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Ravalli County awards hazardous‑fuels contracts for Tin Cup and Indian Trees projects, carves out 24 acres for local firewood vendor
Summary
The Board of County Commissioners voted to split Good Neighbor Authority hazardous fuels work: the larger parcels will go to regional contractors and a 24‑acre carve‑out was awarded to a local firewood contractor to build local capacity. Commissioners emphasized local economy and quality tradeoffs when evaluating bids.
Ravalli County commissioners on May 7 approved bid awards for hazardous‑fuels reduction work on two Good Neighbor Authority projects — Tin Cup (approximately 206 acres) and Indian Trees (94 acres) — and carved out a 24‑acre unit for a local firewood vendor.
County Forester Gary presented the bid results and options. He said Mountain View Reforestation submitted the lowest combined bid for both projects at about $139,000; splitting the acreage between Mountain View and CRW Resources would reduce county cost to roughly $124,000. The county also received a higher local bid from a nearby firewood business; commissioners discussed whether building local contractor capacity by awarding a small portion of the project made sense. "I think in this case, it's worth spreading it out. Ninety percent of it's going to these out‑of‑state larger crews. We're carving out 24 acres...to try and build some local capacity with this," Gary said.
Why it matters: fuel‑reduction work reduces wildfire risk and uses county and federal Good Neighbor Authority funding. Choosing among contractors affects costs, local economic benefit, and the quality and speed of completion.
The nut graf: After weighing bids, the board voted to split the work: Tin Cup (about 184 acres after a 24‑acre carve‑out) to CRW Resources (Warman), Indian Trees (94 acres) to Mountain View Reforestation, and the 24‑acre carve‑out to Home Again Firewood. The motion passed unanimously.
Key facts
- Awards and split: Motion recorded by the board directed Tin Cup 184 acres (206 less the 24‑acre carve‑out) to CRW Resources, Indian Trees (94 acres) to Mountain View Reforestation, and the 24‑acre unit to Home Again Firewood (the local bidder).
- Costs discussed: Mountain View’s combined low bid for both projects was about $139,000; splitting between CRW and Mountain View would have reduced the county cost to about $124,000; adding the local carve‑out raised the estimate to roughly $133,005 under the split/ carve‑out scenario discussed in the presentation.
- Procurement notes: Multiple bids were received; one bid mailed on time but received late was disqualified because the solicitation required proposals to be received by a stated date. The county followed standard sealed‑bid requirements.
- Local capacity tradeoffs: Commissioners and staff noted the economy of scale enjoyed by larger regional crews that mobilize several workers and complete acreage faster, while local contractors may provide closer oversight and local economic benefits but at higher per‑acre costs.
Vote and action
- Motion: A commissioner moved to award Tin Cup (approximately 184 acres) to CRW Resources (Warman), Indian Trees (94 acres) to Mountain View Reforestation, and the 24‑acre unit to Home Again Firewood. The motion was seconded and passed with recorded ayes from the board.
Public comment
- Resident Skip spoke in support of the forester and the county’s fuels work, thanking staff and commissioners for advancing projects to reduce wildfire risk.
What’s next
Forestry staff will finalize contracts and coordinate mobilization. Commissioners said they would monitor project quality and costs and evaluate carve‑outs as a tool to build local capacity on future projects.
Ending
The split award balances overall cost savings with a targeted effort to give local contractors a role; county staff will manage contract execution and monitor outcomes.
