Maintain or improve forest carbon stocks

- Maintain or improve forest health and productivity

- Maintain or improve forest structure and composition

- Maintain or improve wildlife, fish, and pollinator habitat

- Manage natural precipitation more efficiently

- Reduce forest pest pressure

- Reduce prevalence of invasive species

Materials and tasks that are approved for payment for this practice include:

- Planning by a forester or natural resource professional

- Forester or logging contractor work

- Equipment use and labor for marking and cutting according to treatment prescription.

- Site preparation work.

- Rental or lease of equipment

- Purchase of tools (under $5,000 per unit)

Best Management Practices must be incorporated into the work plan for installation and maintenance, maintained to the standards put forth in the New York State Voluntary Best Management Practice for Water Quality Guide-BMP Field Guide.

Costs associated with road development, best management practices, and maintenance are not covered under this grant, but can be counted towards match amounts.

The bidder may need to conduct mitigation on invasive and native vegetation competing with tree regeneration if 30% or more of the stand is covered. If so, this work should be described, and the Competing Vegetation Control practice should also be applied for as part of this bid.

General Standards and Specifications

Bidders should describe the overstory condition and use species, site, and cover type specific stocking guides when setting stand specific targets. Stands should be above the “A-line”, which are considered overstocked. Other metrics should be included to demonstrate structural characteristics of the stand, such as trees per acres, basal area, quadratic mean diameter, and other pertinent descriptions.

In general, this practice will not apply to timber stand improvement thinning in sapling or pole timber sized stands for the purposes of residual stand volume growth. Stand prescriptions must detail desired outcome and purpose of treatments.

Applications should describe the tree species composition, whether there are any current forest health issues present in the stand, and how their management plans will make the future condition more resilient to potential future pests or pathogens.

Bidders may use tools such as the Forest Degradation Calculator to support the need for Forest Health Resiliency…