Willsboro Bay Park Shoreline Access & Land Use Management Plan

The Town of Willsboro, Essex County, New York (the “Town”), invites proposals from qualified planning, landscape architecture, natural resource, conservation, and related professional consulting firms to prepare a Shoreline Access and Land Use Management Plan for the Town’s newly acquired Lilly Farm property, to be known as Willsboro Bay Park (the “Property”).

The Town seeks a practical, site-specific plan that protects water quality and native habitat while identifying appropriate opportunities for sustainable public access, recreation, education, and long-term municipal stewardship. The plan will be reviewed by the Town and project stakeholders and, following revisions, presented to the Willsboro Town Board for consideration and formal adoption.

The Town has purchased Lilly Farm, an approximately 68-acre Lake Champlain waterfront property. The Property is a scenic wildlife sanctuary for grassland birds and is currently managed as a hay field with seasonal cuttings.

Task 1 — Project Initiation, Coordination, and Work Plan

• Conduct a kickoff meeting with Town staff and the project team to confirm objectives, roles, available information, decision points, and communication procedures.
• Prepare a project work plan and schedule identifying tasks, milestones, meetings, public/stakeholder engagement, draft deliverables, and Town review periods.
• Review available property, title/deed, survey, aerial, natural-resource, wetland, shoreline, floodplain, land-use, water-quality, recreation, and prior planning information provided by the Town or available from public sources.

Task 2 — Site Assessment, Inventory, and Resource Mapping

• Conduct site visits sufficient to understand site conditions, access, topography, existing uses, shoreline conditions, vegetation, habitat, drainage, and potential public-use opportunities and constraints.
• Identify native bird species and other wildlife/habitat areas warranting special protection, using available data and consultation with appropriate technical experts.

Task 3 — Conservation and Land Management Recommendations

• Develop short- and long-term stewardship strategies for grassland and migratory bird habitat, shoreline protection, native vegetation, invasive species considerations, and general site maintenance.
• Recommend best management practices for hay production and any other appropriate agricultural activities, including timing of cutting, pesticide and nutrient practices, buffers, and measures to protect water quality and native species habitat.

Task 4 — Shoreline Access and Public Use Plan

• Develop a conceptual, mapped layout identifying appropriate public access and potential low-impact features such as walking trails, shoreline/waterfront access, interpretive features, and environmental education opportunities.
• Recommend a phased approach that distinguishes near-term actions from longer-term improvements dependent on additional design, permitting, or funding.

Task 5 — Stakeholder Engagement and Preliminary Findings

• Present preliminary findings and conceptual mapped alternatives or options to the Town/project team for review.
• Document substantive comments received and explain how comments were addressed or why a recommendation was retained.

Task 6 — Draft Plan, Revisions, and Final Adoptable Plan

• Prepare a draft Shoreline Access & Land Use Management Plan with a clear narrative, mapped recommendations, management actions, implementation priorities, and stewardship framework.
• Present the draft plan to the Town and project team, incorporate one consolidated round of Town/project-team comments and any additional revisions expressly included in the proposal, and prepare a final plan suitable for Town Board review and adoption.

All maps and deliverables shall be provided in PDF and in commonly usable editable/native formats where available (for example, Word and GIS/CAD-compatible files used by the consultant).

**Submission:** Proposals are due **Wednesday, November 18th, 2026 at 2:00pm Eastern Time** via email to townclerk@townofwillsborony.gov or online at https://www.townofwillsboro.com/submit-documents. The cost proposal must be submitted as a separate electronic file, clearly identified as “COST PROPOSAL – [Firm Name].” All pricing and fee information shall be excluded from the Technical Proposal.

Evaluation (100 points):

• Qualifications and relevant experience: 25
• Understanding and technical approach: 30
• Work plan, engagement, and deliverables: 15
• Project schedule and capacity: 10
• Fee and value: 20

The Town is not required to select the lowest-cost proposal.

**Required forms:** The *Non-Collusion Affidavit* (notarized), *Iran Divestment Act Form*, *Vendor Responsibility Questionnaire* and *NYS Sexual Harassment Prevention Certification Form* are **mandatory**.

The required project completion deadline is **December 1, 2027**. Proposals received after the stated deadline will be rejected. The consultant shall disclose conflicts of interest and maintain appropriate insurance.