YCC Reference Manual Chapter 6: Travel for YCC Members

Travel for YCC Members

Local and Invitational Travel

YCC members are allowed to travel to different sites for day or overnight trips to perform the work depending on the criteria outlined in the DOI TDY policy for local and Temporary Duty Travel (TDY). For both types of travel, a YCC member must be issued a vendor number for any FBMS actions and in order to be set up as an invitational traveler in Concur for a travel authorization (where applicable). Contact Accounting Operations Center for questions.

Local travel (less than 50 miles) - Does not meet the requirements of TDY travel because of the close distance of the location and typically occurs during normal duty hours. Individuals performing local travel are not entitled to per diem reimbursement. Travelers should refer to 347 DM 200, DOI FTR Implementing Instructions for DOI's local travel policy.

Invitational Travel in lieu of Temporary Duty travel (more than 50 miles) - Any official travel that is farther than 50 miles from both the individual’s official duty station and residence. An official duty station can be a large contiguous area defined by a boundary that is designated as a location that an individual regularly maintains or patrols and would not be limited to a 50-mile radius when determining an official TDY travel. An NPS employee will need to enter the YCC members into Concur as “invitational travelers” and submit “invitational travel” authorizations on their behalf, since they are not federal employees.

Spike Camps

Spike camps are considered service-related work assignments. If a project will require several days of work and is located a considerable distance from the YCC member’s residence, the YCC Site Program Manager may arrange for spike camps. Parental or guardian approval for YCC members under 18 years of age must be obtained.Youth working in the backcountry or camping overnight at their home site are not considered “in travel status” if they are fewer than 50 miles from the host site and do not need a travel authorization. If they are at their home site, the YCC staff should, however, always maintain a backcountry travel itinerary that includes the names of the YCC Crew Leader(s) and YCC members, their locations, and any means of communication (e.g., two-way radios, satellite phone). If you have questions concerning these procedures, please contact the Regional Youth Programs Coordinator or the Regional Accounting Operations Center.Spike camps may not extend more than 10 consecutive days. A four-day break must be provided between each 10-day camp.Host sites will provide necessary camping equipment and supplies. A determination will be made by the host site on a camp-by-camp basis as to whether YCC members will be reimbursed for food and lodging costs or be provided with food and lodging. If YCC members pay for their food and lodging, they may be reimbursed for actual costs incurred.A backcountry itinerary should be issued to the NPS employee in charge of travel. The itinerary should list all YCC members participating in the spike camp. An advance may be obtained by the NPS employee for the entire group. No YCC member will receive an advance directly. Upon completion of the assignment, the NPS employee will submit a claim for reimbursement on behalf of the entire group. The cost of lodging and food for the YCC members will be reimbursed in the exact amount incurred, and no additional funds will be paid to the YCC members. Refer to the reimbursement section for more information.

Audit Requirements for Reimbursement

YCC reimbursements (considered invitational travel under the Federal Travel Regulation) follow the same audit requirements as TDY travel. Reimbursements for YCC members made under 54 USC 102301(b) must be claimed on a completed OF-1164 and include the following information:

1. The statement “YCC reimbursement” on the OF-1164
2. An itemized listing of expenses, the date each expense was incurred, description of each expense (e.g., mileage on July 1 from the home site to the temporary site), and the amount of reimbursement being requested.
3. The YCC member’s signature and the parent/guardian’s signature if under 18 years of age.
4. The signature of an authorized approving official.
5. A receipt for each expense claimed for reimbursement.
6. A copy of the YCC member’s itinerary.

For the purpose of reimbursement, each itinerary should include the following information:

1. The YCC member’s name.
2. The YCC member’s permanent home address or, if the YCC member’s permanent home address is a mobile home, the statement, “YCC resides in a mobile home.”
3. The address of the YCC member’s site.
4. The date(s) that the individual will be participating in the spike camp or travelling.
5. A statement indicating whether the YCC member is authorized to be reimbursed for expenses under 16 U.S.C. 1703 (a)(4).
6. If being reimbursed under 54 U.S.C 102301(b), a listing of what expenses may be reimbursed to the YCC member and any limitations to the reimbursement.
7. The following statement: “I agree that I have not accepted, and will not accept, duplicate reimbursement for relocation expenses from public or private sources. Furthermore, to the best of my knowledge, no third party has accepted duplicate reimbursement for my relocation expenses.”

Reimbursement Policy

The NPS has the authority, and limited funds, to reimburse YCC members for actual out-of-pocket costs incurred during YCC activities. These reimbursements are meant to offset the personal costs of YCC participation and should be authorized on a case-by-case basis. As each site must use great discretion to determine which reimbursements will be authorized, it is strongly recommended that each site create a local reimbursement policy. Parks, programs, and/or regions may establish reimbursement rates lower than federal locality rates.Additionally, all reimbursements must be made in accordance with current IRS guidelines. The NPS may not create a “taxable liability” that would result in the need to issue the YCC member a 1099. To ensure a taxable liability is not created, reimbursement must be made in line with the YCC member’s travel status (e.g., not away from home vs. away from home).

Not Away from Home

YCC members are considered “not away from home” if they live within 50 miles of the work site and can reasonably commute daily without overnight stays. Otherwise, they are considered “away from home” and may be eligible for additional reimbursements. When “not away from home,” YCC members may only be reimbursed for mileage (per IRS rates) and actual transportation costs (e.g., tolls, ferries). Meals and lodging are not reimbursable, except in rare cases where government-provided arrangements are necessary (such as backcountry work).

Away from Home

For reimbursement purposes, YCC members are considered “away from home” when their residence is greater than 50 miles from the work site, and they cannot reasonably commute daily to and from the work site without requiring overnight travel or stopping for substantial sleep or rest. When “away from home,” YCC members may be reimbursed for mileage (per IRS guidelines), actual transportation costs (e.g., tolls, ferries), and meals (if overnight).

Claiming Reimbursement

There are two ways to provide reimbursement to YCC members, depending on whether they are considered “away from home” and the type of reimbursement process. Reach out to the respective regional travel help desk (internal) with questions.Form OF-1164 may be used to reimburse YCC members who are “not away from home” or “away from home” while travelling, during spike camps, or for overnight assignments, which should be submitted to their YCC supervisor. YCC reimbursements should be coded in accordance with the Budget Object Code guidance provided by the NPS Accounting Operations Center (AOC).YCC members may be reimbursed for out-of- pocket expenses if they submit original itemized receipts. These expenses can include food but cannot include alcohol or tobacco products. The site may set a cap (not-to-exceed amount) on what a YCC member may claim, but for food, it must be below the local per diem rate. The YCC member must be “away from home” overnight (according to the IRS definition) to claim food reimbursement. Whenever possible, purchases should be made through the government procurement process rather than directly by the YCC member. In all cases, accurate and current records of expenditures must be maintained.If the YCC member does not have a U.S. bank account, the individual may apply for an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) waiver. Ask your budget staff for an EFT waiver form. The reimbursement process otherwise remains the same. However, instead of a direct deposit, AOC will issue a treasury check.This guidance allows the YCC supervisor to pay for crew meals and lodging while YCC members are performing work in backcountry areas, and these transactions require special handling.The following applies to the purchase of YCC member meals:

1. Every receipt for a meal must be documented with the meal that was purchased (i.e., breakfast, lunch, or dinner).
2. Every receipt must be documented with the first and last names of the individuals for whom the meal was purchased.
3. All receipts for meals and lodging must include the first and last names of each YCC member covered and the dates of purchase.
4. The total costs of all meals purchased for any single individual for the day must not exceed the daily allowance for meals.
5. Alcoholic beverages may never be purchased using a YCC supervisor’s travel card, either as part of a meal or separately.

The following applies to the purchase of crew lodging:

1. Every receipt for crew lodging must be documented with the first and last names of the individuals for whom the lodging was purchased and the date(s) of the lodging.
2. The costs of the lodging for each person must not exceed the maximum lodging allowance by the locality per diem rate published by the General Services Administration.

View Chapter 7 or go back to the YCC RM landing page.