Mayor tells Park Service a RMNP fee increase would harm Lyons
LYONS» Lyons Mayor Connie Sullivan has asked the National Park Service to reconsider a proposed fee hike at Rocky Mountain National Park because, she argues, it will negatively impact the town’s economy, which depends on park visitors.
“The economic health of our community depends on a healthy, functioning public lands system that is accessible to all Americans of varying income levels,” Sullivan wrote in a letter to the Park Service dated Thursday. “We are deeply concerned about the proposal to raise the entrance fee at RMNP.”
Currently, it costs $20 for a day pass into the park for a passenger vehicle. If the price change is approved, that cost would jump to $70 per car during the peak season at the park, which begins on June 18 and runs five months. An annual pass for a specific park could be purchased for $75 under the proposed changes.
Sullivan said the town’s Board of Trustees discussed the issue at its most recent meeting and is calling upon residents to submit comments to the National Park Service regarding the proposed hike.
“It’s a very large increase, and it has the potential to divert a lot of money away from Rocky Mountain National Park,” Sullivan said.
She added that the letter has been sent to Sens. Cory Gardner and Michael Bennet and Rep. Jared Polis.
Lyons lies about 24 miles southeast of the park, and Sullivan said the town of about 2,000 year-round residents relies on people who stop in town before heading up the road. Officials in Estes Park, which also sits near the park, also have expressed concerns about the proposed fee hike. — John Bear, Daily Camera