National Parks: Issues Involved in the Sale of the Yosemite National Park Concessioner

GAO reviewed aspects of the sale of the major concessioner at Yosemite National Park to an American purchaser, focusing on: (1) how the purchase price was established; (2) how the possessory interest of the concessioner will be extinguished; (3) whether the new concessioner will have sufficient revenues to pay a promissory note; (4) how the transaction will affect the implementation of the 1980 Yosemite General Management Plan; and (5) whether the National Park Foundation, which acted as a middleman responsible for the sale between the park owner and the National Park Service (NPS), had the authority to contract for the purchase of the concessioner's stock for the concessioner's parent company.