Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Park Service to Tap into Entrance Fees to Keep Operating
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 6 years ago on
January 7, 2019

Share

WASHINGTON — The National Park Service says it is taking the extraordinary step of dipping into entrance fees to pay for staffing at its highly visited parks in the wake of the partial government shutdown.

“We are taking this extraordinary step to ensure that parks are protected and that visitors can continue to access parks with limited basic services.” — P. Daniel Smith, deputy director of the service
P. Daniel Smith, deputy director of the service, said in a statement Sunday that the money would be used to bring in staff to maintain restrooms, clean up trash and patrol the parks. He acknowledged that the Trump administration’s decision to keep the parks open during the weekslong budget impasse was no longer workable and so more extreme measures were warranted.
Parks have been relying on outside help for security and upkeep.
“We are taking this extraordinary step to ensure that parks are protected and that visitors can continue to access parks with limited basic services,” Smith said.

Democrats Want Parks Fully Opened

Republican Sen. Steve Daines of Montana warned Interior Secretary David Bernhardt on Saturday of “significant risk to property and public health” without funding. Three Utah Republican congressmen also asked Bernhardt to restart regular operations.

“Instead of working to reopen the federal government, the administration is robbing money collected from entrance fees to operate our national parks during this shutdown.” — Theresa Pierno, president and CEO for the National Parks Conservation Association
Democrats want the parks fully opened. But Rep. Betty McCollum of Minnesota, the incoming chair of the subcommittee overseeing Interior appropriations, said Sunday that dipping into user fees was “not acceptable” in this situation, and likely violates the law.
Parks supporters called the administration’s move misguided.
“Instead of working to reopen the federal government, the administration is robbing money collected from entrance fees to operate our national parks during this shutdown,” said Theresa Pierno, president and CEO for the National Parks Conservation Association. “For those parks that don’t collect fees, they will now be in the position of competing for the same inadequate pot of money to protect their resources and visitors. Draining accounts dry is not the answer.”

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

LA Dodgers Pledge $1 Million to Support Families Impacted by ICE Raids

DON'T MISS

Pakistan to Nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize

DON'T MISS

Vance, in Los Angeles, Says Troops Need to Stay, Blasts Newsom Over Immigration

DON'T MISS

Nuclear Diplomacy Stuck, Israel Says It Killed Top Iran Commander

DON'T MISS

Mahmoud Khalil Vows to Resume Pro-Palestinian Activism After Release From US Jail

DON'T MISS

Trump Says He Wants to Fund More Trade Schools. Just Not These.

DON'T MISS

Two Days of Terror: How the Minnesota Shooter Evaded Police and Got Caught

DON'T MISS

B-2 Bombers Moving to Guam Amid Middle East Tensions, US Officials Say

DON'T MISS

Israeli Strike on Tehran Kills Bodyguard of Slain Hezbollah Chief

DON'T MISS

Bentley the Porch-Crasher Pup Hopes for a Forever Home

UP NEXT

Voice of America Parent Terminates Over 600 More Staff in Likely Death Knell

UP NEXT

US Court Lets Trump Keep Control of California National Guard for Now

UP NEXT

Massive Security Breach: 16 Billion Passwords Leaked From Apple, Google, Facebook Accounts

UP NEXT

Hunger Strike Begins as California Prisons Hand Down Biggest Restrictions Since COVID

UP NEXT

Musk Shares Negative Drug Test Results, Challenges Media Outlets

UP NEXT

Hurricane Erick Threatens Mexico’s Pacific Coast, Rapid Strengthening Expected

UP NEXT

More US Officials Face Threats as Fears Grow Over Political Violence

UP NEXT

Protester Killed at Utah ‘No Kings’ Rally Was Fashion Designer From ‘Project Runway’

UP NEXT

‘We Will Kill You Dead’: Florida Sheriff’s Stark Warning to Demonstrators

UP NEXT

Here’s What to Expect at the Army’s 250th Anniversary Parade on Trump’s Birthday

Nuclear Diplomacy Stuck, Israel Says It Killed Top Iran Commander

26 minutes ago

Mahmoud Khalil Vows to Resume Pro-Palestinian Activism After Release From US Jail

34 minutes ago

Trump Says He Wants to Fund More Trade Schools. Just Not These.

36 minutes ago

Two Days of Terror: How the Minnesota Shooter Evaded Police and Got Caught

41 minutes ago

B-2 Bombers Moving to Guam Amid Middle East Tensions, US Officials Say

43 minutes ago

Israeli Strike on Tehran Kills Bodyguard of Slain Hezbollah Chief

45 minutes ago

Bentley the Porch-Crasher Pup Hopes for a Forever Home

5 hours ago

The Secret to Finding the Best Travel Bargains

6 hours ago

This Fresno Family Had Six Graduations, Ranging From Pre-K to High School

7 hours ago

Amazon’s Prime Day 2025 Levels Up With Four Days of Deals Starting July 8

7 hours ago

LA Dodgers Pledge $1 Million to Support Families Impacted by ICE Raids

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers have committed $1 million toward direct financial assistance for families of immigrants impacted...

15 minutes ago

Oct 24, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General view of the centerfield plaza during media prior to game one of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images/File Photo
15 minutes ago

LA Dodgers Pledge $1 Million to Support Families Impacted by ICE Raids

President Donald Trump talks to reporters upon his arrival at Morristown Municipal Airport in Morristown, New Jersey, U.S., June 20, 2025. (Reuters File)
19 minutes ago

Pakistan to Nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize

U.S. Vice President JD Vance greets U.S. Marines at the Wilshire Federal Building in Los Angeles, California, U.S., June 20, 2025. (Reuters/Daniel Cole)
22 minutes ago

Vance, in Los Angeles, Says Troops Need to Stay, Blasts Newsom Over Immigration

A fragment falls through the sky after Israel's Iron Dome intercepted a missile launched from Iran towards Israel, amid the Iran-Israel conflict, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel June 20, 2025. REUTERS/Amir Cohen
26 minutes ago

Nuclear Diplomacy Stuck, Israel Says It Killed Top Iran Commander

Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil speaks to media after being released from immigration custody in Jena, Louisiana, U.S. June 20, 2025. (Reuters/Kathleen Flynn)
34 minutes ago

Mahmoud Khalil Vows to Resume Pro-Palestinian Activism After Release From US Jail

Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Secretary of Labor, testifies during a House Appropriations Subcommittee on Capitol Hill, in Washington, May 15, 2025. The Job Corps program has long been the subject of debate, but it is now also a point of contention in the administration’s efforts to pull back the social safety net. (Al Drago/The New York Times)
36 minutes ago

Trump Says He Wants to Fund More Trade Schools. Just Not These.

Candles and flowers adorn a memorial outside the Minnesota State Capitol following the killing of Democratic state assemblywoman Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, in St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S., June 18, 2025. (Reuters/Tim Evans)
41 minutes ago

Two Days of Terror: How the Minnesota Shooter Evaded Police and Got Caught

A U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit bomber takes off from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam January 11, 2018. Picture taken January 11, 2018. (Reuters File)
43 minutes ago

B-2 Bombers Moving to Guam Amid Middle East Tensions, US Officials Say

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend