Rye Planting in Wexford and Missaukee Counties revised 7-2

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Division issued Request for Proposal 190000002632 for field preparation, fertilizing, and planting of rye and brassica seed on forest openings across Wexford and Missaukee Counties. The procurement encompasses three separate units totaling 134.1 acres—Unit 1 in North Central Wexford County (55 acres), Unit 2 in North East Wexford County (56 acres), and Unit 3 in Missaukee County (23.1 acres)—with bidders permitted to respond to any combination of units, each evaluated separately with potential for multiple awards. The project supports the State Forest Management Plan's habitat restoration objectives and the Deer Range Improvement Plan to enhance wildlife food sources for deer, wild turkey, and ruffed grouse. Required deliverables include complete field preparation with at least two diskings to achieve 90 percent vegetation turnover, application of 100 pounds per acre of 19-19-19 dry granular fertilizer, seeding at rates of 50 pounds each of rye and oats plus 6 pounds of inoculated clover seed per acre, with all labor, equipment, fertilizer, and seed provided by the vendor at no additional cost to the State. Work must commence on August 1, 2019, and be completed by September 5, 2019, with all invoices submitted by September 15, 2019. Questions regarding RFP components were due by 3:00 p.m. EST on July 2, 2019, with answers posted by 5:00 p.m. EST on July 3, 2019, and proposals were due by 3:00 p.m. EST on July 8, 2019. Technical evaluation criteria, weighted at 100 points total, assess the Vendor Questions Worksheet (50 points) and Schedule A-Statement of Work (50 points), with proposals scoring 80 or more points proceeding to price evaluation; the State reserves the right to conduct site visits, request oral presentations, and perform reference checks during evaluation.

Qualified disabled veteran (QDV) status under MCL 18.1261(8) may be considered in award decisions. No incumbent vendors or current contractors were identified in the procurement documents. Pricing is fixed and firm for the contract duration with payment terms of Net 45 days after invoice receipt unless a quick payment discount is offered; the State reserves the right to determine fair market value and is not obligated to accept the lowest-priced proposal. Liquidated damages of $500 plus $100 per day apply for late or improper completion. No specific budget range or award value was disclosed in the procurement documents, with pricing to be determined through competitive bidding. Bidders were encouraged to visit the project openings prior to submission and could contact Vernon Richardson at (231) 775-9727 for site-specific questions, though no pre-bid meeting was scheduled.