NEW: Trump Nominates Conflicted Corporate Concessionaire Executive To Oversee America’s Battered National Parks

Confirming Conflicted Corporate Executive Scott Socha Would Turbocharge Burgum’s Park Privatization and Mass Censorship Campaigns

HELENA, MT – The Trump administration just nominated private park concessionaire Delaware North executive Scott Socha to be the Director of the National Park Service. Socha could be Interior’s newest conflicted crony taking a sledgehammer to our cherished, but battered, national parks. If confirmed by the senate, he would be in charge of regulating his own employer, which holds lucrative contracts with the agency, and be the one authorizing contracts awards — potentially lining the corporations and his own pockets. The announcement follows an explosive congressional oversight hearing involving the National Park Foundation and Burgum’s latest “Freedom 250” influence peddling scheme. America’s national parks and National Park Service are on the brink after repeated attacks by Doug Burgum and unqualified Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife, and Parks investment banker Kevin Lilly. 

Save Our Parks Spokesperson Jayson O’Neill issued the following statement: 

“Conflicted national park director nominee Scott Socha would fit right into Doug Burgum’s fiefdom of corrupt officials. The private park concessionaire executive, Socha, has zero experience in public service or conservation. Instead, he’s made a career out of extracting maximum profit from our national parks, not protecting them, making it abundantly clear he’ll be doing the bidding of special interests and corporate interests. Doug Burgum has spent a year filling the henhouse with as many foxes as possible, installing cronies who’ve gutted the park service to the bone as part of his privatization efforts. 

“It’ll only get worse with Socha at the helm of our national parks. The senate should reject this conflicted nominee right out of the gate. By nominating a for-profit corporate private park concessionaire executive, it’s clear Burgum’s park privatization push is a reality, with a goal of reshaping our parks so they serve only profit, not people.”

Conflicted Socha met with senior Interior Department officials and the Solicitor’s Office several times as Delaware North’s President of Parks and Resorts during the height of the Yosemite trademark litigation and active concessionaire disputes with NPS. One meeting between Socha and Interior Officials was facilitated by former New York Rep. Chris Collins, who went to prison for insider stock trading and lying to law enforcement. The trademark litigation was settled behind closed doors for $12 million after Delaware North had demanded $51 million.

Additional Background:

• Concessionaire Nominated To Run National Park Service

• New Conflicted Park Director Nominee, Shady “Freedom 250” Gets Exposed, and Burgum’s Mass Censorship Campaign Continues

• As The Trademark Turns: Delaware North Amends Yosemite Lawsuit

• Delaware North vs. NPS – How Did It Come To This?

• Yosemite settles trademark dispute — Ahwahnee, other historical names to return

• Delaware North sues National Park Service over Yosemite contract

• Food trucks and Amazon deliveries in national parks are a horrific idea

• Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

To speak with Save Our Parks spokesperson Jayson O’Neill, email jayson@focalpointstrategygroup.com. 

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