United States Department of Agriculture Prospectus for an Opportunity for Outfitting and Guiding on the Clackamas River of the Mt. Hood National Forest U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Mt. Hood National Forest Clackamas River Ranger District December 2019 Contents I. Business Opportunity .............................................................................................................................. 2 Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 2 Area Description ....................................................................................................................................... 2 Offering .................................................................................................................................................... 3 II. Forest Service Program and Policies .................................................................................................... 5 Definitions ................................................................................................................................................ 5 Advertising ............................................................................................................................................... 5 Record Keeping ........................................................................................................................................ 5 Non-Discrimination .................................................................................................................................. 6 Outfitter and Guide Policy ........................................................................................................................ 6 Fees ........................................................................................................................................................... 6 Performance Evaluations .......................................................................................................................... 6 III. Special Considerations ......................................................................................................................... 6 NEPA ........................................................................................................................................................ 6 IV. Special Use Permit ................................................................................................................................ 7 Permit Term .............................................................................................................................................. 7 Insurance ................................................................................................................................................... 7 Outfitter License ....................................................................................................................................... 8 V. Application .............................................................................................................................................. 8 Instructions for Submitting Applications .................................................................................................. 8 Application Package Requirements .......................................................................................................... 9 Evaluation of Applications ..................................................................................................................... 10 VI. Post Selection Requirements.............................................................................................................. 11 Appendices Appendix 1: Vicinity and Area Maps Appendix 2: River Outfitter / Guide Operating Standards Appendix 3: Inspection Form Appendix 4: Performance Evaluation Appendix 5: Operating Plan Outline Appendix 6: Sample Use Report Appendix 7: Sample Permit Appendix 8: Initial and Secondary Screening Checklist i Prospectus for Outfitting and Guiding Opportunities on the Clackamas River, Mt. Hood National Forest I. Business Opportunity Introduction The Clackamas River Ranger District, Mt. Hood National Forest has identified a need for additional outfitting and guiding services on the Clackamas River. The Forest Service is seeking applications for the use of National Forest System lands by commercial companies that provide public services, do not require new permanent structures or development on public lands, and are compatible with the multiple use management objectives in the Mt. Hood National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan). This prospectus is being issued to solicit applications for commercial outfitting and guiding services for river activities including, but not limited to, boating, kayaking, and stand up paddle boarding that align with the standards and guidelines in the Forest Plan, look to serve youth and underrepresented groups, and provide new opportunities not currently offered on the Clackamas River. The authorized officer for this business opportunity is Jackie Groce, District Ranger of the Clackamas River Ranger District. This prospectus is soliciting use only on National Forest System lands of the Clackamas River Ranger District, Clackamas River Area. Use of private or other lands cannot be authorized through this award. If applicants plan to use private or other land as part of their proposed operation, they must submit written permission from those landowners to use or cross non-Forest Service lands. Area Description Overview of the Clackamas River District The Clackamas River Ranger District spans nearly 400,000 acres of National Forest lands southwest of Mt. Hood in northwest Oregon. The district encompasses the Bull of the Woods Wilderness, Clackamas Wilderness, Roaring River Wilderness, and the Olallie Scenic Area. It is known for its fish and wildlife habitat, recreation opportunities, and timber harvest, scenic value, and hydro-electric generation. Clackamas River The Clackamas River is located on the west side of the Cascade Mountain Range and south of the Columbia River Gorge. From its origins in the Olallie Lake Scenic Area, the river flows through portions of Marion and Clackamas counties, as well as the communities of Estacada, Barton, and Carver, and is an important water source for urban areas to the west. The river meets the Willamette River at Oregon City, Oregon. The downstream boundary of the river corridor is less than 50 miles from downtown Portland and is accessible by State Highway 224. Access to the corridor can also be gained from the southeast, by taking the Breitenbush route (Forest Road 46) from its junction with State Highway 20 at the town of Detroit. The interim river corridor includes approximately 15,200 acres of land. Of the 15,200 acres, approximately 155 acres are the privately owned Austin Hot Springs area and 288 acres are administered by the Bureau of Land Management. The remainder is administered by the Forest Service, within the Mt. 2 Prospectus for Outfitting and Guiding Opportunities on the Clackamas River, Mt. Hood National Forest Hood National Forest. The principal land uses within the corridor are recreation, transportation, hydro- electric energy generation and transmission, fish and wildlife habitat, and timber harvest. In 1968, Congress enacted the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to establish a system for the preservation of outstanding free-flowing rivers. In 1988, Congress designated 47 miles of the Clackamas River into the Federal Wild and Scenic Rivers System. The portion of the river included in the federal system runs from Big Spring, in the Olallie Lake Scenic Area, to Big Cliff, just upstream of North Fork Reservoir. The superb fishery, scenery, and recreation were identified as “outstandingly remarkable values” of the designated area. Applicants are strongly encouraged to visit the Clackamas River at least once before submitting an application, see Appendix 1, vicinity and area maps. Clackamas River Area Stipulations Environmental Considerations: • Forest closures occur for a variety of reasons. Permittees may have limited access during those closures. • Activities proposed on non-forest service land will not be authorized. If activities cross other land ownership, written permission from that landowner will be required. See Appendix 1, vicinity and area maps. Outfitter and Guide Considerations: Use will be authorized with the following stipulations: • A maximum of one thousand (1,000) service days per year will be allocated per permit for the first two years. • Each company/entity will be required to service a minimum of one hundred and fifty (150) customers per year. Please see the Operating Standards (Appendix 2) for additional considerations and stipulations. Offering The objective of this offering is to provide the public with additional opportunities for outfitted and/or guided experiences, which are high-quality, safe, increase knowledge and skills of participants, promote the Leave No Trace land ethic, and meet Forest Service goals of land stewardship and resource protection. Needed Services The original determinations of needed outfitter-guide services for the Clackamas River area were conducted in an Environmental Assessment Report of Commercial Outfitter-Guide Use of the Clackamas River (1982), a Clackamas National Wild and Scenic River and State Waterway Environmental Assessment