JH27-108 Coal Creek Cut and Pile

The State of Utah Division of Purchasing, conducting on behalf of the State of Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, has awarded a contract for wildland fire hazard reduction services along the Highway 14 corridor in the Coal Creek Drainage under IFB JH27-108, with work to be completed by March 15, 2027. Participation is limited to prequalified contractors only — a hard eligibility gate that eliminates non-qualified bidders entirely.

Redwood Forestry LLC was awarded the contract as the lowest responsive and responsible bidder at $350.00 per acre, or $50,400.00 total for the 144-acre project scope. Eight contractors submitted bids ranging from $50,400.00 to $115,056.00. The scope requires cutting and piling unmarked Juniper, Pinyon, and Mahogany trees, with all activity slash exceeding three inches in diameter piled into six-foot minimum teepee-shaped piles spaced at least 30 feet apart. The contractor must furnish labor, equipment, supervision, transportation, operating supplies, and incidentals, including a minimum eight-person crew equipped with operational chainsaws and GPS units or smartphone mapping applications. Work area elevations range from 6,000 to 6,500 feet with slopes from flat to 10 percent, located one mile east of Cedar City.

The project performance period is 120 calendar days from the official Notice-to-Proceed, with an extended performance window from October 1, 2026 through March 15, 2027. Pricing is submitted on a per-acre basis, inclusive of all labor, equipment, materials, mobilization, and operating costs without allowance for fuel surcharges. Minor change orders adjusting acreage up to 10 percent maintain fixed per-acre rates; major change orders exceeding 10 percent may allow rate renegotiation. One lump-sum final payment will be issued following final inspection, with partial payments available only upon written State approval. No mandatory site visit was held; however, bidders were strongly encouraged to inspect the site, and failure to do so does not constitute grounds for post-award claims. The State or Federal Partner may stop operations due to frozen soil or severe winter conditions.