| Page 5 | National Parks Traveler

I would not say that fed empolyees prefer not to work- I too was one of them. I busted my a.. to get the job done. Often harming myself in the process. Many others did the same. Heck- when I cleared a some trails in Yosemite we worked 12 hrs a day plus with no overtime, running chainsaws and working stock animals to haul equipment.

Mar 19th - 20:13pm | Edward Martel

Taking cash causes too much work for our government employees, who tend to prefer doing less work. Trust me, I was one of them. Customer service is of no importance to upper management (at the park level) when it comes to pushing their own agenda. I hope the plaintiffs win.

Mar 19th - 14:38pm | (Another) Doug

So all the business that post "no bills larger than $20 accepted" should be forced to accept all dominations as well?

Mar 19th - 13:04pm | Sharon Letz

Just try buying a post card - one post card - and have to use a credit card at a National Park Site? How much more will it cost in fees aside from the postage? I have just left the card and the park due to this policy way back when they first tried this.

Mar 19th - 12:38pm | Doug

The courts need to stop everyone from refusing to accept cash for payment. The policy of refusing cash is discriminatory, mean, and obviously illegal. The justification, that refusing cash reduces cost to the business, is irrelevent.

Mar 19th - 10:34am | Pancho

"My safety is more important than your convenience."

Mar 19th - 01:47am | William Lee

Except a fee is legally different than a debt. You are indebted to the federal government for your taxes, not the national parks that you choose to enter.

Mar 18th - 23:51pm | Troy

I'm for returning Legal US Tender (cash) as a form of payment to a US department. I agree with most of what you said, but just know that those entry pay cash machines are not owned by the parks. They are managed by private companies that take a huge cut of the entry fee. More so than using a credit card at a visitor center or manned entry station.

Mar 18th - 10:07am | Anonymous

Add Castillo de San Marcos NM to that list. I sat in the meeting when management decided to make the change. I made the point of how it would be discrimnotory to certaian groups and submitted academic research to prove it... it was ignored and then spent the next few years being cursed at and recoevong death threats for the policy... #RangerOn

Mar 18th - 09:17am | Bob Smith

It's not fair to a person who might be denied a credit card or check card especially as people can now be "debanked" for free speech. One shouldn't have to go through a forprofit bank and get "approval" to be able to use somethingy they likey have been paying taxes for their entire life.

Mar 18th - 08:53am | Chuck Albury

It is about following the law. On every denomination, it states that it is legal tender for all debts both public and private. In other words, you can't refuse to accept it. All businesses should expect cash payments.

Mar 17th - 20:31pm | Bett

I absolutely agree that not only National Parks, but every entity that receives payments or fees that people ordinarily have to pay should be required to accept cash.

Mar 17th - 20:04pm | ecbuck

Just part of the process of moving us to a cashless society. Can't track or control if we can use cash.

Mar 17th - 13:02pm | Surfnwally

I can understand the National Park Service's reasons for going cashless, but overall I disagree with their policy.

Mar 17th - 12:16pm | Van Livingston

It's not about convenience, it is about following the law. On every denomination it states that it is legal tender for all debts both public and private. In other words, you can't refuse to accept it.

Mar 17th - 12:07pm | Dee Dee

The reason, I hope, that NPS doesn't want cash? We have volunteered at Visitor Centers, and we do not want cash. We always make a point of stating we have no cash available. My safety is more important than your convenience. Many booths are remote, one LE for thousands of acres, and we are not allowed to carry.

Mar 17th - 10:32am | Loui

The Swamp preaches and chants about inclusivity until it becomes inconvenient to accomodate the indigent or the undocumented who may not be able to secure cards.

Mar 17th - 10:05am | Green Pants

Yessss. This removes accessibility, not accepting legal, federal tender. I hope they win

UPDATE | House Committee Hearing Focuses On Weakening Antiquities Act

Mar 20th - 09:16am | Beau

Republicans are greedy, destructive terrorists who have no appreciation for the beauty and peace natural places provide. They only seek to exploit our remaining public places for personal gain. I call upon everyone who loves and appreciates natural beauty to do anything in your power to stop this GOP Terrorism. These people are not decent. They're not focused on the future of our country.

Mar 20th - 08:22am | chris...

We dont have a king. WE have a congress to decide what will be federal land and what will not. Its we the people. Not I the king. The law has always been a joke

Mar 20th - 07:36am | Will De Man

The Antiquities Act is the most powerful conservation law ever, conceived during the Progressive Era. In my reading of the legislative history, the intention of Congress in passing law was for the President to be able to take swift action where other governing bodies couldn't.

Sea-Level Rise Threatens To Erase Park Units

Mar 19th - 13:52pm | Will

1,000% correct sir!

Traveler's View: The National Park Service's Perplexing Director

Mar 19th - 13:00pm | Doug Allis

All the hand wringing over the taking of one eagle by one tribe in one US park comes off as highly ironic. Here we have an entitiy of the USG, which stole the land to begin with, telling a tribe what they can and cannot do with one animal on ancient tribal lands that are currently managed by the Feds, under the guise of being a "National Park".

Mar 17th - 13:20pm | Kurt Repanshek

The question, Peter Wisner, is where should the National Park Service place its ethics bar?

Mar 16th - 20:59pm | James Longstreet

Peter Wisner: Issuing a permit for anyone to kill an eagle in an NPS unit for anything other than legitimate research is a clear violation of federal regulations. In other words, it's AGAINST THE LAW. There's no ambiguity there.

Mar 16th - 18:24pm | Peter Wisner

This is an interesting Traveler's View. A lot of it based on hersay, and "sources" and really lack of any substantive information. Like a 5th grade slam book.

Mar 15th - 16:02pm | Mather Forever

The NLC has always been what the Director at the time wants it to be. For Director Jarvis to speak that it is the only place to get field input is disingenous. Director Jarvis had an NLC but he also divided it up into smaller groups of 3-4 DC based/RD staff that made all the real decisions. The Budget Executive Committee and the Executive Committe it what they were called. I would caution

Mar 14th - 15:03pm | Loui

So the bureacrat used the tribe's late application as the basis for eschewing regulations intended to protect NPS resources for all Americans. So if I submit my backountry permit late does that mean I can camp whereever I please?

NPCA Report Details Ongoing Threats Of Air Pollution And Climate Change To Parks

Mar 19th - 10:29am | Pancho

"Climate change is driving more intense wildfires" Unsupported talking point that ignores that the largest and most intense wildfires occured around the turn of the 20th century. Fuel buildup and federal mismanagement is the issue, not climate change." "And a lot of that [pollution] is from so many vehicles on the road"

Mar 19th - 08:52am | chris..

Well the sand in Yosemite is from the Gobi desert in China... Guess which country is building more coal fired power plants than any other nation> Also odd there was no mention of the mercury emissions from coal plants thats really the problem.. oh- and who started the HI and TX wildfires?

Death Valley Crews Reopen Nearly 400 Miles Of Roads Closed Since August

Mar 19th - 10:26am | Pancho

This is great news for CO2 reduction!

18th Century British Warship Found In Dry Tortugas National Park

Mar 19th - 09:29am | Phil Selleck

Always something captivating at that wonderful park.

Recreation.Gov Lawsuit Withdrawn

Mar 18th - 13:03pm | songbird

Just reading their wiki "controversies and leaks" page is terrifying. Why are they involved with our rec.gov website? They are one of those companies that should be totally dissolved. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Booz_Allen_Hamilton

Remains Of Man Who Went Missing At Mesa Verde National Park Found

Mar 17th - 08:52am | Nancy

Wow, someone heard someone calling for help and did absolutely nothing but tell everyone much later, was it days, months or years, that they heard cries for help. What. The. Fudge. Are we humans that dumb? Unbelievable that someone would ignore cries for help especially where someone can fall off the edge. Omg. I have lost my faith in people. Disgusting.

Actor Pierce Brosnan Fined For Walking In Thermal Area At Yellowstone National Park

Mar 15th - 14:40pm | Loui

So the judge issued a fine 1/10th that proposed by the government. A $500 fine ($1540 total) isn't going to deter a millionaire from doing much of anything. The investigation/prosecution probably cost 10xs that in hours worked, etc. Brosnan probably paid an attorney 20xs that to represent him. The message is clear.

President's FY25 Budget Request For National Park Service "Disappointing"

Mar 13th - 19:47pm | chris...

First- My apologies to Kurt Repashnak and this website- I am an onorus activist for the NPS...

Mar 13th - 16:48pm | Dootlizhshilii

Over the last twelve years I have noticed something that distinguishes the NPS from my previous large-organization experience (the U.S. Army). It appears that few of those who work at the national level (the Washington Support Office and its dependencies) have ever worked in a park. They mean well, but have no visceral understanding of park operations.

Mar 13th - 12:51pm | Phil Selleck

After a 30-year career with the NPS, I can assure you that funding is and was always an issue. As chief ranger, I started my assignment with 25 rangers to patrol. When I left 6 years later, I had 15. It all came down to money. Actually, individual parks, especially highly visible national parks tend to do better for funding.

Mar 13th - 12:05pm | Paul S.

Kurt, Here's brief responses to your comments:

Mar 13th - 10:53am | Joe L

If the outcome of the 2024 elections is a favorable one in terms of the Executive Branch and a Congressional majority therell be smooth waters ahead. If the reins go the dark side you can expect an immediate concerted effort to gut most all agencies and Federal employment protection. That siniist intent and plan has already been stated.

Mar 13th - 09:28am | chris...

Hey Kurt- ever worked for the NPS? The idea of a "promotion" is wildly out of touch with the private sector compared to what the NPS experience is. Many seasonal workers such as myself- will work for half a decade, perhaps even a decade with no hope of promotion. No real increase in wages. No real upward growth or potential for future higher earnings. Mainly your NPS career will be dictate

Mar 12th - 19:50pm | Kurt Repanshek

Paul, perhaps you could point out on the Green Book pages where you found that 21,639 number for FY23 FTEs.The FY24 budget request says the president's budget request calls for 20,759 FTEs. (Page Overview-3)The FY23 budget request says the president's request supports 20,495 FTEs (Page Overview-3)The FY25 request calls for "19,912 FTE." (Page Overview-3)

Mar 12th - 16:54pm | Paul S.

The statement that there's "not enough money for employee pay raises" is not supported by the facts. By law federal employees receive pay increases based upon performance/time-in-grade regardless of their agency's budget limitations. Additionally, nearly every year federal employees recieve annual pay increases, which are separate from performance/time-in-grade status.

Mar 12th - 16:24pm | Tom Kromer

The NPS has no one to blame but itself for this mess. Years of mismanagement and scandalous behavior (Grand Canyon debacle as a case in point) have led to lost confidence, by both the public and Congress.

Three Winter Days At Great Sand Dunes National Park And Preserve

Mar 13th - 09:09am | Bill Chapman

Rebecca...It never gets old seeing your pictures and written dialogue! Thanks again!!

Mar 12th - 16:49pm | WaltD

Great photos and story, Rebecca! Thanks!

New Concessionaire Wants To Take Over Crater Lake National Park Concessions

Mar 12th - 21:21pm | pauletteb

ExplorUS ruined Acadia's Jordan Pond House. Service and food have gone downhill; a "pot" of tea doesn't even provide two full cups. Fortunately, the popovers the former concessionaire made famous have moved to the Asticou Inn. If it's popovers you want, go there instead.

Discovering Mammoth Cave’s Oceanic Past

Mar 12th - 11:00am | Anita Travis Richter

Very interesting article, Kim. Makes me want to look closer when I go into caves.

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