300 FW Jasper Pulaski FWA 4-Yr Farm Land LeaseBid Documents

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish and Wildlife, is requesting bids for a four-year tenant farm lease of the Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area in Jasper and Pulaski Counties, with bids due September 14, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Award determination is based on the highest bid amount coupled with demonstrated successful performance and compliance history with any prior Indiana DNR leases.

The scope covers agricultural operations on approximately 196 to 332 crop acres annually (varying by year) across 16 refuge fields and three designated areas. The tenant must provide all cultivation, harvesting, and equipment; seed, fertilizer, herbicides, and labor; and cash rent. Key operational requirements include maintaining wildlife food strips by leaving 4 to 24 unharvested crop rows per field as determined by the property manager, planting winter wheat or approved cover crops on specified soybean acres between September 10 and October 10, sealing corn acres (excluding designated refuges) with annual winter rye between August 12 and November 10 at specified rates, and dormant seeding Area 8 Southwest with Spence Restoration Nursery mesic pollinator seed mix at 12 pounds per acre between November 1 and acceptable soil conditions. Mandatory corn harvest deadlines apply to specific refuge fields by October 15. The tenant is responsible for all property taxes and must maintain general public liability insurance ($700,000 per person, $1,000,000 per occurrence) and automobile liability coverage with identical limits, naming Indiana DNR as additional insured. Neonicotinoid-treated seed is prohibited except for corn in the first year.

The lease term runs January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2030, with potential renewal by mutual consent not to exceed four additional years. Bidders may claim Indiana Business Preference, Indiana Small Business Preference, and Indiana Veteran-Owned Small Business subcontracting opportunities. Bids must be submitted via email or fax to Nicholas Ramsey and remain valid for thirty days following the due date. Winning bidders must register with the Indiana State Procurement Division within five days of award notification.