Tatum FY25 Patterson Invasives Control Job Specs 2.docx

Site Specific Job Specification Form NAAF Stewardship Project NAAF Project Name: Patterson Savanna LWR Woody & Invasive Species Control via handwork Project Site Name and County: Patterson Land and Water Reserve; Henderson County DNR Site Name and County: Big River State Forest; Henderson County The following specifications shall be applied to the above named job.

1. DESCRIPTION OF SUPPLIES AND SERVICES

1.1. GOAL: To remove woody vegetation encroaching and degrading the prairie and savanna in order to maintain the quality of the native plant communities, and habitat for the associated fauna.

1.2. SUPPLIES AND/OR SERVICES REQUIRED

1.2.1. Vendor shall control woody invasive species according to the methods and timing described below, in areas shown on the attached maps or other areas designated onsite by the Primary Job Coordinator.

1.2.2. Black Locust Control:

1.2.2.1 Approximately 30-50% of the hours for this contract shall be spent on black locust control. Treatments shall be conducted between August 1 and October 15, 2025. If hours remain for black locust control, it shall be conducted during the same time period in 2026.

1.2.2.2 Black locust control shall be conducted in high priority areas first, as indicated on the attached map and by the Primary Job Coordinator. After completing the high priority areas, vendor shall consult with the Primary Job Coordinator to determine if medium and low priority areas shall be completed.

1.2.2.3 Vendor shall control black locust trees using a hack-and-squirt method. Downward notches shall be cut in black locust trees with a hatchet at a 3-inch spacing around the stem. A mixture of 25% Garlon 4 (or equivalent) in bark penetrating oil plus 3% Milestone herbicide (or equivalent) shall be immediately sprayed into the notches. Because the water-based aminopyralid will separate from the oil solution, sprayers must be agitated/shaken regularly while spraying herbicide.

1.2.2.4 For smaller stems, vendor shall control black locust seedings and saplings by painting or rolling stems with a mixture of 25% Garlon 4 (or equivalent) in bark penetrating oil plus 3% Milestone herbicide (or equivalent).

1.2.2.5 This herbicide solution shall only be used when the daily high temperature is less than 80 degrees F.

1.2.3. Cut Stem Woody Species Control:

1.2.3.1 Woody vegetation identified by the Primary Job Coordinator (including but not limited to blackjack oak, black cherry, bush honeysuckle, autumn olive, hackberry, pines, Eastern red cedar, gray dogwood, smooth sumac, and Rubus spp.) shall cut by hand (via chainsaw, brushcutter, etc.) in areas identified on the attached map.

1.2.3.2 Cut stems shall be treated immediately with a 50% Roundup (or equivalent) solution with dye (within 15-30 minutes). In high quality areas during the growing season, stumps shall be treated using a dauber sponge/brush. In degraded areas and during the dormant season, stems may be treated using a dauber or a low-pressure hand sprayer. Eastern red cedar and pine must be cut below the lowest green growth, but herbicide is not needed.

1.2.3.3 Woody materials shall be left on the ground where they are cut and no brush piles may be constructed. All stems >4” DBH must be sufficiently bucked up (<4' segments) to not inhibit the movement of prescribed fire.

1.2.3.4 Smooth sumac cutting/treating shall be avoided after October 15.

1.2.4. Foliar Herbicide Application to Woody Species:

1.2.4.1 In degraded areas designated onsite by the Primary Job Coordinator, bush honeysuckle shall be treated in the fall by foliar treating with 3% Roundup (or equivalent). This treatment shall be conducted after a frost, when most native species are dormant but bush honeysuckle is still green.

1.2.4.2 Preferably in May/June following a prescribed fire, resprouts in degraded areas identified by the Primary Job Coordinator shall be treated with a foliar application of a 3.75% solution of Vastlan with surfactant and dye (the vendor may supply a 5% Garlon 3A solution if preferred). Foliar herbicide application shall be completed with a backpack or handheld sprayer.

1.2.4.3 Foliar herbicide treatments shall include a non-ionic surfactant.

1.2.4.4 Water used for foliar treatments must include a water conditioner for hard water (such as Choice Weathermaster, Choice Trio, or equivalent).

1.2.4.5 Foliar spraying shall be conducted with winds not to exceed ten (10) mph. Extreme caution shall be exercised to avoid over-spray and drift. Vendor’s herbicide applicator shall use spray nozzle apertures to minimize drift and with precision shut-off valves to avoid over-spray and to minimize contact with native species.

1.2.5. Other Woody Resprout Control:

1.2.5.1 In high-quality areas such as the dry sand prairie, resprouts shall be controlled following the hand cutting instructions in Section 1.2.3. or basal treatment described in Section 1.2.6.

1.2.6. Basal Bark Herbicide Treatment:

1.2.6.1 For resprouts or other stems approved by the Primary Job Coordinator, stems may be basally treated by painting or rolling stems with a solution of 20% Garlon 4 (or equivalent) in bark penetrating oil.

1.2.6.2 Basal bark treatment shall only be completed when the air temperature is less than 80 degrees F.

1.2.7. All herbicides shall include a dye to mark treated foliage, stumps, or stems.

1.2.8. Diesel, kerosene, or fuel oil shall not be used as a bark penetrating oil.

1.2.9. No work is permitted during shotgun and late winter deer hunting seasons.

1.2.10. Equipment allowed within the work zone shall be limited to the chainsaws, hand tools, herbicide sprayers, and any other equipment approved by the Primary Job Coordinator.

1.2.11. Vendor shall limit vehicular access to paved roads, limestone trails, or firebreaks as approved by the Primary Job Coordinator. Access into prairie and savanna shall be on foot. UTV access to prairie and savanna areas is prohibited unless specifically approved by the Primary Job Coordinator. The Primary Job Coordinator may suspend all vehicle access or work if excessive damage to the area is noted.

1.2.12. Work shall be completed in priority areas first, which shall be identified onsite by the Primary Job Coordinator.

1.2.13. Any project details not included in these specifications must be agreed upon by the Primary Job Coordinator and the Vendor prior to commencing work.

1.2.14. General Work Details

1.2.14.1 The Vendor shall provide all herbicide, adjuvants, and dye identified in the job specifications except aminopyralid (Milestone or equivalent) which shall be provided by the Primary Job Coordinator. Vendor shall follow all label restrictions for mixing and applying herbicides and shall use all herbicides according to the manufacturer’s label directions. Materials safety data sheets (MSDS) for all pesticides shall be kept on the work site. Vendor shall post required signage for re-entry restrictions per label.

1.2.14.2 Extreme care shall be taken to avoid non-target contamination with herbicides or herbicide spills within high quality natural areas. The Primary Job Coordinator shall provide a map and list of species of special concern to familiarize the Vendor’s staff with the species present and to assist Vendor’s staff in preventing unintentional treatment of endangered or threatened species. Notable damage to non-target species shall result in the termination of the contract and contract obligations.

1.2.14.3 Vendor shall not apply herbicides to target plants if leaves or stems maintain any surface moisture (e.g., dew) or if rain is predicted within time constraints of labeled rain fast duration.

1.2.14.4 The Primary Job Coordinator reserves the right to restrict access of Vendor to the job site with 24 hours’ notice. Vendor shall abide by all site rules and all site and job-based restrictions imposed by the Primary Job Coordinator.

1.2.14.5 The Vendor shall meet with the Primary Job Coordinator on-site prior to initiating work to identify access routes and locations for staging equipment and materials and for mixing of chemicals and filling of herbicide sprayers, site conditions for work and chemical selection.

1.2.14.6 All mixing of herbicide and filling of herbicide sprayers shall be done outside of the natural area over a plastic tub to collect any spills. If a spill occurs, it shall be reported immediately to the Site Superintendent or Primary Job Coordinator and shall be cleaned up by the Vendor. Empty herbicide containers shall be properly disposed of as required by Federal law.

1.2.14.7 All equipment and work clothing including boots shall be clean and free of any weed seeds prior to entering or leaving the work area to prevent the spread of invasive species within and among job sites and other areas where the Vendor may have worked.

1.2.14.8 Keyed access may be required to reach project areas. Keys shall be provided to the Vendor for the duration of the project. They must be returned prior to any payment being made.

1.2.14.9 All questions or communications related to this Project from the public or news media shall be forwarded immediately to the Primary Job Coordinator.

1.2.14.10 INSURANCE: Vendor shall, at all times during the term of this contract and any renewals or extensions, maintain and provide a Certificate of Insurance naming the State as an additionally insured for all required bonds and insurance. Certificates may not be modified or canceled until at least thirty (30) days’ notice has been provided to the State. Vendor shall provide: (a) General Commercial Liability insurance in the amount of $1,000,000 per occurrence (Combined Single Limit Bodily Injury and Property Damage) and $2,000,000 Annual Aggregate; (b) Auto Liability, including Hired Auto and Non-owned Auto (Combined Single Limit Bodily Injury and Property Damage), in amount of $1,000,000 per occurrence; and (c) Worker’s Compensation Insurance in the amount required by law. Insurance shall not limit Vendor’s obligation to indemnify, defend, or settle any claims.

1.2.14.11 Modifications to Scope of Work: Change orders must be determined by the Primary Job Coordinator to be germane to the original contract and that the price is fair and reasonable. When changes in or modifications to the work become necessary, the Vendor shall submit an itemized cost for the work and shall include appropriate documentation to support the cost for the labor, material and equipment. A fully executed contract change order, signed by both parties, must be in place for any contract changes to be effective.

1.3. MILESTONES AND DELIVERABLES:

1.3.1. Vendor shall complete a work log for each day crews are working on site to document work completed, amount and type of herbicide used, and hours worked. The completed log shall be provided to the Primary Job Coordinator with each invoice.

1.3.2. Vendor shall notify the Primary Job Coordinator 24 hours before beginning work on a job.

1.3.3. Vendor shall notify the Primary Job Coordinator weekly via email with updates on work planned the upcoming week and work completed the previous week.

1.3.4. Invoices shall be submitted no more frequently than monthly. A final invoice for the contract must be submitted by 31 December 2026.

1.3.5. Vendor is expected to produce a kill rate of >90% for all targeted applications, except black locust where a minimum kill rate of 80% is expected.

1.4 VENDOR / STAFF SPECIFICATIONS:

1.4.1. Vendor shall provide the required equipment and manpower to successfully complete the project in the time frame specified under conditions that minimize harmful impacts to the site.

1.4.2. Vendor shall have a valid Illinois Department of Agriculture Commercial Herbicide Applicators License. All workers under Vendor’s supervision shall have Commercial Herbicide Applicators or Commercial Herbicide Operators licenses registered to the Vendor’s Commercial Herbicide Applicators License.

1.4.3. Vendor shall demonstrate familiarity with local native and exotic plants to be able to identify species to be removed and native species to be left undisturbed. Vendor shall be able to identify such species in growing season and have experience with selective species removal techniques. Vendor and all those applying herbicide under their supervision must be knowledgeable of native flora in Illinois and be able to recognize and avoid spray application to rare plants (especially state threatened or endangered species).

1.4.4. All herbicide applicators shall wear appropriate protective clothing, including eye protection, long pants, and long-sleeved shirts and gloves. It shall be the responsibility of the Vendor to be aware of and adhere to these and all other state and OSHA regulations.

1.4.5. Vendor’s owner and/or Vendor’s primary field contact shall have a minimum of one year of professional experience in the use of herbicides and management within natural areas in Illinois that includes at least one of the following: a natural community with endangered and threatened species, natural areas included on the Illinois Natural Areas Inventory for high floristic quality, dedicated Nature Preserves, and registered Land and Water Reserves. Documentation of Vendor’s owner or Vendor’s primary field contact person’s experience should be provided with the bid, using the attached form or similar format.

1.4.6. Alter as desired. At least 50% of the staff on site applying herbicide shall have a minimum of one year of professional experience in the use of herbicides and management within natural areas in Illinois that include at least one of the following: a natural community with endangered and threatened species, natural areas included on the Illinois Natural Areas Inventory for high floristic quality, dedicated Nature Preserves, and registered Land and Water Reserves. Documentation of Vendor’s staff experience should be provided with the bid, using the attached form or similar format.

1.5 TRANSPORTATION AND DELIVERY: Not applicable.

1.6 SUBCONTRACTING:

1.6.1 A minimum of fifty-one percent (51%) of the work shall be completed by the Prime Contractor on this project. Pursuant to (30 ILCS 500/1-15.17) the Contractor is the person having a contract with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

1.6.2 For the remaining 49% of the work, subcontractors are allowed provided the subcontractor meets all the qualifications of the vendor in section 1.4. For purposes of this section, subcontractors are those specifically hired to perform all or part of the work covered by the contract. If subcontractors shall be utilized, Vendor must identify the names and addresses of all subcontractors it shall be entering into a contractual agreement in the performance of this Contract, together with a description of the work to be performed by the subcontractor and the anticipated amount of money to the extent the information is known that each subcontractor is expected to receive pursuant to the Contract. Attach additional sheets as necessary. Documentation of experience required in section 1.4 must be provided for all subcontractors. All information regarding subcontractors is to be provided at the time of bidding.

1.6.3 If unanticipated subcontracting is needed during completion of the contract, Vendor must submit to the Primary Job Coordinator the names and addresses of all subcontractors, a description of work to be performed and anticipated amount of money, and documentation of experience required in section 1.4. Vendor must receive written approval for this subcontracting from the Primary Job Coordinator.

2. PRICING

2.1 TYPE OF PRICING: The Illinois Office of the Comptroller requires the State to indicate whether the contract value is firm or estimated at the time it is submitted for obligation. The total value of this contract is firm.

2.2 EXPENSES:

2.2.1 The Vendor shall be responsible for any expenses which may incur as a result of conducting the activities described in the Job Specifications, including repair, maintenance, or extraction of equipment.

2.2.2 The Vendor shall be responsible for any expenses which may incur as a result of inadequate treatment where follow-up is required to meet stated treatment standards.

2.2.3 Payment for this contract shall only include the Vendor’s time working at the job site and shall not include time spent traveling to or from the job site.

2.2.4 Vendor shall provide an hourly bid for the contractual work described in these job specifications. Pricing shall be in the following format (Vendor provides the Unit Cost):

All work described in the job specifications for this contract.

Hour

700 hours

To be determined

2.3 N/A

2.4 VENDOR’S PRICING:

2.4.1 Pricing shall be in the following format: per hour

3. TERM OF CONTRACT:

3.1 TERM OF THIS CONTRACT: This contract shall commence upon the last dated signature of the Parties and shall terminate December 31, 2026

3.1.1 In no event will the total term of the contract, including the initial term, any renewal terms and any extensions, exceed 10 years.

3.1.2 Vendor shall not commence billable work in furtherance of the contract prior to final execution of the contract except when permitted pursuant to 30 ILCS 500/20-80.

JOB ADMINISTRATION

Primary Job Coordinator:

ATTACHMENTS: Project maps and vendor experience documentation forms

Figure 1. Map of entire work boundary (yellow indicates Big River State Forest Property boundary; blue indicates unit names with name of unit written in white; green indicates known populations of black locust to be controlled within contract specifications; red indicates other woody species control work to be conducted)

Figure 2. Red indicates more specific areas where black locust has been controlled throughout previous years

Figure 3. Close up view of the southern units for black locust control (green).

Figure 4. Close up view of the black locust (green) in the northern units

Figure 5. Close up of the various woody species to be controlled (red) in the southern units

Figure 6. Close up of the various woody species (red) to be controlled in the northern units mms 1/27/24

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VENDOR’S OWNER OR VENDOR’S PRIMARY FIELD CONTACT PERSON’S DOCUMENTATION OF EXPERIENCE

· Must meet requirements given in the job specifications for this project.

· At least one reference project must be from a time period that demonstrates the number of years’ experience required.

· Reference projects must be from sites with a natural community with endangered and threatened species, natural areas included on the Illinois Natural Areas Inventory for high floristic quality, dedicated Nature Preserves, or registered Land and Water Reserves.

· Primary Field Contact substitution is acceptable at the time of work as long Vendor’s owner or Vendor’s Primary Field Contact meet experience requirements for this project.

Name of Person Whose Experience is Listed Below: ___________________________________________

Project Name and Location

Reference Name and Phone Number or Email Address

Native Plant Community Type (e.g., prairie, wetland, forest, etc.)

Land Use Type (e.g., Nature Preserve, State Park, CRP, municipal park, NWR, etc.)

Approximate Acreage

Type of Work Completed

Date Completed

DOCUMENTATION OF VENDOR’S ONSITE STAFF EXPERIENCE

- Must meet requirements given in the job specifications for this project.

- Staff substitutions are acceptable at the time of work as long as staff working onsite meet experience requirements for this project.

VENDOR NAME:

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