RFB 10212021 agriculture land lease at green river WMA

The Commonwealth of Kentucky, through the Finance and Administration Cabinet's Division of Real Properties on behalf of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, issued a Request for Bid (RFB 10212021) for the lease of agricultural land at the Green River Wildlife Management Area located in Taylor and Adair Counties. The procurement seeks bids for approximately 780.5 acres of agricultural land divided into six management units: Casey Creek (181.0 acres), Goose Shoals (88.9 acres), Little Cake (69.7 acres), Robinson Creek Lower (155.8 acres), Robinson Creek Upper (97.0 acres), and Upper Green River (188.1 acres). Bidders may submit proposals for any or all management units on a per-acre basis for the production of small grains or soybeans during the 2022-2026 crop years, with lease agreements awarded to the highest responsible and responsive bidder for each unit. The solicitation required sealed bids due on October 21, 2021, at 3:00 p.m. EDT, submitted in physical form to the Division of Real Properties at The Bush Building, 403 Wapping Street, 3rd Floor, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601-2607, with inquiries directed to Wendell Harris at 502-564-9831. Lessees must comply with a minimum bid price of $125 per acre and submit a $100 good faith deposit with each bid; the resulting lease agreements will be executed on an annual basis, automatically renewable for four successive one-year periods, for a total potential lease term of five years. Key requirements include implementing crop rotation practices, leaving two percent of crops standing for wildlife food sources, conducting soil testing every two years, applying noxious weed control, maintaining 50-foot riparian zones along streams and water bodies, prohibiting subletting and livestock use, and maintaining records of planting, fertilizer applications, herbicide use, and harvest yields.

The solicitation documents do not specify any set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises or restrictions limiting participation to particular types of organizations; however, bidders must be authorized agents with valid signatures and FEIN numbers. No incumbent vendor information or current contractor details were identified in the available procurement documents. Payment terms require a 10 percent deposit payment by May 15 or prior to beginning cropping activities, with the balance due on or before December 15 of each contract year; a three percent late charge applies to payments received after December 15. The Commonwealth reserves the right to reject any and all bids and retains hunting, fishing, trapping rights, and access to the property for fish and wildlife management purposes. Lessees assume all risk from flooding and natural disasters and are prohibited from participating in federal land retirement programs. While specific award values or budget ranges are not stated in the procurement documents, the total potential value depends on the per-acre bids received and the number of acres actually leased across all management units over the five-year lease term.