Old Hill City Road Pile Removal Project

The South Dakota Department of Public Safety Wildland Fire Division (SDWF) is seeking qualified contractors to perform hazardous fuels reduction treatment on approximately 145.18 acres near Hill City, South Dakota, specifically in Sections 28, 32, 33, and 34 of Township 1S, Range 5E. The project focuses on thinning ponderosa pine, spruce, cedar, and juniper trees to mitigate wildfire threats through strategic tree removal and treatment. Contractors will be responsible for implementing specific spacing and treatment requirements, with slash disposal methods including chipping, mulching, grinding, or piling and burning. The evaluation criteria for proposals will be comprehensive, considering cost per acre (25%), personnel expertise (10%), resources availability (5%), experience (10%), project availability (5%), site familiarity (10%), performance and management techniques (20%), project timeline (5%), and proposed biomass utilization (10%). Key dates include two mandatory site visits on July 15 and July 22, 2025, with proposals due on August 5, 2025, at 2:00 PM MDT. Contractors may submit written inquiries via email to Adam Fritz at adam.fritz@state.sd.us, with the subject line "RFP # 25RFP15318" until a specified deadline.

The contract will have a two-year term with potential for renewal, and SDWF may enter into agreements with multiple contractors as a result of this RFP. Contractors will have salvage rights to offset project costs, and all removed materials for biomass utilization will be provided at no cost to the landowner. While no specific set-aside designations or restrictions on responding organizations are mentioned, the RFP suggests a preference for contractors with demonstrated expertise in wildland fire mitigation and forest management. The project will be executed in Pennington County, South Dakota, with the work covering multiple discrete units as shown in the project vicinity map. Although a specific budget range is not explicitly stated, the compensation will be structured on a per-acre basis, with contractors expected to provide a comprehensive proposal that addresses the technical and environmental requirements of the hazardous fuels reduction treatment. The project appears to be a coordinated public sector initiative with potential environmental conservation and wildfire prevention objectives.