Sen. Ron Wyden says Crater Lake National Park is being mismanaged

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden is asking federal leaders to reconsider or further enforce a contract with the hospitality company that manages the state’s only national park.

In a letter written to National Park Service Director Charles Sams, the Oregon senator alleged that Aramark — doing business as Crater Lake Hospitality — has mismanaged the park and therefore harmed its employees, visitors and resources.

According to Wyden, NPS’ annual assessment of the Crater Lake concessionaire shows that the company has failed to uphold the terms of its contract. He also said he directed his staff to conduct an in-person park assessment of the park, which caused numerous concerns for the Oregon official.

“The issues included staff rooms without working heaters, siding falling off the building, and a notable lack of security measures to protect employee safety,” Wyden wrote. “The latter of these is especially troubling given reports that serious assaults and other criminal activity has occurred in the dorms and no acceptable security measures have been implemented to increase security and privacy in dorms, bathrooms and showers.”

He additionally noted there have been at least three diesel spills at the national park this year, and the concessionaire neglected to report at least one spill to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.

The Oregon senator also claimed Aramark and some staff had silenced fire alarms, failed to keep its restaurant clean, and postponed maintenance projects in the park.

In a statement to KOIN 6, the hospitality business said it takes Wyden’s concerns seriously — but the issues highlighted in his letter aren’t representative of company 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,” Aramark wrote in an email.

According to its website, Aramark is a contracted concessionaire for several National Parks. The company also said it has future investments planned for Crater Lake National Park and will work alongside federal leaders to enhance the employee and visitor experience.