The Department of Interior announced Thursday it will raise fees in more than 100 national parks by $5, backing away from its original plan to more than double entrance costs at some of the nation’s most popular sites.
The original proposal, released in October, included fees up to $70 during peak season at 17 popular parks, such as the Grand Canyon, Zion, Arches, Shenandoah and Acadia national parks. The plan, meant to help pay for a $12 billion maintenance backlog, was met with outrage from across the country by people who argued the steep increase would make the parks inaccessible for many.
“An investment in our parks is an investment in America,” Department of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke tweeted Thursday. “We listened to the American people and we came up with a plan that puts badly needed revenue into our parks to rebuild visitors centers, roads, restrooms and other and other infrastructure.”
An investment in our parks is an investment in America. We listened to the American people and we came up with a plan that puts badly needed revenue into our parks to rebuild visitors centers, roads, restrooms and other and infrastructure. #RebuildOurParks https://t.co/EKak0tvhfF
— Secretary Ryan Zinke (@SecretaryZinke) April 12, 2018
The new plan would raise fees by $5 at the 117 parks, monuments and historic sites that charge admission.
The Interior Department told the Salt Lake Tribune that the money collected from the fee increase would stay within the National Park Service, with 80 percent of the money staying in the park where it was collected.
The new fee structure, set to begin June 1, would raise park revenue by about $60 million, in addition to the $200 million currently raised.
The price of the National Park Service’s annual visitor’s pass would remain $80 under the new plan.
