In its biggest political coup to date, a group fighting the backcountry fees charged at Great Smoky Mountains National Park has gotten the backing of the Tennessee State House of Representatives.
In a proclamation adopted April 9, the House expressed its "opposition to the imposition of any backcountry camping fees in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park that are not directly associated with the use of amenities or a commercial purpose and strongly urge an immediate appeal of any such imposed fee."
Previously, the Knox County (Tennessee) Commission, as well the commissions in Bradley and Blount counties in Tennessee and Swain County in North Carolina, condemned the fee and called for its repeal.
The backcountry fee of $4 per night per person, with a $20 per person cap per trip, took effect February 13. It is intended by park officials to help streamline and improve the backcountry permitting process and heighten the presence of rangers in the backcountry.
Pinched by an inadequate budget and unable to charge an entrance fee for any of the roughly 9 million yearly visitors, park officials say they see no way of improving visitor services and protecting backcountry resources without charging users who spend the night in the woods.
The park can't charge an entrance fee because the state of Tennessee, when it agreed to transfer land to the federal government for the park, essentially forbade it.
"By condemning and calling for a repeal of this hugely unpopular and specious tax on backcountry users, the State of Tennessee has proven its intent to provide a voice for citizens that was ignored by the National Park Service as evidenced in the public comments that tallied 18-1 in opposition to the fee," said a statement from Southern Forest Watch, a non-profit group organized to lobby for the fee's repeal.
Comments
The truth lies in the details and will be examined in court. No amenities is the test of FLREA here. I maintain that the NPS provides no amenities for which they can justify charging a fee. FLREA says that they must provide a minimum of amenities. The only amenity provided is a reservation system no one wants. I'm hoping the judge rules according to law and takes note of the mischaracterization of scientific data such as the campsite overcrowding fallacy purported by Ditmanson and his crew.
Which is the point SmokiesBackpacker was making from the beginning.
I say if you can't charge an entrance fee, then charge a parking fee. I am ok with backcountry camping fees. It seems the intent of the agreement for not charging entrance fees was to not burden the locals from driving through the park out of necessity (to see family, go to the next town for shopping, etc...) When you are talking about one of the most visited national parks, my question is how many are only passing through and how many are there to see the park. You have to pay for park personel and upkeep somehow.
ebuck, I have no argument with the "no entrance fee" policy at GSMNP. My point is, a camping fee (or site reservations fee or administrative fee for overnighting in the park) is clearly not an entrance fee. All campers pay a fee. That makes the practice *inclusive* of all campers, not exclusive of any special group of campers. And because other national parks already charge such a fee for reserving campsites where there are no amenities (and this camping/admin fee is obviously not a park entrance fee there either), there is legal precedent.
But when it comes to this lawsuit, my opinion and your opinion don't matter. Only the ruling of the judge matters. And we will all see that when it comes out.
The intent of "do not charge an entrance fee" by the state of TN was to keep locals and their ancestors who were forced off their land from being "charged" to enjoy it in the future. The park service by putting in these type of fees are disgraceful. Believe me the people of the state of TN are looking at every avenue to make sure the GSMNP superintendent knows how we feel. This is not over by a long shot.
So maybe give the TN and NC a free pass and charge the rest of us an entrance fee.
Is a back country ranger an amenity? Is search and rescue an amenity?
Mountainhiker.
You are hilarious.
You are avoiding the topic of honesty and the truth. You must work for the National Park Service or the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
You're dang tootin I'm mad. I don't like thieves and cheats...especially those who work for me.