Yosemite entrance fee increase

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RoguePhotonic
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Re: Yosemite entrance fee increase

Post by RoguePhotonic »

How much of this fee if any goes to anything you think it does though? Most things like this don't and in some cases go straight to foreign Governments.
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Re: Yosemite entrance fee increase

Post by caddis »

If you want to rent this beautiful valley in Yosemite National Park and then drown it, it will only set you back $30,000 a year. That's how much San Francisco pays for the privilege of making its macchiatos with pristine Sierra water from Hetch Hetchy Reservoir

Until these enviro hypocrites start forking over multi-millions a year for the water they take, we shouldn't have to pay a single red cent to enter Yosemite

:soapbox:
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Re: Yosemite entrance fee increase

Post by LMBSGV »

For all of you wondering where the fees go, check out these links. Prior to 1997, the money went in the U.S. Treasury. "However, Congress has since passed laws mandating that these fees enhance visitor experiences. Current fees maintain and improve facilities, restore wildlife habitat, offer educational materials and services, and provide transportation at national parks and other federal land agencies."

http://parkadvocate.org/park-fees-shoul ... k=64165036" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/20 ... ervice5360" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.npca.org/assets/pdf/Committee_Funding.PDF" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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chulavista
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Re: Yosemite entrance fee increase

Post by chulavista »

It's also important to recognize that some of the national parks aren't legally allowed to charge fees (e.g. Great Smoky Mountain). I'm sure some parks pay for others. $30 for a 7 day pass is still a joke, so I don't understand the whining. Plus some of the people whining about the fee increases are the same people who complain about too many people in the parks. ](*,)

I've always thought there should be a fee for Americans and a different fee for international visitors. It might be tough to implement.
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rlown
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Re: Yosemite entrance fee increase

Post by rlown »

I've been up there occasionally since '91. I think I paid a total of 100 bucks (five trips even though I've had at least 20 because we came into the park late at night and then left when the kiosks were closed.)

here is the system that I think they'll end up implementing:

They will give you the receipt on your way in if the kiosk is open. Then, they will hire more rangers to drive/walk around and look at dashboards to see if your ticket is there. If its not, they will write you a citation that will be revoked at the exit kiosk if it is open and you pay. Otherwise, they send you a bill.

could just put in a fastrak system (electronic toll). It's all the rage lately.

hope the NPS doesn't read this.
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Re: Yosemite entrance fee increase

Post by RoguePhotonic »

All I see in those links is people talking about how money should be spent or what they think it is spent on rather than actual receipt data on where and how it was used.

I guess I would have to pour through one or many of the comprehensive annual financial reports to do so though. Although more often than not those prove to be a good read for almost any city in America. You often have cities declaring that they are completely broke and their annual report shows that they have surpluses of tens of billions or even sometimes hundreds of billions of dollars.
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Re: Yosemite entrance fee increase

Post by Cross Country »

I wish I had to pay 30 dollars per visit (it would mean I´m a lot younger than I am).
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LMBSGV
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Re: Yosemite entrance fee increase

Post by LMBSGV »

Here's what a search for National Park Service Spending data found:

http://www.nps.gov/aboutus/budget.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.nps.gov/aboutus/upload/FY_2014_greenbook.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The 2014 greenbook is 540 pages. It should provide any wonks out there hours of reading enjoyment.
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Re: Yosemite entrance fee increase

Post by apeman45 »

I'd like to know what cities have 10's of billions in surpluses so I can move there.

I have no problem with a 30 dollar entrance fee and I'm not rich. Yosemite needs more rangers to protect it from the hoards. I see so many people breaking rules and no one there to do anything about it. I'm a part owner of Yosemite and I'm sick of people abusing it. It's a special place that needs protecting. The back country needs help too. I've seen people cutting trees at 10,000 feet for firewood.

There were nine free entrance days this year and those will continue. A locals reduced rate would be nice but if I was a local I would just buy the annual pass. I'm lucky that I live just under 3 hours from Yosemite so it's a no brainer to get the annual pass. We could gouge foreigners for 50 bucks or so since they are very heavy users but I'm not crazy about that.

There are other cool areas in California. I get a state parks pass every year which I think is 120 a year versus 80 bucks for the National Parks pass so the feds deal is still a great deal.

30 bucks to be in Yosemite? Totally worth it for me. Maybe they should just charge more to go to the valley. I rarely go there unless it's on the way to a trailhead.
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Re: Yosemite entrance fee increase

Post by RoguePhotonic »

I'd like to know what cities have 10's of billions in surpluses so I can move there
The city of Manhattan once had over 1 trillion in surplus although I don't recall what year that was. People have worked over the years to expose the comprehensive annual financial reports due to the data showing very different things than what is being told. Even back when Orange county filed for bankruptcy the report showed they had 10 billion dollars in surplus.
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