Tate’s Hell Roadside Ditch Debrushing 2027 PROJECT# 04-901-HABRES-26

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is soliciting competitive bids for the Tate’s Hell Roadside Ditch Debrushing 2027 project. The selected contractor will provide all labor, equipment, and supervision to perform masticating and mulching services for vegetative material along approximately 161 miles of roadside ditches within Tate’s Hell State Forest in Franklin County, Florida. A critical requirement of the scope is the full mastication or mulching of all titi species within the ditch corridor. The contractor must maintain a minimum production rate of 7.5 miles per week to ensure all work is completed by March 31, 2027. Award of the contract will be based on the lowest Grand Total Price submitted by a responsive and responsible vendor, with preference given to Florida-based production in the event of a tie. Bidders were required to attend a mandatory pre-bid site visit on September 22, 2026, and must submit a signed Certification of Site Visitation to be considered. Bids must be submitted in a sealed physical package by October 05, 2026, as electronic submissions are prohibited. The contractor must maintain all necessary licenses and certifications and provide proof of insurance naming the State of Florida and the Department as additional insured within 10 days of award. Compliance requirements include registration with E-Verify and certification regarding lobbying for expenditures exceeding 100,000 dollars. Payment is contingent upon annual legislative appropriation, though an addendum clarifies that monthly progress invoices for partial payments are permitted. The Department allows five working days to inspect and approve services upon completion.