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A commercial use authorization (CUA) allows you to conduct commercial activities and provide specific visitor services within a national park unit. A CUA is required if you provide any goods, activities, services, agreements, or other function for park visitors that take place at least in part on lands managed by the NPS; use park resources; and result in compensation, monetary gain, benefit, or profit to you, when a concession contract is not necessary.
Application Open Season
The application season for CUAs for calendar year 2025 at Channel Islands National Park is now closed, and will be open from October 1 to November 30, 2025 for calendar year 2026. Applicants can visit the online application system to apply and to learn more. All applicants will be required to sign up for a Login.gov account. The application fee to obtain a CUA will be $350.
A Commercial Use Authorization (CUA) authorizes incidental commercial visitor services of an individual, group, company, or other for-profit entity to conduct business that begins and ends outside the park.
This service is defined as kayaking or snorkeling single-day tours where the park's transportation concessioner is used to deliver watercraft, guides, and program participants to and from the park. These tours can include all park locations except the “Scorpion Area”, East Santa Cruz Island, for which the kayak concessioner has exclusive operating access.
Water-Based activities are defined as guided kayaking or paddleboarding in park waters excluding the "Scorpion Area", East Santa Cruz Island, for which the park kayak concessioner has exclusive operating access. Guided water-based activities are NON-landing daytrips only and supported by a "mothership", where watercraft or snorkelers are launched from, and return to, a USCG-approved vessel.
Appendix D: Non-Landing Water-Based Tours and Education (Day Trips Only):
This service type is defined as day-trip whale watching, sightseeing, marine wildlife viewing, photography tours, or recreational snorkeling/SCUBA within park waters. Water-based activities such as kayaking, snorkeling or paddleboarding from the vessel require additional insurance coverage. Water-based activities are based on a philosophy of “No-Take” resource education and preservation.
These tours are intended to span 3-5 days and serve as marine wildlife viewing, sightseeing, photography, kayaking, recreational snorkeling and SCUBA. All program participants must sleep on the vessel and cannot use park campgrounds. Water-based activities such as kayaking, snorkeling or paddleboarding from the vessel require additional insurance coverage. Water-based activities are based on a philosophy of “No-Take” resource education and preservation.
These tours are intended to span 3-5 days and serve as marine wildlife viewing, sightseeing, photography, kayaking, recreational snorkeling and SCUBA. This activity is defined by limited landing opportunities to underserved park docks and piers, and excludes landing at Scorpion, East Santa Cruz Island during the peak season from April 1 through October 31. All program participants must sleep on the vessel and cannot use park campgrounds. Water-based activities such as kayaking, snorkeling or paddleboarding from the vessel require additional insurance coverage. Water-based activities are based on a philosophy of “No-Take” resource education and preservation.
Island-based environmental education and guided outdoor activities include guided camping, hikes, Natural and Cultural History education programs and resource observation and photo tours. This service is exclusive to multi-day programs, generally 2–4-night stays. All camping must occur in park campgrounds, and the following rules apply:
Camper groups greater than 12 people must use the group campsites at Scorpion Canyon Campground, Santa Cruz Island.
This CUA permits no more than 12 trips with a maximum group size of 15 people, and 10 trips with a group size of 16-75 people in the Scorpion Campground Upper Loop group sites. A maximum of five group campsites may be booked at one time.
The CUA holder must use the online campground reservation system Recreation.gov to reserve all campsites.
Vessel-Based CUA Landing Restrictions
The park’s only authorized locations for CUA Operator vessel landings are as follows:
East Anacapa Island: Landing will only be authorized when the park boat transportation Concessioner has one or no scheduled landings.
Santa Barbara Island: Landing will only be authorized when the park boat transportation Concessioner has one or no scheduled landings.
Santa Cruz Island, Scorpion: Landings during peak season (April 1-October 31) will not be authorized. Landings during off-peak season (November 1- March 31) will only be considered for day visits on Monday, Wednesday or Thursday AND when the park transportation Concessioner has one or no scheduled landings.
Santa Cruz Island, Prisoners: Landing will only be authorized when the park boat transportation Concessioner has one or no scheduled landings.
Santa Cruz Island, Smugglers: Landings at Smugglers Cove are not authorized under this CUA.
San Miguel Island: Special liability waiver required, landing will only be authorized when the park boat transportation concessioner has one or no scheduled landings.
Santa Rosa Island: Landing is only authorized at the Bechers Bay pier (multi-level platform).
Yes. Transient commercial tour companies, like all other commercial operators in Channel Islands National Park, must apply for a CUA and pay all associated fees. SPECIAL NOTICE: 15 CFR Part 922, National Marine Sanctuary Program Regulations, Subpart G - Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary apply to vessels and activities within Channel Islands National Park.
(Note: Transient commercial tour companies like cruise ships have their base of operation or originating port outside of Santa Barbara or Ventura Counties.)
If the visitor or party is only renting the vessel for a private excursion, and not functioning as a for-profit commercial operation, then they will not be required to obtain a CUA. However, if the vessel charter company provides staff to assist or any other provisions onboard and advertises their services as going within Channel Island National Park boundaries, then they will be required to obtain a CUA.
CUA opportunities may be limited for a particular service or operating area. Additionally, the NPS may deem it necessary to transition some services to management under a competitive concession contract.
CUAs for water-based activities, including Kayak Instruction and Guide Services, are specifically excluded from operating within the Scorpion Area, Santa Cruz Island. This is the assigned operating area for Concessions Contract CC-CHIS004-17 for Guided Sea Kayak Tours. Visit the following link for more information on state and federal Marine Protected Area closures: https://www.nps.gov/chis/learn/nature/marine-protected-areas.htm
An applicant should submit a CUA application identifying Appendix Z as the service type, with detailed documentation on the operational components of the new service. The review process may be lengthy and may take several months or more to reach a decision on approving or denying the proposed service. The National Park Service will only issue CUAs for commercial activities and visitor services that:
Are determined to be an appropriate use of Channel Islands National Park
Will have minimal impact on Channel Islands National Park’s resources and values
Are consistent with Channel Islands National Park’s purpose, management plans, policies, and regulations
Yes, there are two different fees – an application fee and a market price fee.Application Fee: All prospective CUA applicants are required to submit a non-refundable application fee during the “open season”. The application fee covers the cost of processing the application. CUA proposals that may require addition staff time to prepare or review environmental or cultural resources compliance will be subject to additional fees.Market Price Fee: Channel Islands National Park uses a Market Price Fee method of assessing reasonable fees for CUA business opportunities. The market price fee is based on a percentage of revenue earned from in-park or park dependent operations. The fee is structured as follows:
3% of gross receipts for in-park or park dependent operations less than $250,000
4% of gross receipts for in-park or park dependent operations between $250,000 and $500,000
5% of gross receipts for in-park or park dependent operations more than $500,000
The CUA application fee is deducted from the annually due market price management fee.
