Keystone Phase 2-Hazardous Fuels Mitigation

South Dakota Wildland Fire (SDWF) is requesting proposals for hazardous fuels reduction treatment on approximately 32.85 acres near Keystone, South Dakota in Sections 5 and 6 of Township 2S Range 5E, with proposals due July 31, 2026 at 3:00 PM MDT. SDWF may award multiple contracts from this RFP.

The scope requires thinning of ponderosa pine, spruce, cedar, and juniper trees 10-inch diameter at breast height and smaller to achieve an average 25-foot spacing between trees, plus removal of insect-infested and dead hardwood trees. Contractors may propose multiple disposal methods for slash: chipping, mulching, grinding, piling and burning, or removal from the property. Salvage rights are granted to the contractor to offset project costs, with all biomass material provided at no cost to the landowner or SDWF.

The contract term is two years, with the State retaining renewal options for one-year intervals under the same terms upon mutual agreement. Payment is made upon satisfactory completion of services with GPS tracks and itemized invoices; contractors may submit progress invoices at 10-acre intervals, and pile-burning projects are paid at 75 percent of the per-acre cost with the remaining 25 percent upon burning completion.

Evaluation criteria are cost per acre (25 percent), proposed method of performance and project management techniques (20 percent), expertise of personnel (10 percent), experience and proven history (10 percent), familiarity with project site (10 percent), proposed biomass utilization (10 percent), resources available (5 percent), availability to project (5 percent), and proposed timeline (5 percent).

Site visits are scheduled for July 8 and July 15, 2026 with at least two days' notice to SDWF Fuels staff at 605.394.5203 or adam.fritz@state.sd.us. Questions are due July 17, 2026 with responses by July 21. The anticipated award date is August 5, 2026. Proposals must include current commercial general liability insurance of at least $1 million per occurrence, professional liability insurance of at least $1 million where applicable, business automobile liability insurance of at least $1 million per accident, and workers' compensation insurance as required by South Dakota law.