Cherry Fire Aerial Seeding

The State of Utah Division of Purchasing is soliciting quotes for aerial seeding services on behalf of the Division of Wildlife Resources for the Cherry Fire recovery, with quotes due October 30, 2026. Award goes to the responsive and responsible vendor submitting the lowest-cost quote that meets all specifications. Only one primary quote per vendor is accepted; multiple or alternate quotes are rejected.

The scope covers 4,651 acres of private and Trust Land Administration (TLA) land in Tooele County, Utah. Seed is applied at 12 lbs/acre on 704 TLA acres and 18 lbs/acre on 3,947 private acres, totaling approximately 79,494 lbs. Seeding must be completed by November 11, 2026. Operations begin by 8:00 a.m. to limit wind drift, and the State may postpone work when wind speed exceeds 10 miles per hour. Aircraft must carry GPS capable of establishing flight lines for 100 percent coverage of the project area. The contractor picks up pre-mixed seed in bulk totes from the Great Basin Research Center in Ephraim, Utah, Monday through Thursday during regular business hours, and supplies all equipment and personnel for loading and unloading. Work occurs at elevations of 5,700 to 6,700 feet, with Provo Municipal Airport approximately 10 air miles away.

Bidders quote a cost-per-acre rate. Pricing is public, and vendors claiming business confidentiality must submit a formal Claim of Business Confidentiality form with both redacted and non-redacted responses. Vendors must certify they are not engaged in boycotts of the State of Israel and that they do not use forced-labor products. The State may run background checks on employees and associates with access to secure facilities or sensitive data and may conduct vendor interviews and presentations. Questions must be submitted through the U3P platform during the designated question-and-answer period, and vendor contact with procurement staff must route through the designated procurement officer. Protests of RFQ content or specifications must be submitted in writing to the Division of Purchasing before the closing date. A award is not binding until a fully executed purchase order or contract is received, and vendors may not begin work, purchase materials, or enter subcontracts before then.