National Parks May Raise Fees
May 22, 2007. Rising entrance fees at America's national parks are drawing criticism, according to an article in USA Today. Americans love their national parks, and as a result, many luxury vacation rentals can be found near those parks. Many communities near those parks have also become known as "gateway towns," because their economies have become so closely linked to tourism at those parks. It should be no surprise then, that people have raised concerns about fee increases.
In January, the National Park Service replaced a $50 pass for all of the national parks with an $80 pass that includes national parks, national recreation areas, U.S. Forest Service areas and other public lands that charge visitor fees. The National Parks Conservation Association is urging the park service to also sell the $50 pass again.
Here's an excerpt from the article:
"The park service raised entrance fees at 34 parks over the past two years and plans to raise them at another 124 parks in 2008 and 2009. Fees at some parks, like Glacier National Park in Montana and Joshua Tree National Park in California, will go up twice. Then beginning in 2011, park officials plan to increase fees every three years, based on inflation."
The fee hikes come on the heels of a $3 billion maintenance backlog in the national parks system. Advocates of the increases say the money is necessary to help keep the parks in good shape. Funds are needed for everything from road paving to visitor center repairs.
