The White River National Forest recently announced that it had entered into a partnership with the City of Glenwood Springs to manage a shuttle service in the Hanging Lake Area. About 30 days beforehand, the Forest had issued a final decision notice for its management plan in which it decided to utilize a third party transportation provider in the area. The Forest’s final plan for the Area had stated that the Forest was considering issuing a prospectus itself so competitive interested parties could respond.
In its recent announcement, the Forest Service noted that, under its partnership with the City of Glenwood Springs, the City may seek a third-party transportation provider through the City’s request for proposals (RFP) process. The Forest Service commented that additional authority in Section 426 of the 2014 appropriations statute had broadened its authority to partner with local governments. The Forest anticipates having the shuttle in place by May 2019.
