DNR Full Design of the Hartley Pond/Tischer Creek

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR), Division of Fish and Wildlife, is requesting proposals for consulting services to facilitate completion of the final design process for the Hartley Pond/Tischer Creek Project in Duluth, Minnesota, with proposals due June 29, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. The project is led by MNDNR in close coordination with the City of Duluth, Hartley Nature Center, and multiple municipal, county, state, and federal partners. The solicitation includes a diversity and inclusion component inquiring whether the responding business qualifies as a Minnesota-based small business under Office of State Procurement standards or meets Small Business Procurement Program eligibility criteria as a business owned or operated by racial minorities, women, individuals with substantial physical disabilities, veterans, service-disabled veterans, or located in or owned by someone living in an economically disadvantaged county.

The scope encompasses quality assurance project plan completion, steering committee support, additional data collection and physical sampling, completion of design documents at 30%, 60%, 90%, and final stages, advancement of environmental review and permitting, and community outreach and public engagement. The project builds on a Roadmap to Resilience watershed management plan covering the Tischer Creek watershed (approximately 7.6 square miles across Duluth and Rice Lake) designed to ensure the creek remains fishable and swimmable despite current impairments.

Contracts exceeding $100,000 require Workforce and Equal Pay Certificates through the Minnesota Department of Human Rights unless the vendor qualifies for exemptions. The contract is funded in part by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (ALN 66.469) and subject to federal compliance requirements including EPA acknowledgment statements in public materials, domestic preference for U.S.-produced goods, debarment certifications, and Byrd Anti-Lobbying Amendment certifications. All work must be performed within U.S. borders. The contractor must maintain Commercial General Liability ($2 million per occurrence), Commercial Automobile Liability ($2 million combined single limit), Professional Liability ($2 million per claim), and Workers' Compensation insurance. Proposals must remain open for acceptance until contract execution, solicitation cancellation, or 180 days after the due date. The primary contact is Monica Hanson at 507/233-1240 or monica.hanson@state.mn.us. Proposals must be submitted electronically through the SWIFT eSupplier portal.