Tree Inventory

The City of Madison, Wisconsin Finance Department, through Parks Division, is seeking a qualified contractor to conduct a comprehensive tree inventory survey across 12 parks. The project requires identifying, measuring, and tagging trees with specific diameter thresholds: trees greater than 5 inches diameter at breast height (DBH) in Acer Park, Thousand Oaks Park, and wooded areas of Walnut Grove Park; trees greater than 3 inches DBH in nine additional neighborhood and community parks. Deliverables must include GIS shapefiles or file geodatabases with precise tree locations obtained via total station or GPS with external antenna, accompanied by tree tag IDs, species identification, size measurements, and condition ratings submitted as Excel files or GIS attributes. The RFQ was released on August 10, 2020, with a submission deadline of August 24, 2020, at 2:00 PM CST, and all work must be completed and data submitted by January 1, 2021. Evaluation criteria will include cost, quality, workmanship, past performance, and service reputation, with the award going to the most advantageous bidder. Quotations may be submitted via email to bids@cityofmadison.com, by mail to Purchasing Services, or by fax to (608) 266-5948.

The solicitation includes a local vendor preference policy, granting scoring preference to registered local suppliers who are registered as of the bid due date. Five vendors submitted bids for this project: Park Davey Resource Group, JEO Consulting Group, Quercus Land Stewardship, Tree Health Management, and Wachtel Tree Science and Service Inc. Bid prices varied significantly, ranging from a total of $5,500 (JEO Consulting Group) to $45,378 (Wachtel Tree Science and Service Inc). Individual park bids ranged from $192.15 to $17,400, with Thousand Oaks Park and Walnut Grove Park consistently commanding the highest individual bids. The project requires specific technical specifications, including GPS coordinate submissions using Dane County Coordinates with NAD 83 Datum and U.S. Survey foot units, and comprehensive tree condition ratings with specific exceptions for aggressive tree species in wooded areas. Bidders must complete Form A and Form B on city-provided forms and acknowledge receipt of the project's addendum.