The current edition of High Country News features an article about National Parks pitting Bill Wade and Rick Smith (both of Coalition of National Parks Service Retirees), against Derrick Crandall of the American Recreation Coalition. Amongst other things, the article draws attention to the decline in park visitation which has recently begun to draw much attention and growing concern.
Quoting from that article:
[The retirees’ coalition has a zero-tolerance policy on commercialism in the parks, even opposing the idea of bricks or benches featuring the names of donors. Wade says the only way the parks can truly be a national system is if they are funded by taxpayers, "and, in my judgment, do away with fees, except for certain user fees."
Wade claims the current fee structure excludes entire demographics from experiencing the parks. But Crandall holds an opposing — and seemingly reasonable — view.
"There has never, ever been any proof to that assertion. Again, remember, you can get into every national park in this country for an entire year for $50," Crandall says. "We’re talking about a maximum charge for a carload of people for seven days of $25.]
Crandall is blowing hot air as is anyone who continues to assert that there is no direct correlation between increasing fees and decreasing visitation. The correlation has been established beyond any reasonable measure of doubt. I could provide dozens of pieces of strong evidence to support this statement, but will provide merely four. If Crandall or any other fee-tout would like to pit his or her evidence against mine in an open public forum, I invite them to do so!
- When entrance fees were reduced in California's State Park System, visitation SOARED.
- When parking fees we introduced in Washington's State Park System, visitation PLUMMETED.
- The Canadian government says "parking meters in provincial parks are almost entirely to blame for the steep drop in visits to B.C. provincial parks."
It was become increasingly popular to deny reality or claim a lack of facts when facts abound. It has become popular to deny common sense truths, such as when prices rise, demand drops or higher prices impact lower income persons more than they do the rich. It has become all too popular to deny that the public makes BLACK and WHITE distinctions between that which is entirely free and that which comes with a price tag. And it is ludicrous in the extreme to suggest, as some have done, that the higher park entrance fees are priced, the more the public will value their parks.
Let me close with this statement and this prediction.
THE STATEMENT: On January 1, 2007 -- it will be out with the old $50 National Park Pass and in with the new $80 America the Beautiful Pass.
THE PREDICTION: Throughout the year, there will be a massive effort by the Park Service, tourism industry and several high-profile conservation organizations to lure additional visitors to the parks. The media will, I predict, be saturated with advertorials and planted stories -- even more so that we saw in 2006.
If park visitation holds steady in 2007, fee-touts will claim that the public accepted the higher-priced America the Beautiful Pass without complaint and if park visitation continues to decline, you will hear denials or silence, from those same fee-touts.
As for the forth piece of evidence, please see the appended news article published just days ago.
Scott
--- begin quoted ---
December 4, 2006
Attendance jumps at U.K. museums with free entry
Five years after admission fees were scrapped, visitors are flocking to British museums, according to government officials.
A host of museums that formerly charged for entry have seen an 83 per
cent increase in visits since Dec. 1, 2001, when the government put the
free-entry plan into effect, said British Culture Secretary Tessa
Jowell.
"These are inspirational figures," Jowell said in a statement.
"There is a real appetite for serious culture in this country — when
the obstacle of entry fees is swept away, people come in their
millions, and keep coming."
On Friday, Jowell visited London's Victoria and Albert Museum, where visits increased by 122 per cent since 2001.
Other venues with increased attendance after eliminating entry fees
include the Natural History Museum in London, the National Railway
Museum in York and the National Museums in Liverpool.
Visits to national museums that already had free admission — including
the popular National Portrait Gallery, three Tate galleries and the
British Museum — rose by eight per cent in the past five years, said
government officials.
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- Land management 
