Tree Planting - West Dante Site

The Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Energy, Mined Land Repurposing, Abandoned Mine Land Section is soliciting bids for tree planting services at the West Dante Site, a reclaimed abandoned mine land located in Russell County, Virginia, approximately 0.9 miles west-northwest of Dante off State Route 627. This is a unit-price-based procurement requiring contractors to supply and plant nine species of tree seedlings—including White Oak, Black Oak, Sawtooth Oak, Red Oak, Pin Oak, Virginia Pine, Dogwood, Common Apple, and Black Locust—at a rate of 550 trees per acre, with a recommended total of approximately 2,800 seedlings. The contractor must complete all work within 10 calendar days of the Notice to Proceed, operating between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., and is responsible for furnishing all supervision, labor, materials, tools, and equipment necessary for execution, including site cleanup and damage repair. Deliverables include planting completion, submission of a nursery invoice verifying tree counts, and an Affidavit of Payment of Claims and Certification of Materials. The contractor must comply with all applicable regulations including OSHA requirements, Virginia safety codes, Davis-Bacon Act provisions, Army Corps of Engineers permits, Department of Environmental Quality requirements, erosion and sediment control plan implementation, and must contact VA811 to locate underground utilities before beginning work. Payment shall be calculated based on a unit price per 100-tree bundle multiplied by the actual quantity of seedlings planted and accepted by the Agency. The bid closing date is Friday, April 10, 2026, at 2:00 p.m., with bids remaining valid for 60 days following submission, and all work must be completed within 180 calendar days of the Notice to Proceed.

This procurement includes a mandatory small business subcontracting plan requirement targeting 42% small business participation, making it restricted to contractors capable of meeting this set-aside designation. The successful bidder must comply with Davis-Bacon prevailing wage requirements, E-Verify program participation for employers with more than 50 employees, and Build America Buy America Act (BABAA) compliance for covered materials. All bidders must submit a bid bond equal to five percent of the bid amount, and the successful bidder must provide performance and labor/material payment bonds in the amount of the contract price. Additional required documentation includes the Applicant Violator System Checklist, equipment list, workers' compensation certificate, and proof of commercial general liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence. Liquidated damages are assessed at $851.91 per day for delays beyond the specified completion date, and the Commonwealth reserves the right to reject any and all bids in whole or in part. The award value will be determined by the unit prices submitted for tree planting labor and trees (28 bundles of 100 each), with payment made upon satisfactory completion, inspection, and acceptance of work in accordance with the Virginia Prompt Payment Act, with no partial, progress, or advance payments authorized unless expressly approved in writing.