The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay is seeking bids from forest planting contractors to establish new forest on one large site totaling 282.38 acres in Chester County, Pennsylvania during the spring 2024 planting season. Services sought include site preparation, invasive plant control, material procurement, planting, annual maintenance, replanting services, and shelter removal on portions of those acres. Services sought entail:

  • Pre-planting mowing on 282.38 acres
  • Invasive plant control with systemic herbicides in 25’ wide strip along all wooded borders of  planting areas, approximately 360 acres
  • Planting 71,712 bare-root seedlings during spring 2024 planting season on 260.77 acres
    • Installation of non-perforated 5’ deer shelters on 62,554 planted stems
    • Installation of biodegradable 5’ deer shelters on 9,158 planted stems
  • Post-planting annual maintenance
    • Two mows and two sprays of 3’ radius herbicide rings on 282.38 acres from 2024-2026
  • Post-planting replanting of dead trees and shrubs from 2024-2026
    • Replanting dead trees marked by Alliance staff on 282.38 acres
  • Removal of 62,554 non-biodegradable 5’ deer shelters after tree establishment

Scope of Work
The contractor shall be responsible for providing all equipment, material and supplies to complete the tree planting projects and maintenance according to the planting specifications & contractor’s responsibilities listed below. The contractor will conduct pre-planting preparation entailing mowing on 282.38 acres and applying herbicide to invasive plants along all wooded borders of planting areas, totaling approximately 360 acres. The contractor shall scalp away the turf at each tree seedling planting location, hand plant (dibble bar or hoedad only) approximately 71,712 bare-root tree seedlings, install approximately 71,712 five-foot (5’) total tree shelters, with 1”x1” white oak stakes, reversible ties, and netting on approximately 260.77 acres between April 1, 2024 and May 15, 2024. Annual maintenance will consist of mowing between trees and spraying systemic herbicide around each tree shelter twice each growing season, and replanting marked tree mortality once annually from 2024-2026. The contractor will remove and dispose of the 62,554 non-biodegradable 5’ deer shelters after tree establishment. The site is a new State Park in Chester County, Pennsylvania and the contractor will coordinate with both Alliance and PA DCNR staff to complete the project.

Bid is due Sunday, August 20, 2023. For more information see the full bid document at:

https://www.allianceforthebay.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Big-Elk-Forest-Planting-Contractor-Bid.pdf