IL - Meredosia NWR - Tree Planting   2

Background
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is issuing this contract for tree planting at the Meredosia National Wildlife Refuge, which is part of the Illinois River National Wildlife and Fish Refuges Complex. The mission of the USFWS is to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.

The goal of this contract is to restore areas of floodplain forest that have been impacted by invasive species, specifically Japanese hop (Humulus japonicus).

Work Details
The contractor will perform the following tasks: load, transport, unload, and hand plant a total of 450 containerized trees ranging from 5-7 gallons in size. The planting will occur over approximately 3 acres across 15 plots at a rate of 150 trees per acre.

The plots are located between 5-150 meters from the shore within floodplain forest habitat. The contractor will dig holes using handheld equipment, plant all trees, fill in dirt around each planted tree, and remove empty tree containers from the site. All work must adhere to the specifications outlined in the Statement of Work.

Period of Performance
The work is scheduled to take place from March 24, 2025, to April 21, 2025. If flooding occurs during this timeframe, contract dates will be extended until after flooding recedes in spring 2025.

Place of Performance
The contract work will be performed at the Island Unit of Meredosia National Wildlife Refuge located in Cass and Morgan counties, Illinois.