National Park Service (NPS) Intermountain Regional Director Sue Masica announced Friday, Dec. 12, that two separate offerors were selected to receive concession contracts to provide guided backpacking services for youth within Grand Teton National Park. The two contracts were awarded to Wilderness Ventures, Inc. and The TVRC Education Foundation, doing business as Teton Valley Ranch Camp. Each contract will cover a term of ten years.
Guided backpacking for youth participants-including associated transportation and food service-is currently provided at Grand Teton National Park by Wilderness Ventures, Inc. and The TVRC Education Foundation. Both contracts became effective Jan. 1, 2005, and will expire on Dec. 31, 2014. The NPS determined that these two existing concessioners were preferred offerors for the new contracts, pursuant to the terms of 36 Code of Federal Regulations,Part 51.
"Wilderness Ventures and The TVRC Education Foundation have provided a quality outdoor educational and recreational experience to young people for decades, and both concessioners have given youth a unique opportunity to enjoy and appreciate lands within the park that are listed as recommended wilderness under the National Wilderness Preservation System," said David Vela, superintendent of Grand Teton National Park and John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway. "We look forward to working with these outstanding concessioners for another contract term."
The NPS Intermountain Region solicited proposals for these business opportunities through a prospectus issued Aug. 13, 2014. Bid proposals were accepted through Oct. 30, 2014. The proposals were evaluated and selected 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 proposals can be found online at www.concessions.nps.gov
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
