OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK 

COMMERCIAL USE AUTHORIZATION 

SPECIAL PARK CONDITIONS 

THESE CONDITIONS ARE APPLICABLE TO ALL AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES and AREAS LISTED ON THIS AUTHORIZATION. 

1. Permits/Licenses – The holder must obtain all permits or licenses of State or local governments, as applicable, necessary to conduct the business activities specified above and must operate in compliance with all pertinent Federal, State, and local laws and regulations. 

2. Violations – Violation of park regulations or the terms of this permit may result in the suspension of privileges granted by this permit and could lead to citations, fines, and/or the revocation or suspension of this and future CUA’s.  

3. Employee/Agent Responsibility – The holder shall insure that all company employees and vehicle operators entering the park are informed of the conditions of this authorization. (The holder may be cited for any authorization violations committed by their employee and/or agent.) A copy of the entire Commercial Use Authorization (CUA) must be present and accessible at all times while conducting business in the park. A digital copy may only be used if it is stored on a tablet device with a screen size of at least 7 inches. 

4. Vehicle Markings – All vehicles must display company information that meets the following minimum requirements: a. Company name. b. Number issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) if applicable. c. Markings must appear on both sides of the vehicle. d. The letters must contrast sharply in color with the background on which the letters are placed. e. Markings must be legible, during daylight hours, from a distance of 50 feet when the vehicle is stationary. 

5. Business Operations – This authorization does not authorize the permittee to advertise, solicit business, collect any fees, or sell any goods or services on lands owned and controlled by the United States. The Authorization is for incidental business operations when there are no fixed commercial facilities within a national park area, the commercial activity originates and terminates outside the park, no money changes hands on park lands and no commercial solicitation occurs on park lands. 

6. Operating Plan – The holder will provide the Superintendent with an Operating Plan for approval, which will include: 

1. Description of proposed services to be provided; 

2. Copies of advertising brochures or other handouts describing trips in the park;   

3. Detailed itineraries for each planned trip showing their beginning and ending dates, routes with trailhead entries and exits, group sizes, and camping locations; 

4. Season of main period(s) of operation; 

5. Description of motorized equipment, watercraft, or stock use (if any); 

6. Environmental information provided to clients; 

7. Sanitation precautions/procedures that apply to your service; 

8. Risk Management and or Safety Plan for park activities to be filed with Superintendent; 

9. The holder will provide the Superintendent with a list of paid and unpaid staff working in the park.  

10. The holder will provide the Superintendent with a list of all medical and food handler certifications held by paid and unpaid staff working in the park. Staff members will carry certifications on their person while working in the park. 

7. Damages – The permittee will leave the area(s) authorized for use under this permit in substantially the same condition as it was prior to the activities authorized herein. The permittee shall pay the United States for any damage resulting from this use which would not reasonably be inherent in the use which the permittee is authorized to make of the land described in this authorization. 

    

    

8. CUA Annual Report (NPS form 10-660)– Within sixty (60) days after the end of each year or at the end of your business season, the holder shall submit an annual report that summarizes total in-park visitor use and includes gross revenues for the year. For the purpose of this authorization, gross revenues are defined as “the total amount received, realized by, or accruing to the business operator for all sales of goods and services provided by the business operator for payment by cash, barter, or credit pursuant to the privileges granted by the authorization. This includes income from the subsidiary or other operation located outside of lands administered by the National Park Service to the extent that they support operations authorized by the authorization. A new CUA will not be issued to prior-year CUA holders until a complete and accurate Annual Report has been submitted for the prior year. The CUA Annual Report (NPS form 10-660) is available on the park’s CUA website. 

    

    

9. Closures/Cancellations – In the event of park closures or temporary delays this authorization does not grant the holder or clients any special privileges for entry into the park. Park staff may not be approached in the park for additional information regarding closures while performing their duties. The National Park Service reserves the right to: 

   1. Limit the operation of authorization holders in specific areas or during specific time periods 

   2. Schedule use of or close any trail, road, or other areas of attraction 

   3. Information about closures can be found at: https://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/conditions.htm 

10.  Leaders/Guides – Leaders/Guides are defined as any person paid or unpaid representing the holder during activities conducted in the park. Each group must have one person identified as the group or trip leader who will remain with the group at all times. If the party is divided into more than one group, each group will have a trip leader. The trip leader will inform the group of all park rules and regulations and has responsibility for the group. Guides must wear company clothing and/or nametags to be identifiable. 

              11.  Orientation – The trip leader must provide an orientation to clients. The orientation must include basic hiking etiquette (e.g., passing other hikers), Leave No Trace principles, a resource message explaining human impacts, park rules and regulations, safety procedures, litter, human waste, and emergencies. Each                 participant should be supplied with a map of the park area.  

              12.  Monitoring – The permittee is subject to monitoring of their activities by NPS personnel to ensure compliance with the terms of this agreement, federal laws, rules, requirements, policies, park regulations, and any park-specific management plans. Vehicle, operator, license, and authorization compliance                                inspections may occur at any time by National Park Service personnel. 

               13.  Reporting Accidents – An accident resulting in personal injury, death, or property damage shall be reported to the Superintendent as soon as possible, and no later than 24 hours after the occurrence. [36 CFR 2.33, 3.4, 4.4] All motor vehicle accidents resulting in injury, personal/government property damage, or                   injury to park wildlife or resources must be reported to park law enforcement immediately by dialing (360-565-3115). Commercial operators must remain on the scene until the arrival of law enforcement officers. Each group must carry a first aid kit. 

                14.  Violation Reporting – If the guide, driver, owner, company, or any other affiliated employee associated with the tour receives a citation for violating CUA conditions in the park, this citation must be reported to the Commercial Services office as soon as possible—no later than 24 hours after occurrence—at                         olym_cua_admin@nps.gov. Visit https://www.nps.gov/olym/getinvolved/dobusinesswithus.htm to review the CUA Suspension, Restriction, Revocation, and Application Denial Policy for Olympic National Park. 

               15.  Allocation – The National Park Service will retain the option to establish user allocation in future years in the event that the volume of use may increase to levels where specific controls or use limits must be imposed. 

                 16.   Exclusive Use – The CUA holder may not reserve or attempt to exclude park visitors from any area of the park. 

                  17.  CUA Use – Only one CUA may be used for each guided tour when entering the park and for permitted incidental activities. 

                   18.  Rescues & Emergencies – The permittee shall notify the nearest National Park Service contact station or uniformed employee of an emergency or for lost or missing clients. The holder is responsible for providing their clients with the necessary information to locate or contact their group if they become                                delayed or separated. Commercial operators may not abandon their clients in the park and are solely responsible for making arrangements for their clients to rejoin and without unnecessary delay. While self-rescue is encouraged in cases where no additional resources are needed, the National Park Service retains the                    authority to make the determination to employ additional resources when the situation warrants. To report rescues or emergencies call (360-563-3115). 

                   19.  Trails & Walkways -The CUA holder will ensure that all clients on their trip minimize impact while camping and traveling.  The holder will educate its staff and clients about vulnerable subalpine and alpine plant communities in Olympic National Park and will include an outline of this “environmental                                 education” curriculum in its Operating Plan submitted with the CUA application.  Clients must travel and congregate on durable surfaces (dirt, gravel, rock, snow, forest duff, sedges and grasses); group members traveling off trails must spread themselves out to disperse impacts while hiking on vegetation and                             where possible, avoid walking on heather and huckleberry.  Groups should make every effort to plan to camp where they know unvegetated camps exist.  Groups must situate tent sites and common areas for gathering and cooking on bare ground (unvegetated surfaces such as dirt, gravel, rock, snow, or forest duff)                       or on resilient vegetation such as sedges or grasses if bare ground is not available.  Individuals must travel between tent sites and these common areas on durable surfaces.  Camping on meadows of heather (genus Phyllodoce), huckleberry (genus Vaccinium), Partridge Foot (Leutkea pectinata), lilies (genus                                   Erythronium), Sitka Valerian (Valeriana sitchensis), or other fragile vegetation is prohibited. 

                   20.  Food and Trash – All garbage, including food scraps and cigarette butts, must be removed from park areas. Feeding wildlife is prohibited, as it poses risks to both humans and wildlife. Guides must collect all trash generated on the tour and dispose of it outside the park. 

                   21.  Area Use - The area(s) authorized for use under this authorization must be left in substantially the same condition as it was prior to the activities authorized herein.  The holder will be liable for any damages to property of the United States resulting from the activities authorized hereunder.  The CUA does not                        authorize priority use of park areas.  The holder is prohibited from blocking access or impeding the flow of traffic along any roads, trails, walkways, or any National Parks Service (NPS) or concessioner facilities. 

                   22.  Public Health - To ensure minimum standards for public health are maintained in the wilderness (backcountry) where front country standards are not achievable, the holder conducting backpacking trips is “required” to comply with the guidelines of the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) for Food, Potable                        Water, Human Waste, Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, and Illness Reporting in backcountry operations.  For additional information, go to:  http://www.nps.gov/public_health/info/rms/rm83f.pdf.  Staff for each trip or group are “required” to be a certified food handler if they are preparing food for the clients or                    instructing clients on preparing food during the trip.  Staff will carry a copy of their food handler’s card while guiding in the park.  A food service worker training card issued by a state, county, or local health department will be accepted. 

Insurance Certification

Insurance Company rating letter

List of Guides and expiration dates of all certifications 

Risk management plan

Itineraries for all trips into the park

Wilderness reporting form (if applicable)