FOREST RESILIENCY RESTORATION SERVICES
- Department: Conservation
- Deadline: October 23, 2026 at 3:00 p.m.
INTRODUCTION
The Conservation Department of Des Moines County, acting through the Des Moines County Conservation Board
(hereinafter “County” or “DMCC”), invites qualified forestry, habitat-restoration, vegetation-management, and treeplanting
contractors to submit proposals for forest resiliency work at Big Hollow Recreation Area, Hickory Bend
Conservation Area, Hunt Woods, and Starr’s Cave Park and Preserve.
The work is supported by the Iowa Forest Resiliency Partnership Program Grant and related Wildlife Habitat
Stamp funding. The project includes mechanical invasive-species removal, herbicide application, mid-story
thinning, crop-tree release, site preparation, and hardwood tree planting. Contractors may submit proposals for
one or more bid items and are not required to bid the entire project. DMCC may award different bid items to
different contractors.
Contractor selection may occur before DMCC receives the final executed grant agreement; however, no field
work, purchase of project materials, mobilization, or other reimbursable project expense may begin until DMCC
issues a written Notice to Proceed. Award of a bid item does not itself authorize the Contractor to incur project
costs.
BACKGROUND AND PROJECT PURPOSE
DMCC is implementing a coordinated forest resiliency initiative to restore oak-hickory woodland systems, reduce
invasive woody vegetation, improve regeneration, diversify stand structure, and strengthen wildlife habitat across
four public conservation properties. The work has been developed with Iowa DNR District Forester Lisa Louck
and is guided by DNR-approved forest stewardship and planting plans.
• Big Hollow: invasive-species control following a 2024 shelterwood harvest, followed by mid-story thinning/site
preparation and foliar follow-up treatment.
• Hickory Bend: machine removal of invasive shrubs in Stands 3 and 4, foliar follow-up treatment in Stand 4,
and crop-tree release in Stands 4-6.
• Hunt Woods: forestry-mulcher treatment followed by foliar invasive-species control in Stands 1 and 5-7.
• Starr’s Cave: site preparation, herbicide treatment, and planting of 6.5 acres of bottomland hardwoods, with
multi-year competition control and optional supplemental replanting.
CONTRACTING APPROACH
This solicitation is for natural-resource management and related professional/contractual services and is not being
administered as a public-improvement bid under Iowa Code Chapter 26. DMCC intends to select responsive and
responsible contractor(s) based on qualifications, demonstrated ability, schedule, references, compliance with
technical requirements, and price. DMCC is not obligated to select the lowest-priced proposal if another
responsive and responsible proposal better serves the County’s overall interests.
Each bid item will be evaluated separately. A contractor may be awarded one, several, or all bid items for which it
submits a proposal. Optional Starr’s Cave maintenance items may be accepted, rejected, or deferred without
affecting award of the base bid items.
Contact:
Tanner Gebhardt
Des Moines County Conservation
11627 Starr’s Cave Rd.
Burlington, IA 52601
(319) 572-6865
conservation@dmcounty.com
