Request for Proposals — The Wetlands Initiative

Little Calumet River-Chase Street Wetland Complex. Floodplain Marsh and River Re-meandering Restoration Project.

Location

Lower Lake Michigan, Lake County, Indiana, the Little Calumet River Chase Street Wetland Complex, 41°56'20.32"N, -87°37'53.30"W.

Overview

The Little Calumet River Conservation Collaborative (LCRCC) proposes to complete a site assessment and 60% design for the Chase Street Complex River Re-meandering Project in an area that encompasses nearly 800 contiguous acres within the West Branch of the Little Calumet River floodplain between Clark Rd. to the west and Grant St. to the east within the City of Gary (Figure 1). The core collaborative partners responsible for developing this project are The Wetlands Initiative, Audubon Great Lakes, The Nature Conservancy of Indiana, and Lake County Parks & Recreation, with key support from other partners including the Little Calumet River Basin Development Commission, the City of Gary, and the Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) among others. The LCRCC began site prioritization along the West Branch corridor in 2016 and began on-the-ground restoration of three high-priority parcels in 2019 (Figure 2).

The West Branch of the Little Calumet River (LCR) currently flows west to east, mostly through an artificial, ditched channel that bisects the complex into north and south sections, while Chase Street bisects each of these sections into east and west sections, which together define the NE, NW, SE, and SW quadrants, all of which fall entirely within the levee system. All quadrants are characterized by relatively low-quality floodplain habitat, much of which is dominated by invasive common reed (Phragmites australis). The SW quadrant has a 39-acre habitat mitigation site that was partially restored to wet-mesic prairie habitat, a project previously carried out by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 2006, and then updated with additional work beginning in 2015. The Corps-sponsored work was conducted concurrently with an upland ‘savanna’ habitat restoration on 25 acres in the NW quadrant in an old residential neighborhood where all buildings and infrastructure had been removed. Much of the NW quadrant can be characterized by floodplain forest and a remnant system of meandering river channels that have been cut off by the levee to the north and by Chase Street to the east. The remnant meanders pick up again east of Chase Street and continue throughout the NE quadrant through a degraded system of backwater marshes dominated by common reed and cattails. The SE quadrant is dominated by a 206-acre marsh system known as the “Grant Street Wetlands”. The eastern portion of the Grant Street Wetlands may be characterized by a relatively open water marsh and hemimarsh that is now used by a diversity of marsh-dependent birds and other wildlife. The western portion has been undergoing intensive invasive management funded through three consecutive NFWF Chi-Cal Rivers Grants, work that will be completed by the end of 2024. Our goal within this complex and degraded floodplain landscape is to develop a comprehensive, 60% design that re-meanders the LCRthrough the mosaic of habitat space within all four quadrants in this reach of the river, utilizing to the extent possible the old meander channels that have been cut off since the 1950’s (Figure 3).

A NIPSCO utility substation is located within the Chase Street Complex (excluded from the proposed project footprint), and a NIPSCO Right of Way (ROW) traverses the site along the south side of the existing channel, most of which is a narrow, steep-sided ditch. The ROW contains both electrical transmission lines as well as at least one underground natural gas transmission pipeline. NIPSCO has been an important partner in the Collaborative’s efforts along the West Branch, and the utility plans to manage their ROW to benefit the later phases of habitat restoration. Existing resources used by the public within the complex include a natural spring at Spring Park that has been used as a drinking water supply by surrounding residents for nearly a century, as well as a new pedestrian and bicycle bridge over the LCR at Chase Street, which was decommissioned as a through-road for vehicular traffic many years ago. Nearly four miles of the levee surrounding the site already have a paved surface for hiking and biking, connecting Lake Etta County Park (Lake County Parks and Recreation: LCPR) to Grant Street on the north side, and back to Chase St. to the south. Many people also fish the LCR and its pools from the side of the road despite limited access along most of the shore. These public resources will be protected and incorporated into the planning and design with the goal of enhancing access and recreational opportunities for all.

The primary nature-based solution for restoring natural habitat around the Chase Street area floodplain is re-establishing a more natural hydrology within the complex through the removal of drainage ditches and remnant drain tile lines, and re-meandering of the LCR by restoring flow to the former river channels while strategically blocking flow to the artificial ditch system now in use. This hydrologic restoration will be combined with the development of hemi-marsh, nearshore, and riverine floodplain habitat through the removal of invasive vegetation and native plantings. This approach is consistent with the conservation strategies identified in the Conservation Action Planning (CAP) for the West Branch of the Little Calumet River effort developed by Audubon Great Lakes, the Calumet Land Conservation Partnership, Dunes-Calumet Audubon, Indiana Dunes National Park, Indiana University Northwest, Lake County Parks and Recreation, the Little Calumet River Basin Development Commission, the Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO), Save the Dunes, The Nature Conservancy of Indiana, The Wetlands Initiative, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and others to integrate water levels and flow through wetland systems, connecting them to an active floodplain within the constraints of levees and flood control structures.

Site Ownership

There are multiple land owners (Figure 4), although the vast majority of the property is owned by the Little Calumet River Basin Development Commission (the Basin Commission). A relatively small number of former building lots are owned by the City of Gary Parks & Recreation. NIPSCO owns the Taney Substation property on Chase St. and a transmission line corridor that runs parallel to and south of the current river channel across the entire site. Of the 796 project acres, > 1.0 % is owned by a handful of private landowners, none of which are able to develop their properties as the Basin Commission maintains a flood control easement over the site.

Specific Goals and Objectives

Our overall conservation objective is the restoration of degraded riverine floodplain and hemi-marsh wetland habitat in the heavily altered floodplain of the LCR near the south shore of Lake Michigan at Chase Street in Gary, IN. This includes re-meandering the river into its pre-1950’s channel to the extent possible, and reconnecting flow to off-channel floodplain wetlands to restore and improve fish nursery habitat, migratory waterfowl feeding, nesting, and loafing habitat, and foraging habitat for invertebrates, fish, herps, mammals, and secretive marsh birds. All restoration activities must be developed with flood control in mind, i.e. proposed activities should have no negative impact on flood storage capacity within the site and surrounding landscape.

Currently, the site is characterized by a 1.44-mile, narrow ditch channel that bypasses the disconnected, remnant LCR channel scars. Much of the floodplain is drained with additional ditches and a remnant system of drainage tiles. The degraded marsh habitat is characterized by extensive populations of common reed and other invasive plant species, plus degraded floodplain woodlands, savanna, prairie, and wet meadow plant communities.

Our preferred channel re-meandering option is for an opening to be cut through an abandoned section of Chase St. just south of the north levee crossing in order to reconnect flow to two isolated arms of the former channel system. Our goal is to utilize as much of the former, broad, meandering channel as possible to provide more riparian habitat with an additional 0.30 miles of restored remnant channel and enhanced flow to the floodplain marsh system. A potential second option should the creation of an additional opening through Chase St. not be viable or a priority of local partners (City of Gary, LCRBDC) would be the excavation of a new section of channel to route the meandering flow back to the current ditch opening through Chase St. This would not require an additional opening in the abandoned section of Chase St., but would require significantly more excavation to cut the new meandering channel leg (Figure 5). Equally important with either option is the development of public amenities to benefit the local community that are primarily centered around strongly enhancing access to nature. The Chase Street Complex project will be developed with input from members of the local communities, local community organizations, the Basin Commission, and the City of Gary. Towards this end, a community advisory board is being assembled by the Collaborative and will provide guidance on community priorities as well as feedback on initial design.

Objectives

Assess existing site conditions and identify restoration opportunities to improve fish, avian, and other wildlife habitat in this reach of the LCR and its floodplain within the levee system between Clark Rd. to the west and Grant St. to the east.
Develop engineering and design plans for improving and enhancing riverine and floodplain habitat on a 2.4-mile reach of the LCR with re-meandering and re-alignment of the former channel system. Re-meandering will improve and enhance instream and off channel riparian habitat to the 0.68 miles of the historic river channel remaining in use. There are two options that differ in that:
- the preferred option will restore flow to 1.26 miles of historic river channel while excavating 0.43 miles of new, re-connecting channel meanders, and utilizing 0.11 miles of the ditch system;
- the alternate option will restore flow to 0.92 miles of historic river channel while excavating 0.48 miles of new, connecting channel meanders, and utilizing 0.42 miles of the ditch system.Reduce sedimentation, expand fish habitat, and facilitate the development of emergent marsh and off-channel hemi-marsh habitat to benefit all riparian-dependent wildlife species without any negative impacts on flood protection.
Restore broader landscape elements contiguous with the floodplain, including prairie, savanna, and forest habitat so that the whole is functionally greater than the sum of its parts.
Explore options for community access to nature and recreational opportunities, including hiking trails and viewing decks, canoeing and kayaking launch and takeouts points, family friendly gateway options, and ADA accessibility.
Address potential community concerns about wetlands restoration and its impact on flooding issues, mosquitoes, public access, or other potential concerns.
Incorporate community priorities and feedback into each phase of project design and execution.

The project stakeholders have preferences for one of the two re-meandering options outlined above, but are open to an alternative approach that meets project objectives. These preferences were developed into a conceptual plan focusing on river re-meandering and reestablishing floodplain marshes to significantly enhance the riparian habitat for the benefit of both people and wildlife. A key component is the restoration of a more naturally functioning riverine hydrology, through the creation of a longer, more complex mosaic of river channels, floodplain hemimarsh, and other native riparian and upland habitats. Conceptual planning has also identified the potential to create additional flood storage capacity and reduce potential flooding downstream. Other broad project goals include the enhanced longitudinal connectivity of the LCR and adjacent wetland ecosystems, the development of a landscape capable of supporting a greater diversity of plants, fish, and other wildlife, and the creation of public recreational space for local and regional communities.

Note that additional priorities are expected to arise as a community advisory board is assembled and initial community feedback is collected. These priorities are not expected to drastically alter the trajectory laid out by the conceptual plan, but may have meaningful impact on the direction of certain aspects of the 60% design goals. Community priorities are expected to be identified in early 2025 and should roughly coincide with onboarding of the selected engineering firm.

Figures and additional background on the preferred and alternate restoration options prioritized by stakeholders can be found here: TWI Chase Street Complex RFP Figures & Appendices.

Key elements to be considered in this initial engineering and design include (Figure 6):

Re-meander up to 1.69 miles of the LCR utilizing the former meandering channel segments to the extent possible consistent with the historic river configuration while maintaining the current use of 0.60 miles of the original channel.
Increase the quantity and quality of migratory and resident fish habitat with the newly re-meandered channels and integrated off-channel marshes.
Manage invasive common reed (Phragmites australis) populations while developing native marsh vegetation.
Provide critical habitat support for a diversity of wetland dependent wildlife including migratory waterfowl and secretive marsh birds.
Redirect the Spring Park outlet flow from the drainage ditch along Chase Street to the adjacent floodplain to restore the spring-fed meadow wetlands extending north to the floodplain marsh.

Public amenity options

Create a 1.76-mile system of new trails at the Spring Park gateway park off of Chase Street.
Create a 0.56-mile savanna trail that repurposes an abandoned road in the NW quadrant of the site.
Create a 0.40-mile loop trail that would run through a long-abandoned landfill leading to an overlook across the northern marshes and re-meandered channel system.
Install canoe and kayak put-in and take-out points for public use.
Install one or more public fishing piers.
Integrate the site into the broader paved levee trail system, starting with a connection to Lake Etta County Park (LCPR) to the west of the complex. The levee trail system would provide another significant link to a future connection to the Marshalltown Marsh Complex and Three Rivers County Park (LCPR).

Habitat benefits

The Calumet region, in northwest Indiana and spanning into Illinois and Michigan, was once one of the most biologically diverse areas within the United States for both plants and wildlife. However, over the past 200 years, it has become the most intensely developed and industrialized riverine and floodplain corridor within the region. Despite the dramatic changes to the region’s ecology and its ability to support a diversity of wildlife, the degraded and ditched floodplain corridor still serves as a significant resource to migrating animals and resident wildlife. Our goal is to restore as much of the riparian structure and function that this critically important eco-region can attain through re-meandering the river, re-establishing floodplain marshes, developing diverse floodplain prairie, savanna, and forest habitat, and eradicating invasive species to the extent possible within the corridor. These habitat improvements will be developed in consultation with members of the local communities so that recreational amenities and quality of life improvements may also be incorporated into the design.

We anticipate that a great many native Great Lakes regional species will benefit from the proposed river and floodplain restoration. Enhancing habitat with longer channels coupled with off-channel marshes for feeding and breeding will improve conditions for many fish such as grass pickerel, northern pike, smallmouth and largemouth bass, dogfish, various sunfish, shortnose gar, plus a variety of minnows, chubs, and bullheads. Developing more marsh and especially marsh edge habitat will benefit migratory waterfowl, secretive marsh birds, shorebirds, and wetland-dependent avian predators (e.g. Bald Eagles and Ospreys), as well as a wide range of wetland-dependent mammals, snakes, turtles, frogs, salamanders, and invertebrates.

Prior studies conducted in support of this approach

The rationale for conducting this project was developed as an initial master conceptual plan developed by The Wetlands Initiative and the core partner group. The re-meandering concept at the heart of this project was informed by work conducted in a previous study conducted by the Chicago District of the US Army Corps of Engineers and the Core Partner Group under the Planning Assistance to States (PAS) Program Section 22 of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 1974 (Public Law 93-251) entitled, “Little Calumet River Planning Assistance to States Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration at Heron Rookery, Martin Luther King South, Martin Luther King North and the Marshalltown Marsh Planning Report.”

In that study, conducted just two miles downstream of the Chase Street Complex, the USACE Chicago District provided a logistical and hydrologic analysis for restoring two adjacent riparian wetland areas on the LCR with the goal of restoring critical floodplain, wetland, and upland habitat functions. The primary approach was to re-meander the LCR in the Martin Luther King North and Marshalltown Marsh reach of the river by utilizing and reconnecting the abandoned remnant channels to the extent possible and developing off-channel deep marsh habitat within the adjacent floodplain. The Corps assessed and identified problems and opportunities, evaluated measures and alternatives, and presented technically feasible solutions to the challenge of restoring these critical floodplain habitat functions. That focal area, the Marshalltown Marsh Complex Restoration (now going into the 95 to 100% design phase) provides the logistical rationale for re-meandering the LCR at the Chase Street Complex site by utilizing the remnant channel scars and developing off-channel marsh habitat for the benefit of people, plants, and wildlife.

This proposed project builds on initial conceptual master planning completed by the LCR Partners and incorporates detailed evaluations of site conditions, hydrology, and restoration potential. Site planning will be informed by funded, facilitated community and stakeholder input and through close collaboration with the City of Gary, Gary Parks and Recreation, and the Basin Commission, with additional input from local community members. Additional resources include species monitoring lists (especially of secretive birds) and 2018 LiDAR data for the site (6-inch contour resolution). Another round of LiDAR was collected in the Spring 2023 which is now available to inform this project.

Project targets to consider – Quantity of coastal wetland, riverine, and other habitats potentially restored, protected, and/or enhanced

2.40-mile segment of the Little Calumet River (preferred option).
Restore flow and habitat to 1.26 miles of remnant channel
Enhance 0.60 miles of in-use remnant channel
Develop 0.43 miles of new, meandering channel
Utilize 0.11 miles of the current ditch system
44.9 acres of the restored LCR footprint
442.4 acres of floodplain marsh habitat
47.0 acres of wet meadow habitat
35.4 acres of wet prairie habitat
8.8 acres of mesic prairie habitat
72.3 acres of floodplain forest habitat
23.0 acres of upland forest habitat
49.0 acres of savanna habitat
73.2 acres of levee slope and woodland edge habitat

Partners

The core project partners include the The Wetlands Initiative, Audubon Great Lakes, Lake County Parks and Recreation, and The Nature Conservancy of Indiana. Additional partners providing guidance and/or financial support include the Little Calumet River Basin Development Commission, the Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO), City of Gary Parks & Recreation, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Calumet Collaborative, and Brown Faces Green Spaces.

Restoration and Re-meandering considerations within the Floodplain

It is critical that none of the proposed activities at the Chase Street Complex result in any negative impacts on the levee system or NIPSCO utilities, which include the Taney Substation and associated power lines, plus underground gas lines. The changes made to the site’s hydrology should not result in additional water over NIPSCO ROWs beyond what already occurs during flood events. This project should result in a minor increase in flood storage capacity within the site while reducing flood impacts downstream.

Co-Benefits: Coastal stewardship, wetlands, recreation/tourism/public access, etc. And result in multiple ecosystem benefit

A small City of Gary Park (Spring Park) was recently built within the project site at the south end of Chase St. It is expected to benefit from the river and floodplain restoration with the development of trails and other amenities. Other amenities proposed for development in the Chase Street Complex restoration project include:

9.25 miles of trails
3.26 miles of newly constructed trail
1.57 miles of repurposed dirt and/or abandoned roads
4.42 miles of levee trail system
2 canoe and kayak launch sites
2 fishing piers
An elevated deck overlooking the marsh system
Birding and natural area opportunities
Regional connectivity to Lake County Parks and other natural areas

Community considerations and environmental justice needs

Gary, Indiana is ranked as one of the most disadvantaged communities in the United States. Home to approximately 187,000 people, Gary is located at the northern edge of Lake County, on the shores of Lake Michigan.

African Americans and Latinos make up a significantly larger proportion of the populations of this community than the state or nation as a whole. Gary’s residents are also among the poorest in the state. While Indiana’s poverty rate (4.7%) is slightly below the national average, the poverty rate in Gary, IN is dramatically higher at 37.4%.

Gary is situated within the Calumet region, a historically fragmented region that evolved as a result of racialized planning practices. This resulted in further disinvestment in the area. As this region recovers from past injustices, sustained re-investment in the area in the form of grants, technical assistance, and community engagement will promote the recovery of the people, habitats, and species that have made this region home for generations.

As part of an effort to involve local residents and community leaders in restoration and public access planning at the Chase Street Complex, the Wetlands Initiative will also oversee the formation of a “Community Advisory Board” (CAB) comprised of local residents, stakeholders, and community leaders. The CAB and its members will collaborate with TWI to provide feedback, facilitate community engagement, and develop and share information about the restoration plan and design with their networks. The involvement of Gary residents and community-based organizations in the development of this project are key to its long-term success and in cultivating a sense of ownership and collective stewardship.

Description of work

The Wetlands Initiative (TWI) is issuing this Request for Proposals for a design team to complete a site assessment and 60% design for the Chase Street Complex River Re-meandering Project. To carry out this project, the design team (led by a primary contractor who will coordinate across other members of the design team also known as subcontractors) will work with TWI and our local project partners.

The project should commence by February 10, 2025 and conclude no later than December 12, 2025. This work is being conducted under the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Coastal Resilience Fund grant program, and as such must abide by Federal funding guidelines. In conducting the Engineering and Design work, the contractor will be responsible for all aspects of convening TWI and it’s Project Partners to provide input on the engineering and design plan for the selected project, collecting necessary data, developing engineering and design options, developing cost estimates, and overall project management in a manner that centers environmental justice and equity throughout the project. Per information collected during the workshops and in preparation for this RFP, most data is assumed to be readily available. However, we make no statements regarding data completeness given the varying project scopes and details.

As part of this work, the selected Design Team will:

Review TWI provided background materials
Coordinate with TWI, state, and other identified partners to develop individual project scope of work
Develop a clear timeline with set of milestones to plan and implement the project
Develop a clear task list
Work with TWI to:
- Identify appropriate partners for project team with special attention to convening community-based organizations where appropriate,
- Set regularly scheduled coordination calls/meetings to address project planning, regulatory and emerging issues. Scheduled calls/meetings at a minimum should include 8 touchpoints:
  - Introductory call – scope finalization
  - Minimum 4 project work calls
    - Preliminary Engineering and Design needs
    - State / Federal Regulatory items
    - Design parameters,
    - Other as identified
  - Draft Engineering and Design review call,
  - Final Engineering and Design review call,
- Identify regulatory considerations (e.g., environmental review, tribal consultations, permitting) for each project and work with state teams to address necessary requirements,
- Finalize project specifications for each project,
Include monitoring and maintenance as part of the project plan. Identify existing baseline information for use to measure project efficacy.

Final engineering and design parameters should honor principles of biocultural restoration, i.e., maximize project value to identified species and restore human and cultural relationships to place. Engineering and designs should be resilient with pathways for adaptive management and take into account future conditions including: localized climate projections such as temperature and precipitation, fluctuating water levels, erosion, changing ice cover, and seasonal temperature changes. All projects shall meet and comply with the applicable portions of the latest editions of the relevant standards, codes, and guidelines. An illustrative list of these include but are not limited to:

USACE Coastal Engineering Manual
Structural Engineering Codes
- ACI - American Concrete Institute,
- AISC - American Institute Steel Construction
- ATI - American Timber Institute
National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)
Americans with Disability Act (ADA)

TWI will provide oversight and thought leadership for the overarching project work, milestones, deliverables, and all the project teams.

NOTE: Being selected for this phase of the project does not commit TWI or other partners to select the contractor for any potential future construction phases of these projects.

Deliverables

Following is a schedule of all deliverables, including administrative deliverables, required during the period of performance of this contract. All deliverable timelines are business days; all deliverables will be delivered electronically:

Detailed monthly project reports – highlighting progress on all milestones and deliverables
- Due 20th of each month,
Intermediate financial reports / invoices – payable upon completion of stated milestones,
Project Team call notes – shared within 3 business days of call,
Communications as they relate to each project,
Overall project plan including:
- Pre/post construction monitoring plan,
- Post-Construction Project Management/Maintenance Plan (20-year maintenance)
  - This plan should include a public access component, including ways to minimize impact from authorized use (where appropriate), and
  - Ways to deter unauthorized use of the site (where appropriate)
  - Strategies for adaptive management given a range of future conditions
- Post-Project Public Outreach Plan
Engineering and Design (60% Completion) for The Chase Street Complex. Provide the project team with:
- Detailed description of the long-term project plan and assessment,
- Design and permitting requirements and blueprint/drawings – Certified by a PE or landscape architect as required,
- Construction cost estimates, Cost estimates with level of detail required to seek project funding for each selected project, cost estimate based on the design to be consistent with Class 1 AACEI practice with a -3% to +10% accuracy, and
- Renderings for visualization purposes.
Leverage existing relationships – leverage the relationships that local partners have with representatives of Tribal Nations and community-based groups. Work with local partners to involve them in the project team, meet with them on their terms, and at times that work for them to discuss this project.
Alternatives Analysis – An alternative analysis may be conducted as deemed necessary (e.g. regulatory purposes),
Regulatory and Environmental Compliance at the federal, state and local levels and Quality Assurance Project Plan– Given the percent completion of Engineering and Design, it is unlikely that the projects will be ripe for full regulatory and environmental compliance processes. As such, the contractor is to itemize out any considerations that might complicate or make it less likely that a "no impact" categorical exclusion would be issued for the project as designed. The contractor is to document issues that will require careful review by the environmental compliance officer or quality assurance officer with oversight over the project work on the ground. Design and Engineering specifications recommended shall minimize potential environmental issues and not have adverse economic or environmental impacts on minority groups, low-income groups, or Native American tribes. With very limited exceptions, all proposed wetlands and living shorelines projects should be designed to qualify for a United States Army Corps of Engineers Nationwide Permit (NWP 27 for wetlands and 54 for living shorelines) or approved State Programmatic General Permit by the USACE, including any regional conditions imposed by individual District.

Proposal Requested

Proposals must adhere to the content of this request. Proposals will not be evaluated unless all parts requested are submitted in a complete package. The information set forth is the minimum required in order to qualify for consideration. Your bid package should include the following items:

Firm/company name, address, and key contact person’s name, phone number and email address.
Maximum 1-page cover letter stating interest
Maximum 1-page description of company, capacity, and experience summary of qualifications.
List of 3 projects of similar complexity as this project. Include 2 photographs for each project.
At Least two client references
Documentation of an excellent safety record of Contractor and Subcontractors
Overview of familiarity with wetland restoration design
Overview of familiarity of permitting for restoration construction in wetlands
Brief Scope of Work, reflecting understanding of the project information, that includes:
- A description of how the listed outcomes and deliverables will be met,
- A description of the proposed approach to the project overall, including benefits and uniqueness of your approach, and proposed timeline for carrying out the tasks,
- A detailed project timeline and plan for conducting surveys and producing project deliverables.
Detailed cost proposal. Identify sub-contractors (if any) expected to perform services on your company’s behalf.
General insurance requirements: Certificates of insurance (commercial general liability, workers compensation and employers liability, and automobile liability). The Contractor shall maintain broad form general liability, property damage, and automotive liability insurance in the minimum amount of $1,000,000 for bodily injury, death, or damage to property of any person. If sub-contractors are to be used, provide proof of their general liability, workers compensation, and employers liability insurance as well.

Proposals should be submitted via e-mail to Harry Kuttner (hkuttner@wetlands-initiative.org). The deadline for proposals has been extended to January 24, 2025 at 5:00 pm Central Time.

Virtual Project Overview

All bidders on this project are invited to attend an pre-bid informational Zoom meeting on December 13th, 2024 from 10-11 am Central Time. During this meeting, a project overview will be provided, and time will be given for prospective bidders to ask questions.

Physical Inspection

All bidders on this project are expected to visit the site and examine the conditions relating to and affecting the performance of this work. Attendance to the pre-bid meeting on December 16th, 2024 from 10 am – 12:30 pm Central Time is optional, but strongly encouraged. No allowances will be granted due to a poor understanding of conditions at each site.

Bid Review Process

After all bids have been reviewed, you will be advised of the status of your proposal. The Wetlands Initiative is not obligated to accept the lowest or any other bid. The right to reject any or all bids and to waive all formalities is hereby reserved by The Wetlands Initiative. Copies of the selected bid will not be made public.

Payment schedule

Selected contractor will receive a mobilization payment equal to 25% of the total contract made within 1 week of commencing work on the job. 50% of total contract will be paid upon completion. The final 25% of total contract will be paid upon final review of report materials. TWI will designate an agent of our choosing to evaluate the work and conduct the final review.