Park and protected area professionals from around the globe and other foreign dignitaries frequently travel to the United States to learn more about the National Park Service (NPS) and how it manages the National Park System. In addition to NPS programs for cooperative international technical assistance overseas, sharing expertise here in the U.S. with visiting park and conservation professionals demonstrates the NPS commitment to international conservation efforts. The NPS International Visitors Program arranges appointments with NPS for international visitors from other countries. The Program is coordinated by the NPS Office of International Affairs (OIA), in collaboration with NPS units and program offices, and currently hosts between 200 and 300 visitors annually. Due to the large volume of international visitors, the NPS International Visitors program has instituted certain requirements for arranging appointments: |
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1. NPS must receive at least 30 days advanced written notice by fax, letter, or email before agreeing to arrange appointments for any international visitor or delegation. Any proposed visit with less notice will be programmed at the discretion of NPS. |
2. NPS will not waive entrance fees or other normal and customary charges at the parks. If the visitors will be traveling to several parks, they will be encouraged to purchase the appropriate passes if they wish to save on fees. |
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3. NPS will give first priority to international visitors or delegations consisting of park and protected areas managers or professionals. Requests on behalf of other individuals will be considered based on the relevance of their profession and trip objectives to NPS mission and programs. International visitors that cannot be personally briefed by NPS staff are encouraged to visit the parks as "regular visitors" to learn first-hand the experiences and opportunities that are available. |
4. Before an appointment can be scheduled, the requesting organization must provide OIA with the name, title and biographical information of the delegation members, learning goals and specific questions of interest, proposed appointment date, and any other relevant information. This information will be used to determine which field units they visit and will also be forwarded to NPS field staff to assist them in preparing for the briefings. |
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5. Neither OIA nor NPS units charge to offset the costs of meeting with foreign delegations and individuals; however, parks have authority to do so if they provide services above and beyond their regular programs or require employees to work outside their normally scheduled hours. |
6. If a visit is scheduled at a park, the park contact and OIA should be provided the name and telephone number of the hotel where the visitor is staying, in case the park or OIA needs to contact the visitor in an emergency or with any last-minute information. |
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7. The requesting organization should identify alternative NPS sites that are compatible with the professional learning goals of the international visitor or delegation, as opposed to trips to heavily visited parks during their high season (e.g. Yellowstone, Grand Canyon and Yosemite National Parks). Information on lesser-known units of the National Park System can be found at the NPS website (www.nps.gov). |
8. Prompt notification of all cancellations, or late arrivals of more than 15 minutes in keeping appointments, must be made directly to the affected park or OIA contact. NPS staff may elect not to meet with those that arrive later and have not called to indicate that there will be a delay. |
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9. Appointments with NPS staff for special or VIP briefings during the parks’ "high season" should be strongly discouraged. |
10. Depending on the amount of notification or other factors, briefings at NPS headquarters may be conducted by OIA staff only. |
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What the NPS International Visitors Program Does Not Do: |
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| 1. Arrange training for international visitors. | 2.Make appointments with agencies or organizations other than NPS. |
| 3. Arrange additional appointments once the international visitor or delegation arrives at NPS for their scheduled appointments. Additional appointments can only be scheduled with two weeks advance notice. | 4. Make travel arrangements (hotel, airplane, etc.), provide travel funds or write letters of invitation for international visitors. |
| 5. Schedule appointments with NPS park managers or other staff on weekends, federal holidays, or evenings as they involve the payment of overtime or compensatory time. | 6. Program visits or brief international visitors (or their families) when they are in the U.S. on vacation. |
7. Provide translation or interpretation services for international visitors. |
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| For additional information regarding the NPS International Visitors Program, please contact: | |
| International Visitors Coordinators National Park Service Office of International Affairs (0050) 1849 C Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20240 Telephone: 202-354-1800 Fax: 202-371-1446 |
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| Email contact information for international visitors/delegations from: | |
| Africa/the Middle East: David Krewson | |
| Asia/Pacific Basin: Rudy DAlessandro | |
| Canada, Central and South America: Jonathan Putnam | |
| Europe: Linda Bennett | |
| Links: | |
| State Department International Visitor Program | |