Freemont Lop and Scatter

The State of Utah Division of Purchasing and Division of Wildlife Resources issued an Invitation for Bids (IFB) for the Freemont Lop and Scatter project, solicitation #JH21-73, focusing on wildfire hazard reduction and wildlife habitat improvement. The procurement specifically seeks a contractor to perform hand cutting of approximately 911 acres of Pinyon pine and Juniper trees and saplings located on BLM and private lands in Iron and Garfield Counties. Bidders must provide a minimum 10-person crew equipped with chainsaws and GPS/mapping capabilities, with precise cutting specifications including cutting trees six inches above ground level and lopping/scattering cut material so slash height does not exceed 24 inches. The project requires spreading cut material in ephemeral washes to reduce erosion, with the primary objectives of improving rangeland conditions and wildlife habitat by reducing pinyon and juniper tree density. The bid opened on 10/20/2020 at 9:30 AM MDT and closed on 10/27/2020 at 2:00 PM MDT, with the contract to be completed by January 2, 2020.

The procurement was strictly restricted to contractors prequalified on the State of Utah Rangeland Pre-Qualified Vendor List, with additional eligibility requirements including no outstanding tax liens and no current debarment status. Summitt Forests, Inc. was ultimately awarded the contract as the lowest cost responsive and responsible bidder. While specific budget details were not explicitly stated, the contract was funded through the State of Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. The procurement did not indicate specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises, and no information was provided about existing infrastructure or technology integration requirements. The solicitation was geographically limited to contractors capable of performing work in Iron and Garfield Counties, Utah, with a focus on specialized rangeland management and vegetation control services.