operating procedures manual (abridged)explorepsa.com/ftp/outreach/presentations... · the rpmo is a...

Recreation.gov

Operating Procedures Manual (Abridged)

2011

Purpose of this Manual

The Operating Procedures Manual provides an overview of Recreation.gov, with emphasis on business rules and the daily operations of the reservation system. The OPM is for participating agency personnel and concessionaires who work with Recreation.gov, particularly those in the field who work as the Recreation.gov Point-of-Contact (POC) or supervise those providing reservation services to the public.

This manual supplements the on-line help tools accessible via the “agency sign-in” page of Recreation.gov and training conducted by participating agencies and the contractor.

Download copies of this manual and any updates from the “agency sign-in” page of Recreation.gov. The Recreation.gov Leadership Team reviews and updates this manual periodically. If you have questions, comments, or suggestions, please forward them to your Agency Technical Representative (ATR).

Recreation One Stop Program Management Office (RPMO)

The RPMO is the Federal government office responsible for implementing and managing the Recreation.gov contract and all supporting services on a daily basis. The RPMO (formerly known as the National Recreation Reservation Service (NRRS) Contract Management Office) recently underwent a name change to reflect the scope and functions of the office.

Address: Recreation One Stop (R1S) Program Management Office (RPMO)

231 North Main Street

Rutland, VT 05701

Phone: 1 (802) 747-6772

Fax: 1 (802) 773-7663

E-Mail: [email protected]

http://www.recreation.gov/�


mailto:[email protected]�

Introduction NRRS Operating Procedures Manual

3

Introduction

Recreation One Stop (R1S) is a partnership between Federal land management agencies to provide the one-stop shop for Federal recreation information, trip planning, and reservations through Recreation.gov.

NOTE: Appendix 1 provides definitions for most of the program-specific terms (such as “field location” or “reservation cut-off window”) that appear in this manual.

Mission Statement.

The mission of Recreation.gov is to provide an innovative, easy way for the public to reserve Federal recreation facilities and activities while providing high-quality services that emulate industry standards.

Recreation.gov is designed to:

Provide high quality customer service through:

One-stop shopping for customers to make recreation-related reservations for a wide variety of Federal recreation areas, facilities, and activities.

Innovative and user-friendly, multi-channel access to information about Federal recreation facilities and activities.

Improve existing reservation services through:

New sales channels for broader access to reservations.

Trip planning features at reservable and non-reservable areas and facilities.

Performance incentives for service providers.

Increased inventory and reservable sites.

Customer referrals to other participating facilities and activities.

Support agency field personnel by:

Providing technical support to implement recreation-related reservations and on-site point of sale services at field locations.

Continuously improving operations and management capabilities for field personnel.

Minimizing money handling responsibilities at field sites.

Providing easy and efficient ways to manage on-site reservations.

Protecting over-used sites and promoting under-used recreation sites.

Minimizing redundant data entry for recreation related and reservation inventory.

Be cost-effective by:

Using emerging technologies.

Implementing innovative management practices.

Achieving economies of scale through interagency cooperation.

Share and Protect Data by:

Meeting requirements for Certification and Accreditation (C&A) for information security, privacy, information collection, accessibility, and records management.

Furnishing appropriate information to third party channels (as applicable) about participating recreation areas, facilities, and activities.

Sharing data about Federal recreation areas, facilities, and activities with state tourism websites, convention and visitor bureau websites, camping publications, etc.

Ensuring security and privacy for financial data and customer-related data.

Providing portal interoperability with interfaces between reservation services and related services like trip planning and recreation-related sales.

History of Recreation.gov.

1995 – The National Recreation Reservation Service™ (NRRS) was created when the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management joined together in an interagency contract. It was initiated by the Forest Service to provide “one-stop” reservation services to the public for Federal recreation facilities and activities.

1997 – The first interagency reservation service contract was awarded to Park.Net, Inc. of Ballston Spa, NY to develop, implement and operate the NRRS. The company was later renamed ReserveAmerica, Inc.

Introduction NRRS Operating Procedures Manual

5

1998 – In October, the NRRS was launched offering call center reservations at more than 49,000 unique sites at 1,700+ field locations services.

1999 – In May, the NRRS Internet sales channel www.ReserveUSA.com was launched providing the public the ability for the first time to make advance reservations over the internet at any field location.

1999 – In the summer, the field sales channel was added, providing customers with direct access to reservation services from over 500 field locations.

2003 – The Department of Interior Bureaus (National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Bureau of Reclamation) joined the USDA FS Contract.

2006 – Recreation One Stop implements the second generation contract that integrates Recreation.gov with the NRRS and adds National Park Service locations from the former National Park Reservation System (NPRS).

2007 – In February, Recreation.gov becomes the Federal recreation portal and website, replacing the former NRRS website, ReserveUSA.com.

2009 – National Archives and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service joined the NRRS.

Current Contract.

Recreation.gov provides reservation access to more than 80,000 sites at over 2,600 field locations represented by five Federal agencies. Its inventory includes overnight camping sites for individuals, families and groups; tour ticketing activities; group day-use facilities; wilderness permit lotteries; and activities. The agencies participating in Recreation.gov for reservation sales are:

USDA, Forest Service (FS)

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps)

U.S. Department of Interior (DOI), National Park Service (NPS)

DOI, Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

DOI, Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation)

DOI, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

National Archives and Records Administration

Other Federal agencies may join Recreation.gov by becoming active participants in the interagency agreement.

Other agencies and organizations that support Recreation.gov are:

U.S. Department of Treasury, designated bank.

http://recreation.gov/�

Chapter 1 – The NRRS Contract

Background

The USDA FS awarded the current Recreation.gov contract to ReserveAmerica, Inc. of Ballston Spa, NY in 2007. This contract has a base period of three years (through September 30, 2010) with the option to extend the contract through six (6) one-year periods. The contractor must earn award terms based on contract performance. If the government chooses to exercise all the award terms, the contract will extend through September 2016.

Contract Services

The contractor provides a wide variety of reservation services for Recreation.gov including a fully integrated web-based portal with multiple sales channels and administrative applications.

Federal Recreation Portal --- Recreation.gov.

Recreation.gov is the interagency Federal recreation portal that provides the ability to make recreation-related reservations at a wide variety of Federal recreation areas. The site has trip planning features, maps, and comprehensive information about thousands of Federal recreation opportunities, including links to activities and sites associated with Federal agency partners like state tourism bureaus and other travel and recreation-related organizations. Recreation.gov provides innovative and user-friendly, multi-channel access to information and reservations for Federal recreation facilities and activities at: Forest Service; Corps of Engineers; National Park Service; Bureau of Land Management; Bureau of Reclamation; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and National Archives and Records Administration facilities.

In February 2007, Recreation.gov, the NRRS, and the National Park Reservation System (NPRS) joined into a single point of online access at www.Recreation.gov. The consolidation was part of the “Recreation-One-Stop (R1S)” initiative in the President's Management Agenda. The goal of R1S is to improve effectiveness, efficiency, and customer service in the delivery of Federal recreation information and reservation services.

Sales Channels.

Recreation.gov offers three main sales channels for customers to make reservations: Internet, call center, and in person at field locations.






http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/egov/c-1-2-oneStop.html�

Chapter 1 – The NRRS Contract NRRS Operating Procedures Manual

7

Internet Sales – Recreation.gov.

Recreation.gov serves as the Federal recreation and activity website portal. It also provides customers with the ability to directly access reservation services for facilities and activities.

Call Center Sales.

Customers may call 1 (877) 444-6777 toll free to connect to one of a team of sales agents who process the reservation request.

Call Center – Hours of Operation.

The Recreation.gov call center is operational seven (7) days a week, as follows:

Peak Season – March 1 to October 31 from 10:00 a.m. to Midnight, Eastern Time.

Non-Peak Season – November 1 to February 28 from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Closed on New Year’s, Thanksgiving and Christmas Days.

Field Sales Channel.

This sales channel allows a walk-up customer to come to a participating recreation site that is equipped with the required computer and communications capability and book either an immediate reservation or an advance reservation. Field personnel utilize different applications dependent upon their specific need (camping, tours, wilderness permits, etc.) to provide field sales for customers.

Support.

The Recreation.gov contractor provides for support to field personnel through two different organizational elements. They are the Recreation.gov Help Desk and Inventory (HDI) and Customer Services.

Help Desk and Inventory (HDI) Service.

The HDI service provides technical and operational support to field personnel at participating sites. Their task is to resolve issues (software, inventory/data, programming, communications, etc.) that adversely affect reservation services at any field location. See Chapter 6 for more information.



HDI – Hours of Operation.

HDI is operational seven (7) days a week, as follows:

Peak Season (March 1 through October 31): 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. EST.

Non-Peak Season (November 1 through February 28): 8:00 a.m. to Midnight EST.

Customer Service.

Customer Service provides service to the public who need assistance with existing reservation, including refunds, reservation fees, service fees, changes and cancellations. Field personnel may provide this contact information to the public when they have questions regarding their reservation. Field personnel may also contact Customer Service on behalf of customers or to follow-up on a specific customer’s problem. Field personnel should not contact customer service with operational issues; these should be referred to HDI.

Customer Service – Hours of Operation.

The Customer Service Desk is operational year around, on the same schedule (days and time) as the call center.

Recreation One Stop (R1S) Program Management Office (RPMO).

The overall management of Recreation.gov is much broader than administering a service contract. It requires coordination among all participating agencies on recreation policy, the adoption of standard operating procedures for the effective delivery of reservation services to the public and financial management to safeguard and properly distribute Federal funds. To accomplish these tasks, the Interagency Agreement provides for R1S Program Management Office (RPMO).

The RPMO is a Federal government office responsible for implementing and managing the contract and all supporting services on a day by-day basis. The RPMO is also responsible for project management of the Recreation Information Database (RIDB) and for administering any contracts associated with the provision of the RIDB.

The staff monitors the contractor’s work performance and provides financial management services for participating agencies. RPMO staff work directly with the agencies to provide effective reservation services to the public. This office is located in space made available by the Green Mountain-Finger Lakes National Forest.


9

Functions performed by the RPMO:

Manage the multi-agency recreation reservation program and system.

Fiscal management and oversight of all funds processed through Recreation.gov to assure accountability and appropriate payment to participating agencies and concessionaires.

Process refunds where the customer paid by cash, check or money order.

Measure critical elements of ReserveAmerica, Inc.’s performance to assure compliance with standards specified within the contract.

Coordinate and interact with Federal agencies interested in joining Recreation.gov.

RPMO staffing:

Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR)/Program Manager. This person is responsible for daily operations of managing and overseeing the Recreation.gov contract and program with the support of the RPMO staff, Agency Program Managers, Agency Program Technical Representatives, and Implementation, Operations Support, and Performance Management Teams.

Finance Officer. This individual is responsible for overseeing and reconciling all financial transactions.

Accountant.

Systems Analyst/Program Specialist. This position is responsible for the project management components of the RIDB and all security requirements of Recreation.gov.

Support Specialists. Two support positions work in financial management operations. One Program Specialist serves as a liaison and resource specialist for permits, lotteries and unique implementations.

Performance Manager. This individual coordinates the performance management requirements of the contract and assists the COR with contract deliverables. The PC also coordinates a designated team of agency personnel known as Performance Management Organization (PMO). These individuals assure that the contractor is meeting the performance requirements specified in the contract.

Those contract management staff responsible for the financial management activities of Recreation.gov work at the RPMO in Rutland, VT. The inside of the cover page provides RPMO contact information.



Agency personnel who support reservation services:

Contracting Officer (CO): A warranted individual of the USDA Forest Service with the authority to enter into, administer, and/or terminate contracts and make related determinations and findings.

Agency Technical Representative (ATR). Each participating agency provides an ATR to assist the COR in managing the contract. These individuals specialize in handling reservations and reservations-related contract issues relative to the agency he or she represents.

Point-of-Contact (POC). These individuals assist with implementation of the reservation service within their area of responsibility. They are responsible for inventory management, field training, refund approvals and following up with the Contractor on customer service and technical issues to assure that they are resolved.

Quality Assurance Evaluators and Performance Monitors. These are agency personnel who evaluate how the contractor is meeting the performance requirements of the contract.

Contract management personnel and ATR contact information can be found at the “agency sign-in” page of Recreation.gov.



11

This page intentional left blank.

Chapter 2 –Recreation.gov Business Rules and Policies NRRS Operating Procedures Manual

13

Chapter 2 –Recreation.gov Business Rules and Policies

Purpose.

This chapter outlines the business rules and policies, under which Recreation.gov and the contractor operate. Recreation.gov reserves the right to modify reservation policies and procedures. Exceptions to these rules can be granted only in consultation with and approval of the Agency Technical Representative (ATR) and the Recreation.gov Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). Direct questions about Recreation.gov business rules and policies to your agency ATR.

Business rules establish the formal framework that enables Recreation.gov to provide reservation services. Software and system limits incorporate the business rules and control the handling and processing of reservations.

It is important that agency personnel (such as field Point-of-Contacts (POC) understand these rules and how they are applied.

Reservations.

A reservation is the sale via any sales channel of a single unit of inventory at a field location for a single period of time. A reservation transaction is complete when the customer pays the fees in-full and is provided a confirmation number.

Reservation Rules.

Maximum number of reservations.

This is the maximum allowed for a single customer at one facility with the same arrival date/time:

Campsites: A maximum of four reservations is the default, however, field location managers may choose from 1 to 4 reservations (consult with the ATR for exceptions).

Tours: Unlimited numbers of reservations, as long as allocations are not exceeded.




There is no limit to the number of reservations a customer can make for multiple facilities on different dates during a single call or internet session (for example, the customer may be planning a cross country trip).

A reservation does not have to be in the name of the primary occupant who will be on the site, nor must a customer whose name is on the reservation be the one to check-in. Exceptions may be allowed on a site-by-site basis. The contractor must advise the Interagency Senior or Access or Golden Age or Access customers that a photo ID and the pass are required at check-in to be eligible for the discounted rate.

Maximum Reservation Window(s).

Maximum Window. The maximum window is how far in advance a reservation can be made for a facility or activity.

Rolling Maximum Window.

Recreation.gov uses a “rolling” maximum window (with the exception of Yosemite National Park). A rolling window is defined as one where the inventory is released each day for a specified amount of time, e.g., six months or 12 months in advance of the customer’s arrival date.

Example: 6 month, rolling maximum window.

On February 14, 2010, the inventory for August 14, 2010 would be available for booking.

On February 15, 2010, the inventory for August 15, 2010 would be available for booking (and so on).

Extra Days at the End of the Month.

When the rolling window reaches the end of the month, the dates are handled as illustrated in the following example using a six month Rolling Maximum Window.

On February 28, 2010, the inventory for August 28, 2010 would be available. On March 1, 2010, the inventory up to September 1, 2010 would be available, including arrival dates of August 30 and 31, 2010.

Maximum Reservation Windows.

Individual Campsites, Cabin and Lookouts: Up to six months in advance of the arrival date – a rolling window. Example: On January 4, 2010, a customer may make a reservation for arrival on July 4, 2010 or earlier.

Yosemite National Park – Five Month Block Window. Individual campsites can be reserved five months in advance and go on-sale each month on the 15th of the month. The entire five month’s inventory becomes available on that day.


15

For example, a customer who contacts the call center or visits Recreation.gov on January 15 can make a reservation for arrival dates between January 15 and June 14 of that year.

Group Facilities. Up to 12 months in advance of the arrival date.

Individual tours. Up to six months in advance of the arrival date. Exception: Independence Hall tickets may be reserved up to 12 months in advance.

Group Tours. Up to 12 months in advance of the arrival date.

Reservation “Cut-off” Window(s).

The reservation cut-off window is the latest date and/or time that a customer may request a reservation prior to the arrival date. The reservation cut-off window varies by agency and field location.

Camping and Day Use (both individual and group). The reservation cut-off window is zero to four days. Exceptions beyond four days require agency ATR approval.

Ticketing. The reservation cut-off window for ticketing is one day.

Minimum Stay.

The default is a one night minimum stay for all overnight facilities. Field locations may require longer than one night minimum stay on weekends or a longer than two nights minimum stay during holiday periods, if authorized by Agency policy. These rules may be applied when a field location has a very high customer demand and/or where the decision is made to limit customer turnover during the weekend or holiday.

Q & A . . .

Q. If a customer calls the Call Center inside the minimum window, should the agent suggest the customer call the facility to see if there are first-come first-serve sites available?

A. The procedure is variable by facility and is addressed in the alerts that the field POC places in the inventory. The POC should review the agent script to assure that it has directions on where the customer should go to get additional information.

http://recreation.gov/�

Weekend and Holiday Minimum Stay Rules.

There are two types of block (minimum) stay rules that can be applied at a field location:

Two-day minimum weekend stay.

Three-day minimum holiday weekend stay.

Application of these rules is optional. Field personnel may select and implement one or both of these restrictions through the inventory process.

Weekend Two Night Block (Minimum) Stay Rule.

This rule applies on weekends where the Holiday Block (minimum) Stay Rules are applied to specific sites during the inventory process.

When Friday is the customer’s requested arrival day, the customer is required to book Friday and Saturday, i.e., minimum two-night stay.

When Saturday is the customer’s requested arrival day, the customer is required to book Friday and Saturday, if date available, i.e., minimum two-night stay.

If either of the 2nd days (Friday or Saturday) is not available, the rule does not apply and the system will allow the reservation to go through.

If a stay starts on a day of the week other than Friday or Saturday, and includes the Friday or Saturday, the weekend rule is not enforced (i.e., Sunday arrival with Saturday checkout will follow only the regular minimum stay rule for the site).

If a stay is longer than the minimum stay for the weekend, the system will not enforce the rule, as the stay exceeds the minimum (i.e., Wednesday arrival day with Saturday check out).

Holiday Weekend Three Nights Block (Minimum) Stay Rule.

This only applies on Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day weekends at sites designated in the inventory, that observe the Holiday Block (minimum) Stay Rules.

If the Holiday date falls on a Friday or Saturday:

When Friday is the customer’s requested arrival day, then Friday, Saturday, and Sunday must be booked if the date(s) are available, i.e., minimum three-night stay. If Saturday or Sunday is not available, then the rule will not be enforced (the system will allow the reservation to go through). When Saturday is the customer’s requested arrival day, then Friday, Saturday, and Sunday must be booked, if the date(s) are available, i.e., minimum three-night stay. If Friday or Sunday is not available, then the rule will not be enforced (the system will allow the reservation to go through).

If a holiday stay starts on a day of the week other than Friday or Saturday, and includes the Friday or Saturday of the holiday weekend, the holiday rule is not


17

enforced (i.e., Sunday arrival with Saturday checkout will only follow the regular minimum stay for the site).

If the holiday stay is longer than the minimum stay for the holiday weekend, the rule is not enforced (i.e., Monday arrival date and Saturday check out).

Note: If July 4 falls on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday it is not considered a holiday weekend and the 3 night block (minimum) stay is not enforced.

Note: The minimum stay rules for walk-in sales and advance reservation sales made through Field Manager software may be waived, if approved by the local reservation POC.

Maximum Length of Stay.

The maximum length of stay is the maximum number of days that a customer can use a campsite or facility during a given time period (month, season, year, etc.). The maximum stay and extension policy varies by recreation facility and agency. Site staff is responsible for tracking customer stays and enforcing the maximum stay policy, whether it is the maximum 14 days or a local policy for additional time.

Optional Weekend and/or Holiday Fees.

In addition to weekend and holiday stay restrictions, field personnel may also enter a weekend fee schedule and/or a holiday fee schedule for the Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day holidays. Generally, the holiday fees start on Friday evening and extend through checkout time on the Monday holiday. There are some exceptions to this, i.e., if the 4th of July occurs during the middle of the week. If the weekend fee option is selected, site managers must enter the holiday fee schedule in the inventory record for each field location. The application of these fees may be limited by Agency policy.

Stay Away Rule.

The stay away rule is the minimum number of nights a customer must leave the facility after reaching the maximum length stay. Once a customer has reached the maximum stay length at a site, he or she must check out and leave the site for a specified period of time before being allowed to return and initiate a new maximum length stay. The stay away period is variable by individual facility and/or agency.

No Sliding Rule.

“Sliding” is when a customer books a facility earlier than the dates they actually want, and then moves their arrival date forward as many times as necessary to get the dates they actually desire. Sliding often occurs at high-demand campgrounds or cabins and prevents legitimate reservations, while sites were “blocked” by customers planning to “slide.”

The no sliding rule prevents this by requiring any customer who books a reservation at the maximum window and whose departure date extends into the window from changing or cancelling their reservation for 18 days. When the reservation is booked, the customer is advised that any reservation made with departure dates beyond the maximum window cannot be changed or cancelled until 18 days after the reservation is made.

Reserving Accessible Facilities.

An accessible site must comply with the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standard and the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines, and be available for persons with disabilities.

Field locations are responsible for identifying and designating recreation facilities that are accessible for persons with disabilities so that customers can findthem on Recreation.gov.

Recreation.gov reservations policy for accessible sites:

If a campground has a limited number of accessible sites, these will be the last sites reserved, unless a customer with a disability requests an accessible site.

A customer is not required to have an Interagency Access Pass or Golden Access Passport to reserve an accessible site. However, a customer seeking to reserve an accessible site will be advised that these sites are intended for use by those with disabilities. Customers who reserve an accessible campsite may be required to show proof of disability when checking in at the campground (depending on local policy).

Customers who select an accessible site through the Internet sales channel will receive an alert that they are about to reserve an accessible site. The message may include applicable agency-specific policies (such as any requirement to show proof of disability). Contact your ATR for details.

If the accessible site(s) is the last site(s) available for reservation, it will be available for reservation to any customer on a first come, first served basis.

Depending on local or agency policy, a non-disabled customer reserving and occupying an accessible site may be advised that they could be asked to change sites if a disabled customer arrives in need of the disabled site and a regular site has become available.

Pets.

Some sites allow pets and may charge an extra fee. Locations that allow pets must be identified during the inventory process. There is no standard pet policy.


19

Vehicles.

A vehicle is defined as motorized or hard-wheeled equipment and includes cars, trucks, vans, RV’s, boat trailers, motorcycles, and all-terrain vehicles. It does not include snowmobiles, bicycles or railroad cars. There is no standard vehicle policy for campsites.

Non-Refundable Reservation Fees.

Reservation fees are charged at some agency facilities and are non-refundable. These reservation fees are:

The Forest Service charges the following reservation fees:

o $10.00 for reservations made through the call center.

o $9.00 for reservations made through the internet.

o $3.00 for a walk-in customer.

o $6.00 reservation fee for a Four Rivers permit.

o $12.00 reservation fee for a Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) permit.

The National Park Service has a reservation fee of $1.50 for tour tickets at non-fee parks, i.e., the Washington Monument.

Pass Discounts: Interagency Senior and Access Passes, Golden Age and Golden Access Passports.

Holders of the Interagency Senior or Access Pass, or the Golden Age or Access Passport (see Figures 1. and 2.) may receive a fifty-percent discount on the expanded amenity (use) fee for individual campsites according to the stipulations below. Discounts do not apply to fees for cabins, lookouts or group facilities and may not apply to certain amenities such as electricity, water, sewer, special tours, or extra fees charged for prime or premium sites.

Making Reservations with a Senior or Access Pass: Customers with a Senior or Access pass must provide the pass number when making a reservation in order to receive the discount. If the customer makes multiple reservations for the same location and date(s), the discount will only apply to the single site the pass holder will occupy.

Tickets: Customers with a Senior or Access pass may only get the discount on one ticket per pass per tour.

Verification upon Arrival: Customers using the Senior or Access passes are required to present the Interagency Pass and one piece of photo identification upon check-in to verify eligibility for the discount. If the pass holder cannot show the pass and photo identification, the full fee will be charged.

Pass holder must be present: The pass holder must be present on a discounted campsite, and only one reservation may be purchased by the pass holder. Multiple reservations are not permitted for the same dates and facility using the same discount.

Group facilities. There are no discounts for group facilities.

Note: Pass discounts are available to Senior and Access (lifetime) pass holders only. There is no discount for annual pass holders.

Funds and Method of Payment.

All fees paid to Recreation.gov for reservation services will be in U.S. Dollars. Customers must make full payment by one of the methods shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Method of Payment by Sales Channel.

Method of Payment Sales Channels

Call Center Internet Field

Bank Card 1 Yes Yes Yes

Certified Checks, Bank Checks or Money Orders

No 2 No Yes 3

Personal Checks or Travelers Checks

No 2 No Yes 3

Cash No No Yes

Foreign Currency No No No

1. The text "Recreation.gov 888-448-1474" will appear on the customers bank card statement.

2. Certified and other checks are no longer accepted for advance reservations through the call center.

3. Field locations may still accept certified, personal or travelers checks locally for payments. _________________


21

Confirmation Notices.

Once reservation payment has been received in full, a confirmation notice, which may be customized through the inventory process, is sent to customers to confirm a reservation, permit, or sale. The confirmation notice verifies specific information, documents the payment record, and serves as a customer receipt for payment. Recreation.gov provides confirmation notices in a variety of ways:

E-mail Confirmation: Internet customers and call center customers with e-mail addresses will receive an electronic e-mail confirmation.

USPS Mail Confirmation: Call center customers who do not have an e-mail address and who make a reservation at least 10 days or more from the arrival date will be sent a confirmation by mail.

Telephone Confirmations: All customers who make a Call Center reservation are provided a confirmation number during the reservation process.

The confirmation notice contains the information shown in Table 2.

Table 2. Confirmation Notice Information.

Customer’s Name Customer’s Address

Name of Field Location Direction to the Field Location

Customer Arrival Date Length of Stay

Notices concerning the Field Location Amount of Payment

Method of Payment Policies and Guidelines

Brochure Information Security Information (Optional – can be customized by the Field POC)

Confirmation text specific to the Field Location (Optional – can be customized by the Field POC)

Changes and Cancellations to Reservations.

Definitions.

Change: A change is a modification to the original reservation arrival and/or departure dates, the site number within the same campground, the method of payment, fees, or an increase or decrease in the number of people planning to use a group facility if that change affects the fees paid.

Cancellation: This is the release of a confirmed reservation that results in non-use by the original customer.

Late cancellation: Late cancellations are those that occur the day before arrival, or the day of arrival.

Service Fees.

Service fees apply for changes and cancellations. All cancellation service fees will be deducted from the customer’s refund prior to processing the refund.

There is no service fee to cancel a reservation during the initial reservation call (known as same call cancellation).

If the cancellation penalty fee is greater than the amount paid by the customer, the customer will not receive a refund for the difference and no additional service fees will be charged or collected.

Change and/or Cancellation Fees.

Campsites, Cabins and Group Facilities: A $10.00 service fee will apply if a customer changes or cancels a reservation prior to the late cancellation period.

Tours: A $3.00 service fee will apply for tour ticket cancellations (except for non-fee activities, where no service fee is charged to cancel). There is no fee to change to a different tour or time.

Late Cancellation Fees.

Individual Campsites: The customer will be charged a $10.00 service fee plus the first night’s camping fee when a campsite reservation is cancelled the day before or the day of arrival, except when the reservation is for a single night, in which case, a service fee will not be charged.

Cabins and/or Lookouts: If a cabin or lookout reservation is canceled within 14 days of the scheduled arrival date, the customer will be charged a $10.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's cabin or lookout fee. Cancellations for a single night's use will not be assessed a service fee. Note: Customers are not entitled


23

to a refund for No-shows, Early Departures, or Cancellations after the scheduled arrival date.

Group Facilities:

o Customers will be charged a $10.00 service fee plus the first night’s fee when canceling reservations for a group, overnight facility within 14 days of the scheduled arrival date. Cancellations for a single night's use will not be assessed a service fee.

o If a customer cancels a group day use facility reservation within 14 days of the scheduled arrival date, they will forfeit the total day use fee (but no service fee will be charged).

Tours: There is no late cancellation policy for tours. No refunds will be given except for emergencies or other instances deemed necessary.

NOTE: In all cases, a cancellation becomes a “late cancellation” at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on the day before arrival. For example: If a customer has a reservation for a campsite for three days, with a Friday arrival date, they may cancel through the call center at any time. However, they will be assessed a fee based on the information provided in Table 3.

For specific details on how refund requests are processed at the field level, refer to Chapter 4, Daily Operations.

Table 3. Example of a Cancellation Fee for a Campsite Based on a Friday Arrival Date.

Tuesday or Earlier Wednesday Thursday Friday – Arrival

Day

Cancel a Friday arrival date and pay a $10.00 Service Fee.

Cancel a Friday arrival date on Wednesday before mid-night, Eastern Time and pay a $10.00 Service Fee.

Cancel a Friday arrival date after 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on Thursday -- Late Cancellation. Customer pays a $10.00 Service Fee plus the first night’s Use Fee.

Cancel a Friday arrival date – Late Cancellation. Customer pays a $10.00 Service Fee plus the first night’s Use Fee.

No-show Fee.

No Show. A no-show customer is one who does not arrive at the field location or fails to cancel a reservation by a specified date/time.

Campsites: A No-show customer is one who does not arrive at the campground and does not cancel the reservation by check out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. They will be assessed a $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night’s use fee. If the cancellation fee is greater than the reservation amount paid by the customer, the customer will not receive a refund for the difference and no additional service fees will be charged. If there are remaining use fees, they will be processed in accordance with the Refund procedures.

Cabins/Lookouts: No-show customers who do not arrive by the scheduled arrival date/time are NOT entitled to a refund.

Group Day Use: No-show customers who do not arrive by the scheduled arrival date/time are NOT entitled to a refund.

Tours: If the customer does not arrive for the tour and does not cancel the tour reservation by the time of the tour, all fees will be forfeited.

Refunds.

A refund is a full or partial reimbursement of the expanded amenity (use) fee(s) paid for a reservation.

Summary of Refund Policies.

Request Time Limit: Refunds must be requested no later than 14 days after the scheduled departure date on the reservation. Requests made after that time are not accepted.

Reservation Fee: If a reservation fee is charged, it is non-refundable.

Service Fee: The service fee will be deducted from the refund amount due to the customer.

Requests made after arrival, during or after departure from a field location: These refund requests will be processed when approved by the field location POC (based on the site’s refund policy). If Customer Service sends out a refund request to a POC and does not receive a reply within 15 days, the refund will be automatically approved by Customer Service.

Early departure: An early departure occurs when a customer spends at least one night of their reservation at the facility, but leaves the facility prior to the reservation departure date.

Refunds for early check out are not charged a service fee and must be approved by the field location. Field personnel may choose not to process a refund under certain circumstances, e.g., a law enforcement issue or due to other local agency policies. Exception: There will be no refunds for days used prior to the departure date, regardless of whether the customer was present for all those


25

days, i.e., the customer arrived a day late. Note: Customers are not entitled to refunds for early departures from cabins or lookouts.

Refunds for Emergency Closures. In the event of an emergency closure, Recreation.gov will attempt to notify users and cancel affected reservations and refund all fees paid. Exception: This is not applicable for the non-fee Tour Parks as there are no refunds issued under any circumstances.

Processing Procedures.

Requests for Refunds before the Late Cancellation Window.

Requests from a customer that occur because of a cancellation or change and requested before the “late cancellation” window, will be verified and processed by Customer Service. No action is required in the field.

Requests for Refunds within the Late Cancellation Window.

If a customer requests a refund within the late cancellation window (the day before arrival, or the day of arrival), they will be charged the first night’s use fee. The remainder of the use fees will be refunded.

Requests for Refunds after Arrival at the Field Location.

If the customer contacts the field location for a refund, the reservation POC may refer the customer to Customer Service or take the appropriate information down on a Refund Form and forward it to Customer Service with their approval /denial. The POC may also call the Recreation.gov Refund Line (agency use only). All of these requests for refunds require approval from the reservation POC (except for Forest Service reservation and service fees which require RPMO approval).

Authorized Contractor Actions.

Refunds: Customer Service is authorized to refund the full use fees when the cancellation is due to:

o Death in the family.

o Medical emergency.

o Agent and/or System Error.

Customer Service is also authorized to refund the service fee for certain change and cancellation requests.

When Customer Service authorizes the refund of a service fee, they will also reverse the associated contractor Contract Line Item Number (CLIN) charge.

Denials: The contractor is authorized to deny refund requests from a customer who:

o Is a No Show.

o Claims that there was inclement weather.

How Customers Receive a Refund.

Refunds are paid after approval is authorized, according to the form of payment.

Bank Card Purchases. If the initial payment was made by bank card, the customer’s bank card will be credited. Credits are processed by the contractor when received/approved within 48 hours. The credit should appear on the customers next bank card billing statement.

Cash or Check Purchases. If the initial payment was made by cash or check, the RPMO will issue a refund check. Refunds for check, money order, or cash payments will be processed within 30 days of receipt and approval.

Customer Appeals.

If the customer’s request for a refund is denied by the field POC, Customer Service will notify the customer by mail. The customer may appeal the decision by providing a written explanation to Customer Service. The request will be forwarded to the ATR for a decision. The ATR or Customer Service may refer the request to the RPMO for a final decision.

Refer to Chapter 3. Daily Operations – Refunds, for specific procedures for requesting and approving refunds at the field location.


27

Emergency Closures.

In the event of an emergency closure at a site, Recreation.gov will attempt to notify users, cancel affected reservations, and refund all fees paid (with the exception of non-fee tour facilities. See Reservation Fees, above).

This page left intentionally blank.

Chapter 3 – Daily Operations NRRS Operating Procedures Manual

29

Chapter 3 – Daily Operations

This chapter is designed for use by field personnel who are responsible for the daily operations of a recreation facility using reservation services. It addresses many of the issues encountered at field locations during the recreation season. It is based on Recreation.gov Business Rules and Policies described in Chapter 2.

An abbreviated version of this chapter entitled: “Reservations at a Glance” was developed as a quick reference tool for front desk personnel and those who greet the public at participating field locations. A copy of this document is provided as Appendix 3.

Reservations.

Customers can make future reservations on-line at Recreation.gov or by calling the toll-free reservation number 1 (877) 444-6777. Field locations should not take reservations over the phone. Instead, customers may be directed to the toll-free reservation number.

Field locations that operate as Field Sales channels are able to make advance reservations through field applications.

Problems with a customer’s reservation should be reported to Customer Service.

Protecting Customer Privacy.

The Daily Arrival Report (DAR) and any information from any of the other online sources available to NRRS authorized personnel, which includes the customer’s name and phone number, are protected by the Privacy Act and must not be shared or made public. Anyone other than authorized personnel, including customers or anyone identifying themselves as being affiliated with the NRRS, ReserveAmerica Client Support, or Customer Service requesting a copy of the DAR, should be reported to your agency COTR immediately.

Shared customer information could lead to inappropriate uses, such as canceling a reservation without the customer’s permission, or even for criminal or illegal uses. Keep customer’s information confidential.


Interagency Senior and Access Passes, and Golden Age and Access Passports (Lifetime Passes).

This section describes the availability, benefits and field procedures for accepting Passes in the check-in process. Detailed information on these two parts of the Federal Recreation Pass Programs is provide as Appendix 4. Additional information on these Passes appears in Chapter 2, Business Rules and Policies.

Definitions.

Interagency Access Passes and Golden Access Passports.

The America the Beautiful -- the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Access Pass (Interagency Access Pass) is a free lifetime entrance passes for U.S. residents, who are blind or permanently disabled. The Interagency Access Pass replaced the Golden Access Passport, beginning in January 2007. However the Golden Access Passport is still honored for entry under the same conditions as the Interagency Access Pass.

Figure 1. Interagency Access Pass.

The pass admits the pass holder and any accompanying passengers in a private vehicle at Federal recreation sites that charge an entrance or standard amenity fee. The pass also provides a 50 percent discount at participating agency sites on expanded amenity fees (use fees) charged for facilities and services such as fees for camping, swimming, parking, boat launching, or cave tours. Discounts do not apply to special recreation permits or concession (store items).


31

Interagency Senior Passes and Golden Age Passports.

The America the Beautiful and the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Senior Pass (Interagency Senior Pass) is a lifetime entrance and discount pass for U.S. residents, age 62 and older. The Interagency Senior Pass replaced the Golden Access Passport, beginning in January 2007. However, the Golden Age Passport is still honored for entry under the same conditions as the Interagency Senior Pass.

Figure 2. Interagency Senior Pass.

The pass admits the pass holder and any accompanying passengers in a private vehicle at Federal recreation sites that charge an entrance or standard amenity fee. The pass also provides a 50 percent discount at participating agency sites on some expanded amenity fees (use fees) charged for facilities and services such as fees for camping (including family sites operated by concessionaires), swimming, parking, boat launching, or cave tours. Discounts do not apply to special recreation permits or concession (store items).

General Procedures.

Reservation Customers.

In addition to the Interagency Pass policy in Chapter 2, Business Rules and Policies, the following applies:

If the reservation is made through the Internet, the customer must enter his or her Senior or Access Pass number on the appropriate web screen. Once the pass number is entered, the discount will appear on the reservation and be included in the reservation record.

When a reservation is taken at a Call Center, the reservation agent will ask the customer if he or she or a member of the party, is a pass holder. If so, the pass

number will be entered and the discount applied to the reservation and included as part of the reservation record.

If a customer does not enter the Pass information on the web page or inform the call center agent that they have the appropriate pass, the customer will be charged the regular rate.

A Pass is not applicable to group facilities.

Reservation Customer Check-In.

The DAR or the Customer Arrival Report will show the Pass number associated with each customer who received a discounted rate.

The Pass Holder (who must occupy the site) must bring his or her valid Pass and one form of photo identification to show upon arrival and check-in at the campground.

Field personnel are responsible for verifying the customer’s Pass number against the DAR or the reports within the Field Sales Channel applications. They should also verify the customer’s photo identification to assure that the person using the card is the same person to whom the card was issued.

If the Pass Holder does not bring their Pass and photo identification, he or she should not receive the discounted rate. In this situation, the customer should pay any additional fees before being allowed to occupy the site. DAR facilities, should contact Customer Service to have the additional payment applied. At Field Sales Channel sites, field staff should adjust the fees paid at check-in.

Customers with any of the lifetime passes may not apply the discount to any campsite other than the one he or she will occupy.

Walk-up Customer Check-in.

If a walk-up customer presents a one of these Passes, field personnel will apply the appropriate discount, once the Pass information and photo identification has been verified, as described above.

Check-in and Arrivals.

Customers with a Reservation.

When a customer arrives at the field location with a reservation, they are checked-in and the site or activity is considered occupied (Note: Reserved sites should be posted in advance).

If the customer has received a pass discount, the field staff should follow the procedures described above.


33

Early Check-in.

Customers may change the arrival date of their reservation, prior to the reservation cut-off window, by calling the Recreation.gov call center. No service fee will be assessed.

When a customer with a reservation arrives at the field location before the reservation arrival date and/or time, he or she is considered an early arrival. If this occurs during the reservation cut-off window the following applies:

Early arrivals are subject to site availability.

Additional days of stay must fall within the cut-off window for that field location.

Any additional use fees are collected at that time.

Walk-up Customers.

This is a reservation sale made at the time of the customer’s arrival at the field location. If a customer walks up to the field location and does not have a reservation, the staff should determine which facilities (or sites) or activity the customer wishes to purchase.

The field location staff checks reports (such as the DAR or computer data) to verify whether facilities are available to meet the customer’s request.

The customer completes the registration process and pays all fees for their entire length of stay. Customers wishing to stay longer than the maximum length of stay will be allowed to stay based on agency and local policy. If authorized by field staff to stay, the customer should be assigned to non-reservable campsites.

Field staff immediately records payment received.

The customer is given a receipt and encouraged to make a reservation for his or her next visit.

Accepting Payment at Field Locations.

Field personnel may accept the following methods of payment in U.S. dollars: cash; certified checks; bank checks; money orders; personal checks; and Travelers Checks. No foreign currency will be accepted.

Site Changes.

A site change occurs when a customer with a reservation at a “site-specific” classified field location requests a change from one site to another. This is not applicable to field locations that are managed by “site-type”.

Procedures.

Prior to the customer’s arrival.

A customer may change their site specific reservation by calling the Recreation.gov call center, prior to the reservation cut-off date.

There is a $10.00 service fee to make a site change through the call center.

After the customer’s arrival.

A customer may request a site change once he or she arrives at the field location. There is no charge to make a site change once on-site.

The field staff will check the availability of the site for those days within their control, i.e., the cut-off window.

When the site change is to a more expensive site, the customer must pay the difference in rate.

If the site change is to a less expensive site the difference will be refunded via a refund request.

If the field location has non-reservable sites that are available for the time period a customer requests and the local policy is to allow a customer to move from a reserved, site specific site to a non-reservable site, then the field staff can approve a customer’s request for a site change.

If the customer’s request is at a site specific location and the length of stay requested extends beyond the cut-off window:

Field Sales Channel locations will check inventory for site and date availability.

DAR locations will honor the request, for those days within the field location’s control, i.e., the cut-off window.

Changes to a different field location altogether will be processed as a cancellation of the original reservation and the creation of a new reservation.

Changes for Alaska Cabins Reservations.

Alaska cabins allow only one change per reservation. A change in reservation is defined as a modification to the start or end date of the reservation. After one change has been made, if additional changes are desired, the customer must cancel the reservation and at a later time, re-book the new dates. This policy has been established to assure that reservations for cabins are fair and equitable for everyone.


35

Extension of Stay.

An extension of stay is when a customer requests additional days or time beyond the original departure date or time.

Procedures.

Customers may be able to change the reservation arrival or departure date prior to the reservation cut-off date, by contacting an call center agent who can check availability.

Customers who have already arrived at the field location may extend their stay and remain on their existing site, as long as no other customers are scheduled to occupy that site and their total length of stay limits does not exceed agency rules and regulations. No service fee is charged if the extension of stay request is handled when the customer is occupying a site at the field location.

Handling Customers after Arrival at Field Locations using a DAR.

Field locations may grant extensions after the customer arrives only when the requested dates fall within the local cut-off window and they have checked the DAR to assure the site is available for extension.

Customers that wish to extend beyond the local cut-off window may call Recreation.gov and reserve the site for the dates requested (if available), with the approval of the field Location (if necessary).

Handling Customers after Arrival at Field Sales Locations.

If the site is available, field locations may process an extension to the customers reservation by entering the change in the Field Manager software.

Check-out and Departures.

When a customer checks-out, they are considered to have “departed” the facility. This makes the site available to other customers. As a general practice, all customers leaving the campground should notify the office or gate staff accordingly.

Field locations should develop local procedures for customers to notify the staff of their departure.

Early Departures.

An early departure occurs when a customer spends at least one night of their reservation at the facility but leaves the facility prior to the reservation departure date

Early departures will be treated as a cancellation of the remaining days. There will be no refunds for days used prior to the departure date, regardless of whether the customer was present for all those days, i.e., the customer arrived a day late.

Campers must notify the facility that they are leaving early, as required by local policy. Notification must occur prior to checkout time to receive credit for the night of the departure date. Field location procedures may vary depending on agency policy

Under all circumstances the field POC must authorize any refunds for early departures. Early departure refunds must be approved by the field location and may be denied under certain circumstances, i.e., if the departure is associated with a law enforcement issue or is otherwise prohibited by local agency policy.

If the field location is:

Managed with a DAR, a field POC or other representative may authorize a refund for the remaining part of the customers stay.

Managed as a Field Sales Channel, the refund is authorized when the customer’s departure is logged into the Field Manager software and the “reserved” inventory is released.

A cabin, there is no refund for early departure.

Cancellation – Customer-Requested.

Customers wishing to cancel a reservation should contact the Recreation.gov call center. The following procedures are in addition to the policies in Chapter 2, Business Rules and Policies:

Procedures for Field Locations using a DAR.

The DAR will list cancellations, if the reservation appeared on a previous DAR and the cancellation occurred prior to the time the DAR report is generated.

When a customer notifies field staff of a cancellation, the customer or the field staff must complete a Request for Refund form and send it to Recreation.gov (see Refunds section).

Procedures for Field Sales Channel Locations.

The field staff may process and authorize a customer’s request for cancellation using the Field Manager software. Refer to your application User Manual for additional information.


37

No-Shows.

Field Locations using a DAR.

When field staff identify that a reservation customer is a “no-show,” a Request for Refund form (see Refunds section) may be submitted, at the discretion of the site, to assure that the appropriate fees are withheld from the customer and to initiate a refund for any remaining funds.

Field Sales Channel Locations.

When a reservation customer is determined to be a “no show”, the data is entered into the Field Manager system and the software calculates the applicable fees and refund (if appropriate). The software also changes the status of the site from “reserved” to “reservable”.

Summary – Cancellations, No-shows and Early Departure Policies.

These policies are summarized in Table 4. below.

Cancellations – Agency-Initiated Closures.

An agency-initiated cancellation occurs when an agency or concessionaire closes all or part of the facility or activity, when it is unavailable or unsafe for use. Some reasons to initiate reservation cancellations may include construction, maintenance situations, emergency situations, administrative closures, civil disturbance, Government shutdown, acts of God, e.g., natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, fires, severe storms, etc.

Table 4. Summary -- Cancellations, No-Shows and Early Departure Policies.

Notes: 1. Forest Service Reservation Fee (if charged) is not refundable.

2. Cancellations must be completed prior to midnight (Eastern Time) on the 15th and 2nd day before arrival.

3. After the Arrival Date, refunds must be approved by the Reservation POC. The Reservation POC may choose not to process a refund.

4. For Cancellations and No-Shows, the fees charged the customer will not exceed the amount the guest has already paid for facility usage.

Reservation Activity

15 Days or More before Arrival Date

2 to 14 Days

before Arrival Date

1 Day before Arrival Date

Arrival Date

1 Day after Arrival Date (Check-out)

2 or More Days after

Arrival Date

Cancellation

Individual & Family Sites

Refund minus $10.00 Service Fee

Late Cancellation: Refund minus one nights use fee and $10.00 Service Fee

Group Sites & Cabins

Refund minus $10.00 Service Fee

Late Cancellation (1 to 14 days prior to Arrival Date): Refund minus one day/nights use fee and $10.00 Service Fee

No-Show

Campsites

Refund minus first nights Use Fee and $20.00 Service Fee

Cabins & Day Use

Entire fee paid is forfeited

Early Departure

Campsites

Refund for nights not used (field discretion)

Cabins & Lookouts

No refund for early departure


39

Procedures.

The reservation POC should notify HDI as soon as a determination for closure has been made (unless your facility operates as a field sales channel or you have access to Inventory Manager (see chapter 4). The field POC must electronically confirm the notification by e-mail. Once HDI receives the notification it will take the following actions:

Send an automated e-mail response including the case number within 3-4 hours confirming that they have initiated the closure.

Remove the affected inventory from sale within 24 hours of notification for emergency situations.

Notify the agency POC regarding status of any existing reservations to determine if these should be cancelled or honored at the field location.

Run a query on the affected sites to determine if there are any existing customer reservations. Notify the agency POC regarding status of any existing reservations to determine if these should be cancelled or honored at the field location.

Attempt to notify each customer, then cancel the reservation and issue a full refund.

When changes or cancellations are agency-initiated, agencies must pay the contractor the applicable (CLIN) fees. Agencies will also pay the CLIN fees for concessionaire-initiated changes or cancellations unless the change or cancellation was a result of the concessionaire: failing to properly maintain a facility; creating an unsafe environment; negligence; or other grave situation. In these cases, the concessionaire would be responsible for paying the CLIN fees.

Refunds.

A refund is a full or partial reimbursement of the expanded amenity (use) fee(s) paid for a reservation. Business Rules and Policies for refunds are in Chapter 2.

Processing Procedures.

Requests for Refunds within the Late Cancellation Window.

If a customer requests a cancellation the day before arrival, or the day of arrival, they will be charged the first night’s use fee. The remainder of the use fees will be refunded. Customer Service is authorized to refund the full use fees when the cancellation is due to:

Death in the family.

Medical emergency.

Agent/System Error.

Customer Service is also authorized to refund the service fee for certain change and cancellation requests under the contractor’s “no hassle” policy. All other requests for service fee refunds require approval from the field POC. Forest Service exception: reservation or service fee, (not including Alaska cabins and selected concessionaire-managed facilities). Exception: Forest Service fees which are under the seamless fee model require RPMO approval.

The contractor is authorized to deny refund requests for:

No Shows.

Inclement weather.

Requests for Refunds after the Arrival Date.

Customer Service notifies the field POC at the field location once a refund request is received. All refund requests after the arrival date require field POC approval.

Customer Requests to Customer Service.

If a customer contacts Customer Service directly after the arrival date with a refund request, Customer Service will attempt to contact the field POC. The field POC has 15 days to respond to the request. After that, Customer Service is authorized to approve the refund request.

To verify refunds that required POC approval, the field POC should respond to Customer Service concerning these requests by e-mail, fax, or phone. Customer Service will notify the customer of approval or denial.

Customer Contacts the Field Location for a Refund.

If a customer contacts the field location to request a refund, the field POC is responsible for notifying Customer Service.

Field Sales Channel Locations Refunds.

Authorized personnel at these field locations will enter the refund information in the Field Manager software.

Refunds at Field Locations Operating with a DAR.

Field location POC’s must notify Customer Service of refund request approvals and denials within 15 days. A toll-free refund line with Interactive Voice Response (IVR) also known as the “refund hotline” has been established. A call to this line will initiate the refund process. Note: This number is for authorized personnel only.

The IVR will prompt the POC through the process requesting the necessary information to complete the refund. The POC will be asked to provide the following:


41

Park ID #

POC name and phone number

Reservation number.

Customer name.

Amount of refund approved or if denied, reason for denial for the refund request.

POC’s will be able to complete multiple requests on one phone call. The park ID # is required.

Using the phone to handle refund requests has a number of advantages: it is convenient and cost effective; does away with the need to complete a request form; provides the ability to complete multiple refunds requests on one call; facilitates a quick turnaround time; enables POC’s the ability to call in refund decisions at any time; and is more reliable than a fax.

Customers Refunds.

Refunds are paid after approval is authorized, in accordance with the Business Rules in Chapter 2.

Chapter 4 – Managing Inventory and Reservation Services NRRS Operating Procedures Manual

43

Chapter 4 – Managing Inventory and Reservation Services

This chapter covers Recreation.gov policies and procedures for setting up and managing reservations at participating facilities, including inventory and emergency site closure.

Inventory.

Adding New Inventory to Recreation.gov.

Field managers are encouraged to submit as many new facilities as possible to Recreation.gov for reservation services. Agencies may have additional policies on what should be included in the reservation service.

There are several steps to adding new inventory to Recreation.gov:

New managers should become familiar with Recreation.gov Business Rules and Policies in Chapter 2. above.

Contact the ATR and discuss the facility, Recreation.gov, the inventory process, and expectations. It is also imperative to analyze and/or anticipate the demand and use patterns of the specific facility and compare those to policies (see Chapter 2) and local site operating procedures.

Once it is determined that the facility has potential to be successful and serve customers recreational needs, and local agency approval has been received, the facility may be added to Inventory. The individual responsible for adding new inventory – the field POC, especially those field locations managed by a Forest Service concessionaire, must contact the RPMO by e-mail at [email protected] and provide the overall details.

Complete the new inventory request. If you have authorized access to Inventory Manager, you can make additions and changes to the inventory. If you do not have access to that program, additions or changes to inventory are provided through HDI via Support Center, available through the “agency sign-in” page of Recreation.gov, by e-mail, or by phone. HDI will provide inventory data collection forms to help compile all of the data on the new field location.

The HDI will work with the field location staff and define a plan and timeline to identify all the required steps for incorporating the new facility into the reservation system.



Once the inventory data is assembled and submitted, it will be input into the system. The field POC must review and certify that the inventory entered into the system is “correct”. Once the “certification” is received from the field POC, the inventory will be made available for reservation sales.

The most critical step in providing reservation services to the public is to check and re-check the inventory records for the new field location to assure that every entry is correct. This is the foundation for providing effective reservation services and satisfying customers at the field location.

Defining Reservable Sites.

When the manager at a field location determines that a campground, cabin, group shelter, or other facilities or activities should be added to Recreation.gov, they must define the “inventory” available for reservation. One of the most important elements to consider when identifying inventory is to define the site’s characteristics and fees so that reservation agents and Recreation.gov can match the customer’s needs.

Recommendations for Reservable Sites:

The following recommendations are made to enhance public satisfaction and use of the reservation system:

That all sites at a field location be added to the inventory record because these data are displayed on the internet and it causes customer confusion if only a portion of a field location facilities are displayed.

A minimum of 60 percent of all the sites at a field location be made “reservable” through Recreation.gov. This allows the reservation customer to have a reasonable chance at finding a site at their desired field location (except during peak weekend days). Each participating agency has policies regarding minimum percentages of reservable sites.

The field location is strongly encouraged to increase the minimum percentage of “reservable” sites, up to the maximum percentage. This provides better customer service because more sites are available for advance reservation and it reduces the workload and funds handling at the field location.

The maximum number of “reservable” sites is 95 to 98 percent of the field location’s entire inventory. Any more than that does not allow flexibility to handle unusual or emergency situations on-site. Most field locations also set aside administrative site(s) to be used at the discretion of the agency or concessionaire, e.g., a site occupied by a campground host.

Contact your ATR for specifics about minimum and maximum percentage policies for reservable sites.



45

Site Classification.

Field managers must determine how to classify the facilities available for reservation at a specific field location: either “site specific” or “site type”. Recreation.gov recommends the “site specific” classification method over the “site type” method.

Site Specific Classification (Recommended). “Site specific” inventory allows customers to reserve a specific site, e.g., site # 45 or A-3. This method empowers the customer to choose a site that suits his or her needs.

Site Type Classification (Not Recommended). “Site type” classifies similar sites together. Rather than reserving a specific site, customers, upon check-in at the field location, would choose from a group of sites of the same “type.” Field staff may assign the customer to a specific site number within that site type. The hotel industry uses this method for assigning guest rooms. This method is easier to establish in inventory.

Inventory Updates and Revisions.

The field POC is responsible for reviewing, updating, and correcting Recreation.gov inventory for his or her field locations, as well as informing Recreation.gov of changing conditions. Field managers select a reservation POC who will be authorized to make inventory changes and updates regularly. A secondary POC may also be identified.

Once inventory data has been entered into the Recreation.gov database or has been changed during an update process, it is very important that the reservation POC verify all the data. Particular attention should be given to checking critical items such as: fees; seasons/dates (provide two years in advance); reservable sites; and POC information.

Changing Management Organizations.

The Recreation.gov database contains a management organization structure for all participating field locations. Once these are established for agency-managed field locations, they should not change. One exception is for changes in concession-managed/operated Forest Service sites.

Concessionaire Facility Management.

Recreation.gov must be notified following specific guidelines when a change in concessionaire operations occurs at a field location or group of field locations. Appropriate notification assures proper payment to the concessionaire for reservations sales. These procedures also apply when the Forest Service will run the facility until a new

concessionaire is established. Once an award is made to establish a new concessionaire at a site, a copy of the permit must be sent via fax to the RPMO office to record the implementation dates and establish a disbursement schedule. Inventory data and POC changes may be completed through HDI.

If there is a gap in time between concessionaries or the facility will be managed temporarily by the agency, the RPMO and HDI must be notified in advance to assure that funds are disbursed to the appropriate managing organization. During any gap in facility management, reservation funds will be held in an account managed by the RPMO until the new concessionaire is designated.

Receiving Reservation Data at the Field Location.

Managers must decide if the field location should manage reservations using one of the following methods:

Daily Arrival Report (DAR): This is a report that is received in the field by fax, daily during the recreation season.

Field Sales Channel: A computer software applications like Field, Venue, or Permit Manager is used to manage reservations. Field locations that want to become Field Sales Channel locations should contact HDI at any time during the year. They will assist with developing an implementation schedule. Contact your ATR or HDI for more information about becoming a Field Sales Channel location.

Removing Facilities from Recreation.gov.

Before a facility is removed from inventory, the site manager and the ATR must analyze the demand and use patterns of the facility relative to agency policies and site operating procedures. In addition, removal of facilities from inventory affects customer expectations and should not be done without careful consideration of the impacts on the facility and customer service.

If it is necessary to permanently remove an existing facility or field location from Recreation.gov inventory, please follow these steps:

The request must be approved by the ATR.

The RPMO must be notified by e-mail: [email protected].

Once the request is approved, the field POC submits the request with the approval to HDI for processing.

If the field POC submits a request to remove an existing facility or field location from Recreation.gov, without prior approval, the ATR will be contacted for approval. The RPMO staff must be notified before the facility is removed.


47

Recreation.gov staff will determine if any changes are required in the inventory database, or at the RPMO for crediting disbursements to the appropriate management organization.

Site Closures and Emergency Closures.

Applying a “site closure” makes facilities unavailable to the public for advance reservations for a specified date range. Site closures allow managers to respond to changes in field conditions. Site closures allow the manager to close the entire park or campground, a group of sites or one individual site to respond to changes in field conditions. Closed sites may be available for walk-in customers depending on the options selected when applying the closure.

When requesting a Site Closure the field manager must specify the following:

Start date is the first night/day the closure affects reservations.

End date is the last night/day the closure affects reservations.

The ending date for site closures is necessary so that reservations can resume when the field location reopens. The field POC must consider any existing reservations for the date range that the facility is closed. If the site closure request affects customers who are arriving within 14 days of the current date, cancellations will show on the DAR.

There are several ways to initiate a site closure:

Submit a closure request using the Field Manager application.

For field locations without that application, submit a copy of the Closure Request Form.

Please note the POC must follow up with an e-mail notification to ensure this request has been approved.

Be sure to inform HDI how you wish them to handle any pending reservations. HDI will send an automated response within three to four hours of receiving the request, initiate the closure, and begin notifying customers, if required. The closure request is usually complete within one day. If you have questions about the process, call HDI.

Chapter 5 – Marketing Your Field Location NRRS Operating Procedures Manual

49

Chapter 5 – Marketing Your Field Location

Our contractor has primary responsibility for marketing Recreation.gov to promote the reservation service, educate customers about the service, and increasing the use of under-utilized facilities. Recreation.gov can also assist field locations in managing high-demand or over-utilized sites.

The Marketing Plan.

The Marketing Plan outlines the Recreation.gov marketing strategies. It is jointly developed by Recreation.gov agency staff and the contractor. It is updated annually and submitted to the Contracting Officer’s Representative for approval. Marketing information is available at the agency Marketing website (accessible through the “agency sign-in” page at Recreation.gov).

Responsibilities.

The Agency Technical Representative (ATR) and the field POC’s are responsible for marketing Recreation.gov.

Participating agencies should distribute marketing materials and participate in local and regional trade shows/special events. Materials distributed should include the web address (www.Recreation.gov) and the Recreation.gov toll free number 1 (877) 444-6777. marketing information should be included in appropriate printed materials and facility web pages. You may reproduce useful collateral materials found at the Recreation.gov Marketing website (accessible through the “agency sign-in” page of Recreation.gov.

Marketing Recommendations.

The Recreation.gov logos communicate a unified “brand” to the public. These logos are available through the “agency sign-in” page of Recreation.gov. See Figure 3. below for an example.





Figure 3. Full Color Version of Recreation.gov Logo.

The following are guidelines for field locations:

They may use the Recreation.gov logo to identify and market a participating facility.

They are encouraged to submit high quality – high resolution pictures that may be used in developing new marketing materials. Contact your ATR for more information.

They should post reservations at campgrounds and group facilities. Personal information should be omitted to protect the customers’ privacy.

They should make Recreation.gov brochures, business cards, and toolkits available to customers.

Q & A . . .

Q. Where can I order Marketing supplies?

A. A variety of NRRS marketing materials are available for field locations through various sections of Recreation.gov (accessible by the “agency sign-in” page). POC’s can request free materials by sending an e-mail to [email protected] . Please be very specific about quantities; i.e., do not request a box of business cards, request a specific number as box sizes vary).



Chapter 5 – Marketing Your Field Location NRRS Operating Procedures Manual

51

Training.

Training is available to field personnel at national and regional classroom training or workshops, on-line training, and at the annual Fall Forum. Training schedules are available at Support Center, accessible through the “agency sign-in” page of Recreation.gov. Contact your ATR for details.


This page intentionally left blank.

Chapter 6 – Where to Get Help NRRS Operating Procedures Manual

53

Chapter 6 – Where to Get Help

Agency and field personnel at participating locations require assistance with implementing and managing reservation services. Recreation.gov Customer Service and HDI provide this assistance and this chapter describes them.

Recreation.gov HDI.

HDI is designed and staffed to provide quick and effective support and assistance to internal customers (you and the field staff) for reservation issues.

HDI is the field location’s primary resource for assistance in resolving technical and or inventory related issues. Examples include: fee display issues with reservations; not receiving DAR’s; Field software (Field Manager, Venue Manager, Permit Manager etc.) issues; changes to inventory; updating seasons and or fees; and field location alerts and notices.

General Procedures.

If you are experiencing a problem with inventory issues, reservation services or technical issues, contact HDI and request a case be opened and have a case number assigned.

Hours of operation.

HDI services are available seven (7) days per week throughout the year during the following hours:

March 1 to October 31 7 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. Eastern Time

November 1 to February 28 8 a.m. to midnight Eastern Time

Reporting and Resolving Issues through HDI.

Reporting Information.

When you report HDI issues by e-mail or phone, always include the following information:

Your Name.

Site Name and ID number.

Your contact information (e-mail, and phone number).

Description of the issue. Identify the general area where you require assistance and then describe the specific situation. Include all of the facts known.

Inventory.

Reservation services and technical issues.

Priority level of the problem (see Table 5.).

Be sure to re-read your message before submitting it to make sure you have clearly stated the issue and/or request. Additional information on Issue Reports is included in Appendix 7.

Process for Resolving HDI Issues.

A case will be assigned by category (closure, fee, inventory, etc.) to an individual HDI Specialist. The Recreation.gov HDI Specialist reviews the details of the request and establishes a priority. Should the Recreation.gov HDI Specialist have questions, he or she will contact the end user for clarification. The field POC will receive an e-mail within 12 hours for critical issues or within three days for non-critical issues.

Feedback to the field.

When a request is submitted by e-mail or phone, HDI creates a case using the information provided.

E-mail request: A message similar to that shown in Figure 4. will be automatically generated, typically within 3-4 hours. Note the case number included in the message (within the subject line).

Phone request: The case number is provided during the initial call (HDI will ask that inventory requests be submitted in writing). Once the phone call is over, the POC is provided an e-mail confirmation of the submission of the case with a case number within the subject line.

Table 5. HDI Case Priorities and Approximate Completion Times.

PRIORITY REQUEST OR

CASE TYPE COMPLETION

TIME IMPACT DESCRIPTION

1 Inventory 1 day Emergency Closure Critical Impact

All Others 1 day Critical Impact. Customer is severely impacted and unable to perform routine, daily functions, (e.g. connectivity, or issues that impact multiple parks or campgrounds.

No acceptable solution available.


55

PRIORITY REQUEST OR

CASE TYPE COMPLETION

TIME IMPACT DESCRIPTION

2 Inventory 5 days Fees, Restriction changes, site type changes that impact fees, modifying open dates for the seasons in the reservation window, change in reservable status, non-emergency closures outside the reservation window, adding new sites or site renumbering

High Impact

All Others 3 days High Impact. Customer is impacted, but has the ability to perform regular functions, e.g. slow response or financials.

Temporary solution in place.

3 Inventory 30 days Adding new facilities New Facilities.

All Others 15 days Medium Impact. Customer impacted somewhat but has a stabilizing solution in place, i.e., incorrect fees, restriction problems.

Stable solution in place.

4 Inventory 45 days Updates to general information General Non-Critical, Non-emergency

All Others 30 days Low Impact. General questions, training issues, etc. No immediate investigation required.

0 Inventory N/A N/A N/A

All Others Immediately Quick Fix. Used only for same day resolution and usually solved on the initial call.

Case resolved immediately by HDI during the call.

The content will vary slightly, but will include the case number and expected resolution time (Figure 5.). For tracking purposes, all telephone requests should be followed by a written request to provide a paper trail.

Figure 4. Automatically Generated Confirmation Message.

Note: Once you have the case number, you are encouraged to track the progress of your case online through the Support Center, available thru the “agency sign-in” page of Recreation.gov.

If the Recreation.gov HDI Specialist is unable to resolve the issue, the request will be forwarded to another department for resolution. A representative of the new department, e.g., product support or customer service, will contact the end user and advise them of the situation.

Once completed, the case is assigned to a member of the Recreation.gov HDI Quality Control team that verifies the work has been completed in accordance with the request. HDI will send an e-mail advising that the work is complete, and asking the affected end user to verify the accuracy. A sample of this e-mail message is provided in Figure 6.

From: Mary Smith Sent: Tuesday, April 20, 2010 5:57 PM To: [email protected] Cc: Subject: Inventory update for Bountiful Campground - SUP-12345

Hello A case has been logged and assigned to a Help Specialist for changes/investigation. The case number is located in the subject line of this message. We will be contacting you as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

NRRS Help Team



57

Figure 5. Receipt Message from HDI.

Figure 6. Example of Service Request Completed Message.

From: Mary Smith Sent: Tuesday, April 20, 2010 5:57 PM To: [email protected] Cc: Subject: Inventory update for Bountiful Campground - SUP-12345

I have received your inventory update request Bountiful Campground, request SUP-12345, to make site # 18 available for reservation. The case has been assigned Priority 1. This work is in progress and should be complete within the next 24 hours. Thank you for your patience in this matter.

Regards,

Inventory Team

ReserveAmerica, Inc.

nrrshelp

Hello,

This is to inform you that we have completed the Map Update for Cove Lake Recreation Area. The case number is SUP-23456. If you have any concern about the accuracy of the changes made, you should contact ReserveAmerica, Inc., as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

NRRS Help Team

mailto:nrrshelp�

Figure 7. Sample Case Closed E-Mail Message.

Customer Service.

Field personnel may contact Customer Service on behalf of customers and/or to follow-up on reservation changes, modifications, or refunds. Field personnel should not contact customer service with operational issues. These should be referred to HDI.

The Customer Service Desk is operational year around, on the same schedule (days and times) as the Call Center.

HDI and Customer Service After Hours Support.

If assistance is needed outside of normal HDI or Customer Service hours, call the Recreation.gov HDI number. Follow the instructions to have the call forwarded to a cellular

Original Message

From: Service Desk [mailto:[email protected]]

Sent: Wednesday, May 05, 2010

To: Susan Grant

Subject: Request SUP-23456 Closed

Request SUP-23456 Closed.

Assigned to: Jones, Robert

Customer: Grant, Susan

Summary: Bountiful Campground – fee update.

Q & A . . .

Q. How do you closing a Case File?

A. When you receive a message that the requested action is complete, you should verify that you are satisfied with the changes. If so, please that you are satisfied.

Once the affected end user confirms the completed work is accurate, NRRS Help closes the case.

If you do not respond to NRRS Help, after they have made three attempts to contact the end user, NRRS Help will close the case. NRRS Help then sends a final e-mail notice such as that in Figure 7. to the end user, with a copy furnished to the Agency COTR.



59

phone for Product or Technical Support emergency assistance. This option should only be used in an emergency situation, such as a fire that closes part of the campground.

If the call is not immediately connected, leave a message with your name and phone number.

If the call is not returned within 30 minutes, repeat the above process.

If the second call is not immediately connected and a call back is not received, send an email or fax to the Recreation.gov HDI supervisor

When reporting after hours on an issue that can be resolved during the next business day, leave a message. An HDI agent will assign a case number the next business day and return the call back for further information.

Escalation Procedures for HDI and Customer Service.

General.

The Recreation.gov contract requires the contractor to provide effective, courteous, and timely field support. Escalation involves notifying a higher authority, such as an HDI Supervisor or Customer Service Supervisor, that a request has not received a response, or has not been completed or resolved in an effective, courteous, or timely manner.

As described in this chapter under Reporting and Resolving Issues through HDI, HDI provides an:

Automated response to the initial request (including a case number) within 4 hours of submission.

Agent response for critical issues within 12 hours or noncritical issues within 3 days. Complete the request within the times provided in Table 5, HDI Case Priorities and Approximate Completions Times, above.

Escalation Procedures for HDI.

If the field POC receives an untimely or unsatisfactory response from HDI, follow this procedure:

Follow-up. Resend the original request with the case number by e-mail to request a status check. While you may also follow up by phone, it is preferable to have a written record of your contact. In addition, while it is the Field POC’s responsibility to submit, follow-up on requests and escalate cases, you may determine it necessary to copy or forward individual cases to your ATR.

Escalate. After following up, the POC should escalate the issue if:

o You have not received an update within 24 hours of submitting a written follow up request.

o You determine that the work being done or the case record does not reflect the work you requested.

You learn that the case is closed and the work that was done, is not satisfactory.

Refer the case to your ATR. Your ATR should be contacted through appropriate agency channels, if the above steps fail to achieve results.

Escalation Procedures for Customer Service.

If the field POC receives an untimely or unsatisfactory response from Customer Service follow this procedure:

Follow-up. Follow up by resending the original request by e-mail and request a status check. While you may also follow up by phone, it is preferable to have a written record of your contact.

Escalate. After following up, if the work is still not completed in an effective or timely manner, the POC should escalate the issue. In addition, while it is the Field POC’s responsibility to submit, follow up on requests, and escalate these requests, you may determine it necessary to copy or forward individual cases to your ATR.

Refer the issue to your ATR. Your ATR should be contacted through appropriate agency channels if the above steps fail to achieve results.

Service Complaints.

This provides the process that all customers, both internal field staff and the general public, should use to make formal complaints about Recreation.gov service or policies. Field staff and customers are strongly encouraged to capture as much information about the reservation issue as possible including reservation number, agent name, and date and time of contact.

Customer Complaints.

Reservation customers wishing to inquire about Recreation.gov services or make a complaint should be directed to Customer Service. Agency personnel may also send an e-mail.

Field personnel should use Customer Service to document complaints which they may receive related to a specific customer.


61

Field Staff Complaints.

Field locations wishing to make a complaint regarding operational issues should use HDI to document of their complaints and follow the appropriate escalation procedures for assistance as needed.

App. 1 – Definition of Terms. NRRS Operating Procedures Manual

1

App. 1 – Definition of Terms.

Accessible: Describes a program, site, building, or facility, or a portion thereof, that complies with the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standard and the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines, and that can be used by persons with disabilities.

Accounting Operations Center (AOC): The National Park Service (NPS) centralized Accounting Operations Center. This office is the authority that prescribes financial accounting procedures for the NPS.

Activity: A term used to describe a variety of events open to public visitation and for which a specific reservation may be made. Activities include, but are not limited to, tours and other recreation opportunities.

Administrative Hold: The non-reservable status that is temporarily placed on a recreation facility or activity for any management purposes.

Advance Reservation Sale: Transactions made within the booking window for reservations at field locations.

Advanced Reservation Sale for Non-Fee Facility: Transactions made within the booking window for reservations at facilities that do not charge recreation use fees, e.g., Washington Monument, Independence National Historic Park.

Agency Technical Representative (ATR): Also known as the agency COTR, this individual is an authorized representative of the Contracting Officer, serving as the technical staff advisor on matters related to the operational implementation of the contract requirements and acting within the limits of the authority delegated by the Contracting Officer.

America the Beautiful – the National Parks and Federal Lands Recreational Pass: see Interagency Pass Program.

Arrival Date/Time: Earliest time the reserved inventory is guaranteed to be available.

Backcountry: An area of Federal land characterized by a lack of development. Similar to wilderness, but not formally recognized in law, it may include access limits that are subject to special Federal regulations. Camping may be permitted in designated areas only.

Bank Card: A form of non-cash payment rendered for goods and services using a financial institution’s authorization. This can be either a credit card or debit card.

Block Window: A booking term which indicates that new inventory becomes available on non-daily basis.

Booking Window: The time period beginning a specified number of days/months in advance of the first reservable date, specified in the inventory database. (For example, a campsite with a 240-day booking window may be reserved up to 240 days prior to the date of customer arrival.) Different types of facilities and activities may have different booking windows.

Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW): The BWCAW is a congressionally designated wilderness area located in the Superior National Forest in northeastern Minnesota and managed by the USDA Forest Service.

Call Center: A Channel for distribution of reservation services, sales and recreation information.

Campground: A designated recreation facility made up of individual campsites and/or group sites for overnight use. Day use facilities may also be found in a campground.

Camping Fee: This is a Recreation Use Fee paid by a customer for occupying a campsite overnight.

Campsite: A site designated for overnight occupancy, which may feature various amenities, such as a picnic table, fire ring, grill, etc.

Cancellation: This is the release of a confirmed reservation that results in non-use by the original customer.

Capacity: Limit on the use of the unit of inventory, such as maximum number of people, vehicles, tents, trailers, horses, watercraft, etc.

Change: A customer-initiated modification of the original reservation, which may include but is not limited to changing arrival/departure dates, site numbers and types within the same campground, method of payment, and party size.

Computer Permit: A permit reserved and transmitted electronically to a specified Permit Issuing Station prior to the customer’s entry date, as listed on the permit.

Concessionaire: A private operator of Agency campgrounds or other recreational facilities under permit, lease, or other administrative instrument.

Concessions: Commercial businesses that may provide visitor accommodations, facilities, or services within a location (National Park) under the provisions of a concession’s contract or permit.

Concessionaire Use Fee: The supplemental fee paid by the visitor in addition to a recreation fee for such services as concession transportation to and from a tour, attraction or activity.

Confirmation: A notice to the customer confirming reservation, permit, or sale. It verifies specific information, documents the payment record, and serves as a customer receipt.

Congressional Inquiry: A verbal or written inquiry from a member of Congress.


3

Contract Line Item Number (CLIN): A specific unit of work to be performed by the Contractor as a payment item.

Contracting Officer (CO): A warranted individual of the USDA Forest Service with the authority to enter into, administer, and/or terminate contracts and make related determinations and findings.

Contracting Officer's Representative (COR): An authorized representative of the CO who administers the day-to-day operation of the contract. This individual acts within the limits of the authority delegated by the CO.

Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR): See Agency Technical Representative.Cooperator: A privately owned business or non-profit organization under agreement with the USDA Forest Service for the purpose of issuing wilderness permits (e.g., BWCAW permits)

Credit: A credit to a customer’s account in lieu of a refund, held in the Central Reservation System for future use by the customer.

Customer Service: Responds to any issues related to specific customer issues where a reservation requires changes/modifications and or refunds.

Cutoff Date/Time: The date and/or time beyond which an action will not be accepted.

Cutoff Window: The latest date and/or time that a customer request can be processed for a specific action; for example, the latest date a reservation, change, or cancellation can be made.

Daily Use Fee: A fee that is charged for the use of a facility or to participate in an activity (camping, tours, and day visits).

Daily Arrival Report (DAR):A report that documents customers arriving on a daily basis for each reservable facility or activity in the system.

Day Use: A recreation facility or activity intended for use during daylight hours; (for example, picnic areas, swimming beach, shelters, or tours).

Day Use Motor Quota: A weekly (Saturday through Friday) quota in the BWCAW set up for visitors to enter by motor for day use only. The visitor must exit at night. The visitor must specify an entry week (some may request a specific day within the week) when making the reservation, but the permit is only valid for any one day during that week.

Defaulted Payments: Default of the payment instrument which may include chargeback transactions, non-sufficient funds checks, and other denials.

Denials: These are financial transactions that are “stopped” because the Bank Card (Credit or Debit card) has expired or the customer stops payment.

Departure: The designated date and/or time for the customer to vacate the recreation facility or activity.

Designated Bank: A financial institution approved by the U.S. Department of Treasury, for the purpose of depositing public funds (31 USC 3302) into a U.S. Government treasury account.

Designated Representative: Person(s) authorized by the CO or COR to represent the government on matters relating to a contract.

Differential Pricing: The pricing of different sites within a single field location at different rates; for example, a higher price for overnight use of a site on the waterfront. This may occur between seasons or within seasons.

Double Booking: Multiple reservations above an established capacity for the same site, facility or activity with the same arrival date/time or activity date/time.

Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT): Transfer of funds by electronic means from one location to another.

Entrance Fee: A fee charged for entering parks or recreation areas (Also known as basic fees).

Entry Point: A physical location designated in the permit for customers to access a Wilderness Area, Wild and Scenic River and the BWCAW.

Equipment Type: A classification of a visitor's camping equipment, for example, tent, trailer, motor home, or recreational vehicle for use at a campsite.

Exempt Permit: A BWCAW permit issued to a homeowner or resort owner or their guests on named lakes listed in Public Law 95-495. These people are exempt from day use motor quotas.

Expanded Amenity (Use) Fee: An authorized fee charged to the customer for use of a recreation facility or participation in a recreation activity. It may be charged on a per-day, per-night, or per-person basis (Note: Formerly known as Recreation Use Fee).

Extensions: Customer request before or after arrival for additional days or time beyond the original departure date or time.

Facility: A structure or area available for use by the public and includes but is not limited to: campsites, day use areas, pavilions, cabins, and fire towers.

Field Agency: Concessionaire, and/or lessee management operations pertaining to recreation facilities or activities.

Field Location: A location described in the inventory where recreation facilities or activities exist.

Field Location Sales Channel: An Agency, concessionaire, and/or lessee operated sales channel.


5

Field Manager: A designated individual who is responsible for the day-to-day management of a recreation facility or activity.

Field Reservation Program (FRP): A real-time application that allows for reservation and onsite facility management by field locations.

Firewall: Combination of hardware and software that is designed to protect computer systems from access by unauthorized users.

First-Come, First-Serve Site: A recreation site or activity that is not available for advanced reservations.

Future Sales Channels: Additional channels (i.e., third party, fully accessible kiosks, multimedia to the home, etc.) that are expected to become Sales Channels over the life of the contract.

Golden Access Passport: A free, lifetime pass that was provided to citizens and permanent residents of the United States, who have been medically determined to be blind or permanently disabled and are eligible for receiving benefits under Federal law. This Passport was replaced by the Interagency Access Pass beginning in January 2007, however the old passport may still be used. The passport provides free entrance to certain Federal areas, and a discount of 50% for some facilities and activities. It does not provide a discount for group campsites.

Golden Age Passport: A lifetime pass that was provided to citizens or permanent residents of the United States who are 62 years of age or older. This Passport was replaced by the Interagency Senior Pass beginning in January 2007, however the old passport may still be used. The passport provides free entrance to certain Federal areas, and a discount of 50% for some facilities and activities. It does not provide a discount for group campsites (exceptions may apply).

Group Area: A facility that is designated for use by organized groups that can accommodate a designated number of people.

Group Shelter: A designated facility capable of accommodating groups for day use activities, such as picnicking, reunions, etc.

Group Tour Discount: A discount that applies to groups.

Guide: A paid individual who receives compensation for leading an activity.

Interagency Pass Program: A suite of annual and lifetime passes that provide access to certain Federal recreation lands and discounts on certain use fees and recreation services.

Internet Sales Channel: An authorized sales channel for conducting recreation reservation transactions over the Internet.

Inventory: A database of recreation facilities and activities, including their attributes and administrative information with a cumulative list or subset of facilities, activities, or permits.

Kiosk: A staffed or un-staffed, field sales channel that provides recreation information and/or reservations. Data may be stored locally or it may be accessed via a distributed information system, such as the world wide web.

Lessee: An individual, organization, or governmental agency that manages recreation facilities or activities under a lease instrument from an Agency.

Local Sales: Transactions made by field locations that include sale of reservations for recreation facilities and activities where the inventory is not reservable through Recreation.gov, or where the inventory is reservable through Recreation.gov but falls within the reservation cutoff window.

Lockbox: An account set up by the Agencies with the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Financial Management Service and one of their designated commercial banks. Checks and money orders are deposited in this account , and funds are then electronically transferred to a Forest Service account.

Lookout: A facility for overnight use that was originally used as a forest fire observation facility.

Lottery: A random number drawing process that is used to systematically allocate use of a limited number of high demand sites or recreation activities. A lottery is used to fairly and equitably distribute these scarce resources to the general public.

Move: A change, after arrival, in the customer’s facility (site or site type) or activity; a move is sometimes called a transfer.

National Recreation Reservation Service™ (NRRS): The Federal interagency reservation program.

No Show. A customer who does not arrive at the field location by the “check-out” time the day after scheduled arrival, or who changes or cancels a reservation after the “check-out” time the day after scheduled arrival.

Non-Reservable: Classification of sites or activities that are not available for advance reservation.

Non-Sufficient Funds (NSF) Check: A personal check for payment of goods and/or services that is returned by the Designated Bank, because there are insufficient funds to cover the amount of the check.

NRRS Contract Management Office (NCMO): See Recreation One Stop (R1S) Program Management office (RPMO).

Help Desk and Inventory (HDI): Outfitter: A commercial company or non-profit organization that furnishes supplies and equipment to parties who are entering Agency field locations or areas.


7

Overnight Motor Quota: A weekly (Saturday through Friday) quota in the BWCAW for the number of parties allowed for overnight campers traveling by motorized water craft, during any portion of their visit. This quota is a subset of the overnight quota.

Overnight Quota: A daily quota for the number of permits for parties allowed to enter and camp overnight in the BWCAW. This applies to hikers, paddlers and motorized watercraft users.

National Parks Pass: An annual entrance pass for National Parks. As of 2007, they are no longer available or valid.

Party Leader: A person or non-profit organization, whose name appears on the permit and who is the primary point-of-contact for the party.

Permit: A document allowing a visitor to use a government facility or participate in an activity.

Permit Issuing Station: Designated locations near a wilderness, or river Entry Point where a customer can pick-up their Permit, e.g., sites near the BWCAW. These may be operated by the Agency or by Cooperators.

Point-of-Contact (POC): A person who is designated by a field manager to make decisions about inventory and reservation related issues at specific field location(s).

Portal: A collection of dynamic web pages that can be used to make information easily available to a number of users. It is a common, integrated starting point which can be used to build, deploy, and manage internal and external corporate applications and information services using only an Internet web browser.

Portlets: A portlet is a contained region on a Portal page that displays information or navigation for a specific purpose. The dynamic nature of portlets allows them to be used to summarize key data, highlight important information and alert users of new developments.

Quick Permit: A permit issued to walk-in customers who do not have a reservation, e.g., BWCAW.

Quota: A maximum number of units, e.g., permits, people, etc., set by the Agency that limits entry into either a field location or at an Entry Point.

Quota Bumps: Action taken by the Contractor resulting in exceeding the maximum number of units, e.g., permits, people, etc., set by the Agency for entry into a field location or Entry Point.

Rain check: A credit that provides the customer the ability to rebook their originally scheduled activity or facility using the full value of their original reservation. There is no penalty to the customer for this action.

RCML: Shorthand for an extensible markup language (xml) specification that defines terms for recreation areas (parks), facilities (trails, campgrounds, etc.), activities (hiking, wildlife viewing, etc.), alerts (temporary closures), events, and similar recreation elements. It will be coordinated with other data standards for conducting transactions, responding to customer inquiries, fulfilling orders for maps/publications, etc. so computer systems/websites can exchange data easily via the internet. RECML is a voluntary data sharing specification for recreation information (rec.gov).

Recreation Fees: Those fees authorized by the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965, as amended, and the Fee Demonstration Authority authorized in the Omnibus Consolidated Rescissions and Appropriations Act of 1996, as amended. These recreation fees are charged a visitor for receiving benefit from use of certain recreation facilities and/or services. The agencies may subdivide recreation fees as Daily Use Fees, Entrance Fees, and Special Recreation Fees.

Recreation One Stop (R1S) Program Management Office (RPMO): The office responsible for administration of Recreation.gov contract by designated Agency personnel.

Recreation Related Sales: The sale of recreation related products that include, but are not limited to: ice, firewood, vending sales, passes, extra vehicle fees, including third party sales.

Recreation Use Fee: An authorized fee charged to the customer for use of a recreation facility or participation in a recreation activity. It may be charged on a per-day, per-night, or per-person basis (Note: Also known as expanded amenity (use) fees)).

Refund: A full or partial credit of a customer’s recreation use fees.

Reservation: An assurance of a recreation opportunity for a specific date and/or time for a campground, tour, permit, limited use period, event or attraction. A reservation is a completed transaction when payment is received in full and a confirmation number is provided to the customer.

Reservation Fee: A fee that covers the cost of reservation services and is charged to the customer at the time a reservation is made.

Reservation Season: A timeframe(s) for which advanced reservations are available. This is determined by each field location.

RIDB: Recreation information database -- a government source for recreation information and data.

Rolling Window: A booking term which indicates that new inventory becomes available on a daily basis.

Service Fee: A fee charged the customer for providing specific reservation services, such as a change or cancellation in a reservation, a no-show, or a reservation processing fee for facilities or activities that are provided free of charge.


9

Site Closure: Action by a field manager that closes sites for advance reservations. Closed sites may still be available for walk-in customers.

Site-Specific Reservation: Assignment of a specific unit of inventory, upon customer request, at the time the reservation is made.

Site-Type Reservation: An assignment of a non-specific unit of inventory when the reservation is made. Specific site assignments are made upon customer arrival.

Special Recreation Fee: A fee for activities such as back county use and off-road vehicle permits.

Time Ticket: A type of confirmation provided to customers that indicates the specific event, time, date and location for an activity.

Tour: A guided or self-guided recreation experience at a field location.

Tour Fee: A fee paid by a visitor to participate in a tour.

Transaction: A reservation, change, cancellation or no-show processed by any Sales Channel to the Central Reservation System. One transaction may include the sale of multiple tickets.

Transfer: A change, after arrival, in the customer’s facility (site or site type) or activity; a transfer is sometimes called a move.

Walk-Up Sale: A reservation sale made at the time of the customer’s arrival at the field location.

Wilderness: Congressionally designated Federal land characterized by a lack of development.

Will-Call System: A system that allows customers to pickup reservation confirmation at the site upon arrival.

This page is left intentionally blank.

App. 2 – Organization Chart for Recreation.gov NRRS Operating Procedures Manual

1

App. 2 – Organization Chart for Recreation.gov

NRRS Implementation Teams – Addition of New Agencies

NRRS Operations Resources & Support

Teams (on-going)

US Army Corps of Engineers

TECHNICAL REP

Bureau of Land ManagementTECHNICAL REP

National Park Service

TECHNICAL REP

Bureau of Reclamation

TECHNICAL REP

U.S. Fish & Wildlife ServiceTECHNICAL REP

National Archives

TECHNICAL REP

Forest/ District POC’s

ConcessionairePOC’s

Project / LakePOC’s

Field Offices

ParkPOC’s

FieldOffices

Division / District POC’s

Regional POC’sDistricts

Recreation Management Committee

Agency HQ Staff

Forest Service Contracting

Officer

Financial Management

(5FTE)

PerformanceManagement

Systems & RIDB

Management

Future Agency

Regional Coordinators

Revised 07 May 2010

Organization Chart for Recreation One-Stop, NRRS & RIDB

R1SProgram Management Office

Contracting Officer’s Representative Interagency Program Manager

LegendExecutive Leadership

RPMO Staff

Agency Staff

Contracting

On-Call

Field Staff

USDAForest ServiceTECHNICAL REP

ParkOffices

FieldOffices

NRRS Operating Procedures Manual

This page is left intentionally blank.

App. 4 – Federal Recreation Pass Programs 1

Authorized by Congress.

Congress passed the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (REA), Public Law 108-447, in December 2004. The new law authorized the Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Bureau of Reclamation within the Department of the Interior and the Forest Service within the Department of Agriculture to charge fees at Federal recreation sites which meet certain criteria, and reinvest a majority of the revenue into enhancing the sites. Recreation fees provide a vital source of revenue for improving facilities and services for visitors at a variety of public lands throughout the nation. REA established a new interagency pass program to replace the Golden Eagle, Golden Age and Golden Access Passports and the National Parks Pass. The “America the Beautiful – the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass” program provides a number of pass options for the public to use at Federal recreation sites that charge fees. The five agencies implemented the new pass program on January 1, 2007.

Interagency Senior Pass.

Cost: $10.00

Who is it For? A lifetime pass for citizens or permanent residents of the U.S., age 62 or older.

Admits: Admits the pass holder and any accompanying passengers in a private vehicle. * For areas that charge a per person fee, the pass admits the pass holder and 2 additional adults (16 and older).

Coverage Includes: Access to and use of, BLM, FWS, NPS, Reclamation, and USDA-FS sites that charge entrance or standard amenity fees. Also provides a 50% discount for pass owner on some expanded amenity fees such as camping (excluding hook-ups), boat launching, etc. ** / ***

How to Get One: Obtain in person at staffed BLM, FWS, NPS, Reclamation and USDA-FS recreation fee areas. Provide proof of age and residency. 1 Information extracted from the “Federal Recreation Pass Programs” brochure, dated January 2008.

Interagency Access Pass.

Cost: Free.

Who is it for? A lifetime pass for citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. who have a permanent disability, regardless of age.

Admits: Admits the pass holder and any accompanying passengers in a private vehicle. * For areas that charge a per person fee, the pass admits the pass holder and 2 additional adults (16 and older).

Coverage Includes: Access to and use of, BLM, FWS, NPS, Reclamation, and USDA-FS sites that charge entrance or standard amenity fees. Also provides a 50% discount for pass owner on some expanded amenity fees such as camping (excluding hook-ups), boat launching, etc. ** / ***

How to Get One: Obtain in person at staffed, BLM, FW, NPS, Reclamation, and USDA-FS recreation fee areas. Provide proof of medically determined permanent disability and residence.

Interagency Annual Pass and the Interagency Volunteer Pass.

These passes are part of the overall Federal Recreation Pass Program, but are not discussed further here because they do not apply to overnight camping or specialized interpretive services or concessionaire services.

_______________________

Notes:

* A private vehicle is defined as any noncommercial vehicle that is being used for private recreation.

** At sites charging per person fees, the 50% discount will be given to the pass owner only. Examples include cave tours or elevator services.

*** The Annual, Senior, Access Passes may not be valid for facility or equipment rental fees; cabins; lookouts; day/overnight group sites; special conservation programs; managed off-highway vehicle areas; optional transportation systems; reservation services; specialized equipment such as hook-ups for water, electricity, cable, sewer or sanitary dump stations; or permits of any kind.

operating procedures manual (abridged)explorepsa.com/ftp/outreach/presentations... · the rpmo is a...

Documents