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posted by mrpg on Monday October 30 2017, @10:33AM   Printer-friendly
from the color-me-green-as-a-bill dept.

Cost to Enter National Parks Will More Than Double, As Land Around Them Gets Leased for Oil and Gas

The current Republican president and his Secretary of the Interior have a different view of things. They are cutting the budget of the National Park Service and significantly increasing the fees to get in.

"The infrastructure of our national parks is aging and in need of renovation and restoration," said U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke. "Targeted fee increases at some of our most-visited parks will help ensure that they are protected and preserved in perpetuity and that visitors enjoy a world-class experience that mirrors the amazing destinations they are visiting."

But then according to AP,
"While the national parks counted 292 million visitors in 2014, those visitors tend to be older and whiter than the U.S. population overall." Sounds like people who voted for the president, and if you are over 62 it's free (albeit with a lifetime pass that just increased in price) so the boomer base is protected.

But wait, there's more; in accordance with the President's executive order "promoting energy independence and economic growth, "they have started leasing land around National Parks (they are not allowed to in the parks) to today's Robber Barons for oil and gas development.

Oh well. National Monuments are better anyway.

U.S. National Park Service Seeks Comments on Proposed Fee Increases

The National Park Service issued a press release about its proposal to raise fees at its most popular parks:

News Release Date: October 24, 2017

Contact:NPS Office of Communications, 202-208-6843

Public invited to provide comments on proposed peak season fee increases at 17 highly visited parks

[...] The proposed new fee structure would be implemented at Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Denali, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, Olympic, Sequoia & Kings Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Zion National Parks with peak season starting on May 1, 2018; in Acadia, Mount Rainier, Rocky Mountain, and Shenandoah National Parks with peak season starting on June 1, 2018; and in Joshua Tree National Park as soon as practicable in 2018.

A public comment period on the peak-season entrance fee proposal will be open from October 24, 2017 to November 23, 2017, on the NPS Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) website https://parkplanning.nps.gov/proposedpeakseasonfeerates. Written comments can be sent to 1849 C Street, NW, Mail Stop: 2346 Washington, DC 20240.

If implemented, estimates suggest that the peak-season price structure could increase national park revenue by $70 million per year. That is a 34 percent increase over the $200 million collected in Fiscal Year 2016. Under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, 80% of an entrance fee remains in the park where it is collected. The other 20% is spent on projects in other national parks.

During the peak season at each park, the entrance fee would be $70 per private, non-commercial vehicle, $50 per motorcycle, and $30 per person on bike or foot. A park-specific annual pass for any of the 17 parks would be available for $75.

The New York Post called some of the proposed increases "steep":

The National Park Service is considering a steep increase in entrance fees at 17 of its most popular parks, mostly in the West, to address a backlog of maintenance and infrastructure projects.

Visitors to the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Zion and other national parks would be charged $70 per vehicle, up from the fee of $30 for a weekly pass. At others, the hike is nearly triple, from $25 to $70.


Original Submission #1Original Submission #2

 
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  • (Score: 1) by khallow on Monday October 30 2017, @08:07PM (3 children)

    by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Monday October 30 2017, @08:07PM (#589632) Journal
    But what's a better way? Give out passes until the day's quota is met? Lottery system? These parks end up either heavily used or someone pays to get in with money or time (and money can always be used for time).
  • (Score: 2) by bob_super on Monday October 30 2017, @09:29PM (2 children)

    by bob_super (1357) on Monday October 30 2017, @09:29PM (#589701)

    Disney's been throwing lots of money at that problem for years. Their current approach is to let people pre-register once for a guaranteed admission, and let them queue for first-come-first-serve outside of that slot.
    The NPS doles out backcountry camping passes on a first-come also.

    Even with free park access, it's not a cheap trip for most. The question is how many people in a park are too many, who sets the quota, and the specifics of enforcement.
    Maintenance itself, for a Federally-controlled place maintained by the government for the benefit of all the people, should probably be covered in some tax form, with at-the-gate surcharges for those who hurt the infrastructures the most by coming in with oversized vehicles.

    The girl coming in on a bike or on foot, and taking a grand total of two dumps during her stay, should definitely not have to pay $30.

    • (Score: 1) by khallow on Monday October 30 2017, @09:51PM (1 child)

      by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Monday October 30 2017, @09:51PM (#589713) Journal
      For what it's worth, presently she would not [nps.gov]. A 7 day pass would be $15 per person when on foot, bicycle, or ski. No clue whether this pricing structure would continue.
      • (Score: 3, Interesting) by bob_super on Monday October 30 2017, @10:11PM

        by bob_super (1357) on Monday October 30 2017, @10:11PM (#589725)

        It's in TFS.
        If the problem is infrastructure stress, I seriously doubt that people walking in/through are anywhere near enough to be significant in most of those parks.