Nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded.
–Anonymous
Some things are a shame, others are a damn shame. The overcrowding, overuse, and underfunded nature of our natural parks fall squarely in the latter category.
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| Delicate Arch, an icon of the Utah landscape. Arches National Park. |
According to an article published this week in the Salt Lake Tribune, the maintenance backlog in America's National Parks now totals $11.3 billion, including $278 million for Utah's parks.
To address this backlog, as well as to "improve facilities, infrastructure, and visitor services, the National Park Service is now proposing to raise entrance fees seasonally in 17 national parks to $70 per vehicle, including Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands and Zion. Public comment regarding this proposal is now being accepted at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/commercialtourrequirements.
Chronic underfunding of the National Park Service and controversy over visitor fees appears to be nearly as old as the National Parks themselves, the first of which was established by the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act signed by Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872. In fact, an entire book has been written on the subject, Visitor Fees in the National Park System: A Legislative and Administrative History, by Barry Mackintosh.
In an ideal world, these National Parks would be adequately funded by Congress. Park visits would be attainable for all Americans. A $70 entry fee is unaffordable for some families. Yes, an annual pass would still be only $80, but not everyone visits multiple parks on multiple days. For some, a one day visit to a national park is the trip of a lifetime, and a $70 entrance fee is an impediment to such an experience.
Meanwhile, many parks are under great pressure from visitation. In 2012, Zion National Park set an all-time record with 2,973,607 visitors. By 2016, they hit 4,295,127 visitors. Overcrowding and overuse are further stressing the parks and degrading the park experience.
I don't have any solutions for these problems. I haven't sat on my bar stool long enough. I wish Congress better funded the National Park System. I could live live with a reservation system for entering some National Park areas. I hope, however, that park fees are not levied in a way that visits become unaffordable for some American families. I'm disgusted that such a proposal is being floated.
Love your blog! Thanks for bringing attention to this issue. You're completely right: A $70 entry fee is unaffordable for some families, and at the very least a deterrent to many more. I work for the park service and unfortunately, nobody I know in the NPS actually thinks this is a good way to solve the maintenance backlog, especially when Congress has just proposed a 13% cut to the parks budget. Some decisions are beyond our control...
ReplyDelete"Nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded." - Yogi Berra. I, however, remain anonymous.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was a Yogiism too, but apparently it predates him. Thus, I've used anonymous. We aren't right much on this blog, but we try to be correct!
DeleteI stand corrected, Sir! And this reminded me of another Yogiism: "We made too many wrong mistakes." - Yogi
ReplyDeleteJim, love your book, and your blog! Don't agree with you 100%, but I respect you a great deal.
Thanks. Lack of agreement not required!
DeleteOn the bright side: I have a family of five and there are a lot of things I wont do with the whole troop, like see a concert, anything requiring airfare. But if I'm making one trip and an annual pass is under $100, it isn't that much in light of the meals we have on the road, gas, hotel or getting camping gear straightened out. I think if you can drive or fly your whole family to a national park, the entrance fee so long as it isn't 70 each day is pretty minor. It is amusement parks, ski resorts, concerts, football games, movies with high prices per person and outrageous food prices that have lost my interest as a Dad. And yeah just to keep political spice going, congress get barely get their shoes tied, which is good right now or they'd be tightening the screws even more.
ReplyDeleteI hope they don't read my above comment and start selling 12 dollar cheeseburgers, 3 dollar sodas, etc. and force channeling you through a gift shop to raise revenue. Kids need dirt, sun, wind, rain, snow, then the worst PBJ from home and bag of trail mix and lukewarm water is a delicacy.
ReplyDelete