Today in Denver, Colorado, National Park Service (NPS) Acting Intermountain Regional Director Laura Joss announced that two offerors were selected to receive concession contracts to provide services for guided mountain climbing and climbing schools in Grand Teton National Park. The separate contracts each cover a term of ten years and have been awarded to Exum Guide Service and School of Mountaineering, Inc., doing business as Exum Mountain Guides, and The Mountain Guides, doing business as Jackson Hole Mountain Guides.
Guided mountain climbing and climbing schools services are currently provided at Grand Teton National Park by Exum Mountain Guides and Jackson Hole Mountain Guides. The present Exum Mountain Guides' contract became effective Jan. 1, 2004, and will expire on Dec. 31, 2013. The present Jackson Hole Mountain Guides' contract was effective as of Jan. 1, 2003, expired on Dec. 31, 2012, and was extended through Dec. 31, 2013. The NPS determined that the existing concessioners were preferred offerors for these new contracts pursuant to the terms of 36 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 51.
"Exum Mountain Guides and Jackson Hole Mountain Guides have provided visitors with exceptional mountain climbing instruction and guide service in the park for decades and we look forward to continuing this long-standing tradition for another contract term," said Mary Gibson Scott, superintendent of Grand Teton National Park and John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway.
The NPS Intermountain Region Office solicited proposals for these business opportunities through a prospectus issued May 1, 2013. Bid proposals were accepted through July 2, 2013. The proposals were evaluated under the provisions of the 1998 Concessions Management Improvement Act. The Act made a number of changes in how concession contracts are awarded with the intent of ensuring quality visitor services, protecting park resources, and enhancing the competitive contract process for NPS concession contracts.
Guidelines used to evaluate all proposals can be found online at www.concessions.nps.gov.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
