"Any policy that keeps people from visiting our national parks is a problem...it’s unclear how these changes will be implemented to reduce impacts on park visitors and staff." - Emily Douce, NPCA's Deputy VP of Government Affiars
Washington, DC – Following a July executive order – Making America Beautiful Again by Improving Our National Parks – the Department of the Interior recently issued new guidance directing the National Park Service to raise entrance and recreation pass fees for non-residents and introduce new digital America the Beautiful passes. National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) has several questions and concerns about this new policy and how it will be implemented given the Park Service’s severe staffing shortage, including fee collectors and IT specialists. NPCA sent a letter to Secretary Doug Burgum detailing our concerns and requesting answers to our questions, including clarification of the potential strain this may place on both park visitors and staff.
Entrance and recreation fees are vital to keeping national parks running, funding everything from trail repairs and educational programs to law enforcement and visitor services. After years of chronic underfunding, our national parks increasingly rely on these fees to enhance the visitor experience. But NPCA believes fees should never become a barrier that keeps people from experiencing America’s most iconic places.
Statement by Emily Douce, Deputy Vice President for Government Affairs for the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA):
“Any policy that keeps people from visiting our national parks is a problem. While we support new and innovative ideas to fund maintenance projects in our national parks, we have several questions and concerns about this new fee policy, and it’s unclear how these changes will be implemented to reduce impacts on park visitors and staff.
“Charging international visitors more is not uncommon globally, but any such policy must be designed thoughtfully. The Park Service is already stretched to the limit after losing 24% of its permanent staff since January, including the very staff who are needed to implement this effort.
“At parks where entrance lines already stretch for miles, fee collectors will be required to verify each visitor’s residency, creating further delays and diminishing the experience for everyone, residents and non-residents alike. This could ruin someone’s trip of a lifetime.
“It also remains unclear whether the Interior Department has conducted any analysis on how additional fees might affect park visitation or the tourism economies of surrounding gateway communities.
“As Secretary Burgum implements these fees in four short weeks, he must ensure the policy doesn’t put more strain on the people who serve our parks or keep Americans from enjoying the places we all love. Expecting fee collectors, especially in the 11 busiest parks, to learn and implement such a complicated system of new rules in just a few weeks seems overly hasty. We hope Secretary Burgum will address our key questions and clarify how he plans to put this policy into practice.”
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About the National Parks Conservation Association: Since 1919, the nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) has been the leading voice in safeguarding our national parks. NPCA and its more than 1.9 million members and supporters work together to protect and preserve our nation’s most iconic and inspirational places for future generations. For more information, visit www.npca.org.
