The National Park Service (NPS) is standardizing Commercial Use Authorization (CUA) requirements and CUA fees for road-based commercial tour operators. The new standardized CUA requirements and fees will go into effect at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (SEKI) on October l , 2019. After September 30, 2019, road-based commercial tour operators must submit a CUA application and pay all applicable fees for operations in SEKI.
A summary of changes occurring during the 2019 Tour Season is provided below:
Park Entrance Fees: Instead of the previous commercial vehicle entrance fees, all road-based commercial tour operators will now pay an entrance fee equal to the per-person entrance fee for each passenger upon entry to the park. The per-person entrance fee at SEKI is $20.00. Entrance fees support primary visitor facilities, including trails, visitor centers, and comfort stations.
Commercial Use Authorization (CUA) Permit and Reporting: Road-based commercial tour operators will pay an annual $300 non-refundable CUA application fee for each CUA application. Road-based commercial tour operators will also be required to submit mandatory annual CUA reports after each CUA operating season. Applications for a road-based commercial tour CUA are expected to be available on the SEKI website beginning early May 2019.
After October l , 2019, operators entering SEKI without a CUA will be issued a Notice of Non Permitted Entry and will be required to contact the Commercial Services Office within 5 days to complete a CUA application and pay all associated fees.
More information: Road-based commercial tour operators should visit the NPS CUA webpage to stay informed of individual park requirements until the standard process is implemented. Additionally, the NPS page has an interactive map tool that identifies parks with CUA programs and provides links to those specific park CUA program webpages where you can find more specific park information.
If you have questions about tour operations at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks or would like to be included on a contact list for project information and updates, please contact the Commercial Services Office at seki concessions@nps.gov or by phone at (559) 565-4235.
