Trench and Spray Bid 2026

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is soliciting competitive bids for site preparation and vegetation management services on the Black River State Forest in Jackson County. The procurement involves power disc trenching and herbicide application across approximately 194 acres distributed across five separate project sites within 13 miles of Black River Falls, Wisconsin. Site 1 consists of 30 acres of recently clear-cut jack pine stand from 2025; Site 2 comprises 52 acres of harvested red pine plantation from 2024-2025; Site 3 includes 8 acres of harvested pine stand from 2025; Site 4 encompasses 15 acres of mixed pine stand clear-cut with Site 3; and Site 5 represents an 88-acre clear-cut harvested in 2024 and previously treated for buckthorn in 2025. The primary objective is to prepare these sites for hand planting scheduled for 2027 while reducing invasive and native plant competition. All contractors must hold DATCP pesticide certification in Forestry 2.0 and must demonstrate the ability to eliminate at least 95 percent of identified target populations. The bid submission deadline is March 10, 2026, with questions due by March 2, 2026 at 4:30 p.m. Detailed project specifications, bid sheets, example contracts, and site maps are available in the solicitation attachments.

The solicitation documentation does not specify set-aside designations, disadvantaged enterprise restrictions, or incumbent vendor information. Similarly, the contract opportunity announcement does not include award values, budget ranges, or specific evaluation criteria beyond the technical requirement of achieving a 95 percent kill rate on targeted vegetation. Bidders will need to access the attached bid sheet, example contract, and maps for comprehensive project details, pricing structures, and any additional qualification or performance requirements. The sites are accessible via paved highways, town roads, woods roads, and ATV trails, indicating that standard heavy equipment mobilization and operation should be feasible for qualified contractors.