**Office of Communications** Media Advisory

Release Date/For Immediate Release: July 20, 2006

Bill Line/Toni Braxton 202-619-7222

Department of the Interior

National Park Service

1100 Ohio Drive, S.W.

Washington, D.C. 20242

2026197400 phone

2026197302 fax

### National Park Service, National Capital Region Hosts Open House Meeting Seeking Comment on Cost Recovery Procedures for Certain Special Park Use and Public Gathering Permits

-   [WHAT]{.underline}: The National Park Service (NPS) will conduct an
    Open House meeting seeking public comment on a proposed procedure to
    recover processing costs of certain special park use and public
    gathering permits. The procedure to be implemented will affect
    permits for "special events," which includes sports events,
    pageants, celebrations, historical reenactments, regattas,
    entertainments, exhibitions, parades, fairs, festivals and similar
    events, as well as other permitted activities such as walks and
    footraces, sport field uses, weddings, and picnics for activities
    held in the National Mall & Memorial Parks and in other NPS parks in
    the National Capital Region (NCR) which are regulated by 36 CFR
    7.96. This includes the following park areas, each of which are
    administered by separate Superintendents: National Mall & Memorial
    Parks, President's Park, Rock Creek Park, National Capital Parks
    East, George Washington Memorial Parkway, Manassas National
    Battlefield Park, Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts,
    Prince William Forest Park, and a portion of Chesapeake & Ohio Canal
    National Historical Park.

> The Open House meeting is designed to allow the public to better
> understand the proposed procedures, to talk with park officials about
> how the proposed procedures will work, and to provide comment that may
> help the NPS improve its implementation.
>
> The proposed procedure may be read and opportunities to provide
> written comment may be submitted online at
> [http://parkplanning.nps.gov]{.underline}. Once at that site, choose
> National Mall & Memorial Parks from the drop-down park menu. Written
> comments may also be sent via facsimile to (202) 401-2430 or submitted
> via U.S. Mail to:
>
> National Park Service, Division of Park Programs
>
> 1100 Ohio Drive, S.W., Room 128
>
> Washington, D.C. 20242

Online comments must be submitted and written comments post-marked by
September 1, 2006*.* All written comments will be open for public
inspection.

-   [WHEN/WHERE]{.underline}: Wednesday, August 2, 2006, from 5:00 p.m.
    to 7:00 p.m., at the Old Post Office Pavilion, 12th & Pennsylvania
    Ave., N.W., Room M09. Enter from the south entrance off of 12^th^
    Street, just north of the IRS building. This entrance meets ADA
    Accessibility Standards; however, persons with special needs may
    contact Mr. Stan Cofield or Mr. Titus Early at (202) 606-8691 to
    arrange for special accommodation.

> ([Metro]{.underline}: Federal Triangle station, Blue or Orange lines).

-   [WHO]{.underline}: Superintendents and staff from the National Mall
    & Memorial Parks, Rock Creek Park, National Capital Parks-East, C &
    O Canal National Historical Park, George Washington Memorial
    Parkway, President's Park, Prince William Forest Park, Wolf
    Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, Manassas National
    Battlefield and representatives from the United States Park Police.

-   [BACKGROUND]{.underline}: Following a recent inquiry and report from
    the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and pursuant to 16 U.S.C.
    § 3 a, O.M.B. Circular A-25 and NPS policy, the NPS is proposing to
    fully recover and collect costs associated with special park use and
    public gathering permits. The NPS and the NCR specifically, is
    proposing to recover the cost of processing the above-mentioned
    permits, which will initially include costs for processing the
    application, to be followed at a later date by recovery of
    additional costs associated with administration and monitoring of
    permitted activities. The NPS and the NCR will implement the
    proposed procedure in accordance with GAO's findings, so as to align
    with existing procedures used in parks throughout the nation.