Shortly before sunrise Saturday the U.S. Senate quickly and without debate passed the National Park Service Centennial Act, assuring the Park Service a relatively small, but helpful, infusion of dollars to help maintain the sprawling National Park System. U.S. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, made a motion about 6 a.m. Eastern that the House version of the legislation be approved with unanimous consent and the chamber agreed.
While the House passed its version of the act on Wednesday, the Senate version was attached to a massive Energy Bill that died.
Though it looked like Democrats in the Senate would force the government to shut down at midnight Friday over a dispute regarding the funding of health benefits for coal miners, they relented shortly before midnight and the chamber passed a Continuing Resolution to keep government operating into April. That provided the chamber with additional time to finish last-minute work, such as passage of the Park Service Centennial Act.
As passed by the House, the legislation increases the price of a lifetime pass for senior citizens 62 and older to $80 from its current $10 lifetime fee. Seniors who don't want to pay the $80 could purchase an annual pass for $20.
Park Service staff estimate that the increase in the cost of a senior pass would generate $20 million a year.
The legislation, drafted by U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, had bipartisan support in the House. It calls for deposit of up to $10 million generated from all Park Service sales of America The Beautiful - The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passes into a Second Century Endowment for the National Park Service to be managed by the National Park Foundation. Any revenues above $10 million would be deposited in a Centennial Challenge fund for projects in the parks. However, they would need to be matched by private dollars before they could be spent as the legislation is written.
The House also approved an annual appropriation of $5 million to the National Park Foundation for each of the 2017-2023 fiscal years for use as matching funds for contributions made to the foundation.
Missing from the House bill was a request from Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva, D-Arizona, to amend the bill with a requirement that Congress appropriate an additional $300 million per year for fiscal years 2017, 2018, and 2019 to help the Park Service address its maintenance backlog, estimated at $12 billion.
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Comments
NPS is funded from user fees, contributions and Federal tax dollars. I really don't want to see a National ID card needed to prove we are US Taxpayers to get into the parks, which is what would be needed to be able to charge non resident aliens an excess fee. The states depend on license plates or drivers license for proof of residence. We will pay for any increase in funds to NPS either through the increased Card Fee ($80 once for life! what a deal) and increased taxes should such a thing ever happen again.
Why don't we charge citizens/residents one price, and non citizens a higher entrance price? After all, my tax dollars already support the parks. But visitors, who visit the parks extensively, don't pay their fair share for maintenance.
The word "retiree" no longer applies to most of us just turning 62. Our privatized "retirement" funds went to buy new yachts for a few ultra wealthy fund administrators linked to our employers. You are actually talking about an entire generation being locked out of our national parks.
No word yet, but it's unlikely to take effect before Jan. 1. Your husband can buy one online, but there's a $10 additional processing fee. Here is a link to where he can go buy one in person as of his birthday: https://store.usgs.gov/pass/PassIssuanceList.pdf
They should have raised their fee structures across the board, rather than lump it all on the lifetime passes. Grand Canyon charging $30 per car for 7 days, regardless of how many people are in said vehicle, is almost theft.
When does it go into effect?
Unless we can honestly address the problem of recalcitrant Republicans in Congress and not just blame this debacle on the generic "congress" we'll never get adequate funding for our parks and forests. It's not Democrats holding up progress. It's Republicans.
$80 for a LIFETIME pass is still a bargain. Those oF us under 65 pay that per year. Our parks system is really struggling to maintain on the budget provided. I do support a higher entrance rate for non-citizens as they do not contribute to our tax base.