THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 1, 1995 TAG: 9509010027
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A16 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Short : 48 lines
America's National Parks are hugely popular and badly underfunded. They now play host to 276 million visitors a year, yet they've got billions in deferred maintenance.
Many park problems stem from their success. More visitors means higher costs for personnel, infrastructure and repair. Republican budget plans now call for a freeze on the parks budget at $1.1 billion with no provision for future growth or for catching up with needed maintenance.
Yet a solution seems obvious. The parks need to be put on a more business-like basis. Continued government funding is essential, with outlays rising to reflect increased use. But fees also need to rise. And in some cases, where hordes of tourists and campers threaten to love parks to death, access needs to be restricted through caps on the number of visitors permitted.
The parks at present are underpriced entertainment. They are a shared natural treasure and all Americans ought to have the right to visit them. But trivial or non-existent fees make parks cheaper than competing recreation alternatives.
A day at Yellowstone costs less than a Disney movie, let alone a day at Disney World. A visit to dozens of landmarks and historic sites costs nothing. A minimum fee for each site would deprive no one of her heritage, but would help preserve it for future generations. A competitive price for recreation attractions would be simple good business.
Furthermore, concessions at park properties are valuable monopolies that are now awarded to for-profit companies on the cheap. The parks can easily charge more than a few percent of gross revenues for the privilege of operating these concessions. Vendors will line up for the chance. But the Park Service must dictate quality. No schlocky vendors should be permitted to debase the parks.
People will pay modest fees gladly, if they know the money will be used to sustain the parks. Congress must continue healthy funding as well and insist that an orderly budgeting process be adopted. Money made by the parks must be put back into the parks and Congress must refrain from hijacking park revenues for unrelated purposes. If that's accomplished, a secure future for the parks can be assured. by CNB