Cooperative Agricultural Opportunity at Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge and Management Area

United States Department of the Interior
U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge & Management Area
P.O. Box 217
510 ½ West Morton
Oakland City, Indiana 47660
(812) 749-3199

Cooperative Agricultural Opportunity at Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge and Management Area

Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge and Management Area in Oakland City, Indiana, has cooperative agriculture opportunities for row crop farming on one unit totaling 249 acres consisting of 211 acres of farmland, 36 acres of maintained conservation buffers, and 2 acres of maintained levee for up to three years (2025-2027) in Pike and Gibson County.

Bid packages may be obtained by contacting the office at 812-749-3199 or in person (appointment required) at Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge and Management Area, 510 ½ West Morton Street, Oakland City, IN 47660.

Applications must be received by 4 p.m. CST on Friday, December 20, 2024. Applications may be submitted by email to heath_hamilton@fws.gov, or by mail or in person (appointment required) at Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge and Management Area, 510 ½ West Morton Street, Oakland City, IN 47660. To be considered, applicants must complete and submit a Bid Sheet and Special Use Application from the bid packet.

Successful applicants will be selected through an open and competitive process. Applications will be scored and ranked using objective criteria described in the application package. Both successful and unsuccessful applicants will be notified within 30 days of the bid submission deadline.

For more information, please contact wildlife refuge specialist Heath Hamilton at 812-749-3199 or heath_hamilton@fws.gov.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 96-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 545 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 63 Fish and Wildlife Management offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.

Access the bid package (PDF)

Overview

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is seeking bids to farm multiple land parcels in one unit (Farm Unit 2) within the Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge and Management Area (NWR & MA). Cooperative Agriculture is used at Patoka River NWR & MA to achieve wildlife management objectives by providing and restoring habitat and supplementing natural food resources. As a result, this farming program requires that agricultural crops be planted, cultivated, and harvested in accordance with Special Conditions for Farming (Attachment 1) and other requirements described below.

I. What and Where:

Unit 2 is approximately 249 acres comprised of: 211 acres of farmland, 36 acres of conservation buffers, and 2 acres of levee. 

1. Farm Unit will be rented for a period of three crop years beginning February 15, 2025 and ending December 31, 2027.
2. Farm Unit 2 is located within the Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge and Management Area near Oakland City, IN in Gibson County. 

II. How to Bid:

1. Review General Conditions for Bids and Crop Plans (see #III and IV below).
2. Complete and return Bid Sheet(s) (Attachment 4) along with the Special Use Permit Application (Attachment 5) by COB on Friday December 20, 2024 to: 
   • In Person: 510 ½ West Morton Street, Oakland City, IN 47660
   • If you plan on delivering the bid in person please contact the office to set up an appointment time. 812-749-3199
   • By Mail: Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge and Management Area, P.O. Box 217, Oakland City, IN 47660
   • or via email heath_hamilton@fws.gov
3. Cooperators will be selected through an open and competitive process where applications will be scored and ranked by a panel according to objective criteria outlined on Bid Sheet (Attachment 4). Please Note: cooperators will be scored and ranked based on the entirety of the selection criteria, not solely on bid amount (9 criteria will be evaluated for each applicant, each worth 10% of the total score, except the Bid Amount which is worth 20%). 
4. Questions regarding the bid process: contact Heath Hamilton, Wildlife Refuge Specialist, at 812-749-3199 or heath_hamilton@fws.gov.

II. General Conditions for Bids

1. Bids will be on a per acre basis. Bidders will need to determine what they are willing to pay per acre potentially harvested for each year’s cropping plan; then take that average for the three years. This average price per acre will be the bid. This is the price the bidder will pay each year for acres farmed. The bid should take into account all services and other payments (i.e. planting and managing cover crops, mowing, disking, etc. if specified in the cropping plan).  Bids will need to be recorded in the appropriate place, on the Bid Sheet (Attachment 4).
2. Bids will be valid for a 3-year period with a Special Use Permit issued in Year 1 and renewed annually for the two subsequent years. If the Cooperator does not honor the bid, farming rights will be given to the next highest ranking applicant in this bid cycle or re-bid at the discretion of the Service. If it is re- bid, the original Cooperator will not be allowed to bid at that time.
3. .Once a bid is accepted, 25% of the annual payment must be made each year by February 15 upon the issuance of the Special Use Permit. The remaining 75% of the payment will be made each year by December1.

Farm Unit 2 Example:

$50/acre x 211 acres (potentially harvested acres) = $10,550 total annual rental payment (paid each year for three years)

IV.  Crop Plans

1. Unit 2 Crop Plan

   The Crop Plan for Farm Unit 2 offers the opportunity to plant crops on 211 acres. Additional costs associated with Farm Unit 2 are:

   • maintaining (mow), disk, and/or spray 36 acres of field buffers (1-2 times per year)  as directed by Refuge staff
   • mowing (bush hog) a ¾ mile levee at Field 8 (once in early summer and once in late summer/fall as directed by Refuge staff)
2. Risk and Liability

The Cooperator accepts all risk and liability for annual payments. Annual payments will be based on all tillable acreage identified in the Farm Unit Crop Plan for the given year. If the Cooperator chooses not to carry crop insurance, the Cooperator accepts all risk and liability for annual payments. Annual payment amounts will not be reduced.

V. Permitting 

1. Before work onsite, the Cooperator must have an approved Special Use Permit (FWS form 3-1383-C) for the year farmed. The Special Use Permit will be issued and approved by the Refuge Manager and include an annual farm plan that identifies crops to be planted, use of pesticides, use of best management practices, and special conditions. The Special Use Permit also requires the Cooperator to submit a final Harvest Report identifying acres planted along with herbicide applications. The Special Use Permit is completed, issued, and signed by the Refuge Manager.
2. The Cooperator will be required to sign the Special Conditions for Farming (Attachment 1)

VI. Reporting Requirements 

1. The Cooperator will be required to submit a final Harvest Report (Attachment 6) by December 31.
2. Certified seed labels and receipts must be submitted to the Refuge Manager by the Cooperator Before any planting occurs.
3. 3.Pesticide notification must be submitted to Refuge Manager within 10 days after applying any chemicals. Receipts must identify chemicals used, application methods, and application rates.
4. 4.Upon completion of the farming year, the Cooperator will receive a successful or unsuccessful rating from the Refuge Manager. This determination will be made by using the Farming Checklist and Evaluation (Attachment 7). If the Cooperator receives an unsuccessful rating, farming rights will be given to the next highest ranking applicant from the bidding process or if none of the original applicants are interested it will be rebid. The Cooperator may receive an unsuccessful rating for not complying with crop plans, meeting planting deadlines of specified crops, or other general conditions.

VII. Summary of Cooperative Agriculture Program

Individuals have the opportunity to submit a bid/per acre for the Cooperative Agricultural Opportunity at Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge Management Area. The selected Cooperator will be responsible for the following specifications for the Cooperative Agriculture Program:

Farm Unit 2:

1. Plant specified acreage for Farm Unit(s) to crop rotation designated in the annual farm Unit Crop Plan for a 3- year period.
2. Mow, disk, and/or spray up to 36 acres of field buffers (1-2 times per year as directed by Refuge staff).
3. Mow (bush hog) a ¾ mile levee at Field 8 (once in July and once in September)
4. Follow Special Conditions for Farming (Attachment 1).
5. Submit Harvest Report (Attachment 6).
6. Follow guidelines on pesticide use and end of year reporting requirements (Attachments 1 & 8).