A petition drive is underway to block DNC Parks & Resorts at Yosemite's trademark claims at Yosemite. Rather than pay for those rights, the National Park Service has opted to rename historic lodges, such as the Wawona Hotel, which would be known as the Big Trees Lodge/David and Kay Scott

Editor's note: This updates with the National Park Service and Department of Justice declining to comment on the trademark matter.

A petition drive launched soon after Yosemite National Park officials said they would change the names of historic lodges rather than entertain DNC Parks & Resorts at Yosemite Inc.'s request for $51 million in exchange for the trademarks and other intellectual property is gaining momentum.

As of Monday the petition, started by Columbia College (California) Art Professor Laurie Sylwester, was nearing its goal of 4,000 signatures. Once that number is met, the petition is to be delivered to Congress with a request that that body make DNC Parks & Resorts release the trademarks.

These historical names include three indigenous American names, people with ancestors dating back 12,000 years in the region, long before Delaware North was a corporation. Our tax dollars support Yosemite National Park and no corporation may own that great heritage.

However,the petition cites no legal mechanism for Congress to use to achieve that goal. Congress did in December 2014 amend the U.S. Code with language under Section 302106 that specifically gives the National Park Service the right to "retain the name historically associated with the building or structure" regardless of any trademark. However, that provision was not mentioned by the Department of Justice earlier this month when it asked a federal claims court to dismiss Delaware North's claim for more than $10 million in damages.

National Park Service officials on Tuesday referred questions about that provision to the Department of Justice, where spokeswoman Nicole A. Navas declined to comment as the matter was in litigation.

The issue of trademarking words attached to properties in the National Park System arose in 2014 year when the Park Service released a prospectus for a 15-year contract involving concessions at Yosemite. During the process, DNC, which has held the concessions business in Yosemite since 1993, notified the Park Service that it held "intellectual property" rights in the form of trademarks attached to lodgings in the park.

If Delaware North is unsuccessful in bidding for the new contract, the company said it would seek $51 million to relinquish those marks, and other intellectual property, to the new concessionaire. That led the Park Service to say it would allow a concessionaire other than Delaware North to propose name changes to the facilities, which in some cases have been in operation for more than a century under the same name.

DNC did indeed lose the contract. 

Last Thursday ay park officials, possibly looking to avoid a costly trademark fight with DNC Parks & Resorts, announced that they would change the names of iconic lodges in the park. The Ahwahnee Hotel, for instance, would be known going forward as the Majestic Yosemite Hotel. Other changes included:

● Yosemite Lodge at the Falls to become: Yosemite Valley Lodge

● The Ahwahnee to become: The Majestic Yosemite Hotel

● Curry Village to become: Half Dome Village

● Wawona Hotel to become: Big Trees Lodge

● Badger Pass Ski Area to become: Yosemite Ski & Snowboard Area

Additional background on the trademark dispute in Yosemite and elsewhere in the National Park System can be found in these Traveler stories:

http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2014/12/what-value-ahwahnee-hotel-c...

http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2014/12/historian-says-delaware-nor...

http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2015/01/yosemite-trademark-discussi...

http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2015/01/us-code-might-allow-nationa...

http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2015/01/xanterra-parks-resorts-make...

http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2015/01/national-park-service-will-...

http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2015/02/new-prospectus-grand-canyon...

http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2015/03/xanterra-parks-resorts-aban...

http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2015/09/delaware-north-companies-su...

http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2015/10/new-yosemite-concessionaire...

http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2016/01/government-calls-delaware-n...

http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2016/01/dnc-says-national-park-serv...