GreenLatinos has condemned new higher fees for nonresidents to enter national parks, which are set to take effect on January 1. The Trump administration announced changes to the fee structure last week, referring to them as "America-first" entry fee policies. GreenLatinos called the move “xenophobic” and “exclusionary.”
“The national parks targeted for increased nonresident fees are places meant to welcome everyone — cherished for their natural beauty, cultural significance, and the stories they hold,” said Pedro Hernández, GreenLatinos California state program manager. “By imposing higher fees on people without [a] state-issued ID, the Trump Administration is advancing a xenophobic policy that disproportionately harms vulnerable populations like international students, newly arrived immigrants, and families seeking asylum. This approach eviscerates the true meaning of public lands and sends a clear, exclusionary message that our most cherished national parks have become yet another pay-to-play system. People should be welcomed — not priced out from our public lands.”
The group also warned that the new fees could deter business in gateway communities and disproportionately affect people of color.
“These national parks should welcome everyone, including the international visitors who patronize national park gateway communities like the community of Estes Park: the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park where 5.5 percent of residents are foreign born,” said Ean Thomas Tafoya, GreenLatinos vice president of state programs. “The essential jobs in a gateway economy are carried out by many Hispanic, Latino and workers of color. We run the stores, hotels and restaurants. The administration should focus on economic prosperity for these workers but their recent announcement will only deter business.”
In addition to the higher fees, the changes include revoking Free Entrance Day benefits for non-residents and modifying free entrance days.
“We condemn the omission of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, Juneteenth, National Public Lands Day, and the anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act as Free Entrance Days,” said Olivia Juarez, GreenLatinos public land program director. “The Great American Outdoors Act permanently funded the Land and Water Conservation Fund which enhances outdoor recreation access for all future generations. These observances are patriotic days that celebrate freedom and safety in the outdoors. They should be celebrated as such by removing a simple cost barrier that can make parks more accessible to low-income households. Immigrants who have yet to attain residential status should be invited to fall in love with our spectacular national parks for free on Free Entrance Days just like everyone else. That is equality.”
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