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Park Service drains self?

"Nine members of the National Park System Advisory Board quit Tuesday, citing concern over the Trump administration's priorities regarding the national parks, according to a letter obtained by CNN."

No loss there. Big bunch of green Obummer holdovers. Time to flush the green toilet and drain the green swamp. IMO

1) The resignation of nine out of 12 National Park System Advisory Board members leaves the department without a functioning body to designate national historic or natural landmarks. You're ok with this? 2) Zinke refuses to meet with his department for ordinary dept meetings. He's the leader of a department and refuses to lead it. You're ok with this? 3) One of the points of protest? Zinke wants to charge 80$ per car to enter parks. So long to the middle class enjoyment of our national parks! You're ok with this? Should we really be shocked that people who care about public lands policy would disagree with “how much can I profit from this” Zinke?

News Release Date: October 24, 2017

Contact: NPS Office of Communications, 202-208-6843

Public invited to provide comments on proposed peak season fee increases at 17 highly visited parks

WASHINGTON – As part of its commitment to improve the visitor experience and ensure America’s national parks are protected in perpetuity, the National Park Service (NPS) is considering increases to fees at highly visited national parks during peak visitor seasons. Proposed peak season entrance fees and revised fees for road-based commercial tours would generate badly needed revenue for improvements to the aging infrastructure of national parks. This includes roads, bridges, campgrounds, waterlines, bathrooms, and other visitor services.

“The infrastructure of our national parks is aging and in need of renovation and restoration,” said U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke. “Targeted fee increases at some of our most-visited parks will help ensure that they are protected and preserved in perpetuity and that visitors enjoy a world-class experience that mirrors the amazing destinations they are visiting. We need to have the vision to look at the future of our parks and take action in order to ensure that our grandkids' grandkids will have the same if not better experience than we have today. Shoring up our parks' aging infrastructure will do that.”

Under the proposal, peak-season entrance fees would be established at 17 national parks. The peak season for each park would be defined as its busiest contiguous five-month period of visitation.

The proposed new fee structure would be implemented at Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Denali, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, Olympic, Sequoia & Kings Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Zion National Parks with peak season starting on May 1, 2018; in Acadia, Mount Rainier, Rocky Mountain, and Shenandoah National Parks with peak season starting on June 1, 2018; and in Joshua Tree National Park as soon as practicable in 2018.

A public comment period on the peak-season entrance fee proposal will be open from October 24, 2017 to November 23, 2017, on the NPS Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) website https://parkplanning.nps.gov/proposedpeakseasonfeerates. Written comments can be sent to 1849 C Street, NW, Mail Stop: 2346 Washington, DC 20240.

If implemented, estimates suggest that the peak-season price structure could increase national park revenue by $70 million per year. That is a 34 percent increase over the $200 million collected in Fiscal Year 2016. Under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, 80% of an entrance fee remains in the park where it is collected. The other 20% is spent on projects in other national parks.

During the peak season at each park, the entrance fee would be $70 per private, non-commercial vehicle, $50 per motorcycle, and $30 per person on bike or foot. A park-specific annual pass for any of the 17 parks would be available for $75.

The cost of the annual America the Beautiful- The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass, which provides entrance to all federal lands, including parks for a one-year period, would remain $80. Entrance fees are not charged to visitors under 16 years of age or holders of Senior, Military, Access, Volunteer, or Every Kid in a Park (EKIP) passes.

The majority of national parks will remain free to enter; only 118 of 417 park sites charge an entrance fee, and the current proposal only raises fees at 17 fee-charging parks

The odor of the swamp is strong around here.

I hope he has the same effect on Congress by Friday. I'd like to 3/4 of them resign.

John...glad you brought this up.

My son-in-law (Carrie's husband) owns and operates one of the top rated tour companies in Jackson, WY (Jackson Hole Wildlife Safaris) providing wildlife tours into Teton and Yellowstone parks. The increase will devastate these companies because of the manner of the increase such that his and other companies will have to increase prices such that more people will be using the parks in private vehicles creating even more traffic jams. This new pricing structure was created to increase revenues to support the other parks at the expense of Teton and Yellowstone.

As it is now, during the peak tourist season traffic is very heavy...so much so that when a herd of bison (for example) nears or crosses the road, a "jam" will occur where traffic will back up for several miles in both directions. Adding more private vehicles will only add to this problem.

Both of these parks have seen large increases in far eastern tourism (China) who are so unfamiliar with the opportunity to view wildlife that they far too often approach wildlife to get a selfie with the animal, but enter the animal's danger zone. Park rangers have had big problems with them with grizzly and black bear and bison. Last summer when touring with Jason and Carrie, far too often they had to get these tourists to move away from unexpected danger. (Aside: the Chinese visitors that rent vehicles are terrible drivers and are a danger to anyone on or on the side of the road!)

Did they hold their breath till they turned blue before they left?

Terry

we dont need anymore national parks that dont allow hunting.

Bummer on the fees. I go through RMNP all the time but only because its the shortest way over one set of mountains from where I live on my way to land thats huntable on the other side.

Infrastructure? All I need is a road. No bathrooms, viewing stations, interpretive trails, signs telling me where I can't walk and what I can't touch, etc.

Elections have consequences.

Now put 9 people on it that are in lock step with Trump. That's how it works yet it's only ok to do for liberals.

I mean this is part of the reason most of us voted for trump right? Get rid of the left wing Waco obama plants.

You want public lands to stay public and accessible, it's going to cost something - an impossible concept for liberals and progressives who don't know jack about business...

KB I agree. We don’t need anymore land taken away from us.

I'm ok with Rocky mountain national park being transferred to National Forest or BLM if it's too expensive. It's public land that should be accessible and $70 per visit doesnt fit the budget for many. Whats next, $70per visit to use BLM or NF? They get used heavily.

USFS and BLM have a different management and budget than parks and monuments do.

USFS are really called 'heritage lands'.

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