National Park Service, 15 State Street, Boston, MA 02109

R -- NEGOTIATION OF CONCESSION CONTRACT FOR SALE OF CONVENIENCE ITEMS BY AN EDUCATIONAL COOPERATOR. SOL CC-NESO001-97 DUE 061397 POC Gerald Swofford, (617) 223-5076 Public notice is hereby given that the National Park Service proposes to award a concession contract authorizing an educational cooperator to sell a limited number of convenience items including crayons, feminine hygiene products, postage stamps, and film. The sales are incidental to and occur in the same space as educational services provided by the cooperator in six National Park Service areas of the Northeast Region. Interested parties should contact National Park Service, Concession Management Program, New England System Support Office, 15 State Street, Boston, MA 02109-3572, Telephone (617) 223-5076, for further information and to submit proposals in response to this notice. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This contract has been determined to be categorically excluded from the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act and no environmental document will be prepared. The existing concessioner has performed its obligations to the satisfaction of the Secretary under an existing contract which expired by limitation of time on December 31, 1996, and therefore pursuant to the provisions of Section 5 of the Act of October 9, 1965 (79 Stat. 969; 16 U.S.C. Sec. 20), is entitled to be given preference in the renewal of the contract and in the negotiation of a new contract providing that the existing concessioner submits a responsive offer (a timely offer which meets the terms and conditions of the Prospectus). This means that the contract will be awarded to the party submitting the best offer, provided that if the best offer was not submitted by the existing concessioner, then the existing concessioner will be afforded the opportunity to match the best offer. If the existing concessioner agrees to match the best offer, then the contract will be awarded to the existing concessioner. The Secretary will consider and evaluate all proposals received as a result of this notice. Any proposal, including that of the existing concessioner, must be received by the Concession Management Program no later thanJune 13, 1997 to be considered and evaluated. (0107)

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