Tree the Shore Request for proposals
Issue Date:09/10/25
Submission Date:09/30/25
EMAIL SUBMISSIONS TO: jvaccaro@shorerivers.org
ShoreRivers invites proposals for the installation of trees at locations as specified in the attached list, consistent with the sequence of construction below and attached planting schedule.
ShoreRivers welcomes revisions to the provided sequence of construction and specifications, and will collaborate with the winning bidder on the final sequence of construction.
1) proposal instructions
A. SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS
i. One copy of the proposal must be submitted on the bid form provided in the solicitation.
ii. Electronically mailed proposals are preferred.
iii. Paper proposals shall be signed and submitted in a sealed envelope clearly identified on the outside of the mailing envelope with the name of the project. If the proposal is submitted electronically, this information shall be clearly identified in the subject line.
iv. Proposals shall include a formal proposal or letter on official company letterhead and qualifications requested in Section D, in addition to the completed bid sheet(s). Proposals submitted without itemized bid sheets will be rejected.
B. DELIVERY OF PROPOSALS
i. Proposals should be either hand-carried to ShoreRivers regional office at 114 South Washington Street in Easton, MD, OR submitted electronically to Jennifer Vaccaro (jvaccaro@shorerivers.org) prior to the submission deadline. Proposals received after said time or delivered to the wrong location will be returned to the Bidder unopened.
ii. It is fully the responsibility of the Bidder to ensure that the proposal is received on time.
C. QUESTIONS/ADDENDUM
i. Proposals are subject to change in the form of an addendum. Questions must be addressed in email form to Jennifer Vaccaro at jvaccaro@shorerivers.org.
ii. It is the Bidder’s responsibility to make sure all addenda are acknowledged in their proposal. Failure to do so could result in the proposal being disqualified.
D. QUALIFICATIONS
i. The Bidder must be in compliance with the laws regarding conducting business in the State of Maryland.
ii. The Bidder shall provide examples of at least two projects performed within the past 10 years involving tree plantings. The following information should be included:
1. Client’s name, point of contact, address, and telephone number and/or email
2. Description and location of related projects and year of completion
3. Key personnel involved
4. Photo documentation of completed planting, if available
iii. The Bidder shall also provide at least three references (name, company, title, address, email, and telephone number) for construction of similar work.
iv. Bidders who received a letter from ShoreRivers within the last year stating that they have been pre-qualified by ShoreRivers for urban tree planting projects are not required to submit references or project examples.
E. EXCEPTIONS
i. Any exceptions to the specifications requested should be marked on the bid form and listed on a separate sheet of paper attached to the proposal.
ii. An exception to the specifications may not necessarily disqualify the proposal. ShoreRivers will determine if the exception is an essential deviation or a minor item.
iii. In the case of a minor deviation, ShoreRivers maintains the option to award to that Bidder if it determines the performance is not adversely affected by the exception.
F. APPROVED EQUALS
i. In all specifications where a material or article is defined by describing a proprietary product or by using the name of a vendor or manufacturer, it can be assumed that an approved equal can be substituted.
ii. The use of a named product is an attempt to set a particular standard of quality and type that is familiar to ShoreRivers. Such references are not intended to be restrictive.
iii. However, ShoreRivers shall decide if a product does in fact meet or exceed the quality of the specifications listed in the solicitation. It shall be the responsibility of the vendor that claims his product is an equal to provide documentation to support such a claim.
G. SALES TAX
i. According to the Office of the Comptroller of Maryland, a Contractor is responsible for paying sales tax on purchases relating to any projects or services and should incorporate it into their bid.
ii. Contractors cannot use ShoreRivers’ tax exemption to buy materials or products.
H. BILLING
i. For contracts that combine project sites with different funders (as outlined on the attached list of project sites) the contractor shall provide ShoreRivers with two separate bills: one for Chesapeake Bay Trust funded project sites and one for Department of Natural Resources funded project sites.
I. DELIVERY
i. All items shall be delivered F.O.B. destination and delivery costs and charges included in the bid unless otherwise stated in the specifications or bid form.
J. INSURANCE
i. The Bidder shall provide ShoreRivers with Certificates of Insurance within 10 days of award notification evidencing the required coverage.
ii. Bidder must provide Certificates of Insurance before commencing work in connection with the contract.
K. PROPOSAL EVALUATION
i. Proposal tabulations will be emailed to all Bidders after the submission deadline.
ii. Bid evaluations typically take a maximum of one–two weeks.
L. RIGHT TO REJECT
i. ShoreRivers reserves the right to reject any and/or all proposals or to waive any technicality it deems in the best interest of ShoreRivers and/or the landowners.
M. AWARD OF CONTRACT
i. There are five contracts to be awarded through this bid process. Bidders may choose which contracts to bid on at their discretion. ShoreRivers shall award each of these contracts individually to the best, most responsive, and responsible Bidder complying with the terms of the request for proposal. A contract, if awarded, will be based on price, qualifications, experience, and responsiveness.
ii. All contract awards are contingent upon available funding.
iii. ShoreRivers reserves the right to award a bid by individual items, in aggregate, or in combination thereof as deemed necessary to fulfill the anticipated requirements.
2) general conditions
A. QUALIFICATIONS OF BIDDER AND DISQUALIFICATION OF PROPOSALS
i. All Bidders are to be acceptable to ShoreRivers and the landowners and shall be skilled in the class of work for which they bid.
ii. The Bidder shall examine the premises and observe the conditions under which the work will be done, or other circumstances which will affect the contemplated work. No allowance will be made subsequently in this connection for any error or negligence on the Bidder’s part.
iii. The Bidders shall familiarize themselves with the total scope of work avoiding misunderstandings in regard to the nature and character of work to be performed. All work shall be the best of its kind and done in accordance with good standard practice.
iv. The Bidders must adhere strictly to the specifications. Any change or deviation from the specifications, or any detail in which their product or services differ from these specifications, must be examined in detail in a separate letter accompanying their proposal.
B. GUARANTEE
i. The selected Contractor shall furnish the landowners and ShoreRivers with a one-year guarantee of workmanship and materials, dating from time of acceptance of the project and shall make good any defects which may occur during that period.
ii. If any special guarantees in excess of the one-year period are specified by the manufacturer, these guarantees shall take precedence over the one-year period guarantee.
C. TIME FOR COMPLETION
i. The work contemplated under this contract shall be completed no earlier than October 24, 2025, and no later than December 12, 2025. The Contractor must coordinate with ShoreRivers to schedule work for a date that will line up with volunteer planting dates.
ii. The Contractor will generally be allowed to work eight hours per day. Site specific working limitations:
1. Work shall be performed Monday–Friday.
2. Work shall commence no earlier than 8am.
D. CHANGES IN WORK
i. ShoreRivers, without invalidating the contract, may order extra work or make changes by altering or adding to the work, with the contract sum being adjusted accordingly.
ii. All such work shall be executed under the conditions of the original contract.
iii. The value of any such extra work or change shall be determined in one or more of the following ways:
1. By estimate and acceptance of lump sum
2. By unit prices named in the contract or subsequently agreed upon.
E. ERRORS OR OMISSIONS IN SPECIFICATIONS
i. Should any detail be omitted from the specifications, or should any errors appear in either, it shall be the duty of the Contractor to notify ShoreRivers’ designated construction inspector.
ii. In no case shall the Contractor proceed with the work without notifying and receiving definite instructions from ShoreRivers. Work wrongly constructed without such notification shall be corrected by the Contractor at their own cost.
F. LICENSES AND PERMITS
i. State, local, and federal permits for the project will be obtained by ShoreRivers.
G. SUPERVISION
i. The Contractor shall maintain, at all times during the progress of work, a competent and experienced supervisor who shall represent the Contractor, and all directions given to him shall be binding. Important decisions and directions shall be confirmed in writing by ShoreRivers.
ii. Supervision by ShoreRivers, the landowners, or another representative, does not relieve the Contractor of responsibility for defective work executed under the direct control of the Contractor. Responsibility for defective work rests upon the Contractor.
H. CLEAN UP
i. Upon completion of the project, the construction area and all other areas occupied by the Contractor during the construction shall be cleaned of all surplus and discarded materials, rubbish, and temporary structures that were placed there by the Contractor.
ii. Disposal of the aforementioned shall be the responsibility of the Contractor.
I. EXAMINATION OF PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS, AND SITE
i. Bidders shall make a personal examination of the location of the proposed work and of the surroundings thereof, and shall thoroughly acquaint themselves with the details of the work to be done and all the conditions and obstacles likely to be encountered in the performance and completion of the work.
ii. Bidders shall inform themselves as to the facilities for the transportation, handling, and storage of equipment and materials, and they shall carefully study the plans, relevant specifications, and other conditions under which the work is to be done and as to the character, qualities, and quantities of work to be performed and materials to be furnished, and be prepared to execute a finished job in every particular without extra charge whatsoever, except as may be specifically provided for elsewhere in these contract documents.
iii. No allowance will subsequently be made in this regard for error and/or negligence on the part of the Contractor.
J. WORKMANSHIP
i. First-class work shall be performed. All materials furnished in carrying out the contract shall be of character and quality required by the specifications. Where no standard is specified for such work or materials, they shall be the best of their respective kinds. Any unsatisfactory work done or materials furnished, at whatever time they may be discovered, shall be immediately removed and satisfactorily replaced by the Contractor when notified to do so by ShoreRivers.
ii. The Contractor shall employ only competent labor specifically experienced in the proposed work. Any employee who is careless, incompetent, disorderly, or who uses abusive or profane language shall be discharged or removed from the project on request from ShoreRivers.
iii. The work shall be under the general supervision of ShoreRivers and their duly appointed field representatives, in accordance with a general plan agreed upon by ShoreRivers and the Contractor. The Contractor shall appoint a competent superintendent and/or necessary foreman for the direct supervision of the work. The supervisor shall be on the job at all times that the work is in progress, and shall be available during non-working hours in event of an emergency.
K. PROTECTION OF PROPERTY
i. The Contractor shall take all necessary precautions to protect the existing facilities at the project sites, whether or not shown on the plans.
ii. The Contractor shall be held responsible for any damages and the cost of repairing these damages shall be paid by the Contractor.
3) bid specifications
A. PROJECT DESCRIPTION
i. This project is to furnish all labor, materials, and equipment necessary for tree plantings, as indicated on the attached drawings and bid sheet. Please note that in some instances there is a combination of volunteer and contractor plantings. The contractor shall be responsible for:
1. Procuring all materials and supplies for all locations specified on the list, with the exception of the tree diapers, which will be supplied by ShoreRivers.
2. Augering the holes for all trees specified on the list.
3. Planting the trees specified as “contractor planted.”
ii. The contractor is NOT responsible for planting the trees specified on the list as “volunteer planted.”
B. BID ITEMS
i. It is the Bidder’s responsibility to verify material quantities. Bidders shall inform themselves as to the facilities for the transportation, handling, and storage of equipment and materials, and shall carefully study the plans, relevant specifications, and other conditions under which the work is to be done and as to the character, qualities, and quantities of work to be performed and materials to be furnished, and be prepared to execute a finished job in every particular without extra charge.
ii. Bid items are given in the attached bid sheet. The quantities referenced are approximate and are to be used for guidance only. They are not exclusive.
C. NOTES AND SPECIFICATIONS
i. ShoreRivers will flag out exact tree locations prior to the start of construction.
ii. Trees for all sites will be purchased by ShoreRivers. Contractor shall coordinate tree pick up or delivery to project sites.
iii. Tree protection shall consist of:
1. 5-foot, 1”x1”, oak stakes
2. 4-foot wire tree cages, minimum 3.5’ diameter, exact style is at the discretion of the Contractor, but must be approved by ShoreRivers prior to purchase.
iv. Store all packaged materials per manufacturer recommendations.
D. SEQUENCE OF CONSTRUCTION
i. Contractor to contact Miss Utility two weeks prior to planned installation and request utility marking. Contractor shall notify ShoreRivers of any utility conflicts prior to planting.
ii. Contractor and ShoreRivers’ representatives shall have a pre-installation meeting one week before planting.
1. At the meeting, Contractor and ShoreRivers representatives will stake out and finalize the planting locations.
iii. ShoreRivers has purchased the plant material. For planting locations marked as “contractor planted,” contractor shall take delivery of plant material.
1. Contractor to evaluate all plant material and shall reject any material that does not meet specifications set forth by the Urban Tree Foundation, outlined below and illustrated in the attached “Guideline Specifications for Nursery Tree Quality” document.
2. ShoreRivers reserves the right to reject trees that do not meet the specifications as set forth in these guidelines. If a particular defect or substandard element or characteristic can be easily corrected, appropriate remedies are encouraged.
3. If destructive inspection of a root ball or balls is to be done, the Contractor and nursery should have a prior agreement as to the time and place of inspection, minimum number of trees to be inspected or percentage of a species or cultivar, and financial responsibility for the inspected trees.
4. Guidelines for nursery stock selection:
a. Crown form and density shall be typical for a young specimen of the species or cultivar. Changes in form caused by wind, pruning practices, pests or other factors shall not substantially alter the form for the species or cultivar.
b. Tree shall have a single, relatively straight central leader. They shall be free of co-dominant stems and vigorous, upright branches that compete with the central leader. If the original leader has been headed, a new leader at least one-half of the diameter of the original leader shall be present.
c. Main branches shall be well distributed along the central leader, not clustered together. They shall form a balanced crown appropriate for the cultivar/species.
d. Branch diameter shall be no larger than two-thirds (one-half is preferred) the diameter of the central leader measured 1 inch above the branch.
e. The attachment of the largest branches (scaffold branches) shall be free of included bark.
f. Temporary branches, unless otherwise specified, should be present along the lower trunk below the lowest main (scaffold) branch, particularly for trees less than 1 inch in caliper. These branches should be no greater than 3/8 inch in diameter. Clear trunk should be no more than 40% of the total height of the tree.
g. The trunk shall be free of wounds (except properly made pruning cuts), sunburned areas, conks (fungal fruiting bodies), wood cracks, bleeding areas, signs of boring insects, galls, cankers and/or lesions.
h. Trunk caliper and taper shall be sufficient so that the tree will remain vertical without a stake.
i. The size, color, and appearance of leaves shall be typical for the time of year and stage of growth of the species or cultivar. Trees shall not show signs of prolonged moisture stress as indicated by wilted, shriveled, or dead leaves.
j. Shoot growth (length and diameter) throughout the crown should be appropriate for the age and size of the species or cultivar. Trees shall not have dead, diseased, broken, distorted, or otherwise injured branches.
k. The uppermost roots or root collar (root crown) shall be within the upper 2 inches of the soil media (substrate).
l. The root collar and the inside portion of the root ball shall be free of defects, including circling, kinked, and stem girdling roots. Soil removal near the root collar may be necessary to inspect the aforementioned root defects.
m. Roots on the periphery and bottom of the root ball shall be less than 1/4 inch in diameter (1/8 inch is preferred.) The maximum acceptable root diameter on the periphery should be indicated.
n. The tree shall be well rooted in the soil media (substrate). Root distribution shall be uniform throughout the container media. Structure and growth shall be appropriate for the species/cultivar. When the container is removed, the root ball shall remain intact. When the trunk is lifted, both the trunk and root system shall move as one.
o. The root system shall be substantially free of injury from biotic (e.g., insects and pathogens) and abiotic (e.g., herbicide toxicity and salt injury) agents. At time of inspection and delivery, the root ball shall be moist throughout. Roots shall not show signs of excess soil moisture conditions as indicated by stunted, discolored, distorted, or dead roots.
p. All plant material shall conform to the American Standard for Nursery Stock (ANSI Z60.1) as approved by the American National Standards Institute Inc. latest editions.
q. Provide plants of sizes, grades, and ball or container sizes complying with ANSI Z60.1 for types and form of plants required. Plants of a larger size may be used if acceptable to ShoreRivers, with a proportionate increase in size of roots or balls.
5. The Contractor shall time the delivery date and plant installation to minimize stress on plant material.
a. Plants shall be installed the same day they are delivered, OR
b. Stored short-term (less than one week) in a cool, shaded area, damp place with root kept systems moist, OR
c. If planting must occur more than a week after plant delivery, the Contractor shall restage plant material on or off the job site to maximize protection from hot sun and drying winds, and shall water material to maintain a stress-free condition.
iv. Auger holes or hand-dig holes as indicated on the relevant attached tree planting specifications. Scarify the sides of the planting holes.
v. Plant trees, per planting schedule and as indicated in the relevant attached planting specifications.
vi. Mulch each tree as indicated in the attached planting specifications.
vii. Stake and cage each tree:
1. Insert the tree stakes at least 12–18 inches.
2. Tree branches should not be constricted by the stake ties. Staking should prevent tree from flexing so much that it is toppled by the wind, but tree should be able to flex naturally.
3. Tree ties should be made of a material that will not break down or stretch out due to exposure to the elements.
4. Secure wire caging around the stakes to minimize damage by vandals, deer, string trimmers, etc.
a. Cage shall be 4’ tall and minimum of 3.5’ in diameter.
b. Use minimum of three oak stakes to hold up the cage.
c. Fasten cage by wrapping the raw wire ends around the other end of the wire caging.
viii. Install the Tree Diaper per the attached manufacturer instructions. Note that:
1. Tree diapers MUST be thoroughly pre-soaked before placing around the tree.
2. Tree diapers must come into direct contact with the soil: mulch should NOT be underneath of the Tree Diaper
ix. Water each tree thoroughly.