Upper North Fork Fuels Reduction Phase 4

The State of Utah's Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands is soliciting bids for the Upper North Fork Fuels Reduction Phase 4 project located in Kane County, Utah. This Invitation for Bid (IFB) No. KL23-20 seeks mechanical thinning services for a total of 78 acres across three distinct units: Unit 1 (57 acres), Unit 2 (13 acres), and Unit 3 (8 acres). The project is situated on private property adjacent to the North Fork road, at elevations ranging from 8,000 to 8,500 feet. Bidders must meet mandatory minimum requirements, including a minimum of 4 years of experience in Mechanical Timber Stand Fuels Reduction and providing two references demonstrating performance within the past three years. Specific equipment is required for the project, including a tracked feller buncher, wheeled or tracked skidder, tracked log loader, and a dozer (D6 or equivalent) with a standard commercial brush rake. The bid opened on 8/16/2022 at 11:30 AM MDT and closed on 8/23/2022 at 2:00 PM MDT, with project completion required by June 1st, 2023. The contract will be awarded to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder through electronic submission via SciQuest.

The solicitation does not explicitly mention specific set-aside designations or restrictions for disadvantaged enterprises. The procurement is conducted under the State of Utah Procurement Code and Utah Administrative Code, with Kevin Lucus (klucus@utah.gov, +1 801-957-7281) serving as the primary contact. While the document does not provide a specific budget range or potential award value, it outlines a comprehensive scope of work for mechanical thinning services. The project requires specialized forestry equipment and expertise, suggesting that potential bidders should be established firms with significant experience in forest management and fuel reduction techniques. The electronic submission process through SciQuest indicates a preference for technologically adept contractors who can navigate modern procurement platforms. The relatively short timeline from bid opening to project completion (less than ten months) suggests the need for an efficient and experienced contractor capable of rapid mobilization and execution of the fuels reduction project.