National Park System Long-Term Lease Investment Act
National Park System Long-Term Lease Investment Act would allow the Interior Secretary, through the National Park Service (NPS), to extend certain leases inside National Park System units without the usual bidding or competition requirements. To qualify, the lease must have been entered into under part 18 of Title 36 CFR (as of Jan 3, 2025), the lessee must have held the lease for at least five years before the extension takes effect and be in compliance with its terms, and the NPS Director must determine that extending the lease is in the best interests of managing the unit. The bill also requires the Secretary to revise part 18 of the CFR within 90 days to reflect this new authority. In short, the bill creates a pathway for long-term, noncompetitive extensions of certain park leases to support investment and stability, rather than relying on open bidding.
Key Points
- 1Authorizes non-competitive renewal/extension of certain National Park System leases, bypassing sections 18.7 and 18.8 of 36 CFR Part 18 (which govern bidding/competitive process).
- 2Applies specifically to leases entered into under Part 18 of 36 CFR as in effect on Jan 3, 2025.
- 3Extensions allowed only if: (a) the lessee has held the lease for at least five years before the extension; (b) the lessee is in compliance with the lease terms; and (c) the NPS Director determines the extension is in the best interests of managing the applicable park unit.
- 4Requires updating the CFR within 90 days after enactment to reflect the new authority.
- 5No maximum extension length or dollar cap is specified in the bill; the extent of the extension would be determined by the Director’s determination of “best interests.”