Facing stiff criticism from one of its main allies, Glacier National Park has backtracked on a contractual proposal for maintaining the park’s historic red buses, now requiring that the park’s next concessions contractor maintain the entire 33-bus fleet.

In a Jan. 23 letter to acting Superintendent Kym Hall, Glacier Park Foundation President John Hagen made it clear the 650-member foundation opposes a contract prospectus provision requiring that just 15 of the 33 world-famous “red jammers”  be maintained.

The park has a March 14 bid deadline for a 16-year contract for operating and maintaining lodges, retail, food and beverage services and transportation services including the red buses. The contract currently is held by Glacier Park Inc., which will be bidding for the new contract that becomes effective next year.

“The Glacier Park Foundation anticipates being a vigorous advocate for the preservation of all the historic red buses as operational vehicles. We’re prepared to enlist our national network of members in contacting Congress and in seeking media coverage,” Hagen wrote from Minneapolis, Minn.

On Wednesday the park announced that terms of the prospectus will be modified “to reinforce the park’s intention to retain the operation of the entire fleet of red buses while providing safe, informative and memorable experiences for Glacier National Park visitors.”

The next concessions contractor “will be responsible for the management and upkeep of the red buses. The National Park Service owns all the existing 33 historic red buses in the fleet. Through the terms of the pending concessions contract, the National Park Service intends to monitor the condition of the red buses and rehabilitate the buses as needed over the course of the 16-year contract,” a park press release states.

Modifications to the prospectus are being developed to clarify the new requirements, and those modifications will be posted on a Park Service website in February, the release states.

“We love the red buses and our intent has been to retain this iconic symbol of the park,” Hall said.

Glacier Park Foundation members, which include about 100 former red bus drivers, became alarmed when they found the prospectus would require the next contractor to restore 15 red buses, but “replace the remaining 18 with alternative fuel vehicles costing not less than $4,025,000” by the year 2029.

“Our members recently have been dismayed to learn of the proposed retirement of more than half the fleet as part of a new concession contract,” Hagen wrote in his letter to Hall.

“We’re astonished that this decision was made with no input whatsoever from the public,” he added.

Using outside consultants, the park determined that the cost of rehabilitating 15 red buses would cost the next contractor not less than $4,410,000.

“Given that the figures per bus are comparable, why should historic buses be replaced rather than refitted?” Hagen asked.

Prior to the park hearing from Hagen and other bus advocates, Glacier officials explained that just because the prospectus was silent on what would happen to the remaining 18 buses does not mean they would be scrapped. They said those buses eventually could be restored by the National Park Service, possibly with the help of park partners.

That’s what happened in 1999, when the entire fleet was retired because of structural problems that were detected. Working with the National Park Foundation, the Ford Motor Co. invested about $6.5 million in restoring the buses, adapting their 1930s-era bodies with modern chassis and other parts.

The park press release states that “it is recognized that the required custom rehabilitation work will be very expensive.” What remains to be seen is if that cost deters potential concession contractors from bidding on the next long-term contract.

The Glacier Park Foundation is a nonprofit park partner that was formed in 1980 by employees of park lodges. It is dedicated to promoting public interest in Glacier, with a particular interest in preserving the park’s historic visitor facilities.

Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by email at jmann@dailyinterlake.com.