Invasive species control

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Parks & Recreation Division, Stewardship Unit is issuing Request for Proposal (RFP) 250000002704 for invasive species control services across eight state parks and recreation areas in southern Michigan, including Algonac State Park, Belle Isle Park, Brighton Recreation Area, Fort Custer Recreation Area, Highland Recreation Area, Island Lake Recreation Area, Waterloo Recreation Area, and Watkins Lake State Park. This procurement seeks chemical and mechanical treatment of invasive woody plants and herbaceous species, including black locust, buckthorn varieties, bittersweet, multiflora rose, autumn olive, honeysuckle, and tree of heaven across approximately 580 treatment zones totaling roughly 580 acres. Required deliverables include detailed treatment proposals specifying techniques, survey methods, equipment, chemical treatments with brand names and active ingredient concentrations, project timelines, and staffing plans, with work to achieve a 98% treatment rate of target plants and a 95% kill rate for chemically treated plants. Bidders must hold invasive species pre-qualification certification in tree and shrub control and herbicide application for the DNR and must be pre-qualified vendors employing certified commercial pesticide applicators. Mandatory pre-bid meetings are scheduled for July 17, 23, and 24, 2025, at various park locations, with bid responses due August 1, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. EST via the Sigma VSS system. Treatment deadlines vary by zone, with completion dates between September 30, 2025, March 1, 2026, and September 15, 2026, and contracts include weekly progress reporting requirements under DNR project manager direction. Pricing must be submitted on a lump-sum basis by treatment area and must include all costs for surveying, herbicide application, equipment, labor, and transportation with no additional charges beyond the original bid price.

The solicitation does not identify any specific set-asides for disadvantaged enterprises or restrictions on organizational types beyond the requirement that bidders maintain current invasive species pre-qualification certification and pre-qualified vendor status with the Michigan DNR. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are listed in the available documentation. Contractors must specify their willingness to complete work by September 30, 2025, and December 31, 2025, or defer to following dormant and growing seasons with corresponding price adjustments, and must identify pricing for individual treatment area zones with options for single-zone and discounted multiple-line-item pricing. All subcontractors must have participated in the pre-qualification process and must be identified in bid responses. Work must comply with NPDES and Aquatic Nuisance Control permit requirements, utilize specified herbicides including Triclopyr (Garlon 4/Ultra and Garlon 3A), Aminopyralid (Milestone), Hexazinone (Velpar L), and Transline, and include equipment decontamination protocols and restrictions on off-road vehicle use. The specific contract award value or budget range is not disclosed in the available solicitation documents, though the scope encompasses work across approximately 580 zones with individual zone acreages ranging from 0.4 to 36.6 acres, and the State reserves the right to award the contract in full or in part as deemed in its best interest.