COMMERCIAL USE AUTHORIZATIONS

Commercial Use Authorizations

A permit is necessary to conduct business in a park area or to collect monies for any business conducted in a park area. This type of permit is known as a commercial use authorization, or CUA.

Allowable commercial activities or services are determined by park managers, who must consider several aspects of the use:

• Is the use consistent with the site's purpose, mission and visitor service objectives?
• Is the use necessary and appropriate for the public use and enjoyment of the site?
• Must the use occur inside the site, or is there another place for it outside of park boundaries?
• Will the use cause unacceptable impacts to the site?

Even with a CUA, commercial operations must either provide services that originate and terminate outside of the park area (all monies collected off-site), or provide services that take place solely within a site and have gross annual receipts of no more than $25,000. Adequate liability insurance is required, and a performance bond may also be required under certain circumstances.

Examples of appropriate uses requiring a CUA would be art class taking place in the park where a fee has been charged to the students, a hiking group whose participants have been rented equipment before being brought to the park, or a fitness instructor bringing clients to a site to exercise.

Commercial filming and photography are handled separately (link to Commercial Filming and Photography page).

Non-profit groups with no taxable income from the commercial use of the site do not require a CUA, but will need to obtain a special use permit (link to Special Event page). A letter from the applicant will be required, stating that there will be no taxable income derived from the use.

To find out if you should apply for a CUA, please call 1-845-486-1966 and speak to the Special Park Use Coordinator or call 1-845-229-9115 to speak to the Deputy Superintendent. All permits must be signed and all permit conditions agreed to by both the applicant and the superintendent before a permit is valid and use of the site is authorized. You may begin the application process by submitting a completed and signed application along with a check or money order for the $50.00 application cost recovery charge to the address on the application.

COMMERCIAL USE APPLICATION.DOC

COMMERCIAL USE APPLICATION.PDF