Just check the attendance at free national monuments: It's hitting record highs.
We can afford it. The Grand Canyon brought in 4.3 million people in 2009. At a price of $12 a person, that's $51 million from admission fees. The federal government can cover that; one Apache helicopter costs $50 million.
Waiving
entrance fees would not only motivate people to visit parks, but stimulate
local economies. Spending by non-local visitors at national parks provided
$10.6 billion in 2008, according to Interior Secretary Salazar.
More visitors mean more money for tour operators, hotels, restaurants, gift shops it's a stimulus for America's rural areas.
To keep attendance from hitting rock bottom, the Park Service now offers a few free entrance days. There have been 11 free days so far in 2010, with four more to come.
In any
case, a few free days aren't enough to make up for the rest: Overall attendance
is down 2.5 percent from this time last year. At the very least, the
National Park Service should institute fee-waivers for low-income citizens.
President Theodore Roosevelt said our national parks "belong to the people." Federal taxes pay for our federal lands; we shouldn't have to pay for them twice. The best solution would be to make our parks free for all. Waive entrance fees permanently.
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