NPS Mission - National Park Service

National Park Service FY 2013 Budget Justifications
Subactivity: Visitor Services
Program Component: Commercial Services
Justification of FY 2013 Program Changes
The FY 2013 budget request for the Commercial Services program is $14,368,000 and 111 FTE, a
program change of -$156,000 and -1 FTE from FY 2012 Enacted.
Reduce Park Base Operations Funding (FY 2012 Base: $1,385,170,000 / FY 2013: -$156,000 / -1
FTE) – Of the proposed $21.560 million reduction to park base operations, $0.156 million is reduced in
the program area Commercial Services.
To achieve the reduction to park base operations the National Park Service will employ various
strategies, from reducing operating hours and visitor services during times of low visitation to limiting
seasonal hiring. These strategies and tools to effect reductions will be developed at the Servicewide level,
with implementation based largely on an individual park’s capacity to absorb the reductions while
maintaining effective levels of resource protection, visitor services, and visitor and employee protection.
The effects on commercial services could result in a decrease in the quality of service concessionaires
receive from park staff and a decrease in the park’s ability to oversee safe and consistent concessions
operations.
In an effort to minimize negative impacts on visitors, parks may limit use of certain areas, such as
campgrounds and facilities, for longer periods of time and reduce or adjust hours of operations and visitor
services in times of low visitation and during shoulder seasons. Some savings could be achieved by
reducing utility usage, limiting maintenance supplies and contracts, strictly managing in-park travel, and
finding other creative reductions in services, but in most cases adjusting permanent staff levels would
provide the greatest savings, as personnel costs comprise the majority of the average park operating
budget. Approximately two percent of employees would be lost through regular attrition and many
positions that become vacant would not be filled. Furlough periods for subject-to-furlough workers may be
extended, and as a last resort, a small number of permanent, full-time employees may be furloughed for a
short period.
However, closures, limited access, and limited services during lower visitation periods may not be a viable
option for some parks. Many parks already limit access to certain areas during these periods and would
not be able to achieve the necessary savings through this strategy. Furthermore, some parks do not have
lower visitation periods, or a way to limit public access. In these cases, parks may have to limit visitor
services year round. This would include reducing the number of seasonal employees who are historically
hired during peak visitation season. Reductions in seasonal hiring would likely affect the frequency of
park employees in making contact with visitors, giving general park information, presenting interpretive
programs, maintaining grounds and high-use facilities such as restrooms, and many other duties
associated with seasonal work. This strategy could have an impact on a greater number of visitors than
would reductions during non-peak visitation or shoulder seasons; however, reducing seasonal employees
may prove to be the only option for parks with little flexibility or smaller operations. Additional information
on park base funding can be found on page ONPS-109.
Program Overview
Through concession contracts and commercial use authorizations, a variety of commercial services are
provided to park visitors. The Commercial Services Program oversees these services to ensure visitors
receive fair value for the goods or services provided, and to ensure the federal government receives a fair
return from concessioners. Oversight of park facilities leases is also provided through the Commercial
Services Program.
The Yellowstone Park Act of 1872 gave the Secretary of the Interior the authority to grant leases,
privileges and permits to private citizens and corporations for operating commercial services on public
lands. By 1916, the year the National Park Service was established, concession operations existed in
many national park areas. In 1965, the Concessions Policy Act, P.L. 89-249 established greater
ONPS-52