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Statement before the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Lands 



Committee on Resources 



United States House of Representatives 



Regarding H.R. 2028: the Federal Land Management Agency 

 Concession Reform Act of 1995 



by 



Chad Henderson, Public Policy Manager 



National Outdoor Leadership School 



Lander, Wyoming 



July 25, 1995 



Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, I thank you for the privilege of 

 addressing this subcommittee today regarding your bill, H.R. 2028. Concession reform is 

 necessary, and we are pleased to see Congress taking up the task. 



Concessions seek to serve the public, work as partners with the managing 

 agencies, and conserve the natural resource. Concession management should optimize 

 these relationships by supporting the highest quality services possible. While H.R. 2028 

 contains innovative proposals that we support, the basic elements of the two-tiered 

 authority and fee-bidding lack clarity. This lack of clarity threatens to confound the 

 interests of efficient concession management and will thus adversely impact the 

 provision of quality outfitting services. At this time, NOLS cannot endorse H.R. 2028, but 

 we will work constructively with the committee in its effort to produce effective 

 concession reform legislation. 



From the Arctic to the Rio Grande, and from the Olympics to the Black Hills, the 

 National Outdoor Leadership School, also known as NOLS, teaches outdoor skills, 

 leadership and ethics to over 2,600 students each year on extended backcountry 

 expeditions. NOLS is a non-profit organization headquartered in Lander, Wyoming. We 



