Date: December 5, 2017
Contact: Letitia Neal, (423) 569-9778
Contact: Christopher Derman
With roughly one million yearly visitors, there are necessary and appropriate 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. All commercial activities must operate in a manner that is consistent with the mission of the park(s) and the National Park Service. That is to say, all commercial activities should provide high quality visitor experiences while protecting important natural, cultural, and scenic resources.
Effective 2018, in an effort 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) 569-2404 ext. 240, or send an email to tish_neal@nps.gov.
