Manoomin (Wild Rice) Access Project

The Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians is requesting proposals from general contractors to construct up to four Manoomin (wild rice) access points on USFS federal lands in Gogebic and Iron Counties, Michigan, with proposals due July 24, 2026 at 3:30 p.m. CDT. The Tribe provides preference to qualified Native-owned enterprises with at least fifty-one percent Native ownership, operation, and control, though non-Native and Native-owned economic enterprises may both submit proposals.

Work includes site preparation, road construction with crushed aggregate surfaces, parking lot construction, access trails, canoe launch facilities, traffic control, and site restoration across four optional locations: Sucker Lake access from Sucker Lake Road (Option A), Brush Lake access from Sucker Lake Road (Option B), Middle Branch of the Ontonagon River access from Old US Highway 2 (Option C), and Mallard Lake access from Forest Road 3340 (Option D). Mallard Lake includes a 500-foot boardwalk. Government furnishes crushed aggregate from designated pits at no cost to the contractor. All work must comply with Federal Highway Project standard specifications (FP-14), be performed Monday through Friday 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and include certified weed-free seed and straw mulch for all disturbed areas. The contractor must obtain all required permits, including Michigan state authorization and Miss Dig utility locate requests three working days before excavation, and must maintain all existing public roadway traffic and private property access at no additional cost.

Contractors must be licensed and insured under Michigan law with minimum $1,000,000 coverage each for Professional Liability, General Liability, and Error and Omissions Liability, naming the Tribe as additional insured. Pricing shall be lump-sum fixed fee including all reimbursable expenses, firm for 90 days following bid closure. Project completion timelines range from six to ten weeks following contract execution. Proposals are evaluated on experience (25 points), references (20 points), pricing (20 points), and timeline (20 points). The Tribe is exempt from Michigan sales tax; materials purchased within Michigan for the project will not be subject to sales tax. Hand delivery or first-class mail submissions are accepted through July 14, 2026 at 3:30 p.m. CDT to the Tribal Administrative Offices in Watersmeet, Michigan.