RFB02192026 Lease 97. 7 Acres for Crop Production

The Commonwealth of Kentucky's Finance and Administration Cabinet, Division of Real Property, acting on behalf of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, is soliciting sealed bids for the lease of approximately 97.7 acres of agricultural land located at Lake Cumberland Wildlife Management Area in Pulaski County for crop production purposes. The property comprises three management units: Poynter Creek Unit (46.0 acres), Coldweather Creek Unit (33.3 acres), and Yellowhole Unit (18.4 acres), with bidders permitted to submit bids on any or all units. Successful lessees must engage in crop production using small grains or soybeans, comply with extensive operational requirements including noxious weed control, soil testing every two years, conservation plan compliance, crop rotation requirements, and pesticide restrictions, and must maintain riparian buffer zones while accepting all risk from flooding and natural disasters. The lease term is one year, renewable for four successive one-year periods, covering crop years 2026 through 2030. Sealed bids are due on February 19, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. EST, with bids to be opened at the Division of Real Property office in Frankfort, Kentucky, with virtual access available via conference call; prospective bidders are strongly encouraged to conduct site visits by contacting Area Manager Cody Stephens or Assistant Manager Kyle Burnett at (606) 677-1098 or (270) 483-0244. Award decisions will be based on best value to the Commonwealth, considering bid price and bidder experience, with evaluation of past performance under similar contracts as a factor in the award decision. Bidders must submit annual cash rental bids on a per-acre basis with bids remaining firm throughout the lease term and subject to a minimum per-acre price established by the Commonwealth, and a $100.00 good faith deposit payable to the Kentucky State Treasurer must accompany each bid.

The procurement does not identify specific set-asides or restrictions limiting organizational types from responding to this solicitation; however, no information regarding disadvantaged enterprise designations or incumbent contractors is provided in the available solicitation materials. Upon award, a 10 percent deposit is due by May 15 or prior to beginning cropping activities, with the balance due by December 15 of each contract year; a 3 percent late charge applies to payments received after December 15, and the Commonwealth will retain 2 percent of all crops as a food source for wildlife, considered part of the annual payment. The specific award values or per-acre rental rates are not disclosed in the bid package summary, as bidders establish pricing through competitive bidding subject to a Commonwealth-established minimum per-acre price threshold. Successful bidders are eligible for participation in the USDA's ARC/PLC program through the Farm Service Agency, providing potential access to federal agricultural support programs. The Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources retains hunting, fishing, trapping rights and access to the property for management and public recreation purposes, which bidders must acknowledge and accommodate in their operational plans.