Paint Mine Fire Aerial Seeding

The State of Utah's Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) issued a Request for Quotes (RFQ) for Paint Mine Fire Aerial Seeding, solicitation number JH20-79, located on Long Ridge west of Nephi, Utah. The procurement involves aerial seeding of approximately 1,332 acres as part of habitat restoration following a fire, with two distinct seed mix areas: an upper section of 669 acres and a lower section of 663 acres. The contract requires a contractor with GPS-equipped aircraft capable of achieving 100% coverage and handling 1,200-pound seed sacks, with a total seeding requirement of 11,038.53 pounds of seed. Specific operational requirements include conducting seeding between 8:00 AM and before wind speeds exceed 10 miles per hour to minimize seed drift, with a mandatory start date of November 18, 2019. The solicitation was opened on November 4, 2019, with a closing date of November 12, 2019, at 2:00 PM Mountain Standard Time. The contractor must provide all labor, equipment, supplies, and materials for aerial seeding, with DWR supplying the seed and electronic coordinate files for treatment areas. The nearest operational airport is Nephi Municipal Airport, located approximately 5 miles from the project site.

While the procurement documents do not explicitly outline set-aside designations or disadvantaged enterprise requirements, Hammond Helicopter LLC was ultimately awarded the contract. The contract requires bidding on a cost-per-acre basis, suggesting potential flexibility for different vendor sizes and capabilities. The project's specific technical requirements, such as GPS technology and radio communication capabilities, may limit potential bidders to specialized aerial seeding contractors with advanced technological infrastructure. The contract appears to be part of a specific habitat restoration initiative following the Paint Mine Fire, indicating a targeted, time-sensitive environmental remediation effort. Although the exact contract value is not specified in the provided documents, the scope of work covering 1,332 acres suggests a substantial project investment. The procurement is specifically tied to Iron County, Utah, with clear geographical and operational parameters defining the project's boundaries and requirements.