CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio — The city is looking for a contractor to plant 150 trees across some of its lower-income neighborhoods, using a federal grant awarded under the Green Circleville Initiative.
The city’s Department of Public Service issued a request for bids this week seeking a company with arboriculture expertise to handle the planting, according to the notice. The project is funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry Program, using money from the Inflation Reduction Act.
The trees, each 1.5 to 3 inches in caliper, will be planted at sites within census tracts the city has identified as disadvantaged. The Circleville Tree Commission, working with the city arborist, will choose the planting locations, and the arborist will determine which species go where, the notice said. The city will purchase and hand-select the trees itself, sourcing them from a nursery suited to Circleville’s growing zone.
Under the terms of the bid, the winning contractor must plant the trees following the Ohio Tree Planting Guide, ANSI A-300 tree care standards and the International Society of Arboriculture’s best management practices. Each tree will get a watering bag system, hardwood mulch, staking and, along sidewalks, root guards, with the contractor responsible for weekly watering through the rest of the growing season. The contractor must also provide a two-year warranty covering replacement of any tree that dies due to improper planting.
The city wants the work finished by Dec. 1, according to the notice. Sealed bids are due to the Department of Public Service at 104 E. Franklin St. by noon Oct. 2.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the City of Circleville.
