The Hill AFB Natural Resource Program is responsible for managing all Natural Resources including all plants and wildlife on all Hill-associated properties. These properties constitute approximately 1 million acres across three different states. The vast majority of this property is within the Great Basin Eco-region which has seen invasive plants, especially cheatgrass (Bromus tectoris) inundate vast acreages and out-compete the desirable plants that foster healthy wildlife populations. Because it is highly flammable, cheatgrass creates a fire-prone system in which it thrives. By nature of the military operations that occur on DoD properties, they are increasingly susceptible to fires. These fires often result in loss of native plants, native wildlife, and can impact DoD operations and safety.
The Hill AFB Natural Resource Program has been implementing measures including rangeland restoration to combat cheatgrass encroachment and help make Hill-associated properties more resilient and sustainable. We have steadily increased our capacity to reclaim and re-seed areas over the last fifteen years by adding equipment capable of treating larger acreages of difficult terrain. This equipment includes harrows, disks, seed imprinters, seed drills, and seed broadcasters…but no seed harvesters. Because some of the plant species that we work with have evolved in harsh conditions, they often possess unique traits that make them capable of surviving in the specific locations we are trying to restore. It would be highly beneficial to harvest seeds from specific locations to maximize the suitability of the plants used in our efforts. Hence, we are seeking a harvester that is capable of collecting seeds from a variety of desirable plants so that we can maximize the efficiency and successfulness of our habitat restoration efforts.
Please also see Performance and Specification information on the Statement of Work.
