Okaloacoochee Slough WMA Fire Line Installation

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is requesting competitive bids for fire line installation and vegetation clearing at Okaloacoochee Slough Wildlife Management Area in Hendry County, with bids due October 13, 2026, and a mandatory pre-bid conference and site visit on September 24, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. ET at the WMA Workshop in Felda.

The scope encompasses clearing approximately 2 miles of vegetation to establish a 50-foot right-of-way along area boundary lines and installing approximately 36 miles of fire lines consisting of a 30-foot-wide root-raked section followed by a 16-foot-wide disked line in the middle. Bidders must provide unit pricing per tenth mile for both right-of-way clearing and fire line installation. All work must comply with federal, state, and local guidelines regarding wetland disturbance; the contractor is responsible for obtaining permits and locating underground utilities. Equipment must be clean to prevent non-native species contamination and carry fire extinguishers. The FWC Project Manager will inspect completed work using GPS tracking and GIS measurements.

The contract is for an initial one-year term effective upon purchase order issuance, with the contractor required to begin work within thirty days and complete all work by June 30, 2027. The FWC has the option to renew yearly for up to three additional years under the same terms. Bidders must submit pricing for the initial term and each of three renewal years, with the award going to the lowest total price responsive and responsible bidder. Liquidated damages of $150 per calendar day will be assessed for failure to meet completion deadlines, except for circumstances beyond the contractor's control.

Attendance at the mandatory pre-bid conference and site visit is required for bid responsiveness. Vendors must be registered in MyFloridaMarketPlace and SunBiz prior to bid opening, provide three verifiable references for similar projects, and submit a Subcontractor Minority Status Report (marked "N/A" if no subcontractors are used) with each invoice. Subcontracting is not permitted. Public bid opening is October 13, 2026, at 2:30 p.m. ET. The anticipated award date is October 16, 2026.