Posted: April, 2008

Great Smoky Mountains National Park has announced that Elizabeth Burns Cook has been selected to operate Smokemont Riding Stables under the terms of a new 7-year concession contract. The new contract, effective May 1, 2008, was approved by NPS Southeast Region Acting Regional Director Paul R. Anderson.

The projected opening date for the stables is May 21, 2008. The services provided under the new contract will include guided horseback rides, wagon rides, vending, firewood and ice, limited souvenir sales, and souvenir photographs. Wagon rides, limited souvenir sales, and souvenir photographs are being provided for the first time under the new concession contract. The new concessioner plans to renovate the existing facilities and add some new temporary facilities to improve service to visitors and provide a more functional concession facility. (The wagon rides may be delayed somewhat due to water and sewer line installation along the wagon ride route.)

Smokemont

Elizabeth Burns Cook is a Bryson City native with a number of years of experience in customer/client relations. Cook's brother, Donnie Burns, who was the on-site manager for the prior concessioner for 17 years, will bring his riding stable management experience to this new concession operation as the on-site manager. Cook said that “Working together in a team effort, Donnie and I look forward to providing a safe, fun, family friendly horseback or wagon riding experience to visitors to Great Smoky Mountains National Park as well as for local residents.”

The award of this new concession contract concludes 29-years of operation of this stable by Smokemont Riding Stables of N.C., Inc. (Roger Battle, President). Battle chose not to compete for this new concession contract and is looking forward to his retirement from the horseback riding stable business. Park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson noted, “Roger Battle has provided an important service to Park visitors and the National Park Service at Smokemont Riding Stables since 1979. We appreciate his many years of service to the Park visitor.”

The National Park Service began soliciting proposals in September 2007 from prospective concessioners through the issuance of a prospectus that described the terms and conditions of the concession contract and the procedures to be followed in the selection of the best proposal. The proposal submitted by Elizabeth Burns Cook was one of three proposals received by the NPS in response to this solicitation.

The selection of a concessioner to operate Smokemont Riding Stables is the result of a competitive process that is required by the National Park Service Concessions Management Improvement Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-391). A team of experts convened by the Southeast Regional Office analyzed the proposals received based on criteria specified in the Act.

Those criteria include protecting and conserving park resources, providing necessary and appropriate services to the public at reasonable rates, the experience of the concessioner, the financial capability of the concessioner, and the proposed franchise fee.

For inquiries on the concessions operations, contact the concessioner at call 828-497-2373.

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