​Parks & Natural Areas Stewardship Services

The City of Ann Arbor issued RFP 25‑09 to provide stewardship services—including prescribed‑fire planning and execution, herbicide/pesticide application, vegetation restoration, and on‑call emergency response—across six municipal natural‑area parks. The work is funded by a USDA Forest Service grant ($375,000 maximum) and spans up to three years, with an estimated annual budget of $125,000. Evaluation heavily favors technical merit, with cost accounting for only 10 % of the score. The contract was tentatively awarded to GEI Consultants pending Council approval. Key points: • Scope covers prescribed burns, smoke management, pesticide/herbicide use, and restoration activities in six specific parks. • Funding is grant‑based (USDA) with a total ceiling of $375K and no prevailing‑wage requirement (living‑wage declaration only). • Submission deadline was 6 Feb 2025; the contract period runs through 31 Mar 2028, with six burns expected during 2027‑2028.