Tree Planting - Spruce Pine Site

The Virginia Department of Energy is procuring tree planting services for the Spruce Pine Site, a reclaimed abandoned mine land project located approximately 1.6 miles northwest of Pilgrims Knob in Buchanan County, Virginia. The project requires contractors to plant approximately 2,700 trees across nine species—including Black Locust, Black Oak, Common Apple, Dogwood, Pin Oak, Red Oak, Sawtooth Oak, Virginia Pine, and White Oak—at a rate of 550 trees per acre on terrain with typical 2:1 slopes and variable soil conditions ranging from shallow rocky soils to loose uncompacted material. All work must be completed within 10 calendar days from the Notice to Proceed, with work hours scheduled from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the contractor must provide all tree seedlings, labor, equipment, supervision, materials, site preparation, and cleanup. The contractor is responsible for compliance with Virginia utility location requirements (VA811), erosion and sediment control regulations, Davis-Bacon Act prevailing wage requirements, OSHA standards, and all occupational safety and health requirements. Bids are due by Friday, April 10, 2026, at 2:00 p.m., with evaluation based on lowest responsive and responsible bidder status using a lump sum price with unit prices clearly shown, and award contingent upon submission of post-award documentation including executed contracts, certificates of insurance, and performance and payment bonds within ten calendar days of the Notice of Award. Liquidated damages of $1,236.52 per calendar day will be assessed for delays beyond the 180-day delivery deadline, and payment will be made upon satisfactory completion, inspection, and acceptance of work verified through tree invoices from the nursery confirming tree counts.

The procurement includes a Small Business Subcontracting Plan requirement with a statewide goal of 42% of purchases from DSBSD-certified small businesses, and contractors must comply with the Build America Buy America Act and E-Verify program participation requirements for employers with more than 50 employees. A bid bond of 5% is required for all bids exceeding $100,000, and executed Standard Performance and Labor and Material Payment Bonds, each in the amount of the contract price, must be submitted. No incumbent contractors or existing infrastructure integration requirements are specified in the available documentation. The bid schedule indicates two line items for pricing: tree planting labor and tree supply, with an approximate quantity of 28 bundles of 100 units each, with payment calculated based on actual units used and verified in the field. Bidders must submit non-zero unit prices for both labor and tree supply; failure to do so will result in a non-responsive designation. While specific budget ranges or award values are not explicitly stated in the available documents, the requirement for a 5% bid bond on bids exceeding $100,000 suggests anticipated contract values in excess of that threshold.