The Deschutes National Forest is seeking interest requests from individuals or organizations who wish to pursue outfitting and guiding opportunities on the Deschutes National Forest. Outfitters and guides, who typically offer opportunities such as gear and equipment rentals or shuttling services to paying customers, are required to have a special use permit issued by the USDA Forest Service to operate on National Forest lands and waters.
This Request for Information (RFI) is not a formal application process but is intended to determine the level of interest and identify next steps for issuing outfitter and guide special use permits.
Considered services include, but are not limited to:
- Transportation services
- Shuttle services
- Rental and delivery services
The target locations for this request are crowded summer and winter trailheads across the Deschutes National Forest.
The Forest is working to determine whether sufficient competitive interest exists that would warrant issuance of a prospectus. If a prospectus is issued, the Forest Service will review applications through a competitive bid process and issue a limited number of priority use outfitting and guiding permits under the Federal Lands and Recreation Enhancement Act.
Those interested should submit the attached request form to the RFI by March 1, 2024. Submissions can be emailed to the Forest at SM.FS.BFR_FD@usda.gov, or mailed or hand delivered to the Deschutes National Forest Supervisor’s Office at 63095 Deschutes Market Road, Bend, OR, 97701 prior to 4:00 p.m., March 1, 2024. Submissions should include a completed form, found here, including a detailed description of the request along with a proposed map.
To read the full Request for Interest, please visit this page. For questions regarding this RFI or outfitting and guiding opportunities on the Forest, contact Dawnette Boggs at Dawnette.Boggs@usda.gov.
