The Trump administration recently announced that controversial new national park fees for international visitors have raised more than $20 million in the past six months, according to SF Gate.
According to the Department of the Interior, the combination of nonresident annual park passes and additional per-person fees for international visitors at 11 national parks has raised $22.5 million since Jan. 1. The fee increases mean that international visitors must pay $250, rather than $80, for an annual America the Beautiful Pass, and pay a $100 per-person surcharge at the busiest parks.
The Department of the Interior didn’t share a park-by-park breakdown of the revenue with SFGATE, or answer questions about what the money will be used for. A National Park Service website says about 80% of all entrance fees stay in the park where they were collected.
