CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK, Ore. – Oregon Senator Ron Wyden is asking the National Park Service to take immediate action against Crater Lake Hospitality for what he calls “concessionaire mismanagement.”
According to the senator’s letter to National Park Service director Charles Sams III, Crater Lake Hospitality showed a failure to perform contractually-required maintenance.
This includes issues related to inadequate staff housing, a lack of acceptable security in the dorms, and failure to follow diesel spill procedures or report the spills to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.
Additionally, Senator Wyden says the Crater Lake Lodge Restaurant failed to store food properly, failed to meet cleanliness standards, and had flies in the kitchen from staff opening screen-less windows.
A spokesperson for Aramark, who operates Crater Lake Hospitality, sent us a statement in response to Senator Wyden’s letter.
The statement says:
“We take these concerns very seriously, and the examples provided are not reflective of Aramark’s standards. We have been working on improvements to our operations at Crater Lake National Park with recent upgrades to cabins at Mazama Village, refreshed rooms at Crater Lake Lodge, renovations at the Rim Village Café & Gift Shop, and the delivery of new eco-friendly boats for scenic tours. Additional investments are planned to address other important aspects of our operations, and we will continue to work closely with the national park service to improve the staff and visitor experience.”
Crater Lake National Park deputy superintendent Sean Denniston said he was unavailable for an interview at this time, but received the letter from Senator Wyden and will provide a response to him.
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