REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) – Public-Federal

March 22, 2019

OUTDOOR RECREATION FUTURING & IMPLICATIONS FOR

A FEDERAL RECREATION AREA

Contractor – Will Naylor

Reason for Visit:

The managers of federal recreation areas seek to improve the outdoor recreation opportunities

offered at our nation’s recreation resources by better anticipating future park challenges and

opportunities. We are particularly interested in identifying the most important trends that will be

affecting area park resources and park use during the next ten years and anticipating the

implications these trends will have for our park management. We seek qualified consulting

organizations that can assist us in this regard and will award one contract.

Assessment:

My overall experience at Mammoth Cave National Park was really good. The park can be

accessible for everyone including those with ADA accommodations. Upon arriving to Mammoth

Cave, I went inside the Visitors Center and learned about the history of the cave in the small

exhibit that you were able to walk through. My first impression of the park was astnoushing

when I saw the entrance of the Historic Cave Tour. My second impression with Mammoth Cave

was that everything was clean and well kept. The area is generally well managed and also well

maintained for guests.

Important Trends/Forces:

The trends that can be found at the Mammoth Cave National Park include the increasing

diversity of people. There is a wide variety of different people who come to experience the

national park. Another trend that Mammoth Cave has is that of innovations changing how we
manage recreation resources because I learned that after talking to one of the rangers they are

trying to create an app for the trails at Mammoth Cave. The last trend that I believe Mammoth

Cave is experience is that of the increasing concern for personal health and safety. Mammoth

Cave houses a rare species of bats called Indian Bats but they can harm a human, therefore

Mammoth Cave has an emergency “bat station” as the sign says and it helps heal the guests

injury. Among the trends listed above I believe that the increasing concern for personal health

and safety would be the most important implication for the site because hiking through a dark

cave tunnel is dangerous and the rangers take precautions to eliminate hazards, add railings, or

elevators when needed.

Recommendations for Management:

The trend that I believe would have the biggest implication at Mammoth Cave would be that of

increasing concern for personal health and safety. This trend is important because you are

dealing with a cave system that is dark and slippery. In order to management this the park should

implement more railings and stairs inside the caves and at the trails.