If you enjoy working in the great outdoors, want to be your own boss, have good management and people skills and don't have your heart set on really raking in the bucks, then the Roosevelt Ranger District of the Ashley National Forest Service has just the job for you.

In the interest of increasing opportunities for privatization on forest land and saving some money in the process, the Forest Service is soliciting proposals from prospective concessionaires interested in operating and maintaining three campgrounds in the Uinta River Canyon north of Neola and eight campgrounds on the Yellowstone River and Lake Fork River Canyons north of Altonah. Interested bidders may choose to submit proposals for either one or both of the recreational sites.To help applicants prepare their bids, Nick Giannettino, Forest Service public group leader, has prepared an easy-to-follow prospectus listing revenue taken in at each campground site in previous years, along with operational expenses paid out to maintain services. The document also guides the applicant through the bid process step by step.

Giannettino said that traditionally campground fees collected locally were submitted to Washington, D.C., and then a portion of the revenue was returned to the area. Under the concessionaire system, all campground fees would be reinvested at the site of origin as the concessionaire sees fit.

The responsibility of taking over operations and maintenance at one or both of the recreational sites is intended for a private, commercially oriented business, explained Giannettino.

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The successful bidder will receive a one-year permit with a renewal option for up to five years. The concessionaire's contract would run from the end of May through the beginning of September. The prospectus and application guide are available at the offices of the Duchesne, Roosevelt and Vernal ranger districts. Proposals must be received by 3 p.m. on Friday, March 29. Those with questions should call Giannettino at 722-5018.

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