Tate’s Hell State Forest Mulching Services

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) is seeking competitive bids for understory mowing and mulching services within Tate's Hell State Forest in Franklin County, Florida. The project encompasses approximately 1,599 acres of pine timberland, divided into four distinct stands: Stand 1 (616 acres), Stand 2 (273 acres), Stand 3 (563 acres), and Stand 4 (147 acres). A mandatory pre-bid site visit is scheduled for December 11, 2024, at 2:00 PM ET, and sealed bids are due by January 6, 2025, with a public bid opening teleconference on January 7, 2025, at 10:30 AM. The contractor must provide all necessary labor, materials, equipment, tools, transportation, supplies, and supervision for mechanical timber stand improvement work. Specific requirements include providing GPS equipment capable of accepting shapefile uploads, submitting GPS track logs of mowed areas during invoicing, and presenting three verifiable references from similar projects completed within the last five years. Evaluation will focus on the responsive and responsible vendor with the lowest Grand Total Price, with an initial purchase order anticipated for Stands 1-2 and potential expansion to Stands 3-4 subject to annual appropriation.

Vendors must be registered in MyFloridaMarketPlace under specific UNSPSC codes for mulching (70111708) and mowing services (70111710), with no explicit set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises mentioned in the documentation. The project requires substantial insurance coverage, including $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate general liability, $300,000 automobile liability, and workers' compensation coverage. The estimated budget for the entire project is $577,850, with the contract period running from purchase order issuance through June 15, 2025, and options for three one-year renewals. Bidders must comply with all specified requirements, including attendance at the mandatory site visit and adherence to the detailed specifications outlined in the Invitation to Bid (ITB FFS 24 25 91). The project aims to improve forest management through strategic understory mulching across various priority areas within the Tate's Hell State Forest, with precise boundaries and locations detailed in the accompanying maps. No incumbent vendors or specific technology integration requirements were explicitly identified in the procurement documents.