Changes to National Park fees

I'd be happy if they stopped trying to make the parks into tourist attractions. I thought the NPS charter is to preserve and protect land held in the public trust, not to exploit that land as a tourist attaction? More parks should be like Isle Royale, Wrangle St Elias and Gates of the Arctic. Very limited access, very little development for "tourist comfort."

Close the welcome centers, the gift shops, the bathrooms, and the extensive road networks. That will lighten the budget considerably.

DownTheAvenue wrote:


As another volunteer for the NPS, having contributed over 5000 hours, I can tell you they waste a lot of money, and are the very difinition of inefficiency.

What government agency isn't?

gloriebkj wrote:
As a volunteer for the NPS I can agree that they are broke!!! We need to figure out how to support them or we are going to lose them.

As another volunteer for the NPS, having contributed over 5000 hours, I can tell you they waste a lot of money, and are the very difinition of inefficiency.

Worth every penny!

As a volunteer for the NPS I can agree that they are broke!!! We need to figure out how to support them or we are going to lose them.

The NPS system is broke. They have never charged anywhere near what it costs to the run the parks. There was a move to increase the entry fees substantially but it was shouted down by the public.

Hunters and fishermen pay liscenses and fees plus extra taxes via the Robertson/Pittman Act. Guns and ammo have extra taxes on them. There have been moves in the past to try and tax things like binoculars and hiking boots but they have never gone anythere.