[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 12 (Wednesday, January 19, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2895-2896]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-00657]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-CONC-32679; PPWOBSADC0, PPMVSCS1Y.Y00000]


Notice of Intent To Award a Sole-Source Concession Contract for 
Fire Island National Seashore

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of proposed award of sole-source concession contract for 
Fire Island National Seashore.

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SUMMARY: Public notice is hereby given that the National Park Service 
proposes to award a sole-source concession contract for the conduct of 
certain visitor services within Fire Island National Seashore. The 
visitor services include marina operations, campground operations, food 
and beverage, and retail.

DATES: The term of the sole-source concession contract will commence 
(if awarded) no earlier than sixty (60) days from the publication of 
this notice, but the National Park Service intends for the term to 
begin January 1, 2022 (estimated) and end December 31, 2026.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kurt Rausch, Program Chief, Commercial 
Services Program, National Park Service, 1849 C Street NW, Mail Stop 
2410, Washington, DC 20240; Telephone: 202-513-7156.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to 36 CFR 51.25, the Director of 
the National Park Service (Service) may award a concession contract 
non-competitively upon a determination that extraordinary circumstances 
exist under which compelling and equitable considerations require the 
award of the concession contract to a particular qualified person in 
the public interest and that such an award is otherwise consistent with 
the requirements of part 51. Contracts that are awarded non-
competitively under this authority are commonly referred to as ``sole-
source'' contracts. The Service has determined that the proposed award 
of a sole-source contract to Love Watch Hill and Sailors Haven, Inc. is 
necessary based on the following information.
    The extraordinary circumstances in this instance occurred after the 
Service issued a prospectus for a long-term contract and are a 
combination of the unanticipated failure of the docks' electrical 
system, the complete loss of the restaurant in the Watch Hill area, and 
the COVID-19 pandemic. The Service exhausted the time allowed for 
temporary contracts authorized under 36 CFR 51.24 while addressing 
these complications and recognized that the loss of the restaurant, 
combined with the COVID-19 pandemic, altered the financial assumptions 
for any long-term contract compared with those used to develop the 
prospectus to the extent that the Service no longer could award the 
draft 10-year contract offered in the prospectus.
    The Service has determined that Love Watch Hill and Sailors Haven, 
Inc. is a ``qualified person'' as defined by 36 CFR 51.3, and has 
determined that compelling and equitable considerations exist with Love 
Watch Hill and Sailors Haven, Inc.'s continued provision of visitor 
services under stresses that would have deterred or even driven away 
many operators. Additionally, Love Watch Hill and Sailors Haven, Inc. 
holds the insurance proceeds to be used for the construction of the new 
restaurant.

[[Page 2896]]

    The Service has determined that the award of a sole-source 
concession contract is in the public interest because otherwise there 
would be no concessioner providing the visitor services or maintaining 
the government-owned facilities for at least two years.
    This is not a request for proposals. The publication of this notice 
reflects the intent of the Service but does not bind the Service to 
award the sole-source contract. Should the Service award the sole-
source contract, the NPS will ensure such award is otherwise consistent 
with the requirements of part 51.

Justin Unger,
Associate Director, Business Services.
[FR Doc. 2022-00657 Filed 1-18-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-53-P