Cover Page MENU     Contents     Preface     1908-1940     1947-1967     1968-1972     1973-1974     1975-1980      1981-1982     Conclusion     Research Note     Appendix		Visitor Fees in the National Park System: A Legislative and Administrative History VI. THE ADMINISTRATION STRIKES BACK, 1981-1982 NPS Revenue Management Planning, 1982 As the administration's aborted Recreation Fees and Improvements Act was undergoing reconsideration in the Department, the Service was acting on its own (under continued pressure from above, to be sure) to strengthen its fee collection posture. On April 1, 1982, Acting Director Ira J. Hutchison announced formation of a nine-member Entrance and User Fee Work Group chaired by Richard J. Rambur of the Ranger Activities and Protection Division in Washington. Its objectives were to review and identify services that might qualify for user fees, to develop a uniform comparability guide for setting fees, to develop alternate, less costly means of fee collection, and to develop definitions for the legislated fee criteria in the Code of Federal Regulations. [12] The group set out to accomplish these tasks within the framework of a "Revenue Management Plan...that maximizes the income to the Service from users and donors, consistent with the recreation/resources protection mission of individual NPS units." The policy statement drafted on the plan emphasized the need for incentives: collected revenues should be returned to the Service, supplementing rather than substituting for regular appropriations; and significant portions of the revenues should go to the individual parks where collected, again as supplements to normal allocations. The group distributed guidance and evaluation materials to the field on developing and improving fee programs. Among them were "self-sufficiency strategy evaluation sheets" for entrance, user, and special use permit fees. Suggested ways of increasing net entrance fee revenue included shortening the allowed time under a single visit permit, establishing an honor system for collection in lieu of no collection, checking permits at exit stations, using automated devices, and simply raising fees. Among proposals for increasing net user fee income were charging for back-country permits, snowmobile permits, and other permits then free; charging for secondary interpretive programs; recovering costs of emergency services, including search and rescue; charging for boat registration, bathhouses, and parking; and allowing campers to exceed prescribed time limits when excess capacity was available and camping fees exceeded operational costs. Several of the items proposed for consideration by park managers, such as raising entrance fees, were identified as requiring new legislation to remove existing restrictions. [13] Raising user fees required no such legislation. The highest campsite charge in the National Park System went from $4 to $6 in 1982, and another boost to $7 was projected for 1983. Added to the maximum entrance fee of $3 (at Yosemite), this would bring the highest total cost for a family camping the first night to $10--the price of the Golden Eagle Passport admitting that family to all entrance fee areas for a year. NEXT> The General Accounting Office Study, 1982 12Memorandum, Hutchison to Regional Directors, Apr. 1, 1982, Ranger Activities and Protection Division, Washington, D.C. (hereinafter cited as WASO-535). 13"Revenue Management Plan Implementation Policy," Apr. 7, 1982, and attachments, WASO-535.
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