RFB01272022 agricultural land lease at boatwright WMA

The Commonwealth of Kentucky's Finance and Administration Cabinet, Division of Real Property, on behalf of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, issued a Request for Bids (RFB01272022) for an agricultural land lease at Boatwright Wildlife Management Area in La Center, Ballard County, Kentucky. The procurement seeks bids for the lease of approximately 821.9 acres for annual grain production, primarily soybeans, with an additional 172 acres designated for yellow corn or alternate crops, totaling 993.9 acres combined. The leased land will support fish and wildlife management programs, provide wildlife food sources, and generate income to offset operational expenses. The successful bidder must enter into a lease agreement with an initial one-year term, renewable for four successive one-year periods, for a total of five years, with the crop year running from March 15 to October 25, and all cropping and harvesting activities completed by November 1. Bidders are required to submit a cash bid on a per-acre basis with a minimum bid of $40 per acre and must accompany their bids with a good faith deposit of $100 payable to the Kentucky State Treasurer. The RFB was issued on December 21, 2021, with bids due on January 27, 2022, at 4:00 p.m. EST, submitted in person at the Finance Division of Real Properties, The Bush Building, 403 Wapping Street, 3rd Floor, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601. Property inspection prior to submission is encouraged but not mandatory, and interested parties should contact Holly Thompson at 502-782-0373 for additional information.

The solicitation does not indicate set-aside designations or restrictions limiting participation to specific types of organizations or disadvantaged enterprises. The payment structure requires a 10 percent spring deposit upon acceptance of the annual agreement in February, with the balance due December 1 of each contract year, calculated on actual planted acreage, subject to a three percent late charge for payments received after the specified due date. In addition to cash rent, the successful bidder must provide in-kind contributions including up to $60,000 annually in white rocks for road maintenance, up to 1,200 bushels of winter wheat for green browse, up to $6,500 in chemical and fertilizer costs, up to $25,000 in heavy equipment services, and up to $10,000 in food plot seed, all costs to be deducted from final contract payments. The lessee assumes all risks from flooding and natural disasters, is responsible for crop maintenance and all associated expenses, must comply with conservation plans and soil testing requirements, and is prohibited from subleasing or maintaining livestock. The Commonwealth retains all hunting, fishing, trapping rights, and public recreation and wildlife management access, while the successful bidder is subject to riparian buffer zones and noxious weed control requirements as specified in the lease agreement.