Darke Wildlife Area Dove Field Establishment and Maintenance FY26

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Wildlife, is procuring field establishment and maintenance services for the Darke Wildlife Area in Darke County, Ohio, through a competitive sealed bid process due February 11, 2026. The scope of work involves planting and maintaining three dove fields (B2, B9, and B12) totaling approximately 10.5 acres, with each field containing sunflowers (approximately 2.99 acres), white proso millet (approximately 3.75 acres), and wheat (approximately 3.75 acres already planted). The contractor must furnish all necessary personnel, supervision, licenses, equipment, and supplies except seed, which will be provided by ODNR, and must perform preplant herbicide burndown, tillage by May 10, 2026, fertilizer application at specified rates, sunflower planting by May 10 using 30-36 inch row spacing, and millet planting by June 15 with appropriate post-emergence herbicide applications for weed control. A mandatory site visit is scheduled for Tuesday, January 27, 2026, at 10:00 AM at the Lehman Road parking lot in Greenville, Ohio, and the contract period extends from Purchase Order issuance through June 30, 2026. Award will be made to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder based on low lot total, calculated by multiplying unit costs by estimated usage for all bid items, with bidders required to submit bids for the entire project; partial bids will be rejected. All bidders must sign and attach the Standard Affirmation & Disclosure Form to their bid submission, submit herbicide use reports meeting Ohio Department of Agriculture criteria, and contact project agent Bruce Terrill (740-963-2170) at least two business days before initial site entry, with all work conducted Monday through Friday unless prior approval is obtained.

No specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises are mentioned in the contract documents; however, ODNR encourages the use of Ohio-certified Minority Business Enterprises (MBE) and Encouraging Diversity, Growth and Equity (EDGE) vendors. The contract documents do not identify any incumbent vendors or current contractors for this project. All services must be performed at Darke Wildlife Area in Darke County, Ohio, and contractors must comply with the State of Ohio Standard Terms and Conditions, including maintaining Commercial General Liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence, Automobile Liability insurance of $1,000,000 per accident, and Workers' Compensation coverage as required by state law. Contractors must comply with Executive Orders prohibiting offshore services and state data relocation outside the United States, and must immediately notify the State of any changes in service locations. No specific budget range or award value is disclosed in the contract documents; however, payment shall not exceed an amount to be determined upon completion of the proposal, with invoices due within 30 calendar days of service acceptance and contingent upon appropriation of funds by the Ohio General Assembly.