Antelope Pine Valley Lop & Scatter

The State of Utah Division of Purchasing and the Division of Wildlife Resources issued an Invitation for Bid (IFB) for the Antelope Pine Valley Lop & Scatter project (Solicitation #AS18062), a wildfire hazard reduction and wildlife habitat improvement initiative. The contract involves hand cutting of Pinyon pine and Juniper trees and saplings across approximately 4,887 acres located approximately 50 miles west of Milford in Beaver County. Bidders were required to be prequalified contractors and submit electronic bids through SciQuest, with a minimum requirement of a 10-person crew using chainsaws to cut trees at six inches above ground level. The specific project guidelines mandated precise cutting, lopping, and scattering of tree materials, with work to be performed on BLM and State of Utah administered lands at elevations between 6,000 and 6,400 feet. The solicitation was open from September 19, 2017, at 4:00 PM MST to October 3, 2017, at 2:00 PM MST, with a project completion deadline of December 20, 2017. Contractors were required to use four-wheel drive vehicles and provide their own equipment, including GPS units or smartphones with PDF map applications to identify project boundaries.

The procurement did not specify explicit set-aside designations or restrictions for disadvantaged enterprises. The contract was ultimately awarded to 3 B's Forestry, Inc. as the lowest responsive bidder. Additional contract requirements included washing equipment to prevent the spread of noxious weeds, preserving live browse species, and utilizing only established roads for access. Contractors were responsible for accessing the project site via paved highways, county dirt roads, and jeep trails. While specific budget details were not disclosed in the available documentation, the procurement process emphasized cost-effectiveness through competitive bidding and detailed technical specifications. The project's scope suggests a specialized forestry management contract focused on environmental conservation and wildfire prevention in a specific geographic region of Utah.