NC26-64 Merrils Camp Cut and Pile

The State of Utah Division of Purchasing, through the Forestry, Fire, and State Lands division, is soliciting bids via Invitation for Bids (IFB) for the NC26-64 Merrils Camp Cut and Pile project located in Iron County, Utah, approximately 14 miles northwest of Modena. The procurement requires contractors to perform tree thinning and piling operations across 36 acres at elevations ranging from 7,900 to 8,800 feet, involving the cutting and piling of live and dead conifer and juniper trees according to specified prescriptions. Unit 1 requires removal of all conifer trees, while Unit 2 requires removal of conifer trees measuring 15 inches or less in diameter at breast height. Bidders must submit pricing on both per-acre and total cost bases and provide references demonstrating prior cut and pile experience. The contract will be awarded to the lowest responsive and responsible vendor, with pricing guaranteed through project completion and all costs including mobilization, equipment, labor, materials, and operational expenses with no fuel surcharges or adjustments permitted. The bid submission deadline is April 3, 2026, with no mandatory site visit required, though bidders are encouraged to inspect the site; contractors must begin work within seven calendar days of notice to proceed and complete all work by June 20, 2026 with no extensions permitted due to weather or other climatologic circumstances. Evaluation criteria include bid price and prior performance references, assessed at the government's sole discretion, and contractors must maintain a minimum 10-man crew with fully operational chainsaws, GPS units or smartphones with PDF mapping capability, and provide emergency transportation.

The solicitation documents do not specify set-aside designations, restrictions on organization types, disadvantaged enterprise requirements, or incumbent vendors and current contractors. No existing infrastructure or technology integration requirements are identified in the available documentation. The procurement documents do not disclose a specific budget amount, award value, or contract funding range for this project. Contractors must comply with all applicable federal and state laws, including E-verify employment verification, and maintain workers' compensation insurance covering statutory limits, commercial general liability insurance of no less than one million dollars per occurrence and three million dollars aggregate, and commercial automobile liability insurance of one million dollars per occurrence if vehicles are used. Final payment will be made on a lump-sum basis following final inspection for the actual number of completed acres, with partial payments available only upon prior written approval. The contractor assumes responsibility for equipment protection, site access via four-wheel drive vehicles, site cleanup and waste disposal, compliance with environmental and cultural resource protection regulations, restoration of any damaged public or private access roads, and adherence to work hour limitations from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.