Darke Wildlife Area Dove Field Establishment 2025

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Wildlife is seeking a contractor to establish and maintain dove fields at the Darke Wildlife Area in Greenville, Darke County, Ohio. The procurement involves agricultural field preparation and planting across 10.5 total acres, specifically 2.99 acres of sunflowers and 7.51 acres of white proso millet. The contract period runs from March 15th through June 30th, 2025, with detailed requirements including preplant burndown, ground tillage by May 10th, fertilizer application at 280-560 pounds per acre, sunflower planting by May 10th at 18,000-22,000 seeds per acre, and millet planting by June 15th at 30 pounds per acre. A mandatory site visit is scheduled for January 21st, 2025, at 10:00am at the Lehman Road parking lot, and the contract will be awarded to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder based on a comprehensive lot total. The contractor must provide all necessary personnel, supervision, equipment, and supplies, with seeds being provided by the Division of Wildlife. Bidders must submit pricing for the entire project, with partial bids being automatically rejected.

The procurement appears to have a strong emphasis on minority and diversity participation, with references to Minority Business Enterprises (MBE) and Encouraging Diversity, Growth and Equity (EDGE) business requirements per Ohio Revised Code 125.081 and Executive Order 2008-13S. Contractors must be properly registered with the Ohio Secretary of State and comply with standard state contracting requirements, including insurance coverage minimums of $1,000,000 for commercial general liability. While no specific budget range is explicitly stated, contractors will need to submit invoices to Ohio Shared Services through email, fax, or mail. The contract includes provisions prohibiting offshore services and requiring compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws. Potential respondents must also complete an Affirmation and Disclosure Form detailing service locations and submit an OPERS Independent Contractor Form if applicable. The state reserves the right to terminate the contract if services are moved outside the United States without an approved waiver.