§101919 National Park Service Concessions Management Advisory Board

Summary

Creates a National Park Service Concessions Management Advisory Board to advise the Secretary and the Park Service on running park concessions. The board must advise on rules to make concession services necessary, meet acceptable standards at fair prices, avoid harm to park resources, and let concessioners earn a reasonable profit. It must also suggest ways to make concession programs cheaper, faster, and less burdensome. The board will recommend whether the Service should hire private firms for some management tasks, how to speed up rate reviews, what counts as eligible Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian handicrafts, and how concession fees should be allocated. The board must send one annual report to the House Committee on Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The Secretary appoints up to seven U.S. citizens for staggered terms up to 4 years; they must not be federal employees or have an interest in a Service concession. The seven members include people with hotel/food service and park concession experience, tourism, accounting, outfitting/guide, a State park concession expert, a promoter of traditional arts and crafts, and a nonprofit conservation representative. Serving on the board is not treated as federal employment for conflict or certain retirement rules. The board will operate until December 31, 2009, and otherwise follows chapter 10 of title 5.