by ButterflyEffect

Zinke’s plan would have raised vehicle entrance fees at 17 parks from $25 to a staggering $70. Simply walking into the parks would have cost $30. When he announced the NPS proposal in fall 2017, Zinke said the cost increase was an attempt to make up at least part of a $12 billion budget shortfall for park maintenance. But during a recent meeting with a Senate committee, Zinke indicated that he and other officials had changed their minds and were now considering alternate proposals, possibly out of fear that attendance would plummet.