Timber Stand Improvements at Embarass River Bottom SNA

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is soliciting bids for timber stand improvements at Embarras River Bottom State Natural Area in Lawrence County, with proposals due August 5, 2026. A small-business set-aside program waiver request has been filed, indicating the procurement may not be subject to Illinois's standard small-business set-aside; the waiver determination status was pending at the time of filing.

The scope encompasses timber stand improvement restoration activities across restoration units R6, R11, and R14, including chainsaw cutting, stump treatment, hack-and-squirt and basal-bark herbicide application, and forestry mowing to promote growth of oaks, pecans, and other native bottomland hardwood species. The anticipated total work is 216 hours distributed across six activity units, with some units located approximately 2.5 miles from the equipment staging area. The vendor must demonstrate knowledge of native Illinois flora and the ability to identify rare, threatened, and endangered species during the growing season. Herbicide and dye materials will be supplied by the State and are excluded from the hourly rate bid. Subcontractors are permitted if they meet all vendor qualifications and are identified at the time of bidding.

Pricing shall be submitted on a per-hour basis, limited to vendor time spent at the job site and excluding travel time; the contract value is firm. The estimated contract value is $32,400. All work must be completed by December 31, 2027, with a maximum contract term not to exceed ten years. The vendor must maintain General Commercial Liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence with a $2,000,000 annual aggregate and Auto Liability coverage of $1,000,000 per occurrence. One hundred percent of contract performance occurs in Illinois at the Embarras River Bottoms State Natural Area. A pre-bid on-site meeting with the Contract Field Coordinator is required prior to beginning work; a final evaluation meeting must be scheduled at least three days before the last planned work day.