REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS -- DEVELOPMENT AND ADVANCEMENT OF CARRYING CAPACITY MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES FOR THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE The NPS mandate is to preserve park resources and provide for visitor enjoyment. NPS managers are often challenged with limiting visitor use to protect resources, preserve visitor experiences, and/or resolve visitor use conflicts. Carrying capacity management techniques available to guide management objectives need to be rigorously tested, refined and made accessible to managers. The NPS Social Science Program is funding research necessary for advancing and developing carrying capacity management techniques for the NPS. The purpose of this research project is to advance one or more carrying capacity management techniques. The specific research objectives are: 1) to test hypotheses and/or methods that advance one or more of several carrying capacity management techniques, and write and submit a research manuscript about the results of this research to a peer-reviewed publication; OR 2) to answer a research question that is central to developing carrying capacity management techniques for the National Park System, and write and submit a research manuscript about the results of this research to a peer-reviewed publication. The research project will be awarded as a subcontract, funded through an existing cooperative agreement between the NPS and the University of Idaho Cooperative Park Studies Unit (CPSU). The cost is expected to be within the range of $40,000 to $45,000 including all overhead charges. A copy of the full Request for Proposals (RFP) packet is required to prepare a competitive proposal. Copies of the RFP packet can be sent by surface mail only (they are not available electronically or by express courier service) and can be requested by contacting Sandy Watson by phone at 208-885-7054, fax at 208-885-4261 or email at swatson@uidaho.edu. Proposals must be received no later than 1 March 2000 at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. Posted 12/13/99 (W-SN407973).

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