Sabino_Canyon_Prospectus_FINAL_508.pdf

Prospectus and Request for Applications for a Shuttle System for the

Sabino Canyon Recreation Area

Coronado National Forest

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

November 2017

Prospectus for Shuttle System for the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area Coronado National Forest i

Table of Contents I. Business Opportunity

A. Introduction

B. Area Description and Background

History of the Shuttle System in the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area

C. Goals and Objectives

GOAL 1 – Transportation

GOAL 2 – Interpretation

GOAL 3 – Natural, Cultural and Scenic Resources

D. Minimum Services

Sabino and Bear Canyon Routes

Sabino Canyon Route

Bear Canyon Route

E. Customer Service

Ticket Sales

Shuttle Stops

Interpretation and Narration

Fleet

General Operations and Communication

F. Description of Sabino Canyon Recreation Area Roads and Amenities

1. Shuttle System Roads

2. Shuttle System Amenities

G. Required Shuttle System Features

1. Exhaust Emissions Design Features

2. Safety

3. Noise

4. Cultural and Historical Resource Protection

5. Scenery Management Considerations

6. Accessibility

7. Water Quality

8. Wildlife

II. Forest Service Programs and Policies

A. Authorities ii

B. Area Closures

1. Business Disruption

C. Administrative Use

D. Applicable Forest Orders

E. Ticket Sales and Compilation of Use and Revenue Data

F. Record-Keeping

G. Accessibility

H. Optional Use of Federally Owned Improvements (Granger-Thye Act)

1. Sabino Canyon Recreation Area Visitor Information Center

2. Shuttle System Maintenance Yard

3. Ticket Booth

4. National Forest System Road 804A (Maintenance Yard Road)

I. Utilities and Waste Management

J. Permit Holder Responsibilities

1. Holder Maintenance, Reconditioning, and Renovation (MRR)

2. Granger-Thye Fee Offset Agreement

3. Granger-Thye Fee Offset

4. Fee to the Government

5. Property Insurance

6. Bonding

III. Special Use Permit

A. Permit Term

B. Permit Holder Responsibilities

1. Responsibility for Day-to-Day Activities

2. Permit Holder-Furnished Supplies and Equipment

C. Insurance

1. Liability Insurance

IV. Application

A. Instructions for Submitting Applications

B. General Terms, Qualifications, and Reservations

C. Application Package Requirements

1. Proposed Annual Operating Plan

2. Transition Plan

3. Business Plan, Business Experience, and References iii

4. Financial Resources

5. Fee to the Government

6. Processing Fee

D. Evaluation of Applications

V. Post-Selection Requirements

Appendix

1. Forest Order, Temporary Area Closure

2. Sample Use and Revenue Data Report Form

3. Coronado National Forest Comment Form

4. Sample Annual Operationg Plan Outline

5. Special Use Permit Forms FS-2700-4 and FS-7700-41

6. Sample Business Plan Outline

7. Financial Statement Form FS-6500-24

8. Request for Financial Verification Form FS-6500-0025

9. Noise (Decibel) Abatement Criteria (23 CFR 772.11)

10. Classification for Low Speed Low Gross Weight Vehicles (49 CFR 572.500)

11. Photos of Vented Low Water Crossings on the Sabino Canyon Road

I. Business Opportunity

A. Introduction

The Sabino Canyon Recreation Area, a jewel of southeast Arizona, attracts over 1 million visitors per year. Stretching across Sabino Creek, the canyon is a rich natural environment with diverse Sonoran desert plant and animal species, dramatic canyon walls, and shallow pools of water. The social environment is equally diverse, as evidenced by past habitations, rock art sites, and historic stone structures.

The vision for the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area is to retain the rich natural environment and heritage while providing a diversity of recreation opportunities and visitor experiences where the sounds and sense of nature dominate. Since public motor vehicle use in the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area is prohibited, a shuttle system is needed to provide access to the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area to those visitors who would otherwise be unable to experience it, including the disabled and elderly. Through an environmental analysis and the subsequent public scoping and comments, the Coronado National Forest recognized the need to consider how to meet current and future public needs and how to provide a shuttle system that contributes to the vision for the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area.

This prospectus offers the opportunity to accommodate current and anticipated visitation levels and uses, enhance visitor experiences, and respond to increasing and changing public demands for a shuttle system, while protecting natural and cultural resources in the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area. Authorization of a shuttle system in the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area is consistent with the Coronado National Forest Land and Resources Management Plan (Forest Plan 1986).

The shuttle system included in this offering will be authorized by a special use permit. The shuttle system will utilize National Forest System roads. The following National Forest System roads will therefore also be included in the offering and will be authorized under a road use permit:

National Forest System road 100 (Upper Sabino Canyon Road).

National Forest System road 100A (Lower Sabino/Bear Canyon Road).

National Forest System road 804 (Sabino Service/Overflow Road).

National Forest System road 805 (Warehouse Road).

At the applicant’s option, the offering may also include authorization of the use of certain federally owned facilities. Detailed information about this option is found in Section II.H on page 23 of this prospectus. These federally owned facilities include:

The Sabino Canyon Visitor Information Center.

A ticket booth.

A maintenance yard.

National Forest System road 804A (Maintenance Yard Road).

Applicants should state whether they are seeking authorization of any of these federally owned improvements.

The authorized officer for this opportunity is the forest supervisor for the Coronado National Forest, 300 West Congress, Tucson AZ 85701.

The current special use permit for the shuttle system for the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area expires June 30, 2018. The current concession has generated the following gross revenues, as reported by the permit holder (table 1):

Table 1: Permit gross revenue from 2013-2015*

Year Gross Revenue (in $)

2013 831,160

2014 896,947

2015 952,953

*These are the most recent data available.

B. Area Description and Background

The Sabino Canyon Recreation Area is located in northeastern Tucson in the eastern foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains. It is roughly two square miles in area and is bordered to the north and east by the Pusch Ridge Wilderness and residential developments to the south and west

(Feasibility Study 2010).

Sabino Canyon Recreation Area contains approximately six miles of paved road (closed to public motor vehicle use), over 12 miles of National Forest System trails, and the perennial Upper

Sabino Creek. Sabino Creek provides a unique riparian habitat for a rich diversity of plant and animal species including the federally-listed Gila Chub (Gila intermedia),1 Gila Topminnow

(Poeciliopsis occidentalis),2 and Western Yellow-Billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus).3 Other commonly seen wildlife species include rattlesnakes, deer, bobcats, and hawks. The Sabino

Canyon Recreation Area is a popular retreat for local residents, schoolchildren on field trips, naturalists, and out-of-town visitors. They come to hike, bicycle, view wildlife, swim and wade in the many shallow pools of water, and picnic along Sabino Creek.

The Sabino Canyon Recreation Area is within a 45-minute drive from most residential areas of

Tucson and is often considered the jewel of southeast Arizona. As a result of nearby development, there are roughly 75 residential lots or parcels within a quarter mile and 500 within a half mile of entrances to the Canyon along the local road network. Roughly 2,000 lots or parcels are within one mile, which is less than a five‐minute drive. Local residents visit one or more times per week to walk, job, or bicycle. Visitation by private vehicle totals approximately

520,000 people annually; it is estimated that the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area receives more than one million visitors per year (Feasibility Study, 2010). Actual visitation to the Sabino

1 Gila Chub was listed for protection under the Endangered Species Act in 2005, and has since been reintroduced into Sabino Creek.

2 Gila Topminnow was previously listed for protection and was reintroduced into Sabino Creek in 2015.

3 Western Yellow-Billed Cuckoo.

Canyon Recreation Area is difficult to quantify, as the public may visit at any time of day and may to arrive on foot, on horseback, or by bicycle, as well as by private vehicle.

Tucson residents visited the Canyon even before the creation of the Santa Catalina Forest

Reserve in 1902, but the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area did not take its current configuration until the Great Depression. In the 1930s, a plan was developed to build a large dam farther up the Canyon. The Emergency Relief Administration, later the Works Progress Administration, constructed an access road to the dam site, building nine stone bridges (or vented low‐water crossings) in Upper Sabino Canyon before the project was halted for lack of funding. The vented low-water crossings are designed to accommodate low flows through the vents, but are inundated during higher-flow events. The crossings were constructed partially of native materials and have been deemed eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (Ryden 1993). Later

Emergency Relief Administration and Civilian Conservation Corps workers completed extensive camping and picnicking facilities in Lower Sabino Canyon, including the existing dam and a small recreational lake that is now filled with sediment (Lazaroff 1993).

Figure 1: Sabino Canyon Recreation Area in Relation to Tucson, Arizona

Figure 2: Historic Photograph of Sabino Canyon, Circa 1921

In the ensuing years, many visitors made day trips to Sabino Canyon to explore, picnic, and hike.

Driving up the 3.7-mile road to picnic, view scenery, and hike was a popular activity. Sabino

Canyon Recreation Area visitation and popularity increased in proportion with Tucson’s population, and for more than 30 years, residents and tourists were free to drive their personal motor vehicles within the canyons. By the 1960s, traffic jams and vehicle exhaust fumes were commonplace on weekends and holidays. On busy weekends, the roads would become so congested that people and motor vehicles became trapped until some visitors left the Canyon.

On Easter weekend in 1967, over 4,000 visitors and almost 2,000 private motor vehicles inundated the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area. The very experience that many people were coming to enjoy was being destroyed by overuse (Feasibility Study 2010).

In the 1960s and 1970s, the Forest Service invested heavily in the infrastructure of the recreation area. New roads were built, electricity and water‐sewer lines were installed, and many new restrooms and recreational facilities were constructed. The first visitor center in the Forest

Service’s Southwest Region was erected here in 1963.

History of the Shuttle System in the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area

In 1973, a flood destroyed several approaches to river crossings in the Upper Sabino Canyon, and the road was closed temporarily to private motor vehicles to accommodate installation of sewer lines. The closure provided an opportunity to address the problems in the Canyon, including noise and air pollution, litter, vandalism, rowdiness, and congestion. It was debated whether to ban motor vehicles permanently in the Canyon. One concern raised by permanently banning motor vehicles in the Canyon was denial of access to the Sabino Canyon by the disabled

(Feasibility Study 2010).

A draft environmental impact statement was issued in 1975 outlining the concept of a public transportation system in the Canyon. Four primary objectives were identified:

Enhancing the experience of forest visitors.

Emphasizing the natural and environmental aspects of the experience.

Providing interpretive and educational services and opportunities.

Maintaining and improving the quality of the ecosystem (soil, water, air, vegetation, and wildlife).

A shuttle system was identified as the preferred alternative for addressing the pollution and vehicle congestion in Sabino Canyon. Based on the environmental analysis, an order prohibiting public motor vehicle use in the Canyon was first issued in 1978 and continues to be in effect.

Additionally, at around this time a parking lot, ticket booth, new restrooms, and roofed shelters for waiting visitors were constructed near the visitor center. Shuttle service began that year under a special use permit to Upper Sabino Canyon and was extended to Lower Sabino Canyon and

Bear Canyon in 1981 (Feasibility Study 2010). In 1985, Sabino Canyon Tours, Inc., assumed management of the shuttle system and has operated it since that time. Many visitors come to the

Sabino Canyon Recreation Area solely to ride the shuttle and view it as an attraction itself. Other visitors use the shuttle as a mode of transportation to gain further access into the Sabino Canyon

Recreation Area.

Sabino Canyon Tours operates the shuttle system along two paved routes in the Sabino Canyon

Recreation Area. The Sabino Canyon route travels from the visitor center 3.7 miles northward through Sabino Canyon on National Forest System road 100, crossing the Sabino Creek nine times. The Bear Canyon route travels 1.9 miles eastward on National Forest System road 100A, with one creek crossing in Lower Sabino Canyon.

Since the 1980s, visitation to the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area has increased, transportation technology has changed, and public needs and desires for a shuttle system have evolved. In particular, the Forest Service has identified a need to:

Address engine noise and noise from narration emanating from shuttle cars;

Address air quality concerns related to shuttle exhaustion;

Revise the number and timing of shuttle trips and shuttle stops;

Provide for electronic payment of fares, boarding in the Canyon, and interpretation via handheld devices, headphones, or other minimally intrusive equipment;

Provide accessibility for the disabled and elderly; and

Consider alternative motor vehicle technology.

See 2010 Transportation Analysis and Feasibility Study for the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area and 2015 Sabino Canyon Recreation Area Sustainable Recreation Concept Plan. Additionally, seven transportation companies have expressed interest in operating a shuttle system in the

Sabino Canyon Recreation Area. In response to these changing conditions and increasing and changing public demands, the Santa Catalina Ranger District, Coronado National Forest, conducted an environmental analysis of the shuttle system and, based on that analysis and the expression of competitive interest, decided to issue a prospectus for issuance of a new permit for operation and maintenance of a shuttle system in the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area.

C. Goals and Objectives

In response to the environmental analysis and subsequent public scoping and comments, the following goals and objectives were developed to meet the vision of the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area, and in turn, the shuttle system, which are:

to retain the rich natural environment and heritage while providing a diversity of recreation opportunities and visitor experiences where the sounds and sense of nature dominate.

GOAL 1 – Transportation

Move people safely and efficiently through the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area.

a. Objectives

The shuttle system will provide transportation which is consistent, timely, and reliable.

The shuttle system will meet public demand patterns, within identified trip caps.

The shuttle system will be operated and maintained in accordance with applicable requirements and safety protocols.

The shuttle system will provide high-quality customer service.

The frequency of service, number of passengers accommodated by the shuttle system, and minimum safety requirements must be consistent with Section I.D. Minimum Services.

GOAL 2 – Interpretation

Provide opportunities for interpretation of the ecological and cultural resources in Sabino Canyon.

a. Objectives

The shuttle system will include technology that will allow for interpretation of the Sabino

Canyon Recreation Area and surrounding Sonoran Desert landscape.

The interpretive technology for the shuttle system will not disturb visitors or wildlife.

The interpretive narration will be developed in collaboration with the Forest Service and the Sabino Canyon Volunteer Naturalists.

GOAL 3 – Natural, Cultural and Scenic Resources

Avoid or minimize adverse effects on natural, cultural, or scenic resources associated with the operation and maintenance of the shuttle system.

a. Objectives

Operational requirements relative to exhaust emissions, noise, water quality, cultural and historic resources, and scenery management must be consistent with Section D, Services Offered to the Public.

D. Minimum Services

Minimum services offered to the public will include the following:

Sabino and Bear Canyon Routes

Shuttle operations will occur five to seven days per week.

Group/charter rides may be authorized on a limited basis for special events and must be approved by the Forest Service in advance.

The permit holder will designate at least three days per year that the shuttle system will not operate. These days must be announced to the public by the permit holder.

Sabino Canyon Route

There will be no more than nine stops along the 3.7-mile route in the Sabino Canyon.

A maximum of 32 round-trips per day will be allowed during peak season (mid-December through May), except in emergencies or when it is necessary to add trips to transport visitors from Sabino Canyon because regularly scheduled shuttles are full. The first shuttle will depart for Sabino Canyon at 9:00 a.m., and the last shuttle will depart Sabino Canyon at 4:30 p.m.

A minimum of eight trips per day will be required during the off-peak season (June to mid-

December), one per hour. On weekdays, the first shuttle will depart for Sabino Canyon at

9:00 a.m., and the last shuttle will depart Sabino Canyon at 4:00 p.m. On weekends and holidays, the departure time will be the same, but the last shuttle will depart at 4:30 p.m.

Evening rides will be limited to 18 round-trips per year.

A maximum of 6,000 round-trips will be allowed per year.

Figure 3: Shuttle Stop 9, Upper Sabino Canyon Road, Columbus Day Weekend, 2017

Bear Canyon Route

There are three stops at existing locations along the 1.9-mile route in Bear Canyon.

There may be more than eight round-trips, with at least one per hour. Operating hours are the same as for the Sabino Canyon route (see above).

E. Customer Service

The following are operational requirements based upon the goals and objectives listed in Section I. C.

Ticket Sales

Multiple methods of payment must be provided, including:

♦ Credit and debit card.

♦ Cash.

♦ Electronic payments.

Multiple ticketing locations and options are required, including:

♦ The Sabino Canyon Visitor Information Center.

♦ Various locations across Tucson and its environs.

♦ Online and/or mobile ticket sales.

♦ A fare collection mechanism onboard the shuttle so that customers may get on and off the shuttle anywhere within the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area.

Shuttle Stops

A shuttle stop must be added or relocated near the intersection of National Forest System roads 100 (Upper Sabino Canyon Road) and 100a (Lower Sabino/Bear Canyon Road) to provide better access to the overflow parking lot.

The shuttle system must allow passengers to get on and off at any stop in the Sabino

Canyon Recreation Area.

There may be no more than nine stops on the Sabino Canyon Route and no more than three stops on the Bear Canyon Route.

Shuttle stops may be relocated by the permit holder if deemed to be in customers’ best interest.

Interpretation and Narration

Interpretation of the ecology and history of Sabino Canyon is required.

Technology to deliver professional, narrative interpretation to customers is required and must be designed to minimize audio disturbance to those not riding the shuttle.

Narration in languages other than English, based upon user groups and need, is encouraged.

Printed interpretive material for the hearing impaired is required.

All interpretation must be pre-approved by the Forest Service.

Fleet

A fleet that meets the shuttle design features listed above (Section I.G, Required Shuttle

System Features) must be in place within a reasonable period. Applicants must provide a plan detailing how they will transition from a beginning-stage shuttle system to a fully functioning system meeting all prospectus requirements and the expected timeframe for accomplishing that transition.

General Operations and Communication

Operation of the shuttle system must not conflict or interfere with Forest Service management of the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area and other areas in the Coronado

National Forest.

F. Description of Sabino Canyon Recreation Area Roads and Amenities

The following describes the National Forest System roads and associated shuttle stop amenities available for the shuttle system. The Forest Service will consider other options for configuration of the shuttle system, including, but not limited to construction of shelters and service areas as well as new or relocated shuttle stops. The Forest Service will maintain the shuttle stop amenities. Any changes to shuttle stops and proposed new construction must be approved by the Forest Service.

Figure 4: Sabino Canyon Recreation Area Roads and Facilities

1. Shuttle System Roads

National Forest System road 100 – Upper Sabino Canyon Road

National Forest System road 100A – Lower Sabino/Bear Canyon Road

National Forest System road 804 – Sabino Service/Overflow Road

National Forest System road 805 – Warehouse Road

Originally built in the 1930s by the Works Progress Administration for access to a planned dam, the Upper Sabino Canyon Road was never intended for recreational use, much less the number of people who flock to the canyon. The road and bridges are narrow, as they were built for 1930s vehicles, and the stacked rock barriers and posts alongside each bridge have become treasured historical features. There is a forest order in place that closes Sabino Canyon’s National Forest

System roads to private motor vehicle use. Certain exemptions apply (see appendix 1).

National Forest System road 100 (Upper Sabino Canyon Road) is 3.7 miles in length and runs from the Sabino Canyon Visitor Information Center into Upper Sabino Canyon. The Sabino

Canyon route uses all of National Forest System road 100. National Forest System road 100A

(Upper Sabino/Bear Canyon Road) is 1.9 miles in length and intersects National Forest System road 100 approximately 0.5 miles north of the Sabino Canyon Visitor Information Center.

National Forest System road 100 terminates close to Bear Creek and offers access to the Bear

Canyon Trail. The Bear Canyon route uses the all of National Forest System road 100A.

Figure 5: Routes and Existing Shuttle Stops

Table 2: Road geometries, National Forest System Road 100, Upper Sabino Canyon Road

Location Grades

(percentage) Length (feet) Comments

Deadman Hill 8-11 350 Most of road grade is under 10 percent; steepest near crest

Bridge 1 8-10 50 None

Bridge 3 Tight radius

Bridge 4 Tight radius

Bridge 5 8-14 40 None

Bridge 6 8-10 50 None

Ocho Grande (below crossing) 8-10 300 None

Ocho Grande (dip section) -10 to +10 40 40-foot vertical curve length

Stop 8 to Stop 9 7-12 2,900 Most of road grade is 7-9 percent

National Forest System road 805 (Warehouse Road) is .25 miles long and provides access from off the Coronado National Forest from North Sabino Canyon Road to the overflow parking lot.

National Forest System road 805 is intersected by National Forest System road 804 (Sabino

Service/Overflow Road). National Forest System road 804 connects National Forest System road 805 with National Forest System road 100 and is also approximately .25 miles in length.

There are 11 historic vented low-water crossings along these National Forest System roads; nine along National Forest System road 100 (Upper Sabino Canyon Road) and two along National

Forest Service road 100A (Lower Sabino/Bear Canyon Road). These structures are part of the pavement structure, as they have subsurface and arched concrete culverts for drainage of the creek. There are no transition or tangent segments prior to the crossings, and many have tight, curved approaches. Single-lane operation is required to traverse the crossings, and other canyon visitors, whether on foot or on a bicycle, cannot safely cross when a motor vehicle is on the crossing.

Figure 6: Bridge 4 on National Forest System Road 100, Upper Sabino Canyon Road, northeast Aspect (note narrowness and sharp curve at far end)

2. Shuttle System Amenities

Various amenities are located at existing shuttle stops and close to the roads, including restrooms, trailheads, signage, picnic and sitting areas, and trash facilities, which the Forest Service will maintain.

Figure 7: Upper Sabino Canyon Road, Shuttle Stop 2 Amenities

Table 3: Existing Shuttle Stop Amenities – Sabino Canyon Route

Shuttle Stop Number Miles from Visitor Center Facilities

1 1.2 Restroom, picnic, trailhead, water

2 1.4 Picnic, restroom (seasonal)

3 1.6 None

4 2 Picnic, restroom

5 2.3 Picnic

6 2.4 Picnic, restroom (seasonal)

7 3 Trailhead

8 3.2 Restroom, water

9 3.7 Trailhead

Table 4: Existing Shuttle Stop Amenities – Bear Canyon Route

Shuttle Stop Number Miles from Visitor Center Facilities

1 0.6 Picnic, scenic viewpoint, water

2 1.2 Restroom, trailhead, water

3 1.9 Picnic, restroom, scenic viewpoint, trailhead

G. Required Shuttle System Features

Shuttle System Motor Vehicle Design Features

Design features are measures to avoid or reduce adverse environmental and social effects. The following design features were developed to establish sideboards for future shuttle system operations. The design features do not mandate specific technologies or approaches.

Implementation of the design features will be a condition of the special use permit.

1. Exhaust Emissions Design Features

a. Shuttle system equipment must meet all Arizona Department of Environmental Quality street-legal motor vehicle emissions standards for the model year and vehicle class, gross vehicle weight, or other applicable classification.

b. If fuel-burning non-diesel powered motor vehicles are used, they must be equipped and operate with a functional three-way catalytic engine exhaust after-treatment system as provided by the motor vehicle manufacturer. To be compliant both with Arizona

Department of Environmental Quality exhaust emission requirements and to ensure initial and continued compliance with continued functionality of the catalyst systems, all vehicles must be On Board Diagnostics II-equipped as provided by the equipment manufacturer.

c. If fuel-burning diesel powered motor vehicle are used, they must be U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency Tier 2, 3 or 4 emissions-compliant (per https://www.epa.gov/emission-standards-reference-guide) and otherwise factory-compliant with On Board Diagnostics

II and must be equipped and continue to be equipped and operated with a functional diesel oxidation catalyst exhaust after-treatment system as provided by the motor vehicle manufacturer. These motor vehicles must be operated only with on-highway, ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel.

d. Proof of motor vehicle inspections and emissions compliance with Arizona Department of Environmental Quality standards must be provided to the Forest Service annually.

2. Safety

a. Shuttle system motor vehicles must be designed to operate on public roads and must fall into one or more of the following classes as defined by the National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration.

Passenger car.

Multipurpose passenger vehicle (e.g., sport utility vehicle or van).

Bus (including school bus).

Trailer.

Low-speed vehicle.

b. Shuttle system motor vehicles must fully comply with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety

Standards for the vehicle class, allowable speed range (15 miles per hour), and gross vehicle weight rating of the particular motor vehicle used. This requirement applies to the entire vehicle, including any stage in the production of vehicles originally manufactured as incomplete vehicles. See https://www.nhtsa.gov/laws-regulations.

c. Drawn, non-powered shuttle system vehicles (i.e., shuttle trailers) must, at a minimum, comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards Standard 500 unless the shuttle trailer is physically incapable of moving faster than 20 miles per hour, including downgrade. Driver control to restrain speed will not be considered physical incapability.

Shuttle trailers must be able to negotiate the curves and width restrictions in the Sabino

Canyon Recreation Area without touching any constructed roadside or vented low-water crossing features.

d. Powered shuttle system motor vehicles and equipment must meet the minimum safety performance requirements for motor vehicles or motor vehicle equipment per National

Highway Traffic Safety Administration/Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards for the vehicle class and of the vehicle or equipment, as evidenced by equipment manufacturer-applied certification label. At a minimum, each piece of equipment must comply with

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards Standard 500 unless physically incapable of moving faster than 20 miles per hour. Driver control will not be considered physical incapability. If any powered shuttle system vehicle is designed to travel or is physically capable of traveling faster than 25 miles per hour, it will be classified as a highway-legal vehicle and will have to be so equipped. All shuttle system vehicles must be able to negotiate the curves and width restrictions in the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area without touching any constructed roadside or vented low-water crossing features.

e. Shuttle system motor vehicles and equipment will have to be maintained to remain in compliance with the above applicable requirements at all times or will have to be immediately removed from service until compliance is achieved.

f. Shuttle system vehicle speed will not exceed 15 miles per hour in the Sabino Canyon

Recreation Area per posted speed limit.

3. Noise

a. All shuttle system vehicle noise must comply with 23 CFR 772.11, table 1 (appendix 9).

Further, all shuttle system vehicle noise must meet the requirements in Activity Category

C for shuttle system riders while occupying a shuttle vehicle at the center of the shuttle system vehicle passenger area and Activity Category A for all visitors in Sabino Canyon

Recreation Area who are not riding a shuttle system vehicle.

b. Overall in-motion shuttle system noise measured from a distance of 50 feet from any direction and any portion of a shuttle system vehicle must not exceed 65 A-weighted decibels. Overall idling shuttle system vehicle noise measured from a distance of 50 feet from any direction and any portion of a shuttle system vehicle may not exceed 65 A-weighted decibels.

4. Cultural and Historical Resource Protection

a. Shuttle system trailers and motor vehicles must be able to negotiate the curves and width restrictions in the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area without touching any constructed https://www.nhtsa.gov/laws-regulations roadside or vented low-water crossing features (see table 1), which are historic and need to be protected from damage.

5. Scenery Management Considerations

a. Shuttle system colors must be neutral earth tones that blend into the Sabino Canyon landscape (for example, medium-dark, neutral brown, or greyish-brown) and must be approved by the Forest Service.

6. Accessibility

a. Shuttles must meet all applicable provisions, including appendices and figures, of the

United States Department of Transportation’s Americans With Disabilities Act

Accessibility Specifications for Transportation Vehicles, 49 CFR Part 38.

7. Water Quality

a. Shuttle system vehicles must be visually inspected daily for oil, gas, and other fluid leaks.

Inspection results must be maintained in a log that is available for Forest Service review.

Leaking vehicles and vehicles with internal fluid drops visibly present must be removed from service until fully repaired.

b. Sedimentation must be removed from vented low-water crossings and roads and must be hauled to a location specified by the Forest Service, rather than deposited in stream channels. Heavy equipment may be used for this purpose, but vehicles must stay within the clearing limits of the road and must fit within all of the vented low-water crossing features. Removal of sediment must comply with Section 404 of the Clean Water Act of

1970.

8. Wildlife

a. Shuttle system drivers must yield to wildlife crossing roads along the route.

b. Noise from interpretive messages and in-motion shuttle system vehicle operation must be minimized to lessen disturbance to wildlife in Sabino and Bear Canyons. See the noise design features above.

II. Forest Service Programs and Policies

A. Authorities

The shuttle system will be authorized by a special use permit issued under the Federal Lands

Recreation Enhancement Act, 16 U.S.C. 460/-6a, and its implementing regulations at 36 CFR

Part 251, Subpart B, as amended.

The National Forest System roads for the shuttle system will be authorized under the National

Forest Roads and Trails Act, 16 U.S.C. 537, and 36 CFR Part 212, Subpart A, as amended.

B. Area Closures

Per 36 CFR 251.55(b)(1) and (b)(2), the Forest Service reserves the right to close all or a portion of any National Forest System lands and National Forest System roads covered by this prospectus for repair; construction; floods, snow, extreme fire danger, or other natural events;

wildlife protection; or risks to public health and safety. The Forest Service will not be liable to the permit holder for lost revenue, operating costs, or any other losses resulting from these closures. However, for land use fee calculation purposes, the permit will be placed in non-use status as provided by FSH 2709.11, Chapter 30, section 31.23, to the extent the holder is unable to operate during the closures. The Forest Service will minimize impacts on the recreating public and disruption to the permit holder’s operations to the extent feasible when closures are necessary due to construction and maintenance activities.

1. Business Disruption

Rain and flooding are predictable disruptions to the shuttle system. Under current conditions, at least one vented low-water crossing feature will be submerged 16 percent of the time each year, and about half the crossings on the Sabino Canyon route will be submerged 13 percent of the time each year (Cissel 2015). Water depth varies from a few inches to up to one foot. Water overtopping the crossing features leaves sediment which must be removed from the crossing features and the road, so as to allow the shuttle system to run unimpeded and prevent sediment from running into the stream.

C. Administrative Use

The permit holder will be compensated for transportation services provided to the agency, other than for monitoring the shuttle system permit, maintenance of federal improvements authorized by the permit, or other administrative use. The Forest Service will not compensate the holder for transportation services the holder provides to the agency for administrative use. Transportation services provided to the Forest Service for special events will not count again the holder’s daily or annual trip limits.

D. Applicable Forest Orders

Forest orders may be issued to address a variety of management concerns on a particular forest.

Orders related to this offering are identified in appendix 1. Additional applicable forest orders may be issued in the future. Current orders include:

03-05-05-17-037: Prohibition on nudity, camping, discharging firearms, possessing alcohol, pets, glass containers, and any type of vehicle use (including motorized vehicles). Bicycles, unicycles, scooters, skateboards, roller skates and in-line skates are exempt from this prohibition after 5 p.m. and before 9 a.m. on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and

Friday.

E. Ticket Sales and Compilation of Use and Revenue Data

The permit holder must provide use and revenue data to the Forest Service (see appendix 2 of the prospectus for a sample use report). Use reports must be completed monthly and at the end of the operating season and must include daily, night, and charter trips. At a minimum, monthly and year-end use reports must include:

The total number of trips based on daily counts; round trip and one-way.

The total number of people based on daily counts; adults and children.

Total trip fee revenue.

In addition, year-end use reports must include:

Total trip fee revenue.

Total taxes paid.

Total gross revenue.

Total net revenue.

F. Record-Keeping

The permit holder must make all accounting books and supporting records for the authorized operations available for review by the Forest Service or other federal agencies authorized to review Forest Service activities. Review of accounting books and supporting records must be made at dates convenient to the older and reviewers. Financial information must be kept confidential to the extent permitted by law. The holder must retain these records and keep them available for review for 5 years after they are generated, unless otherwise approved by the authorized officer in writing.

The holder must follow generally accepted accounting principles or other comprehensive bases of accounting acceptable to the Forest Service in recording financial transactions and in reporting financial results to the authorized officer. When requested by the authorized officer, the holder at its own expense must have annual accounting reports for the authorized operations audited or prepared by a licensed independent accountant acceptable to the Forest Service. At a minimum, the holder’s accounting system must include:

1. Systematic internal controls, including recording by type of business the gross receipts derived from all operations conducted under this permit. Gross receipts should be recorded daily and, if possible, deposited into a bank account without reduction for disbursements.

2. Receipt entries shall be documented by cash register tapes, sales invoices, rental records, cash accounts from other sources, or some other means.

3. A permanent record of capital investments in fleet (including a depreciation schedule).

4. Generation and maintenance of other records and accounts may be specified by the authorized officer.

G. Accessibility

The Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 require new or altered facilities to be accessible, with few exceptions. In 2004, the Architectural and

Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) issued revised accessibility guidelines for buildings and facilities subject to the Architectural Barriers Act and the Americans with

Disabilities Act. These new guidelines are called the Americans with Disabilities

Act/Architectural Barriers Act Accessibility Guidelines. In 2006, the Forest Service issued the

Forest Service Outdoor Recreation Accessibility Guidelines. The Forest Service Outdoor

Recreation Accessibility Guidelines address types of recreational facilities, including developed recreation sites that are not covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act/Architectural Barriers

Act Accessibility Guidelines.

Any government maintenance, reconditioning, renovation, or improvement (see Section II.J.1) must meet the Americans with Disabilities Act/Architectural Barriers Act Accessibility

Guidelines, where applicable, as well as the Forest Service Outdoor Recreation Accessibility

Guidelines.

The Forest Service Outdoor Recreation Accessibility Guidelines and the Americans with

Disabilities Act/Architectural Barriers Act Accessibility Guidelines are posted on the Forest

Service’s website at: http://www.fs.fed.us/recreation/programs/accessibility. Questions regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act/Architectural Barriers Act Accessibility Guidelines may be referred to the Access Board at www.access-board.gov. Questions regarding the Forest Service

Outdoor Recreation Accessibility Guidelines may be referred to the accessibility coordinator for the Coronado National Forest.

The permit holder is responsible for ensuring effective communication with visitors with disabilities, including persons with impaired vision or hearing, so that all visitors may obtain information on accessible services, activities, and facilities.

H. Optional Use of Federally Owned Improvements (Granger-Thye Act)

The Forest Service may provide certain improvements in conjunction with the shuttle system permit, if requested. Use of federally owned facilities are authorized by special use permits issued under Section 7 of the Granger-Thye (GT) Act, 16 U.S.C. 580d, and implementing regulations at 36 CFR Part 251, Subpart B. Property insurance in addition to liability insurance will be required for use of federally owned improvements. Available federally owned improvements include the following:

1. Sabino Canyon Recreation Area Visitor Information Center

The Sabino Canyon Recreation Area Visitor Information Center consists of a dedicated space within a building at the main entrance to Sabino Canyon that offers interpretive displays, programs, and information services. The Public Lands Interpretive Association shares space in the visitor center with the Forest Service under a partnership agreement to sell books, toys, water, hats, and other tourist items. Space will be available in the visitor center, if desired, for the successful applicant to sell shuttle tickets at the visitor center desk or another proposed location.

http://www.fs.fed.us/recreation/programs/accessibility

Figure 8: Sabino Canyon Visitor Information Center Desk Area

Figure 9: Sabino Canyon Visitor Information Center Gift Shop

The Sabino Canyon Recreation Area Visitor Information Center includes public restrooms, drinking water, shade structures, trash receptacles, trailheads, signs and informational kiosks, and sitting and picnic areas. Visitors who drive to and park at the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area

Visitor Information Center are required to pay a standard amenity recreation fee or display the

Coronado Recreation Pass or a national recreation pass. Walk-in visitors do not pay a recreation fee. Shuttle system visitors who choose to park at the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area Visitor

Information Center to ride on the shuttle system must pay the standard amenity recreation fee in addition to the cost of a shuttle system ticket.

Figure 10: Pull-through at Sabino Canyon Visitor Interpretive Center. The visitor center is to the right, and interpretive displays are to the left.

2. Shuttle System Maintenance Yard

A shuttle system maintenance yard is located within a fenced area approximately 0.15 miles north of the Sabino Canyon Ranger District Warehouse via National Forest System road 804A

(Maintenance Road) and is approximately one acre in size.

Figure 11: Aerial view of the federally owned administrative facility (lower left) and maintenance yard (top right). Existing buildings in the maintenance yard belong to current permit holder.

3. Ticket Booth

The current ticket booth is an 8-by-10-foot federally owned brick building located west of the visitor center, adjacent to the parking lot and shuttle drive-through. This building may continue to be used to provide information and sell tickets if desired by the successful applicant. The total replacement value for the building is estimated at $50,000.

Figure 12: Ticket Booth

4. National Forest System Road 804A (Maintenance Yard Road)

National Forest System road 804A is 0.13 miles long and provides access to the maintenance yard from National Forest System road 804 (Sabino Service/Overflow Road).

I. Utilities and Waste Management

Certain utilities and infrastructure exist for the use of the shuttle system as well as the federally owned facilities identified in this prospectus. The permit holder will be responsible for securing, managing, and paying for these utilities. If the successful applicant chooses to use the Visitor

Information Center, the applicant will be responsible for its proportionate share of the cost of the visitor center utilities. Applicants should contact current service providers to obtain an estimate of the cost of the utilities. These utilities include:

Electrical (ticket booth and maintenance yard)

Tucson Electric Power – 520-623-7711

Telephone (ticket booth and maintenance yard)

Century Link – 877-837-5738

Comcast – 866-366-3598

Verizon – 800-922-0204

Water (maintenance yard)

City of Tucson – 520-791-3242

Garbage (ticket booth and maintenance yard)

Waste Management – 866-909-4458

Hometown Hauling – 520-858-0558

Saguaro Trash – 520-745-8820

Mechanical/Vehicular Fluid and Waste (maintenance yard)

Any approved recycling facility

J. Permit Holder Responsibilities

Holder maintenance, reconditioning, and renovation and Granger-Thye fee offset (paragraphs 1 through 5 below) will apply only if federally owned improvements are authorized under the shuttle system permit.

1. Holder Maintenance, Reconditioning, and Renovation (MRR)

Maintenance, reconditioning, and renovation are defined in the permit (FS-2700-4h, clause

IV.E.1(a), (c)). Holder maintenance, reconditioning, or renovation is defined as maintenance, reconditioning, or renovation that neither materially adds to the value of the property nor appreciably prolongs its life. The work serves only to keep the system in an ordinary, efficient operating condition. From an accounting or tax perspective, it is work that may be expensed, but not capitalized. In fulfilling these responsibilities, the holder must obtain any licenses and certified inspections required by regulatory agencies and follow state and local laws, regulations, and ordinances and industry standards or codes applicable to the permitted operation (FS-2700-

4h, clause IV.E.1(d)). The permit holder, at its expense, will be required to perform holder maintenance, reconditioning, or renovation under a holder maintenance, reconditioning, renovation plan (FS-2700-4h, clause II.D). The holder maintenance, reconditioning, or renovation plan will describe required holder maintenance, reconditioning, or renovation and its frequency. The holder maintenance, reconditioning, renovation plan will become part of the permit holder's annual operating plan.

2. Granger-Thye Fee Offset Agreement

Under Section 7 of the Granger-Thye Act and the terms of the permit, the permit fee for federally owned improvements may be offset in whole or in part by the value of government maintenance, reconditioning, renovation, and improvement performed at the permit holder’s expense on federally owned improvements authorized by the permit. Government maintenance, reconditioning, renovation, and improvement is defined as maintenance, reconditioning, renovation, or improvement that arrests deterioration, improves and upgrades facilities, and appreciably prolongs the life of the property. Government maintenance, reconditioning, renovation or improvement, whether performed by the holder or the Forest Service, shall be performed at the sole discretion of the authorized officer. (See appendix 5 special use permit forms, clause IV.E.)

All government maintenance, reconditioning, renovation, and improvement shall be enumerated in an annual Granger-Thye fee offset agreement signed by the holder and the Forest Service in advance of the operating season. Alternatively, a multi-year fee Granger-Thye fee offset agreement can be prepared for consolidated fee payments.

3. Granger-Thye Fee Offset

Either the holder or the Forest Service may perform Granger-Thye fee offset work. This determination will be made annually. When the holder performs Granger-Thye fee offset work, if it includes construction that costs more than $2,000, it is subject to the Davis-Bacon Act and the fee offset agreement must contain Davis-Bacon Act wage provisions. Additionally, indirect costs may be offset provided the holder submits either a currently approved indirect cost rate or accounting procedures and supporting documentation to determine an indirect cost rate.

When the Forest Service performs Granger-Thye fee offset work, the holder will deposit fee payments into a CWFS account. The Forest Service will perform Granger-Thye fee offset work under a collection agreement and offset those costs against the permit holder’s annual permit fee.

The Forest Service’s indirect costs may be offset at the agency’s approved rate. The Forest

Service and the holder will agree on the work to be performed in advance of each operating season.

4. Fee to the Government

The fee to the government for the use of federally owned improvements may be offset in whole or in part by the value of government maintenance, reconditioning, and renovation, performed at the permit holder’s expense in accordance with a Granger-Thye fee offset agreement. Before the holder’s indirect costs may be offset under a Granger-Thye agreement, the holder must submit its indirect cost rate and supporting documentation for approval. Applicants must disclose accounting procedures and historic indirect cost allocation rates in response to this prospectus, if the optional government-owned facilities are included in the proposal, and if the applicant proposes a Granger-Thye fee offset.

5. Property Insurance

In the event the successful applicant proposes to use any or all of the optional federally owned facilities, property insurance will be required for an amount determined by replacement in kind or for functional replacement.

6. Bonding

The need for a bond depends on the amount of new construction and other ground disturbance associated with the successful applicant’s proposal. Based on the proposed use, including new improvements, and other modifications, the authorized officer will determine whether a bond is needed, and if so, the requisite amount of bonding. If a bond is needed, the authorized officer may reevaluate the need for or the amount of the bond after the first operating season.

III. Special Use Permit

In exercising the rights and privileges granted by the special…