National Parks
Proposal to sharply raise entrance fees a slap in the face to Americans
America’s national parks are some of our countries greatest treasures. The attract millions of visitors each year. But now it looks like those numbers could go down somewhat.
That’s because the National Park Service is proposing to sharply increase the entrance fees to some of the county’s most popular parks like Yellowstone, Yosemite and the Grand Canyon and 14 others.
Right now the fees run around $25 to $30 per car or motorcycle.
The proposed new fees would rise to $70 per car, $50 per motorcycle and $30 per person for pedestrians or those on bicycles during the peak summer season.
The $80 annual pass to all national parks will remain the same.
The NPS says the higher fees are needed for maintenance and repairs due to the wear and tear from more than 300 million annual visitors. They also point out that most national parks are free to enjoy and won’t be affected by the new fee schedule at the most heavily trafficked parks.
We understand the need for more money, especially since the Department of the Interior—parent of the NPS—is facing a proposed budget cut of about 12 percent in 2018.
But increasing the fees so sharply will put America’s most storied parks out of reach for some citizens. At the very least it will strain many already tight budgets.
Wages for the middle class and working poor in the U.S. aren’t rising appreciably but the cost of living keeps going up. All over the land Americans are being asked to do more with less. But whenever government at any level needs money, its burdens the people more with hikes in various taxes or fees.
The NPS should live within its means without sharply raising fees on those who really own these parks—the American people. And Congress should take a good hard look at the budget and come up with money to take care of these great public lands that benefit all citizens. Maybe they could start by cutting their pet projects, the ones that benefit far fewer Americans and serve mainly to garner votes.
Or they could pass a bill sponsored by U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Rob Portman, R-Ohio, that would direct $500 million a year from government royalties on oil and gas production to the NPS.
Using our natural resources to pay for upkeep on natural treasures. That sounds a lot better to us than reaching into the pockets of already-overburdened Americans.