27AL2336 Pyramid State Park - Captain Unit Farm Lease

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is seeking bids for agricultural farming services on 351.03 acres at Pyramid State Park's Captain Unit (27AL2336), with bids due November 12, 2026, at 2:00 PM and a mandatory pre-bid conference on October 13, 2026, at 10:00 AM at Denmark Multipurpose Building, Cutler, Illinois.

The lease term runs March 1, 2027, through February 28, 2032 (five years, no renewal option). The scope encompasses farming operations across multiple tracts with specified crop rotations including corn, soybeans with cover crops, idle periods, and food plots. The lessee must implement approved cover crop specifications (legumes and cereal grains with designated seeding rates), control noxious weeds including Johnson grass, wild parsnip, and Sericea lespedeza, and maintain standing crop along field edges for wildlife habitat. The contract prohibits double cropping, neonicotinoid-treated seed, and Dicamba herbicide applications; all pesticide and herbicide use requires prior written IDNR approval. The lessee must personally conduct farming operations and submit annual chemical, fertilizer, and seed application documentation by December 15 each year, conduct soil testing in lease years two and four, and provide proof of lease and tax payments by March 1 annually. Leasehold tax obligations, tracked by Perry County, ranged from $4,414.76 (2021) to $7,392.36 (2024).

Pricing shall be submitted on a per-acre basis for each contract year (acreage ranges from 288.24 to 333.83 acres). Award will be based on the highest total contract value across all five years, with pricing remaining firm for 90 days from bid opening. The lessee must maintain General Commercial Liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence with $2,000,000 annual aggregate and Auto Liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence, with IDNR as additional insured. Worker's Compensation Insurance is required as mandated by law. No subcontracting is permitted except for cover crop planting, termination, or hay baling operations. Bidders must submit bids through BidBuy (Illinois e-procurement system) or in paper format with required Vendor Disclosure or IPG Active Registered Vendor Disclosure, Offer to State of Illinois, Contract, Attachment G Equipment List, and applicable Utilization Plans. A $15 administrative fee applies to any bidder awarded a contract of $1,000 or more. Bidders liable for leasehold taxes on current IDNR Agricultural Leases must provide documentation of paid taxes or proof of non-delinquency; unresolved delinquency results in non-responsible determination.