Editorial: Fee hikes at national parks would limit access
Publisher’s note: This editorial is from the Nov. 24, 2017, San Francisco Chronicle.
As the Trump administration threatens large cuts to the National Park Service, federal parks officials have an idea: Just charge a whopping $70 to enter some of America’s most beloved national parks, including Yosemite, Joshua Tree, Sequoia and Yellowstone.
The proposed fee increases, which were announced in October, have come under fire by nature enthusiasts, outdoors groups and, now, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and 10 of his counterparts from other states.
“For every dollar the punitive fee increase raises from families, the Trump administration intends to cut more than 4 dollars from the National Park Service’s budget — almost $300 million,” Becerra said, in a statement. “That backdoor math simply does not add up. It’s a cruel deception for millions of hardworking families.”