Ravalli County awards two backcountry weed-control contracts to Alta Plant Management and Bitterroot Outfitters

The Ravalli County Board of County Commissioners on April 22 awarded two weed-control contracts for county weed board projects after staff and the weed board reviewed multiple bids and discussed price versus experience.

The board voted to award the Johnson/Daley project to Alta Plant Management. County staff and the weed board recommended Alta because of the contractor’s prior work in the area and experience handling publicly visible and sometimes controversial spray operations; the board noted Alta’s price was competitive though not always the lowest. Commissioners said price and chemical costs both mattered in the decision.

The board also awarded a backcountry Salmon/“Bare Salmon” project to Bitterroot Outfitters at $475 per day; that price includes chemical costs. Staff said Bitterroot Outfitters’ bid was the low, timely and complete submission for that backcountry project and that the company is locally based and equipped with boats, rafts, stock animals and other gear suited to remote work.

Discussion and key details: county staff explained three bids were received for the Johnson/Daley work; Alta’s day rate was listed at $500 per day, competing bids included a "Man with a Plan" bid with a lower day rate but higher chemical cost. County staff said there was roughly a $75-per-day difference in labor/day rates between some bidders and about a $6-per-ounce difference in at least one chemical line item. Staff estimated treatment on these projects could range from roughly 10 to 100 acres per day depending on terrain and density of weeds, meaning chemical costs could offset day-rate differences on larger-acreage days. The weed board told commissioners it recommended Alta for the Johnson/Daley site because Alta has local experience and can work in publicly accessible terrain.

The Salmon-area award followed a procedural issue: staff said one bid packet had been delayed in mailing and was later determined to have been received on time; after reviewing the late-discovered bid along with the others the weed board expressed flexibility and recommended the award to Bitterroot Outfitters as the low, qualified bidder. Staff confirmed the successful bidders will be contacted to sign county contracts and those signed contracts will be returned for county recording.

Both contract awards were moved, seconded and carried by the commissioners present. The transcript records the board’s roll call as Commissioner Holz present, Commissioner Burrows present and Commissioner Chilcott excused.

The transcript does not show final contract start dates or detailed chemical formulations beyond the per-ounce and per-day figures discussed; staff said those specifics will be finalized in the signed contracts.