East Zion Ingress Egress Fuels Treatment

The State of Utah Division of Purchasing and Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands issued an Invitation for Bids (IFB) solicitation #JH21-72 for the East Zion Ingress Egress Fuels Treatment project located in Kane County. The procurement seeks a contractor to perform wildland fire hazard reduction across approximately 31 acres adjacent to North Fork County Road, with specific requirements for vegetation treatment within 100 feet of the travel way. The primary deliverables include mulching and hand cutting/piling of live and dead vegetation using either a track-mounted masticator (bullhog) or manual cutting where mechanical methods are not feasible. Contractors must provide their own equipment, including a mechanical mulcher capable of handling trees up to 26 inches in diameter and chainsaws, with specific technical requirements for mulching depths, stump heights, and debris management. The bid was opened on 10/22/2020 at 1:30 PM MDT and closed on 11/2/2020 at 2:00 PM MST, with project completion required by December 30, 2020. Evaluation criteria focused on selecting the lowest responsive and responsible bidder, with mandatory requirements including providing at least two references demonstrating relevant experience within the past three years.

The solicitation did not specify explicit set-aside designations or restrictions on responding organizations. Kolob Mountain Construction was ultimately awarded the contract on 11/3/2020, indicating successful completion of the bid requirements. No government-furnished property was provided, and contractors were responsible for site access and equipment transportation. While specific budget ranges were not detailed in the available documentation, the procurement appeared to be a targeted fuels reduction project with clear operational specifications. The project's location in Kane County and involvement of multiple state divisions suggests a collaborative approach to wildland fire risk mitigation, with a focus on efficient and technically proficient vegetation management along critical roadway infrastructure.