The National Park Service (NPS) has released a prospectus soliciting proposals from businesses interested in providing guided, interpretive oversnow vehicle tours of Yellowstone National Park.

Park spokeswoman Amy Bartlett says a total of 23 new contracts will be awarded and put into place for the 2014-2015 winter season. They will take the place of 13 concession contracts for guided interpretive snowcoach tours and 21 commercial use authorizations (CUA) for guided interpretive snowmobile tours currently in place in Yellowstone. The current concession contracts expire on April 1, 2014. The current CUAs expire on June 20, 2014.
Bartlett says the contract term will be ten years. Proposals will be due January 27, 2014.  The NPS anticipates announcing their selection of the successful proposals in April 2014. The prospectus implements the NPS’ October 2013 Final Rule for Winter Use by requiring concessioners to provide tours as transportation events. The rule replaces the former concept of a fixed maximum number of oversnow vehicles allowed in the park each day with a new, more flexible concept of transportation events.

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