Openings Maintenance Roscommon - Ogemaw Counties

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Division, is soliciting proposals for field preparation, fertilizing, and planting services across four forest opening units totaling 99 acres in Roscommon and Ogemaw Counties. The four designated units include Keno Unit (21 acres), Nine Mile Lake Unit (15 acres), Ogemaw Unit (30 acres), and St. Helen North Unit (32 acres). Contractors must provide labor, equipment, fertilizer, and seed to complete work that includes removing downed trees and debris, disking or roto-tilling to create a minimum six-inch seedbed in north-south and east-west patterns, fertilizing at 100 lbs per acre, seeding a rye/grass/clover mix at 50 lbs per acre, and broadcasting brassica seed at 4 lbs per acre, with the State supplying the brassica mix seed. Work must commence no sooner than May 20, 2019 and be completed by July 20, 2019. The proposal deadline is May 10, 2019 at 3:00 p.m. EST, with bidder questions due by May 2, 2019 and answers posted by May 3, 2019. Bidders are encouraged to conduct on-site visits prior to submission, and new successful bidders must complete two tillage test fields for inspection and approval before proceeding with remaining work. Evaluation criteria include qualified disabled veteran (QDV) status, overall economic impact to the State, and prior performance history; the State reserves the right to determine fair market value and is not obligated to accept the lowest price. Contractors must maintain Commercial General Liability Insurance with minimum limits of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 general aggregate, plus Automobile Liability, Workers' Compensation, and Umbrella or Excess Liability coverage of $5,000,000.

Pricing proposals must include all costs for personnel, equipment, materials, mileage, and hauling with no additional charges permitted; contractors should submit pricing by unit and provide payment terms, with quick payment discounts encouraged. The contract is not subject to prevailing wage requirements but is subject to applicable federal and state laws, with liquidated damages of $500 plus $100 per day assessed for late or improper completion. The State will pay invoices within 45 days of receipt via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) only, and the contract term runs from the effective date of May 2, 2019 through September 30, 2019. Contractors must be registered on the Michigan SIGMA VSS system for proposal submission and payment processing. No specific incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the solicitation documents, and no set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises are noted. While no explicit budget range is stated in the RFP, the scope of work covering 99 acres with comprehensive site preparation and planting suggests a substantial contract value, though the actual award amount will be determined through competitive bidding evaluation.