The National Park Service (NPS) has selected Yankee Roamer VIII, L.L.C., to operate round trip passenger ferry service between Key West, Fla., and Dry Tortugas National Park, and provide other specified services, under the terms of a 10-year concession contract.  These services are
currently provided under Commercial Use Authorizations issued by the NPS to Yankee Roamer VIII, L.L.C., and Sunny Days Catamaran, Inc.

The NPS issued a prospectus soliciting proposals for this contract in May 2008 and received four proposals. The proposals were analyzed by a panel of NPS concession specialists and industry subject matter experts. The panel operated under the provisions of the 1998 National Park Service Concessions Management Improvement Act, and applied the selection factors
described in detail in the prospectus. Yankee Roamer VIII, L.L.C.'s proposal was selected by the panel as the "best proposal."

The NPS will soon finish revising the contract and, upon completion, will send it to Yankee Roamer VIII, L.L.C., for review and signature. Subsequently, the contract will be sent to Congress for a mandatory 60-day review period. After Congressional review and clearance, the NPS Southeast Regional Director, David Vela, will sign and award the new contract.

Until the final contract is awarded, park visitors can continue to use either Yankee Roamer VIII, L.L.C., or Sunny Days Catamaran, Inc., for ferry service to Dry Tortugas National Park.

Everglades and Dry Tortugas National Parks Superintendent Dan Kimball said, "We are very pleased that a selection has been made for this important visitor service. We look forward to having an excellent relationship with the Yankee Roamer VIII team, and continuing to provide great experiences to our visitors."