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Look At What's Being Said About Proposed "Surge Pricing" For National Parks

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Published Date

November 6, 2017

Read what's being said around the country about a proposed jump in national park entrance fees during peak travel season/NPS

Much has been said and written since Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke proposed a move to "surge pricing" for entrance fees at 17 key national parks across the country. Here's a look at some of the comment from across the nation.

“You should be lowering fees to make the Grand Canyon accessible to all. Not raising them." -- Danny Blackgoat, a Navajo tribal member who spoke at a public meeting to discuss issues involving Grand Canyon National Park.

“We’re employees of the government, and at the end of the day, we have to do what the executive branch tells us to do." -- Grand Canyon Superintendent Chris Lenhertz at that meeting.

“Generally speaking, we do believe that, for a park like Rocky Mountain or a park like Yellowstone, pricing is one tool to encourage people to come during less-crowded periods, but we never want the entrance fee to be something that would deter people from coming.” -- Derrick Crandall, counsel for the National Park Hospitality Association and the American Recreation Coalition.

"These parks belong to the American people — and they are already inaccessible by distance and the cost of making a trip for far too many people. Raising entrance fees to $70 per vehicle will only make these parks more inaccessible, and it won’t meaningfully address those infrastructure needs. It’s a bad idea posing as a solution." -- San Antonio Express-News editorial board.

"$70 per car for (Rocky Mountain National Park) is outrageous. National Parks should be accessible to everyone. Raising entrance fees puts them out of reach to many." -- Cary Kennedy, a Democratic candidate for Colorado governor, in a series of tweets.

"If the price increases go into effect, all lower-income Americans stand to be priced out. Still, advocates say fee hikes could have an oversize impact on communities of color by creating a new disincentive for groups that have stayed away from, or felt discouraged from, visiting national parks, for reasons including fearful historical associations with wilderness areas and a perceived lack of cultural relevancy." -- Dan White, author of "Under The Stars: How America Fell In Love With Camping" and "The Cactus Eaters: How I Lost My Mind And Almost Found Myself on the Pacific Crest Trail."

"... for years, the park service has faced two dueling problems: too many visitors and not enough money. Which is why the price increase might actually be a halfway decent idea." -- Slate Magazine

"All national parks should be free, like the great museums of Washington. We should care for these special places with a budget commensurate to their value, treating them like the huge income generators they are, producing $34 billion to local businesses. Instead, we starve them nearly to death." -- Timothy Egan in the New York Times.

"Nature provided Americans with the wonders of these parks for free. But making them accessible and enjoyable for millions of people costs money, and the administration has a sound idea for how to get it." - Chicago Tribune editorial board

"Tripling entry fees is bound to reduce park usage. When people can’t use something, they stop caring about it. As Trump has undermined the Affordable Care Act in his zeal to erase every trace of Barack Obama, is he trying to undermine public lands?" -- Reno Gazette Journal

"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." -- Texarkana Gazette

"... Glacier Country’s residents and policy-makers doubt the proposal — and worry it will price them out of their signature attraction. 'I think it will be harder for some local people I know who use the park a lot. I think you will see less local use.'” -- Matt Brake, who works in retail near Glacier National Park, in a story in the Daily Inter Lake.

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Comments

They should raise it to $100.00 in every park.

 


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