Wondering how much those two new units of the National Park System cost you?
Initially, you can place the combined budgets of Fort Monroe National Monument and Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park at possibly as much as $1.4 million...or as little as $725,000.
According to National Park Service staffers, the initial start-up costs for staffing and operations at Fort Monroe, which was added to the system last week, are expected to range from $475,000 to $1.2 million a year over the next five years.
At Paterson Great Falls, there is a line item of $250,000 in the Park Service's budget for the historical park, which was added to the system this week.
Comments
The real question is how much does it take away from the existing units by adding so many more by executive fiat when only so much money is availble for the whole system. And what does it cost us by the locking up of the resources in these newly protected lands.
Anon wrote,
" And what does it cost us by the locking up of the resources in these newly protected lands."
I'm guessing the costs are more than offset by the economic impact of tourism as well as the value of the experience."
Hmmm.
"...locking up the resources in these newly protected lands...".
Right from the pen of Paul Hoffman. Parks are SUPPOSED to lock up resources, views, wildlife, EVERYthing, for the future. Not consume them and move on.
So wouldn't it be cool for the National Parks to just secede from the Union and become the United National Parks and pay for their needs from tourist dollars and contributors only? Kind of pay as you go and leave those without interest in the way the Parks are managed, alone and not required to fund operations that they have no say in. There would be other benefits, particularly for present managers although they would have to consider economics.
Hey anon,
Wouldn't it be cool if everything we didn't like seceded from the Union?
How about the things we do like and wish to improve?
It is sad that saving something so beautiful as these National Parks for everyone comes down to a matter of money
How different is it by replacing National Parks with your wife and family (presumably)?
Besides the love of both it comes down to money. Kind of a reality.