California AG Leads Coalition Opposing Entrance Fee Hikes at National Parks

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Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park Credits: Wikipedia

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra led a coalition that opposes the proposal to increase entrance fees at 17 national parks. The group is composed of 11 attorneys general (AGs).

In a letter to National Park Service (NPS) Acting Director Michael Reynolds, the AGs said the increase is “concerning as a matter of policy.”

According to them, many Americans will no longer be able to afford to visit and enjoy the beauty of the national parks.

Becerra and his colleagues wrote, “We cannot let the most popular and awe-inspiring national parks become places only for the wealthy. As Americans, we are all public landowners. All Americans should have access to these lands…including inner city children, Hispanic-American, and African-American.”

NPS action is not consistent with laws governing national parks

Additionally, the AGs said, the NPS did not offer a reasonable explanation for the fee increases. It failed to provide economic analysis to support its claim that fee increases will boost revenues and reduce maintenance backlog. Its action is not consistent with the laws governing national parks.