Summary: GAO conducted a review to estimate National Park System entrance fees using the criteria in the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965, as amended, to determine whether it was appropriate for Congress to reconsider its fee moratorium.
A 1979 congressional moratorium prevented the National Park Service (NPS) from raising entrance fees at 333 units in the National Park System, despite rising operating costs and inflation. Between 1971 and 1981, NPS operation and maintenance costs per visitor rose 149 percent, while entry fee revenues per visitor declined 30 percent. As a result, entry fee revenues declined from over 7 percent of NPS operation and maintenance costs in 1971 to about 2 percent of those costs in 1981. During the same period, inflation totalled 129 percent. Using a unit-day-value method, GAO determined that the recreation benefits at six major park system units have a daily value ranging from $7.64 to $11.40 for a family of four. However, daily entrance fees at these parks only average about $3.00 per vehicle. Using the six legislative criteria as guidelines, GAO estimated that NPS could generate net additional revenues of $18 million at 48 of the 71 units which GAO reviewed. GAO also estimated that NPS could generate additional net income of $2.7 million by extending fee collection hours at 14 parks. The responsibility for setting park entrance fees rests with the Secretary of the Interior. GAO agrees with proposed legislation which would repeal the moratorium on initiating and increasing park entrance fees and remove the $10 limit on the price of the Golden Eagle Passport, which allows unlimited entry to all parks for the calendar year.
