Document text
Fee increase proposed at Crater Lake Friday Feb 23, 2018 at 9:51 AM Feb 23, 2018 at 3:16 PM By Lee Juillerat for the Mail Tribune Entrance fees at Crater Lake National Park would increase under a proposed plan. Under the proposal, which could begin May 1, the single-vehicle entrance fee would climb from $15 to $25 for a seven-day pass, while the park's annual pass would be upped from $30 to $50. The current rate of $10 per individual and $10 per motorcycle would increase to $12 for an individual and $20 for a motorcycle. America the Beautiful Passes, which are honored at all federally managed land units, would not be affected by the proposed fee increase and will remain at $80 for the regular pass, $80 for the lifetime Senior Pass (or $20 for an annual Senior Pass) and free for the Access and Military passes. Individual entrance fees are not charged for people younger than 16 or holders of any of the listed passes. The fee increase is part of a larger National Park Service initiative to standardize fees in similarly sized national parks. The current entrance fees have been in place at Crater Lake since 2015, when a seven-day pass was increased from $10 to $15 per vehicle. Based on feedback received when new entrance fees were proposed in 2014, the decision was made to phase in the increase over time, in part because of delays from planned road construction. The proposed increase would be the final phase of aligning the Crater Lake fees with similar parks. “We are committed to keeping the park affordable, but we also want to provide visitors with the best possible experience,” said Crater Lake National Park Superintendent Craig Ackerman. “The money from entrance fees is used to support deferred maintenance and a variety of projects that directly benefit park visitors.” Additional revenue from the fee increase will be used to enhance visitor services, including repair and maintenance of park facilities, restoration and rehabilitation of visitor service buildings, additional park programs, production of interpretive media, and increased resource protection. Examples of recent projects include trail improvements on the Pumice Flat Trail, Annie Creek Loop Trail and Lady of the Woods Trail; improvements to the Cleetwood Cove parking lot; control of invasive plants in popular visitor areas; updates to the park communications system; and replacement of snow poles along Highway 62. Planned this year are several trail projects, including accessibility improvements to the Godfrey Glen Trail, replacement of pavement markings for visitor safety, work toward replacing the failed Cleetwood Cove bulkhead, and replacement of the historic entrance signs at the western and southern park boundaries. Ackerman noted the park "is a strong economic engine for the region and local communities." In 2016, more than 756,343 park visitors contributed $65.3 million to the regional economy and supported 1,101 tourism-related jobs. He said previous fee increases have not negatively affected visitation levels. A public engagement period on the proposed fee increase is open through Sunday, March 25. Comments can be made by visiting http://parkplanning.nps.gov/crlafees2018, and written comments can be mailed to Superintendent, Attention: Proposed Fee Increase, P.O. Box 7, Crater Lake, OR 97604. Following receipt and analysis of public feedback, a decision will be made regarding fee changes and timing of implementation.  — Reach freelance reporter Lee Juillerat at [email protected] or 541-880-4139.