Ante Up to Visit Your Parks

0 Comments | Insight on the News, Sept 13, 1999 | by John Elvin

As the vacation season winds down, something of a fuss is being raised in the further reaches over a pilot program allowing four federal agencies to collect various fees from citizens who want to visit public lands. Protests have been held thus far in Oregon, California, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, Utah and Ohio. Angry taxpayers have staked out various locations operated by the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, urging visitors to contact members of Congress about the matter.

Fees are being charged under a pilot program authorized by Congress a few years ago, which recently was extended to 2001. Amounts range from parking fees of several dollars to $40 for seasonal passes. The agencies involved say they need the additional revenues to maintain programs affected by lower funding from Congress. The agencies collected $180 million last year from members of the public wishing to visit public lands. President Clinton has proposed that the fees be made permanent.