Neck Fire Chaining

The State of Utah Division of Purchasing and Division of Wildlife Resources issued an Invitation for Bids (IFB) for the Neck Fire Chaining project, seeking a contractor to perform fire rehabilitation in Iron County. The procurement involves chaining approximately 4,256 acres located 25 miles northwest of Cedar City using two steel tracked tractors with drawbars capable of pulling a 240-foot Ely anchor chain weighing approximately 24,000 lbs. Specific requirements include providing skilled operators, minimum D8 or equivalent crawler tractors, a welder, and warning signs, with strict guidelines for chaining including working on the contour, maintaining maximum 100-foot tractor spacing, and avoiding chaining under adverse soil conditions. The bid was opened on 3/25/2021 at 1:00 PM MDT and closed on 4/1/2021 at 2:00 PM MDT, with a contract performance deadline of May 1, 2021. Key objectives include fire rehabilitation, vegetation management, and environmental preservation while minimizing soil disturbance and preventing the spread of noxious weeds.

The contract opportunity was exclusively restricted to contractors on the current Utah Rangeland Pre-Qualification List, effectively limiting bidder participation. Deer Valley Sand & Gravel LLC was ultimately awarded the contract for the lowest responsive bid. The government would provide the Ely chain and replacement parts, while the contractor was responsible for all equipment, labor, and maintenance costs. While no specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises were mentioned, the pre-qualification list requirement created a structured selection process. The project did not specify a comprehensive budget range, but the scope suggested a significant infrastructure rehabilitation effort focused on post-fire land management. Environmental considerations were paramount, with explicit instructions to minimize ecological disruption during the chaining process.