National Park Service Hosting Webinars Reviewing Updated Commercial Use Authorization Policy

In preparation for the updated Commercial Use Authorization (CUA) restrictions and fees for road-based commercial tour operators that will be effective starting October 1, 2019, the National Park Service (NPS) will be hosting two webinars to ensure operators know this vital information.

The webinar hosts will review CUA application processes, CUA and entrance fee requirements, reporting requirements and additional relevant topics.

A CUA allows an individual, group, company or other for-profit entity to conduct commercial activities and provide specific visitor services within a national park unit. The NPS issues CUAs to manage a wide-range of commercial visitor services, in addition to road-based commercial tours. Depending on the park, this can include guided mountaineering and backpacking, bike tours, kayak trips, photography workshops, scuba diving classes, fishing trips and much more.

Webinar dates include April 24, 2019 and May 6, 2019—with times TBD. Webinar times and access links will be posted to the NPS Commercial Use Authorizations website, so please visit the site for updates.

Want an answer to a specific question? The NPS Commercial Services Program will also share a CUA program email address on the website, which will serve as a central point of contact. Once shared, NPS welcomes the submission of questions via that email account, which they’ll then seek to address on the webinars.

You may not conduct commercial activities in a park unit without a valid CUA, so be sure to tune in to hear the latest.

Courtesy of eSYTA.

Photo courtesy of NPS/Andrew Kuhn.