DNR Deer River Spring Invasive Species Treatment

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources issued Request for Bid (RFB) 2026-839 for broadcast herbicide treatment services to control invasive herbaceous species across approximately 156.6 acres of state forest road right-of-way covering 80.7 miles in Koochiching and Itasca Counties. The solicitation seeks contractors to treat wild parsnip, spotted knapweed, common tansy, bull thistle, Canada thistle, and plumeless thistle using specified herbicides (Escort XP at 2 oz/acre and Milestone at 7 fl oz/acre) to achieve a minimum of 90% target vegetation mortality. Qualified bidders must demonstrate a minimum of two years' experience in broadcast forest herbicide application or roadside rights-of-way application using ground equipment, with on-site applicators possessing minimum one-year experience and current Minnesota Department of Agriculture herbicide applicator licenses (Category A core plus Category G or J). The unit price bid must include all costs encompassing labor, materials, tools, transportation, equipment, herbicides, mobilization, fuel, and final cleanup, with award made to the lowest responsible bidder meeting all specifications. Work must commence no earlier than June 1, 2026, upon receipt of Notice to Proceed and be completed by June 30, 2026, with no extensions available. The solicitation opened on April 4, 2026, with a deadline for question submission by Monday, April 27, 2026, at 2:00 PM to Alexandra Staley (507-233-1225, alexandra.staley@state.mn.us), and all bids must be submitted electronically through the SWIFT Supplier Portal by May 1, 2026, at 2:00 PM. Bidders are strongly encouraged to conduct pre-bid site visits prior to submission; no formal pre-bid meeting will be held.

The solicitation encourages participation from small businesses, minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, veteran-owned businesses, and businesses located in economically disadvantaged counties through Minnesota's Small Business Procurement Program, though no specific set-asides are designated. Minnesota resident vendors may claim preference status if they meet statutory requirements. All contractors must provide proof of Commercial General Liability Insurance with minimum limits of $1,500,000 per occurrence, along with Commercial Automobile Liability and Workers' Compensation Insurance. Payment is contingent upon state evaluation and acceptance of completed work, with all sites evaluated individually within 30 days of treatment and payment issued only after submission of herbicide application records within 30 days of application. The state reserves the right to adjust work scope based on available funding and weather conditions, and may cancel the contract with 30 days' written notice if funding becomes insufficient. No specific contract value or budget range is disclosed in the solicitation materials; compensation will be determined on a per-acre unit price basis as submitted by the winning bidder.