KDFWR - Professional Forestry Consultant Services

The Commonwealth of Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR) issued a Request for Proposal on November 8, 2021, for professional forestry consultant services to manage forest habitat on the Dewey Lake Wildlife Management Area in northeastern Kentucky through mid-story forest stand improvement practices. The primary deliverable involves implementing medium to large-scale forest management across 21 counties, including hack and spray treatments using herbicides (Arsenal, Garlon 4, imazapyr) and basal bark treatments using triclopyr on state and federally managed lands. The contract term runs from January 1, 2022, through June 30, 2022, with one optional renewal period of up to one year, subject to approval by the Finance and Administration Cabinet Secretary and the Legislative Research Commission's Government Contract Review Committee. Mandatory qualifications include current Kentucky Herbicide/Pesticide applicator licenses (Classes 2N and 1A), documented equipment inventory with capability to traverse rough and steep terrain, three professional references from projects of at least 100 acres, and demonstrated experience on three professional projects with scoring scaled by acreage (50 points for 1-100 acres, 75 points for 100-500 acres, and 100 points for projects exceeding 500 acres). Vendors must submit sealed technical proposals and cost proposals by December 17, 2021, at 1:00 PM Eastern Time, with a written question deadline of November 29, 2021. Evaluation will be based on qualifications and experience (300 points), cost proposals (200 points), and optional oral presentations or demonstrations (25 points), with the lowest-priced proposal receiving maximum cost points. Contractors must complete assigned acreage within a two-year completion timeline and comply with the Wildlife Management Area agreement between KDFWR and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The procurement does not identify specific set-asides for disadvantaged enterprises, though Kentucky resident bidders and qualified bidders as defined under KRS 45A.470 are eligible for reciprocal preferences of 15-20 percent of maximum points. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are referenced in the solicitation documentation. The project encompasses 256 acres across four designated Turnhole Midstory sites, with Site 1 encompassing 53 acres, Site 2 containing 49 acres, Site 3 comprising 21 acres, and Site 4 totaling 133 acres, serving as reference areas for scope planning. The fixed budget for this personal service contract is $65,996, with vendors bidding on the number of acres they commit to treating within this maximum amount. No work is billable until the contract is fully executed and approved by the Secretary of the Finance and Administration Cabinet and filed with the Legislative Research Commission's Government Contract Review Committee. The solicitation is subject to Kentucky procurement statutes (KRS Chapter 45A) and requires compliance with the Kentucky Civil Rights Act, Executive Order 11246, and various tax and employment law provisions.