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Higher Fees Coming To Your Favorite National Parks As Officials Search For Cash

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Expect an increase in the cost of enjoyment in the National Park System/NPS

As we told you last month, National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis has given his superintendents the OK to increase entrance and other fees in their parks once they've conducted the requisite public outreach and engagement. And now we're starting to see some of the proposals, which range from higher entrance fees to "special recreation fees" that are being proposed to help cash-strapped parks.

While many fees are likely to increase by $5 or $10, there could be more creativity into fee collections aimed at generating more money for the parks. One example has surfaced at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Wisconsin, where officials are proposing a $5-per-person fee to visit the ice caves that form on the shores of Lake Superior during particularly cold winters.

'œWe are committed to keeping the park affordable but we also want to provide visitors with the best possible experience while not over burdening our partners," Chris Smith, the lakeshore's acting superintendent, said in a release announcing the proposal.

Director Jarvis, in a memo to his superintendents, outlined an entrance fee schedule that placed the 131 units that now charge entrance fees into four groups. The four groupings are intended to reflect the size and expense of running a park. So parks such as Yellowstone in Wyoming, Grand Canyon in Arizona, Glacier in Montana, and Yosemite in California would be in Group 4, while parks such as Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in Wyoming, Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park in Maryland, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia, and Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve in Idaho would be in Group 1.

Under Director Jarvis' schedule, by 2017 all parks in Group 4 would charge $30 per week for vehicle entry, $15 for someone on foot, and $25 for a motorcycle; all Group 3 parks would set their entrance fees at $25, $12 and $20; all Group 2 parks would move to $20, $10, and $15, and; all Group 1 parks would move to $15, $7 and $10.

But some other changes might also appear. For instance, Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks currently share a joint entrance fee of $25 that gets you and everyone in your car or truck into both parks for seven days. During a meeting last month with academics, historians, and reporters brought together for a parks workshop sponsored by the Property and Environment Research Center Yellowstone Superintendent Dan Wenk said he might suggest ending that relationship so all $25 that is paid to enter Yellowstone stays in his park.

Additionally, the superintendent noted that the average Yellowstone visitor spends 2.8 days in the park, so why sell a seven-day pass?

When you think of how inflation has treated park entrance fees -- that $10 fee charged in 1915 equates to $230.74 in 2014 dollars -- entrance to the parks under the existing pricing structure might literally be described as a steal. But what would you think if, en route to Yellowstone, you are asked for a $25 fee to enter Grand Teton at Moran Junction and then, 27 miles later, asked for another $25 to enter Yellowstone?

While the changes Superintendent Wenk discussed are not even proposals -- they haven't been formally floated to the public -- the current fiscal fitness of the National Park Service is forcing superintendents to be creative with the fees they are allowed to charge.

Yellowstone, for example, received and spent nearly $76 million during Fiscal 2014, which came to an end last month. A little less than half that total -- $33.8 million -- arrived via base funding from the Park Service, while the rest (roughly $42 million) came from line item construction projects, entrance fees, campground fees, fishing permit fees, concession franchise fees, donations, housing rent, and some other sources, according to Yellowstone spokesman Al Nash.

"But significant amounts of money are spent annually by others in Yellowstone on infrastructure owned by the federal government. Some examples are the money we get through the Federal Highways for road construction projects, money spent from the Concession Facilities Improvement Program and the Concession operator's repair/rehab funds," Mr. Nash continued. "This funding can vary widely from year to year... recently ranging from just under $12 million in FY11 to about $30.6 million in FY14. Again, this is money spent on government-owned infrastructure in the park but NOT directly received by the NPS or spent by the NPS. Therefore, for the fiscal year which just ended, roughly $106.3 million was spent either by the NPS or by others on NPS infrastructure in Yellowstone."

While Yellowstone likely will announce its proposed fee changes later this year, other parks are already starting to go down the road.

At Apostle Islands, officials ran up a bill of roughly $450,000 to handle the more than 135,000 people who turned out over a 10-week period to tour the ice caves.

"Park staff worked between 40 and 100 percent of their regular time on the ice caves," Julie Van Stappen, the park's chief of planning and resource management, said Wednesday. 'œPeople were working super-long hours, so there was overtime. And we had to bring in special events team from other parks, so there was some travel involved in that.'

Park Service staff was needed to monitor ice conditions, respond to injuries visitors sustained falling on the ice, and direct traffic. While the Park Service's Midwest Regional Office helped defray some of the expenses, that financial help is not guaranteed in the future, said Ms. Van Stappen.

Friends of Apostle Islands did provide $16,000 to cover the cost of portal toilets set up to handle the crowds, but over-time incurred by lakeshore staff over the ten-week period was significant, said Ms. Van Stappen.

"People worked not only their regular hours, they worked weekends, up to 16-hour days, and a lot of people didn't have any days off for a long period of time," she said.

Against those costs, the park collected $47,000 in fees charged at Meyers Beach. At the same time, the lure of the ice caves generated $10 million for the local communities, the park noted.

The proposed ice cave fee would be charged to visitors 12 and older. Two open houses have been scheduled near the lakeshore to discuss the fee: 

* October 22, 10 a.m.-noon at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center in Ashland, Wisconsin

* October 23, 4 p.m.-6 p.m. at the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Headquarters, 415 Washington Ave., Bayfield, Wisconsin

You can review the proposal, and submit comments, at this website. Written comments can be sent to [email protected] or Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, 415 Washington Avenue, Bayfield, Wisconsin 54814 Attn: Myra Foster.

Hawai'˜i Volcanoes National Park just announced a proposal to increase its entrance fees, which have remained static since 1997, from $10 to $15 for next year. The increases would continue to $20 in 2016 and $25 in 2017 unless there's strong public pushback.

"While we are committed to keeping the park affordable for everyone, we are also dedicated to providing the safest and most enjoyable experience for our visitors and community. Entrance fees are vital to support the numerous services and amenities that make the visitor experience possible,' said Superintendent Cindy Orlando.

 

At Hawai'i Volcanoes, some entrance fee monies are being used on a project now underway to replace the wooden boardwalk at the Pu'˜u Loa Petroglyphs. Other fee-funded projects include ongoing trail maintenance, cabin repairs, hike pamphlets, restrooms, and picnic tables, the park said in a release.

Eighty percent of all entrance fees stay within Hawai'˜i Volcanoes National Park, Superintendent Orlando noted. The money also helps to "protect the Hawaiian ecosystem by funding fencing projects that prevent non-native pests like pigs and goats from devouring rare native plants."

Table of Proposed Recreational Fee Increases (in dollars) for Hawai'˜i Volcanoes National Park:

 

 

Annual Pass

Per-Vehicle Fee

(good for 7 days)

 Per-Person Fee

(walk-ins & bicycles)

Motorcycle Rate

Current

25

10

5

5

2015

25

15

8

10

2016

25

20

10

15

2017

50

25

12

20

2018

50

25

12

20

2019

50

25

12

20

2020

50

25

12

20

2021

50

25

12

20

 

Under the proposed fee schedule, entrance fees would also increase for commercial tour companies. Currently, road-based tour vans carrying one to six passengers pay a $25 base fee and $5 per person to enter the park. The per-person entrance rates will increase to $8 in 2015; $10 in 2016; and $12 in 2017, through 2021. The base fee will not change. Non-road-based tour companies, i.e. hiking tour companies that are on trails more than they are touring the park by vehicle, don'™t pay a base rate but their per-person fees would increase under the proposed schedule.

In addition, the park will soon charge $10 per permit for all overnight backcountry and front-country camping, with a maximum of three consecutive nights at one spot. Currently, camping is free, except at Nāmakanipaio Campground, which is managed by Hawai'˜i Volcanoes Lodge Company, LLC. The new camping permit fees are similar to other public camping fees statewide.

You can comment on the proposed increases at Hawai'i Volcanoes at this site. You also can submit comments in writing, addressed to Superintendent, Hawai'˜i Volcanoes National Park, P.O. Box 52, Hawaii National Park, HI 96718. The deadline for comments is Dec. 15, 2014 at 11:59 p.m. Mountain Standard Time. Comment cards will also be provided at the KÄ«lauea Visitor Center seven days a week, from 8:45 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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Comments

It just never ends with Jarvis and his National Fee Service.  HIs civic engagement ruses are just that.  It is time to do a story on the tally of public comments regarding these fee increases versus the actual outcome of the fees.  Lipstick on predetermined fee plans.  Thanks congress for the worst legislation of all time.  FLREA.

 


SmokiesBackpacker makes a point. Here at the Traveler, we can't be everywhere and we don't get all park releases. Perhaps if readers could post a comment or share with us when they learn of a proposed fee increase we could better ride herd over what's being proposed and what it's fate is. 

We already know how entrance fees will be raised, but would be interested in hearing if there's any organized opposition to them at a specific park unit. And if any "special recreation" fees rise up, we'd love to hear about them, too.

How is public engagement being handled? Are open houses being held, or are parks simply alerting the public via a Facebook post or Tweet?

Congress won't alter its behavior unless it's convinced there's a backlash brewing.


Charging people to visit ice caves that is ridiculous. This stuff just never ends. I may have been open at one time to reasonable entrance fees but charging for every "attraction" once you get into a park is way overboard. If only folks would speak with their reps about this stuff.


"Cash strapped parks" my big butt!

A more accurate description would be "mismanaged, never held a real job, never contributed to society, elitist, bureaucrats."

Maybe it's time to convey the parks back to the states.

Thanks Kurt.


My understanding is that DOI and NPS administration is very top heavy with beauracracy. Are there any proposals to make cuts to these administrative beauracracies?


Perhaps a better idea would be to investigate how much of that top-heavy bureaucracy results directly from Congressional mandates for one thing or another.

In public education, many administrative positions in the Old Principals' Homes (school district offices) around the nation are necessary because Congress -- or state legislatures -- have made them necessary.

Perhaps the real culprit is not the NPS but CONGRESS.


Kurt you make an excellent point. This across-the-board, nationwide fee increase for nearly every NPS unit should be done under nationwide public engagement, not dribbled out just to local communities. They are following a strategy whereby each local park will engage only with its local area, and nobody will see the big picture. I'm also troubled by the use of "open houses" instead of what used to be done in "public meetings." This is a tactic the Forest Service has adopted as well. At an "open house" there are typically easel exhibits around a room, with an agency person at each one to discuss one little piece of the proposal. They keep the public moving around and coming and going, and make sure that engagement is between agency officials and individual members of the public, not among the public as a whole. At a true "public meeting," people get to hear each others' opinions and thoughts, not just agency propaganda. That can create an uncomfortable situation for the agency spokespeople, but it's a truer gauge of public opinion.


KBenzar

The open houses were employed in the Smokies in a fashion that "sold" the idea of a backcountry fee instead of answering substantive questions or even capturing objections to the proposal.  The Superintendent and his minions were there to convince the public of the need for this new fee and would hear nothing in terms of objections to it. Then they could check a box marked "civic engagement" and proceed with their pre determined fee plan.  This is something that needs to be addressed within the NPS by some type of oversight mechanism. I was there and it was offensive to have the Superintendent talk over me when I raised a concern or dared question their ultimate fee authority.  It is nothing more than a box to get checked.


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