Willow Grove Cross Ripping 2025

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry is seeking a contractor to perform cross ripping services at Willow Grove State Forest in Belmont County, located approximately 3 miles southeast of St. Clairsville. The project requires cross ripping on an 8' by 8' grid to a minimum depth of 2 feet across 14 acres of land as site preparation for tree planting in Spring 2025. The work must be completed before March 31, 2025, at the specified location with GPS coordinates of 40.05739, -80.845614. Interested contractors must bid on all items to be considered responsive, and the contract will be awarded to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder based on the low lot total. Site visits are available by appointment only from January 2 through January 16, 2025, through the point of contact John Mueller. All work must be completed and invoiced by June 30, 2025, which marks the end of the contract term, and invoices must be submitted directly to Financial Shared Services with specific documentation requirements.

The procurement does not explicitly mention specific set-aside designations or restrictions for disadvantaged enterprises. Contractors must comply with several key requirements, including completing an Affirmation and Disclosure Form that prohibits offshore services and data storage, and registering on the OhioBuys procurement platform. The contract requires contractors to maintain specific insurance coverage, including Commercial General Liability ($1M per occurrence, $2M aggregate), Commercial Automobile Liability ($1M combined single limit), Workers' Compensation, and Employer's Liability ($1M limits). Contractors must also complete an Independent Contractor/Worker Acknowledgment form with the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System. While a specific budget range is not provided, the procurement suggests this is a relatively small-scale project focused on site preparation for forestry work, with all work to be completed within the current fiscal year and invoiced by June 30, 2025.