Specifications.pdf
PDF 132 KB Posted
- Attached to
- Mules for Packing Operations Four (4) - GRCA Federal contract opportunity
- Solicitation number
- 140P1223Q0119
About this file
This document outlines specifications for a solicitation seeking mules for packing operations at Grand Canyon National Park. The National Park Service requires fully broke mules that are between 3 to 7 years old and either 14 or 15 hands in size. Mules must be suitable for packing up to 160 pounds for at least 7 miles over varied terrain including hills, mountains, meadows, forests, canyons, and desert. Two NPS packers will evaluate mules at the seller's location by saddling, packing, riding, and forming strings to test the mules' suitability. Mules must allow hoof handling and shoeing and come with a one-year warranty. The selected mules will be transported by NPS packers rather than freighted to the park.
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| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| Sol_140P1223Q0119.pdf |
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Text version
RFQ 140P1223Q0119
Specifications for Mules for National Park Service (NPS) Packing Operations at Grand Canyon National Park
These specifications establish a criteria for the purchase of mules for Grand Canyon National Park (GRCA) Trail Crew Mule Packing operations. The following specified requirements must be met for each mule before the final selection and acceptance of the mules can take place.
• Each mule must be fully broke.
• Each mule must be at least 3 years of age and no more than 7 years of age.
• Gender does not matter
• Size: 14 or 15 hands would be ideal
• Big boned or light boned is acceptable
• 2 NPS packers must be able to go to the seller’s location and hand pick each mule that they want to purchase from what is presented by the mule/livestock seller.
• When NPS packers arrive to seller’s location they must be allowed sufficient time to, catch, bridle, and fully saddle each mule. This includes both packing tack and riding saddles.
• NPS packers must be allowed to ride and pack each mule and form a string with said animals to ensure they can safely be packed and can haul up to 160 pounds of weight for at least 7 miles. The NPS packers must be allowed to arrange the mules how they want to in the string to ensure that each mule can be packed as a lead mule of a pack string, or as an end mule of a pack string or as a in the middle mule within the pack string. NPS packers will determine where each mule will go within the string. The setting provided for NPS Packers to perform the various packing duties needs to be a more natural setting that includes but is not limited to: hill terrain, mountainous terrain, large open meadows, large open pastures, forested terrain, canyon terrain, terrain with creeks and bridges, scrub pine and juniper forest terrain, and desert terrain. Really any outdoor terrain that is not confined to a corral or building and is not in an urban area will do. A corral regardless of shape and size or any indoor setting will not be an acceptable location to saddle, pack, and generally test the potential purchases.
• NPS packers must be allowed time to handle each hoof of each mule.
• The mule seller must demonstrate that each mule that NPS Packers are interested in can be shod on all 4 hoofs. Each hoof must be trimmed and shod to demonstrate that the mule allows each foot to be handled and shod.
• NPS Packers will have the final say on which mules they decide to purchase.
• Each mule must be provided with a One (1) year warranty that NPS Packers can call in exchange for another mule, and the for a myriad of reasons NPS Packers determine to include:
o It is found that after initial purchase mule is unable to handle the harsh physical environment of Grand Canyon such as the extreme heat and extreme unending steepness that is Grand Canyon.
o Mule cannot be safely shod with new mule shoes every 6 to 8 weeks.
o Mule is unsafe to pack and haul dirt around NPS packers and around other mules within pack string.
o It is found that mule will no longer allow NPS Packers to catch and/or saddle said mule.
o It is found that mule is a kicker or a biter towards NPS packers, other trail crew/NPS employees and other visitors.
o Mule refuses to travel through a tunnel and onto the black bridge of Grand Canyon.
o Mule refuses to travel across any of the bridges encountered on the North Kaibab trail or along any bridge encountered within Grand Canyon National Park.
o Mule is prone to causing wrecks while undergoing any packing operations within Grand Canyon National Park.
o Mule is unable to handle the physical requirements of packing within Grand Canyon National Park.
If NPS packers determine that they need to exchange a mule for another mule from the contract vendor, then NPS packer will reach that determination within One (1) year of purchase date and will closely coordinate with vendor / seller on logistics to facilitate said exchange. The exchange can occur by either NPS Packers traveling to sellers’ location and making the exchange in person. NPS packer and seller can agree to meet in a common location to facilitate exchange.
Seller can travel to Grand Canyon Nation Park on the South Rim to facilitate exchange. Either way the same criteria will apply to the exchanged mule and final decision of the agreed upon exchanged mule will lie with the NPS packer.
These mules are not to be freighted to Grand Canyon. The whole point of this is for the NPS Packers to go to an agreed upon location, or to the vendors property/ranch/location, to test the mules in a natural setting and to be able to select the mules that NPS packers have saddled, ridden, and packed, and have determined to be satisfactory to be Grand Canyon NPS Pack Mules. The NPS Packers will travel with livestock trailer in tow and will be able to travel back to Grand Canyon with the mules they have selected. There will be no need, nor will it be acceptable for the Vendor to freight the mules to Grand Canyon.
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