(a) Before the award of the first visitor service authorization in a park area to be made after the effective date of this subpart, the Director will provide an opportunity for any Native Corporation interested in providing visitor services within the applicable park area to submit an application to the superintendent to be determined the Native Corporation most directly affected by the establishment or expansion of the park area by or under the provisions of ANILCA. An application from an interested Native Corporation will include the following information:

(1) Name, address, and phone number of the Native Corporation; date of incorporation; its articles of incorporation and structure;

(2) Location of the corporation's population center or centers; and

(3) An assessment of the socioeconomic impacts, including historical and traditional use and land-ownership patterns and their effects on the Native Corporation as a result of the expansion or establishment of the applicable park area by ANILCA.

(4) Any additional information the Native Corporation considers relevant or the Director may reasonably require.

(b) Upon receipt of all applications from interested Native Corporations, the Director will determine the “most directly affected” Native Corporation considering the following factors:

(1) Distance and accessibility from the corporation's population center and/or business address to the applicable park area; and

(2) Socioeconomic impacts, including historical and traditional use and landownership patterns, on Native Corporations and their effects as a result of the expansion or establishment of the applicable park area; and

(3) Information provided by Native Corporations and other information considered relevant by the Director to the particular facts and circumstances of the effects of the establishment or expansion of the applicable park area.

(c) In the event that more than one Native Corporation is determined to be equally affected within the meaning of this section, each such Native Corporation will be considered as a preferred operator under this subpart.

(d) The Director's most directly affected Native Corporation determination applies to the award of all future visitor service authorizations for the applicable park area. However, a Native Corporation that did not apply for this determination in connection with an earlier visitor services authorization may apply for a determination that it is an equally affected Native Corporation for the applicable park area in connection with a later visitor services authorization. Such subsequent applications must contain the information required by paragraph (a) of this section, and must be made in a timely manner as described by the Director in the applicable solicitation document so as not to delay the consideration of offers for the visitor services authorization.