Ranch Creek Lop and Scatter

The State of Utah Division of Purchasing and Division of Wildlife Resources issued an Invitation for Bid (IFB) numbered AS21-69 for the Ranch Creek Lop and Scatter project located in Garfield County, Utah. The procurement specifically seeks a contractor to perform vegetation management work on approximately 212 acres of sagebrush shrubland and ponderosa pine areas across five different treatment units. The project requires a 12-man crew to use chainsaws, hand saws, or shears to cut pinion/juniper trees on steep slopes with elevations ranging from 8,200 to 9,800 feet. Key deliverables include precise vegetation cutting within the Ranch Creek and Birch Creek subwatersheds, located northeast of Bryce Canyon City and southeast of Antimony. Contractor qualifications include maintaining leak-free equipment, ensuring equipment is in good condition, and implementing strict protocols for washing equipment before entering and exiting National Forest System lands to prevent noxious weed spread. The solicitation was open from September 17, 2020, to September 29, 2020, with a contract performance deadline of November 20, 2020.

The contract opportunity was exclusively restricted to contractors on the Utah Rangeland Pre-Qual list, effectively limiting potential bidders to a predefined set of qualified vendors. The contract was ultimately awarded to 3 B's Forestry, Inc. as the lowest responsive bidder. No specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises were mentioned in the documentation. The project was divided into five service line items ranging from 12.46 to 59.35 acres, with detailed specifications outlined in Attachment B Scope of Work. No government-furnished property was to be provided, and contractors were expected to supply all necessary equipment and labor. While specific budget ranges were not explicitly stated, the procurement process suggests a competitive bidding approach where cost was a significant evaluation criterion. The project's scope indicates a focused environmental management initiative aimed at vegetation control in a specific geographic region of Utah.