Make national parks free for all

For just one day this summer - and if you're planning a vacation, it's Thursday, August 4 - entrance fees are waived at the 110 national parks that normally charge admission. These include top tourist favorites such as the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Zion National Park, each of which collects $35 per vehicle or $20 per pedestrian.

With so many Americans eager for post-pandemic travel, but with gasoline prices damnably high, wouldn't this be a great time to give citizens free access to the parks that they do, after all, own? And not just on one weekday in August, but all summer long?

To be clear, the nation's national parks need all the money they can get. Most locations have what the Parks Service calls an "extensive maintenance backlog," with repairs and upgrades deferred year after year. The annual budget for all 423 park properties is a modest $3.5 billion - and the contribution from entrance fees is a pittance, totaling less than $250 million a year.

Visits to national parks fell slightly during the pandemic, but are expected to surge this summer. While $35 per car doesn't seem like a lot, it's a regressive fee whose greatest impact is on those least able to afford it. Waiving admission, these fees - at least during this period of economic, medical and emotional stress - would boost Americans' spirits while also stimulating business.

New government figures indicate that in 2021 park visitors spent $20.5 billion in communities within 60 miles of the venues. The lodging sector gained $7 billion while restaurant operators took in $4.2 billion. It's estimated that these expenditures directly supported a total of 190,700 full and part-time jobs.

Not surprisingly, half of all visits to national parks occur at the 25 most popular locations, and that's where the highest admission prices are charged - with one notable exception.

The most popular national park, according to 2021 statistics, is Great Smoky Mountains National Park, stretching through portions of Tennessee and North Carolina, with just over 14 million admissions last year. Yet, this spectacular park charges no entry fee - not because the Parks Service doesn't want to, but because a tangle of local and federal laws prohibits it. The facility manages just fine, contributing $1.3 billion to the local economy.

This would seem to confirm the eagerness of Americans to visit a major park if no fee is required. When fees are charged, attendance drops dramatically. The next most popular location is Zion National Park in southwest Utah, which had roughly 5 million admissions last year.

Admission to all national parks is free for active U.S. military and their dependents as well as for veterans. Fees are also waived for the disabled. Seniors over age 62 can purchase a $20 annual pass or an $80 lifetime pass and, in an interesting educational program, all fourth grade students may enter for free. For the rest of us, the best deal is an $80 annual pass.

There are only five fully free days each year. In 2022 the dates are Jan. 17 (MLK Day); April 16 (the start of National Park Week); Aug. 4 (anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act); Sept. 24 (National Public Lands Day), and Nov. 11 (Veterans Day).

I find visiting National Parks not only breathtaking but also inspirational. If we really want people to love and appreciate our country, making it easier for them to visit its vast natural treasures seems like a no-brainer.

The tab for annual free admissions would be under $250 million. By way of comparison: This year, the federal government is spending $250 million on something called The Restoring Brand USA Act. Its goal is to attract international visitors and support local tourism businesses. Sounds like a nifty program.

But I can't think of a better way to spend that $250 million than by throwing open the gates at our national parks and saying, "Come on in. This land is your land."

Copyright 2022 Peter Funt distributed by Cagle Cartoons newspaper syndicate.

Peter Funt's new memoir, "Self-Amused," is now available at CandidCamera.com.