News Release

Business Opportunity Announced at Main Ranch on Santa Rosa Island

©Tim Hauf, timhaufphotography.com

News Release Date: October 27, 2020

Contact: Yvonne Menard, 8056585725

Channel Islands National Park is soliciting proposals with the release of a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) for a potential business opportunity at the historic Main Ranch on Santa Rosa Island.   

The business leasing opportunity includes rustic lodging, food and beverage services, campground management, and related visitor services within the Main Ranch at Bechers Bay.   

The Main Ranch spans over 32 acres of corrals, pastures, historic structures, and scenic beauty. Leasing opportunities may include occupancy of ten structures and land areas, including the historic Ranch House, Old Schoolhouse, Horse Barn, Generator Barn, and the non-historic Bunkhouse.   

The park is also receptive to proposals that include providing vehicle transportation for visitors to access hiking trails and backcountry areas.  

Channel Islands National Park Superintendent Ethan McKinley said, “This exciting and unprecedented leasing opportunity will fulfil the vision of the park, as outlined in the park’s 2015 General Management Plan. We look forward to seeing the proposals envisioned.”  

The lease term is estimated to begin in spring of 2024. A range of lease term lengths will be considered, with a maximum term length of 60 years. The park may allow multiple lessees to provide these visitor services.   

The RFEI proposals will valuably inform the park’s advertisement of a Request for Proposals (RFP), the next step in public solicitation of this business opportunity expected to be release in fall of 2021.  

Proposals are due by 11:59pm PST on February 24, 2021, to the following address:  

Channel Islands National Park
Attn: Commercial Services 
1901 Spinnaker Drive 
Ventura, CA 93001  

Any questions must be submitted via email to John Hansen, Concessions Specialist, at [e-mail] no later than January 25, 2020.  

For additional information and to access the RFEI, visit: nps.gov/chis/getinvolved/leasing/htm 
 
 

About Santa Rosa Island 
The second-largest Channel Island, with 53,051 acres—15 miles long and 10 miles wide—beckons you with rolling hills, deep canyons, a coastal lagoon, and beaches adorned with sand dunes. For thousands of years unusual animals and plants have made this wind-swept island their home. Flightless geese, giant mice, and pygmy mammoths are now extinct, while the island fox, spotted skunk, and Torrey pine still live here. The Chumash and their ancestors lived here for over 13,000 years. Ranchers raised sheep and cattle from 1844 to 1998. The US military used the island from 1943 through 1963. The National Park Service has made great efforts to preserve and protect island resources and restore native species.