San Francisco, California - Channel Islands National Park announces the release of a prospectus soliciting proposals in response to a business opportunity to operate and provide guided sea kayak tours within the Scorpion Anchorage at Santa Cruz Island.

Currently, guided sea kayak tours at this location are managed as a limited Commercial Use Authorization with no more than three operators. This is a new concession contract that will increase recreational opportunities available to park visitors on site.

The new concession contract will be awarded to a single operator, scheduled to begin on February 1, 2017 and will be issued for a term of 10 years. Anticipated gross receipts in the first year of the contract are projected to range between $1.5 and $2 million, with a minimum franchise fee of 10% of gross receipts paid to the government.

Offers are due by 4 pm PST on August 23, 2016, to the following address:

National Park Service, Pacific West Region

Attn: Christopher Fryday, Commercial Services Financial Analyst

333 Bush Street, Suite 500

San Francisco, California 94104

All questions must be submitted via email to Christopher Fryday, Commercial Services Financial Analyst at e-mail us no later than June 20, 2016.

For more information, visit: NPS Concessions or https://concessions.nps.gov/chis004_17.html

About Santa Cruz Island

Santa Cruz Island is located 18 miles off the coast of Ventura County. At 96 square miles it is the largest of California's eight Channel Islands. The eastern 24% of the island is owned by the National Park Service, while the western 76% is owned by The Nature Conservancy.

The island has steep-sided canyons, vertical sea cliffs, sea caves, layers of marine terraces, expansive beaches, and a few year-round springs. Scorpion Anchorage is the most visited destination in the park, with over 55,000 people coming ashore each year to enjoy recreational activities such as hiking, picnicking, camping, kayaking, and swimming.