Re[2]: [at-l] Cost to Enter National Parks may go up...

[jbryankramer@xxxxxxx (J Bryan Kramer)]

Me too, I have no objection to a park user fee, we buy a passport each year
for NPs. IMHO the parks are not falling into disrepair they have fallen long
ago and are into the collapse stage now. More money needs to go into repair
and ongoing maintenance and politically it isn't coming out of general
funds. You can blame Bush if you want but Clinton did nothing to fix this
during his 8 years. Buying new parks doesn't help the existing parks it just
spreads the budget ever thinner over more and more land. We've been to parks
out west where the park office is one of those construction shack mobile
homes, the ones about 30 feet long and the ranger can be seen by appointment
or on MWF from 1 to 3 PM. And that is no exaggeration.

Of course the NPS doesn't help itself by building million dollar latrines
either nor by alienating the local population and politicians. And on the
subject of volunteers leading tours and such, some of the very best tours we
had were done by volunteers who are often retired professionals and
scientists. There are plenty of folks who would volunteer in exchange for
free campground use, I have met plenty of folks who do that in exchange for
being campground hosts. There is a lot of competition for those spots from
what I've heard.

"Si vis pacem para bellum"


> Let me say tjat I am tired of here people bitch and moan about
> costs.  The parks are not free, a small portion of our tax dollars go
> to pay for these parks.  The amount is very small and the parks are
> falling into disrepair.  Me, I would be willing to pay a flat fee each
> year.
>
> Grey Owl
>