Higher entrance and camping fees will greet visitors to Olympic National Park beginning June.
“Entrance and overnight wilderness use fees will be phased in over several years, based in large part on suggestions from stakeholders and the public,” says Superintendent Sarah Creachbaum.
Entrance Fees...................................................................................2014.......2015.......2016.......2017
Vehicle (7 days; all park entrances................................................$15..........$20..........$25.......no change
Motorcycle (7 days; all park entrances).........................................$5............$10..........$15.......$20
Person (7 days; all park entrances; 16 & older only.......................$5............$7............$10.......no change
Annual Pass................................................................................................$30..........$40...........$50.......no change
“The money from user and entrance fees provides vital funding for visitor facilities like water and wastewater systems, campgrounds, roads, trails and visitor centers,” said Superintendent Creachbaum.
At Olympic in 2014, approximately $2.2 million in fee revenue provided for improved visitor facilities and services, including trail and wilderness bridge repair, new visitor center exhibits and operation of the park’s wilderness information program.
This summer, visitors will find newly improved accessible parking spaces and walkways at the Hoh and Quinault visitor centers, trail repairs in the Hoh and Sol Duc valleys and south coast route and wilderness information for hikers and backpackers.
“We are committed to providing all visitors with the best possible experience, while still providing affordable options to enjoy the park,” said Olympic National Park Superintendent Sarah Creachbaum.
Based on comparisons with area facilities and opportunities, the park also proposes increased rates for camping, overnight wilderness use and RV sewage dumping.
Campground fees will go up from $10-$18 charged per night currently to $15-$22 this summer. Those rates will remain the same through 2016 and 2017.
Overnight wilderness use permits will move from a registration fee per group and $2 nightly fee per person to $5 per person per night this year and in 2016, and then move up to $7 per night in 2017. Annual wilderness permit passes will cost $35 per person beginning June 1, remain at that amount in 2016, and increase to $45 in 2017. Each additional individual in a household can buy an annual wilderness pass for $15.
RV dump fees will increase from $5 to $10 beginning June 1, while ranger-led snowshoe hikes will run $7 per adult and $3 for kids age 6-15.
“While we rely on fee revenue to upgrade and improve park facilities and services, there are also a number of ways for people to receive free entry to Olympic National Park,” said the superintendent.
Entrance fees apply only to people 16 years of age and older; youth and children 15 years old and younger enter the park for free. Olympic National Park also hosts nine entrance fee-free days throughout the year. More information about these options, along with the Senior, Access and Military passes that provide free entry are available at http://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/fees.
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Comments
Requested dollars are of course meaningless, enacted is what counts. Since we are discussing Olympic, my question is what that park's budget trend for operating dollars has been the past 3 years. I'd be very surprised if they've made up the $640,000 they lost to the sequester in 2013.
And my numbers show that enacted over the last several years is up. In fact compared to 2000 when the number was $1.8 billion they are up dramatically.
http://nationalaglawcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/assets/crs/RL30506.pdf
But do those numbers account for inflation and vastly increased visitation in many (if not most) major parks? Numbers don't always tell the entire story.
Someone told me today that there had been a report on Utah news that Zion's weekend visitation the last several weekends have broken records. (I'm trying to find that to document it.)
And an English lesson for the evening:
But they do tell that contrary to the assertion, budgets haven't been "slashed".
Which would mean that Zions entrance fee revenues (which are not included in the budget numbers) likely broke records as well.
Source: NPS Budget Book
Olympic:
2103: $12,098,000
2014: $12,745,000
2015: $12,997,000
Cumulative inflation during this period has been 1.6%. It appears the park is keeping ahead of inflation.
These figures do not include funds from entrance fees which in 2014 would have been in the neighborhood of $18,000,000. (3.24 million visits / 2.6 people per car x $15 per car.) In two years this income will rise 68% to some $30,000,000 as the fee increases occur.
Monies from federal highways programs, concessions payments, NPS defered maintenance funds or science programs are not included in those numbers.
I was told there is no more fees for the entrence to the sul duc valley. True?