With roughly a million yearly visitors, there are numerous business opportunities within the boundaries of Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area and Obed Wild & Scenic River, and the National Park Service must determine what types of commercial activities are necessary and appropriate. That is to say, all commercial activities should provide high quality visitor experiences while protecting important natural, cultural, and scenic resources.
Just a few examples of necessary and appropriate activities conducted at the park(s) include guided hikes, helping visitors to explore the park’s many special areas of interest; shuttle services, where visitors may need a lift after a long distance hiking/camping expedition; photography workshops, teaching visitors how to take amazing pictures of scenic viewsheds; food truck service, bringing tasty food to visitors during special events, or at the pool.
In order to expedite processing by park staff as well as allowing for more focused attention for each activity, applications for commercial use authorizations will only be accepted from January 1 through March 31, annually. Applications received outside this time period will not be considered or approved. This does not apply to one-time business operations or special event vendors.
Those who wish to sell food must not only obtain liability insurance to serve food items, they must also submit an additional application for review and approval by Public Health and Safety. This process could take up to three months so be sure to submit the applications as early as possible.
More information and applications may be found on the following websites: https://www.nps.gov/biso/getinvolved/commercial-visitor-services.htm, or at https://www.nps.gov/obed/getinvolved/do-business-with-us.htm.
For more information, contact the fee manager’s office at (423) 569-7321, or send an email to tish_neal@nps.gov.
Tags: commercial use authorization cua
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
