California IN BRIEF : YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK : Failed Concession Bidder Loses Suit

An unsuccessful bidder for the tourist concession contract at Yosemite National Park has lost a legal challenge of the selection process. YRT Services Corp., a San Francisco-based company formed to bid for the lucrative park contract, filed a lawsuit against the National Park Service in January, charging it had unfairly disqualified the company from the competition. But U.S. Court of Claims Judge Marion Horn, in a ruling to be made public later this week, rejected YRT’s claims. YRT, established in part by environmental activists, was one of six applicants for the contract to run Yosemite’s hotels, restaurants, stores and other commercial operations. The Park Service awarded the contract to Delaware North Companies Inc., a Buffalo, N.Y.-based firm that operates racetracks and sports stadiums and has no national park experience.