DNR - Natural ResourcesIssuing agency·Springfield, IL·via the Illinois BidBuy open-bids boardThe Illinois Department of Natural Resources is seeking bids for agricultural farming services on State owned property located within Rice Lake SFWA. See attached Invitation for Bid (IFB) for detailed locations and acreage information.
Pre-Bid Conference: Non-Mandatory Attendance Pre-Bid Meeting will be held October 15th, 2026, at 2:00 PM at the Rice Lake SFWA site office located at 19721 N US 24, Canton, IL 61520 OR by phone at (312)535-8110 Access code: 2865 254 1837
The lessee will farm 385 acres at Rice Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area in Fulton County, Illinois, following a specified cropping plan (Attachment B) that includes corn with cover crop and soybeans in rotation over a five-year term (2027-2031). The lessee must provide all necessary labor, machinery, tools, seed, fertilizer, equipment and insurance. Specific requirements include: no neonicotinoid-treated soybean seed, no Dicamba, adherence to atrazine label instructions, planting cereal rye cover crop in designated corn fields, leaving 10% of corn crop unharvested until March 1 (February 1 in 2031), spot spraying reed canary grass and smooth brome, removing fallen trees/flood debris from fields, and maintaining soil fertility per IDNR minimum soil test levels. The lessee must document all chemical, fertilizer, and seed applications using provided log forms and submit records by December 15th annually. Subcontracting is prohibited except for planting/termination of cover crops and baling of wheat stubble, legume or grass hay with prior approval.
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Most Illinois work asks for the two below, and the solicitation documents are where it’s stated. One prequalification covers both — on this bid and the next.
A surety’s written statement that it expects to bond you up to a stated amount, subject to final underwriting. It’s what an agency asks to see before they take your bid seriously.
Source: BidBuy (Illinois) (bid 27-422DNR-REALT-B-54122), retrieved via the Illinois BidBuy open-bids board. View the official posting, and always confirm requirements and deadlines with the issuing agency.
