NC26-57 Rocky Ford Phase 2 Lop and Scatter

The State of Utah Division of Purchasing, through the Forestry, Fire and State Lands division, is conducting an Invitation for Bid (IFB) for lop and scatter work on approximately 1,235 acres located in Kingston Canyon, approximately 2 miles east of Kingston, Utah in Piute County (NC26-57 Rocky Ford Phase 2). This procurement seeks to contract hand cutting and scattering of standing live and dead Pinyon pine and Juniper trees at elevations ranging from 6,000 to 8,000 feet to reduce wildfire hazards and improve wildlife habitat. The scope of work requires bidders to include all labor, equipment, mobilization, and operating costs with no fuel surcharges or price adjustments permitted; pricing is submitted on a per-acre basis extending to a total project price. Bidders must be prequalified and listed on the current State of Utah Pre-approved/Pre-qualified Vendor list, and the contract will be awarded to the lowest responsive and responsible vendor. The project performance schedule consists of two work windows: March 10, 2026 through March 31, 2026, and September 1, 2026 through December 1, 2026, with all work required to be completed by December 1, 2026; no work may be performed between April 1 and August 31 due to migratory bird restrictions. The contractor must begin work within seven calendar days of the notice to proceed and maintain an English-literate on-site supervisor, ensure public access throughout the project, and comply with all environmental and cultural resource protections. The proposal due date is February 27, 2026, with the solicitation posted on February 17, 2026; no mandatory site visit or bidders' meeting is required.

This solicitation is exclusively limited to prequalified contractors on the State of Utah's current Pre-approved/Pre-qualified Vendor list; unqualified vendors are explicitly prohibited from submitting proposals. No set-asides or disadvantaged enterprise designations are mentioned in the procurement documents. The contract includes firm-fixed pricing requirements, with the selected vendor required to guarantee its pricing through project completion; the State retains the right to issue minor change orders of up to 10 percent acreage adjustment at the original per-acre bid price or to negotiate major change orders for larger modifications. Payment will consist of one lump-sum final payment based on the actual number of acres completed following final inspection, with partial payments requiring prior written approval; no specific contract value or budget range is disclosed in the available procurement materials. The contractor shall maintain workers' compensation insurance, commercial general liability insurance of not less than one million dollars per occurrence and three million dollars aggregate, and commercial automobile liability insurance of one million dollars per occurrence for all vehicles used in performance. The State Entity reserves the right to terminate the contract for convenience upon thirty days' written notice or for cause with ten days to cure following written notification, and winter stoppage provisions allow the State to halt work due to frozen soil or winter conditions with the option to cancel remaining work or resume when weather permits.