The Trump administration is proposing to double, triple, or almost quadruple the price of admission during peak season to 17 of the most popular national parks. Starting in January 2018, a 7-day car pass in Joshua Tree National Park will increase to $70, from the current $25, between January and May. The deadline to make a public comment has been extended to December 22. With details on how you can comment, here’s managing editor Tami Roleff…
Emily Douce, director of budget and appropriations for the National Parks Conservation Association, says in the past, increases for national park admission were minimal, and officials held two years of deliberations and public meetings. The size and quickness in implementing the higher admission fees is unprecedented.
“We haven’t seen this before. We haven’t seen this high of a jump in fees with very little time for the public to comment on what this means to their local economies, and what this means to their businesses or their visitation.”
The administration says this is the best way to make progress on the $11.3 billion in deferred maintenance at the parks. However, the fee increase will raise about $70 million a year, which Douce says isn’t even enough to keep the backlog of repairs from growing.
“For the Trump administration to come out with an annual budget proposal to Congress and it having a 13 percent cut to our national parks, and then turn around and ask the people to pay more money to get into their national parks, is troubling.”
People wanting to weigh in can go to NPCA.org/fees.
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD ON NATIONAL PARK FEE HIKES EXTENDED TO DECEMBER 22ND
