Public Request for Proposal: Great Valley Grasslands River Park Planning Project

American Rivers seeks one or more qualified Contractors to provide restoration designs, public access designs, compliance, and permitting services for a planning project on approximately 1,083 acres (Project Area) of the 2,826-acre Great Valley Grasslands State Park in Merced County, California. The Great Valley Grasslands River Park Planning Project (Project) is a combined restoration and public access planning project on the conserved lands of Great Valley Grasslands State Park (GVGSP). Few public access opportunities exist at this park, and walking trail, wildlife viewing, and non-motorized boating improvements have the potential to dramatically improve surrounding low-income and historically marginalized communities’ ability to access nature and the San Joaquin River. The ecological resilience of the floodplains in the Project Area are threatened by poor river floodplain connectivity, invasive vegetation, and the legacy of damaging land use practices. This Project will complete 65% designs for aquatic habitat restoration and public access improvements, as well as California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) compliance and permitting activities required to obtain funding to implement a multi-faceted project that improves the ecological resilience of the park and the well-being of disadvantaged communities adjacent to GVGSP, which suffer from a severe lack of access to open-space, nature, and recreation.

American Rivers is issuing this Request for Proposals (RFP) to qualified firms to demonstrate their qualifications, background, pricing, approach, and ability to perform the required work, which includes, but is not limited to, one or more of the following tasks: 1) public access planning and design; 2) restoration planning and design; and 3) environmental compliance and permitting. Project management and coordination for monitoring and long-term management planning services are elements of each of these tasks.

Other helpful documents: Great Valley Grasslands State Park Conceptual Habitat Restoration

All Proposals in response to this RFP must be submitted electronically (as PDFs) to Patricia Flores at pflores@americanrivers.org by 5pm PST on Friday, August 22nd, 2025, with the subject line: “Great Valley Grasslands River Park Planning Project.” The designated point of contact for each Respondent will receive an email confirmation of receipt of their Proposal. Any Proposals received after this date and time will be rejected.

For complete details, please review each RFP in its entirety.