DNR RFB Lewiston Area Knotweed Treatment

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is seeking bids for a herbicidal treatment project targeting Japanese Knotweed across approximately 61.3 acres in Winona and Wabasha Counties. The procurement is a Request for Bid (RFB) for comprehensive vegetation management services, requiring contractors to provide all necessary labor, equipment, materials, tools, transportation, and herbicides to control invasive knotweed. The project is divided into two Bid Groups: Bid Group 1 covering 30.7 acres and Bid Group 2 covering 30.6 acres, with work to be completed between September 1 and October 1, 2024. Qualified vendors must possess a current Minnesota Pesticide Applicator License and demonstrate specific experience, including at least two years of broadcast forest herbicide application and one year of ground equipment herbicide application. Contractors must also have completed a verifiable contract since August 2020 involving invasive species treatment on more than 50 acres with a contract value of $7,500 or greater. All responses must be submitted electronically through the Swift Portal by August 22, 2024, with the DNR reserving the right to award contracts separately or in grouped items based on the most advantageous proposal.

The solicitation includes preferences for Targeted Group businesses, Economically Disadvantaged businesses, Veteran-Owned businesses, and Individual preferences, potentially providing additional opportunities for qualifying vendors. Contractors must provide specific equipment including tractor, ASV, UTV, or ATV-mounted sprayers capable of treating 10-foot tall foliage, track vehicles, backpack sprayers, a support truck, herbicides, adjuvants, and a pesticide spill kit. While no specific budget range is explicitly stated, the unit pricing must comprehensively cover all associated costs including labor, materials, transportation, equipment, sales tax, and use tax. The DNR will award the contract to the lowest responsible vendor meeting all specifications, with the state retaining discretion to determine vendor compliance. Notably, Direct Pay Permit 1114 does not apply to this project, and responses that do not fully comply with solicitation requirements will be considered non-responsive and summarily rejected.