Senior Pass Price Hike

When I turned 62 in May, my friend Pam suggested I go online and get my Pass. Well . . . when I saw that there was an additional $10 fee, I said "No way! We'll just drive out to WP Franklin Locks (COE) Campground and buy it there!"

Fast forward to July . . . With the deadline approaching, we picked a Saturday to drive the 30 miles from home to the campground, only to find it was closed for repairs. Fortunately there was a phone number posted and the sweet lady on the other end of the line informed me we needed to go to Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island. No problem . . . that's only 43 miles back the way from whence we just came.

On our way through Ft Myers we stopped at a shop where she bought a $50 dress, we grabbed a late lunch and then met some other folks for happy hour. I don't specifically remember the amount of that bar tab, but . . . anyway. Went home and decided to go on out to Sanibel the next morning.

Jumped up the next morning, paid the $6 toll for the bridge, went to Lighthouse Café for a terrific ($35) breakfast, and hit 2 more boutiques on our way to purchase my Pass.

Sure glad I saved that $10 . . . LOL!

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tinner12002 wrote:
Just purchased one through Your Pass Now but it was $20...I guess it has all the same benefits as just the Senior Pass does.

It's exactly the same pass. The $20 total was actually the regular $10 pass fee, plus a $10 handling/shipping fee. Even before the Your Pass Now service was added to handle the current high request volume, the total was $20 for the USGS mail service instead of $10 when picked up in person.

"All eligible Senior pass orders postmarked by the USGS before August 28 will be processed at the $10 price. Lifetime Senior pass orders postmarked after August 28 will be processed at the $80 price. Additional processing fees of $10 apply." (emphasis added)

https://store.usgs.gov/senior-pass

Just purchased one through Your Pass Now but it was $20...I guess it has all the same benefits as just the Senior Pass does.

It is privatization creep.
I have and probably many here have heard why should Tax Payers pay for our Parks. Let those who use them pay. I don't remember the year I first heard it.Also I may later rem ember specific quotes but our Governor thinks Gun permit charges or Poll Tax and pay for access and everything is the right idea. I wish I remembered thee correct statements.
It is now over 146.00 to hunt and fish in Tn including one deer stamp and trout stamp and other charges for state hunt area permits and so on. And registering even canoes. Paddle a log you better have sticker and py the tax and safe boating course and fee or tax.
The intention is to make everything private and an income producer for Operators, eventually Owners and so on.
Only way to kill it, the schemes are so far along is for outraqe to the Highest Level.
There is a couple of very large well funded organizations lobbying for private operations and private operations of parks and so on
one I remember was a couple who operated an ATV rental in Ohio trying to force Bis South Fork to let them take over a campground and rent ATVs to tear the place up ruining it fore everyone. they already had to reign in a bunch tearing it up with ATVs. Horse Riding outfits took over one campground for all practical purposes and decimated the campground and trails with too many along with large group of Individuals and Clubs.
The problem is the Industry is growing and well funded Lobbyists are constantly applying money in Washington and States.
We don't have the time and most the money to fight to retain our Rights as Taxpayers and Owners.

I'm old I deserve a discount! I shouldn't have to pay! It's all about me! Give me my discount! I deserve it! I'm old.

Several years ago, the concessionaire, sub contractors, etc. wanted eliminate the discount totally. Word got out and many RV clubs, etc. pushed to get the idea squashed. Folks that used the cgs before the agency's subbed them out knew this kind of stuff was going to raise it's ugly head down the road. Contractors, concessionaires are making big bucks off the deal. There is never a shortage of bidders on the contracts.

monkey44 wrote:

tdst51 wrote:

monkey44 wrote:
The feds need to increase revenue in the parks - it's been $10 forever, and now it's still a huge bargain ... a few nights in a park with park admission and it pays for itself.

Regards the COE parks, we're been all over the USA in COE whenever they are available. WE've never been to one that did not discount with the pass. I do know that some of the sub-contractors that operate the parks continuously push for NO Discount - which we hope never happens.

Not that we mind even paying full price for camping as long as the extra money GOES TO THE PARK. But, those parks that don't honor the discount, just keep the extra $$$ - which is the unfair part of it, well, unfair to the campers and unfair to the federal budget - which is its citizens.

The COE park in Pontiac, MO gives no discount whatsoever, regardless if
you have the s
enior pass or not. Again, NO DISCOUNT. It's the subcontractors choice whether to discount or not. There's plenty that don't.

That's when I'd fire off a note to my Senator and ask why this contractor got the bid ... and where the additional funds go if we pay the full price. As usual, when prices begins rising, the discounts (we earned) go first, instead of raising the price one or two bucks for everyone, they take $10 + from seniors. :(

Contractors do not "run" most parks. They are contracted to run certain concessions in the parks at the Federal level be it COE, National parks, whatever. They are contracted to operate campgrounds, admission facilities, janitoral services, lodges, etc. The park is still "operated" by the government.

There are a few COE facilities such as this one that the Corps leased the entire campground over to a private entity and frankly they ruined it. Scroll down to the camping section. The ACOE still operates 2 of the 3 but leased the Tub Run campground to a rafting outfitter. Its essentially a private campground.
Tub Run



What a park brings in revenue wise matters not. Its all sent back to Washington and then operating funds are appropriated back when the morons in Washington finally get around to adopting the yearly budget, if they ever do so.

tdst51 wrote:

monkey44 wrote:
The feds need to increase revenue in the parks - it's been $10 forever, and now it's still a huge bargain ... a few nights in a park with park admission and it pays for itself.

Regards the COE parks, we're been all over the USA in COE whenever they are available. WE've never been to one that did not discount with the pass. I do know that some of the sub-contractors that operate the parks continuously push for NO Discount - which we hope never happens.

Not that we mind even paying full price for camping as long as the extra money GOES TO THE PARK. But, those parks that don't honor the discount, just keep the extra $$$ - which is the unfair part of it, well, unfair to the campers and unfair to the federal budget - which is its citizens.

The COE park in Pontiac, MO gives no discount whatsoever, regardless if
you have the s
enior pass or not. Again, NO DISCOUNT. It's the subcontractors choice whether to discount or not. There's plenty that don't.

That's when I'd fire off a note to my Senator and ask why this contractor got the bid ... and where the additional funds go if we pay the full price. As usual, when prices begins rising, the discounts (we earned) go first, instead of raising the price one or two bucks for everyone, they take $10 + from seniors. :(

monkey44 wrote:
The feds need to increase revenue in the parks - it's been $10 forever, and now it's still a huge bargain ... a few nights in a park with park admission and it pays for itself.

Regards the COE parks, we're been all over the USA in COE whenever they are available. WE've never been to one that did not discount with the pass. I do know that some of the sub-contractors that operate the parks continuously push for NO Discount - which we hope never happens.

Not that we mind even paying full price for camping as long as the extra money GOES TO THE PARK. But, those parks that don't honor the discount, just keep the extra $$$ - which is the unfair part of it, well, unfair to the campers and unfair to the federal budget - which is its citizens.

The COE park in Pontiac, MO gives no discount whatsoever, regardless if you have the senior pass or not. Again, NO DISCOUNT. It's the subcontractors choice whether to discount or not. There's plenty that don't.