Scope of Work_Apple River Canyon.docx

ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES ILLINOIS DIVISION OF FOREST RESOURCES

IDNR Mitigation Tree Planting Scope of Work for Apple River Canyon:

Reforestation Areas IDNR Region 1 / IDOT Region 2

1.1 SUPPLIES AND /OR SERVICES REQUIRED:

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forest Resources (IDNR) seeks an experienced reforestation contractor (Contractor), to plant supplied trees seedlings at a designated state land site and apply one application of pre or post herbicide treatment to planting area as per provided specifications within this scope of work.

Contractor must plant at a density of 726 seedling trees per acre in rows 10 feet apart with seedlings spaced 6 feet apart within those rows and in accordance with IDNR Technical Specification 001 in Jo Daviess county on two sites (42.401600, -90.107407 and 42.404342, -90.103192) in Apple River Canyon State Park, Northwestern Illinois as shown in the map provided between April 1, 2026 and June 30, 2026.

Contractor is to complete installation of all seedlings, with a two man or more crew, no later than June 30, 2026. One pre or post herbicide treatment shall be scheduled with appropriate number of days before or after planting as per herbicide label and the mutual agreement of district forester.

The District Forester and contractor will determine whether herbicide treatment will be pre or post planting. District Forester contact will be provided after contract is awarded. The contractor shall acquire District Forester written or email approval upon planting and herbicide treatment completions. The planting of the seedlings may not be sub-contracted, and the contractor will complete this scope of work at the following described site;

Apple River Canyon State Park – 2 Planting Sites +/- 26.4 Acres – 42.401410, -90.106843 +/- 6.6 Acres - 42.404116, -90.103190

This 33-acre area was planted in agriculture prior to acquisition by IDNR.

Contractor must supply all herbicide products, necessary additives, and adjuncts to treat up to 33 tree planting acres; apply herbicide product or product mix to planting area, prior to or after successfully planting of the 60,000 seedlings; use herbicide products, application rates and timing recommended, agreed or approved in writing by an IDNR Forester to suppress and control annual weed and grass competition in 4-foot-wide continuous bands centered over each 10-foot tree row;

wear appropriate Personal Protection Equipment when applying herbicide products or mixes;

assure treatment is working and effective over 70% of each application row area across at least 90% of all treated acres 30 days after application unless otherwise approved in writing by an IDNR Forester; and use only licensed herbicide products, rates and timing according to the original product labels for the target of releasing planted, live or live dormant hardwood tree seedlings from grass and aggressive weeds present or expected.

In addition to following Technical Specifications 001 and 002, the contractor must mix all the seedling species designated for each site, before planting any sections of the field or rows on that site, so that all species designated for the site occur randomly in each row planted and are present randomly on all portions of site overall as could be measured in a typical survival check or in a random 10th of an acre plot.

The contractor is responsible for having the water necessary to protect the seedlings when and if water is necessary. No well heads, spigots or water supply exists in the fields specified. The IDNR Forester will make available the nearest water source that the state IDNR has available to them or controls if contractor has and uses their own containers and means to transport water containers in and out of the work sites.

1.2 MILESTONES AND DELIVERABLES:

Start date – April 1, 2026 or after winter frost has left soil, whichever is first.

Contractor is to complete installation of all 24,500 seedlings by target completion date of June 30, 2026, unless otherwise approved.

White Oak (Q. alba) Bur Oak (Q. macrocarpa) Black Oak (Q. velutina) Red Oak (Q. rubra) Shagbark Hickory (C. ovata) Bitternut Hickory (C. cordiformis) 12,000 5,000 1,000

The contractor must follow or meet standards set forth in the two technical specifications attached to this procurement opportunity in handling and transporting live, cold-dormant seedling stock and the transplanting/planting of that stock. The contractor will be required to sign and operate within the bounds of a signed state contract containing the information and documents within this procurement opportunity as well as ingress and egress standards, general rules for working on state land, operating and equipment protocols, requirements for having appropriate first-aid, emergency supplies, PPEs such as first aid kits, spill kits, protective wear and other standard contracting obligations.

The planted stock must have a final survival rate of 80% for the overall site. The weed control and suppression must be at least 70% effective over 90% of the site by 30 days after application. The completion of the project areas will be approved in writing by 30 days after work is complete by the oversight DNR District Forester.

The contractor is responsible for seedling stock until stock is successfully planted in the ground. The live, cold-dormant stock will be packaged by species in bundles of 100. The IDNR Division of Forest Resources must be specifically invoiced for the individual planting site by the title, Apple River Canyon State Park Reforestation Planting Spring 2026, given to the area in this Scope of Work for tree planting work and the herbicide application promptly after the work is completed and no later than 60 days after work is complete and approved. All invoice billings for this contract shall be electronically mailed to Kyle Burkwald at Kyle.Burkwald@illinois.gov.

1.3 VENDOR / STAFF SPECIFICATIONS:

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forest Resources (IDNR) seeks an experienced reforestation contractor (Contractor), having direct experience successfully planting hardwood reforestation seedlings on 15 acres or more in open fields on specified row spacings within the last 5 years and provide at least two references that verify that experience by providing owner’s name, valid phone number, mailing address and property legal description, address, or GPS coordinates. Contractor shall also hold a valid Illinois Department of Agriculture commercial pesticide applicators license which will be checked prior to work starting. Contractor must also be an experienced herbicide applicator having treated hardwood tree planting fields to control grasses and weeds from around live hardwood seedlings and provide at least one herbicide application reference to verify this experience on 10 acres or more within the last 5 years. Contractor should be able to provide all experience documentation at time of bid. Contractor shall own or have available all equipment necessary for mechanized planting of seedlings such as tractor/s and pull behind tree seedling planter/s.

Contractor is to complete installation of all seedlings, with a two man or more crew, no later than June 30, 2026. One pre or post herbicide treatment shall be scheduled with appropriate amount of days before or after planting as per herbicide label and the mutual agreement of district forester. The District Forester and contractor will determine whether herbicide treatment will be pre or post planting. District Forester contact will be provided after contract is awarded. The contractor shall acquire District Forester written or email approval upon planting and herbicide treatment completions.

1.4 TRANSPORTATION AND DELIVERY:

Contractor must handle and store, according to IDNR Technical Specification 002; plant at density of 726 seedling trees per acre in rows 10 feet apart with seedlings spaced 6 feet apart within those rows and in accordance to IDNR Technical Specification 001 in Jo Daviess county on an 2 sites of various acreage in Apple River Canyon State Park, Northwest Illinois as shown in the map provided between April 1, 2026 and June 30, 2026. Contractor will coordinate acquisition and transportation of seedlings with District Forester.

1.5 SUBCONTRACTING:

The planting of the seedlings and herbicide pre or post treatment may not be sub-contracted unless authorized by District Forester or Regional Forester.

District Forester – Paul Bane (815) 273-2768 Regional Forester – Wade Bloemer (618) 547-3477 Program Manager - Kyle Burkwald (217) 785-4984