Date: July 10, 2007

The Southeast Regional Office of the National Park Service (NPS) has issued a prospectus seeking proposals for a single concession contract to operate Sugarlands Riding Stables and Smoky Mountain Riding Stables, two concession operations in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The new contract to operate the two stables near Gatlinburg, TN is expected to begin on November 1, 2007 and run for a ten year term.
 
These two stable operations are currently operating under a temporary concession contract for Sugarlands Riding Stables and a concession permit for Smoky Mountain Riding Stables. Smoky Mountain Stables, Inc. (Kenny Kear, President) has operated both stables since July 6, 2005.  

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Superintendent Dale A. Ditmanson said, “The Park Service has decided that, since the two operations are only seven miles apart, combining them under one contract offers significant administrative, operational and financial advantages, both to the NPS and to the concessioner.”

“In return for offering the contractor potentially greater profitability,” Ditmanson continued,”The NPS will require the concessioner to construct new barns, a hay shed, and an office at Sugarlands under the required Concession Facilities Improvement Program included in the new contract. Another advantage of this change is that it reduces the number of separate concession contracts the NPS must administer.”

The NPS is conducting this solicitation in accordance with the National Park Service Concessions Management Improvement Act of 1998 (Act) which requires the award of concession contracts through a competitive selection process. Except as otherwise specified in the Act, concession contracts will be awarded to the person, corporation, or other entity submitting the best proposal, as determined by the NPS through a competitive selection process.
 
This Prospectus is issued under the authority of 36 CFR Part 51, which implements the Act.  The Act includes a preference for a Preferred Offeror for the award of a qualified concession contract in certain situations, which gives an existing concessioner a preferential right of renewal of a qualified concession contract if certain other criteria are met.
 
But in this instance, since the new concession contract for the combined operations is expected to result in gross annual receipts of more than $500,000, the NPS has determined that the new contract is not a qualified concession contract, and therefore, no Preferred Offeror for this contract exists. So this solicitation for commercial services is fully competitive.
 
The services that will be required or authorized under the new contract include guided horseback rides, vending machine sale of soft drinks and bottled water, limited souvenir sales and souvenir photographs. 

The prospectus describes the business opportunity and includes the terms and conditions under which the NPS will award the concession contract. The prospectus and a link to the Federal Business Opportunities website notice for this prospectus is available on the NPS website at http://www.concessions.nps.gov/Prospectus.cfm. 

Inquiries can be directed to Cherrie Brice in the NPS Southeast Regional Office at (404) 562-3108 ext. 654 or by e-mail at Cherrie_Brice@nps.gov. Ms. Brice will also mail printed copies of the prospectus provided the requests are made in writing and are accompanied by a check for $50.00. Printed copies may be picked up at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Superintendent’s Office at 107 Park Headquarters Road in Gatlinburg for $45.00. Offers in response to this prospectus must be received by the NPS no later than August 31, 2007.