Crater Lake Nat'l Park potential fee increases (likely)

[Waffle Stomper]

Perhaps another way to think of it.

Prices in 1997
Average Cost of new house $124,100.00
Average Monthly Rent $576.00
Cost of a gallon of Gas $1.22
Average cost of new car $16,900.00
Loaf of Bread $1.17
Movie Ticket $4.59
1 LB Hamburger meat$1.38
(http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1997.html)

[adamschneider]

Or, in less abstract terms, $10.00 in 1997 dollars = $14.79 in 2014 dollars.
(Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI Calculator)

...so an increase to $15 would make perfect sense.

[Guy]

Or, in less abstract terms, $10.00 in 1997 dollars = $14.79 in 2014 dollars.
(Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI Calculator)

...so an increase to $15 would make perfect sense.

So they think they are justified in asking for an rate increase that's 3 TIMES the rate of inflation!!

[adamschneider]

Or, in less abstract terms, $10.00 in 1997 dollars = $14.79 in 2014 dollars.
(Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI Calculator)

...so an increase to $15 would make perfect sense.

So they think they are justified in asking for an rate increase that's 3 TIMES the rate of inflation!!

To be fair, it'd also be interesting to see what their funding level was in 1997 compared to today, and what percentage of their budget (then and now) comes from gate fees.

[BurnsideBob]

The NPS has an estimated $11 Billion dollar back log of deferred maintenance projects. So the entrance/user fees charged in the past are below the NPS's costs of providing visitor services. The other NPS funding source is appropriation by Congress, and Congress has historically underfunded the NPS, a situation not likely to change given the demands on the federal exchequer and the realities of political gridlock.

The legislation which allows the NPS to charge entrance/user fees expires 12/31/14. The proposed fee increases are written into the new legislation authorizing the NPS to charge entrance/user fees effective 1/1/15. And since congressional approval is required, who knows what will actually be approved.

While the proposed percentage increase from $10 to $25 per car per week at Crater Lake NP is huge, the NPS would still be underfunded assuming that increase was applied across the entire National Park system. IMHO, we should be thankful we received a great deal from the NPS in the past and be willing to pay a more appropriate fee in the future. That or we will have a national experiment in Leave No Trace, as our National Park infrastructure molders away.

[Water]

well Crater lake a few weeks ago also advertised that they want to raze an existing building and construct a true visitors center because currently the park doesn't have one. It would be a capitol campaign in part funded by private fundraising.

Frankly I think most of our national parks are the destination, not the $$$ LEED cert. info centers. With a lot of optimism, I'm curious to see how places like the Grand Canyon, detroit lake ranger station, and the rainier paradise visitors center hold up and are looking in 30-40 years...

You would need an electron microscope to see the violin I'd play if they decomissioned the east side road of the park and turned it into a multi-use hike/bike path. probably a lot easier (cheaper) than maintaining it for car travel and plowing it each year.

[Grannyhiker]

For those with children/grandchildren, the interpretive centers play an important role. If you'd seen my 9 year old grandson at Johnston Ridge last summer, you'd see why they are important. He was fascinated by all the exhibits. It's hard to realize just what a seismograph does until you've spent a few minutes jumping up and down in front of the demonstration seismograph recording your movements! At Mt. Rainier, although his reason for being there was the volcano, he learned a lot about animals' protective coloration in the Junior Ranger program (conducted by a volunteer, BTW). We got to see some of the animals (mostly chipmunks and ground squirrels) live as we walked the nearby trails afterwards, which reinforced the lesson and gave him (since he's a city boy) a new interest in nature.

The number of foreign tourists in the national parks never fails to amaze me. When we think of travel, we think of Europe primarily. When Europeans travel, they come to the US, and our national parks are an important destination for them. They spend plenty of money, important to the economy of the area! Fortunately for us, they don't seem to know that there's equally beautiful scenery in our national forests, which leaves the latter for us!

[Splintercat]

Write your Republican congressman (Greg Walden in Oregon). This is happenning because of ideological budget standoffs in Washington, not because it's a good idea. The same conservatives who are behind gutting our public lands budgets (and shutting down the government) always ignore this part of the equation:

In 2013, more than 523,027 park visitors contributed $43.7 million to the local economy and supported 661 jobs related to tourism

We have the government we deserve. Nationally, just over 30% of the electorate bothered to vote two weeks ago, and those voters put conservatives in control of both chambers of Congress. Look for more aggressive cuts to pulic land agencies and rollbacks in environmental laws for the next two years.

In Oregon, about half the electorate showed up - still pathetic, but less so than the embarrassing national statistic.

Tom

[Guy]

Write your Republican congressman (Greg Walden in Oregon). This is happenning because of ideological budget standoffs in Washington, not because it's a good idea. The same conservatives who are behind gutting our public lands budgets (and shutting down the government) always ignore this part of the equation:

In 2013, more than 523,027 park visitors contributed $43.7 million to the local economy and supported 661 jobs related to tourism

We have the government we deserve. Nationally, just over 30% of the electorate bothered to vote two weeks ago, and those voters put conservatives in control of both chambers of Congress. Look for more aggressive cuts to pulic land agencies and rollbacks in environmental laws for the next two years.

In Oregon, about half the electorate showed up - still pathetic, but less so than the embarrassing national statistic.

Tom

Tom,

Does it state anywhere in the proposal for the increase to $25.00 that it is because of further proposed cutbacks in federal funding for Crater Lake? How much has total Federal funding to Crater Lake specifically decreased in the last 10 years?

Not surprised you want to blame Greg Walden (Oregon's only Republican Representative) but do the facts actually point to him in any way being actually responsible for this.

I do agree with you about the poor electoral turnout but rest assured I always vote

[retired jerry]

In the original post from the NPS:

"The additional revenue from the fee increase would be used to enhance visitor services, including repair and maintenance of park facilities, restoration and rehabilitation of visitor service buildings, provide additional park programs, interpretive media and transportation services, and increase resource protection. Examples of projects already paid for or in process using entrance fees include the complete reconstruction of the Cleetwood Cove Bulkhead and Dock facility, the expansion of the Cleetwood parking area, repaving of Mazama Campground, design and construction of the Plaikni Falls Trail and development of the park's High Definition orientation video."

So comparing to inflation isn't pertinent, it's for new stuff. If the fees were for operations that increased with inflation, then the fees should only increase with inflation.

National Park funding, like everything else, has been reduced in recent times, so it makes sense there's a deficit of repair and maintenance. The congress doesn't seem like it's in a mood to increase spending.

Only choice is to increase fees.

I haven't been there in years, and have no idea if any of their projects are reasonable, but it seems like having National Parks is worth spending money on from Federal taxes.

Too bad we can't look at taxes and spending in total rather than just one piece, like Crater Lake, at a time. Make choices based on what people want, rather than who makes the biggest political contributions.