Competing Vegetation Removal

The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources, Bureau of Forestry, is soliciting competitive bids for a vegetation removal contract in the Bald Eagle State Forest, specifically targeting an estimated 127 acres of forest lands with dense mountain laurel cover. The procurement involves applying herbicide to two contiguous spray blocks within uncut forest stands, with work potentially accomplished through machine or hand-based methods. Contractors must provide the herbicide, with the Department agreeing to reimburse the actual cost of herbicide applied to each spray block based on invoiced supplier costs. Key deliverables include comprehensive vegetation control and herbicide application across the designated forest areas. The solicitation was posted on June 29, 2015, with responses due by July 14, 2015. No pre-bid conference was scheduled, but bidders can submit questions which will be addressed through official addenda. The evaluation will focus on identifying the lowest responsive and responsible bidder capable of executing the herbicide treatment effectively.

This contract opportunity is exclusively reserved for Small Business Procurement Initiative participants, as designated in Executive Order 211-09. Potential bidders must be self-certified small businesses that have obtained certification from the Pennsylvania Department of General Services prior to the bid opening date. Vendors must submit their Department of General Services Self Certified Small Business certificate with their Invitation for Bid (IFB) response, with failure to provide a valid, pre-dated certification rendering the submission non-responsive. While specific budget details are not explicitly stated, the contract will be awarded as a single procurement with a term commencing upon purchase order issuance and continuing until service delivery and acceptance. Interested small businesses can obtain additional information about the certification process through www.smallbusiness.pa.gov. The procurement is specifically focused on the Mount Aetna CDP jurisdiction within Pennsylvania and represents a targeted approach to managing forest vegetation through specialized herbicide application.