Long Ridge Fire Aerial Seeding

The State of Utah Division of Purchasing and Division of Wildlife Resources issued an Invitation for Bid (IFB) solicitation #CN18147 for Long Ridge Fire Aerial Seeding, seeking a qualified aerial seeding contractor to perform comprehensive land restoration services. The project requires seeding 2,000 acres of private land located in Box Elder County at the south end of the Promontory Mountains, with specific technical requirements including GPS-equipped aircraft to ensure complete coverage. Seeding operations are scheduled between December 18th, 2017, and January 26th, 2018, with strict operational parameters mandating work commence by 7:00 a.m. to mitigate wind interference and using a predetermined seed mix of grasses and forbs applied at approximately 10.3 lbs per acre. The contractor must be capable of unloading and managing pre-mixed seeds provided in 40-60 lb bags, with proximity considerations noting the nearest airport is Ogden Airport, located 25 air miles from the project site. Bid opening occurred on December 13th, 2017, with a firm closing date of December 28th, 2017, at 2:00 PM Mountain Standard Time, following the State of Utah Procurement Code and Administrative Code evaluation standards focused on identifying the lowest responsive and responsible bidder.

The solicitation was ultimately awarded to Morris Ag Air and Sons, Inc. as the lowest responsive bidder, with no specific set-aside designations or enterprise restrictions noted in the available documentation. The government reserved the right to postpone seeding activities if wind speeds exceed 10 miles per hour, indicating flexibility in project execution. While specific budget ranges were not explicitly detailed, the total estimated seed weight of 20,600 lbs suggests a substantive project scope. The procurement process emphasized competitive bidding and thorough evaluation of contractor capabilities, with geographical considerations including suitable dirt roads and a private airstrip within 6 miles of the project site. No incumbent vendor information beyond the awarded contractor was provided, and no specific technology integration requirements were mentioned in the solicitation documents.