Zinke Backs Off Plan For $70 Admissions To 17 Parks; Apparently Still "Infrastructure Week" @ DOI
EDIT
Zinke's plan, originally set to take effect in May or June, would have targeted 17 parks that now collect 70 percent of all entrance fees for the Park Service: Acadia, Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Denali, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, Joshua Tree, Mount Rainier, Olympic, Rocky Mountain, Sequoia and Kings Canyon, Shenandoah, Yellowstone, Yosemite and Zion.
Under the proposal, peak-season entry fees at the 17 parks would have increased to $70 for a private vehicle, $50 for a motorcycle and $30 for a person on bicycle or foot. Currently, vehicle fees at the 17 parks range from $25 to $30, while motorcycle fees range from $12 to $25. A person on bike or foot pays from $10 to $15. The increases would have been in effect during each park's five busiest months.
While the Interior Department has yet to announce any specifics of its new plan, The Washington Post, citing an anonymous department official, reported that a 10 percent fee increase for all parks with entry fees is under consideration, along with a $20 increase for the $80 annual and senior lifetime passes. Other options include raising the fees for tour buses or implementing a per-passenger bus fee.
The anonymous Interior official told the newspaper that Zinke's original plan was being reconsidered due to fears that it would hurt attendance. "Our ultimate goal when it comes to entrance fees is to make sure the parks get 80 percent of that revenue ... but we also don't want to put a burden on our visitors. We believe there is room to increase the fees and the annual passes," the official said.
Ed. - Emphasis added.
EDIT
https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060078035