Ozark-St. Francis National Forest Prospectus for Resort and Related Granger-Thye Concessions "White Rock"

The United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service is soliciting proposals for a resort concession special use permit to operate and maintain recreation facilities at Shores Lake and White Rock Recreation Areas within the Ozark-St. Francis National Forests in the Boston Mountain Ranger District. This concession opportunity, available under the Granger-Thye program, seeks a qualified operator to provide high-quality public service and facility management at these government-owned properties. The three-year average gross revenue for this offering is $258,709.48, reflecting the combined revenue streams from camping, day-use fees, retail store operations, and firewood sales. The Forest Service intends to award the special use permit to the successful applicant, who will begin operations in January 2027. The concession involves operating Shores Lake's 25-site campground, boat launch, swimming beach, and picnic facilities, as well as White Rock's lodge (16-guest capacity), three rental cabins, campsites, and group campsite.

Applicants must submit a comprehensive proposal package including a business plan, financial documentation, and a $300 business plan evaluation fee by the deadline of March 2, 2026, at 4:30 p.m. CST, with both hard copy and electronic submissions required. A mandatory site tour is scheduled for January 5, 2026, with RSVP required by December 31, 2025. The Forest Service will evaluate applications based on the proposed annual operating plan, business plan quality, business experience and references, proposed fee structure for both government payments and public charges, and demonstrated financial resources. The permit term will extend up to 20 years, and prospective applicants must carefully review the prospectus, including recent errata and questions-and-answers documents, to understand facility conditions, revenue composition, historical performance data, and operational expectations. Interested parties should contact David Brickley at 479-667-2191 or david.brickley@usda.gov for questions or to RSVP for the site tour.