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The American Recreation Coalition's long sought after "America the Beautiful Pass" (ATB) was authorized as part of the Recreation Access Tax but has not yet been implemented. It is not expected to be introduced until 2007. Whether this pass becomes a reality is, perhaps, still uncertain. The government is, however, moving ahead with implementation, as the appended solicitation for bids makes plain.
The ATB Pass would be an extraordinary boondoggle. It was created by the motorhome industry and the chief (perhaps only) beneficiaries will be full-time RVers. This pass will harm not only the NPS, it will cut into the profits of campground concessionaires. These concessionaires (and federal agencies to the extent they've not already privatized their campgrounds) will be required to give a 50% camping discount to pass-holders. The pass is bound to be expensive, but it will pay for itself many times over by those who squat on public lands in their land yachts. Less frequent visitors to public lands are unlikely to see any benefits whatsoever.
Worse still --- if the ATB is introduced, it will effectively decouple the fees paid by recreationists from the services they receive. If it is introduced, it will dramatically decrease the amount of National Park entrance fees retained by the NPS and transfer much of that revenue to support recreation programs managed primarily by the BLM, Bureau of Reclamation and USFS.
I say 'IF' it is introduced, because I am ever hopeful that it will not see the light of day. I am hopeful that people will care enough to fight and defeat this beast.
Scott
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Source: FedBizOpps.gov
FBO DAILY ISSUE OF JULY 30, 2005 FBO #1342
SOURCES SOUGHT
R -- America the Beautiful Pass
Notice Date - 7/28/2005
Notice Type - Sources Sought
ZIP Code - 20170
Solicitation Number - 44091
Response Due - 8/18/2005
Archive Date - 7/28/2006
Small Business Set-Aside - N/A
Contracting Office - Minerals Management Service GovWorks (Franchise) 381
Elden Street, MS 2500 Herndon VA 20170
DESCRIPTION:
The US Department of Interior, through its Franchise Fund activity
GovWorks on behalf of the US Department of Interior (acting through the
Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife
Service, and National Park Service) and US Department of Agriculture
(acting through the US Forest Service) is seeking sources with the
capabilities to design, produce, fulfill, market and implement a new
Federal Recreational Lands Pass known as the America the Beautiful
Pass. The Government is performing market research to determine if
there is one source that can fulfill the Government's requirement or if
contractor teaming arrangements (which may include non-profits or other
organizations) can fulfill the Government's requirement. If the
requirement cannot be fulfilled through one source or contractor
teaming arrangements, the Government would like to receive capability
statements from those firms for the part of the requirement that they
can fulfill. The Government is seeking innovative and creative
solutions to fulfill this requirement. For this requirement, the
Government recognizes the long-term, ongoing, and valued relationships
with non-profits such as the National Park Foundation, the National
Forest Foundation, and others. The Government anticipates that these
partnerships will continue. This acquisition should not be construed as
precluding the current non-profit partners from the opportunities that
they currently have including the National Park Foundation's
administration of the contest for the 2007 image. The Federal Lands
Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA) passed in December 2004 requires
five (5) Federal land management agencies to develop and implement a
new Federal lands recreation pass known as the America the Beautiful
(ATB) pass. The pass will be valid for entry at Federal recreation
sites that charge entrance or standard amenity fees. The new pass is
scheduled to be introduced in 2007, and will replace existing
recreation pass programs
(Golden Eagle, Golden Age, and Golden Access Passports and the National
Parks Pass). For information on existing pass programs, visit
http://www.recreation.gov/recpass.cfm. The ATB shall provide similar
benefits to the existing pass programs, but the Government anticipates
that its design shall be updated, as compared to existing passes, and
it shall be marketed through multiple sales channels. It is anticipated
that increases in sales, relative to current National Parks Pass and
Golden Eagle sales, will allow the agencies to help provide important
visitor services, deferred maintenance, education, outreach, and other
services and enhance relationships with partners who can bring
additional support to Federal lands. The services required to establish
the new America the Beautiful Pass shall include, but not be limited
to, overall pass design (except that images, selected through an annual
contest, are expected to be provided to the contractor), web sales,
developing and providing collateral materials such as hangtags, decals
for open topped vehicles, a guidebook, etc.; pass fulfillment (for
federal sites that sell the pass as well as for third party sales);
pass inventory, tracking of sales and revenues by agency, and
accountability; marketing, and distribution. Interested businesses
shall provide the Government with (1) Name of Company-include a contact
person's name, telephone number, and email address; (2) Company
Address; (3) Company Size; (4) Identify whether the services identified
above are of a type offered and sold competitively in substantial
quantities in the commercial marketplace based on established catalog
or market prices and whether these services are exclusively provided to
the Government; (5) Identify standard commercial terms and conditions
typically associated with these services; (6) Describe experience ,
capabilities, and past performance with similar types of requirements
of similar scope and magnitude and whether they were performance-based
- include the contract number; Government agency/Company name and
address; contract funded amount; (7) Identify existing or potential
pricing structure in support of this type of work; and (8) Identify
qualifications of technical and management personnel. ***** THIS
SYNOPSIS IS FOR INFORMATION AND PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT A
COMMITMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT. THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION ANNOUNCEMENT
FOR PROPOSALS AND A CONTRACT WILL NOT BE AWARDED FROM THIS
ANNOUNCEMENT. NO REIMBURSEMENT WILL BE MADE FOR ANY COSTS ASSOCIATED
WITH PROVIDING INFORMATION IN RESPONSE TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND ANY
FOLLOW-UP INFORMATION REQUESTS. ***** Firms interested in performing
this requirement may reply to this RFI by 11:00am EST August 18, 2005,
addressing the elements above and any processes that would be used.
Responses shall include one original and eight (8) copies. There is a
10-page limit for the response not including pamphlets, brochures,
samples or other literature to support the 10-page capability
statement. Proprietary processes or data must be clearly marked and
documented as such. Respondents should include your firms Dun and
Bradstreet Number (DUNS), Tax Identification Number (TIN) and Central
Contractor Register Number (CCR). The Government will not pay for any
materials furnished in response to this synopsis. Submittals furnished
will not be returned to sender. Requests for other pertinent
information and questions may be address to:
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Web Link
Please click here to view more details.
(http://ideasec.nbc.gov/j2ee/announcementdetail.jsp?serverId=MM143501&objId= 262217)
Record
SN00857139-W 20050730/050728212751 (fbodaily.com)
Source
FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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- Land management 
