Sen. Enzi supports raising entry fees to pay for maintenance of national parks

U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo, supports an amendment to a bill addressing the approximately $12 billion in maintenance and repair needed in the U.S. national park system. 

Speaking on the Senate floor June 8, Enzi advocated for an amendment to the Great American Outdoors Act, which aims to address the maintenance backlog in national parks throughout the U.S. 

However, Enzi said the Great American Outdoors Act “represents a one-time fix that is neither responsible nor permanent.” The amendment would address the backlog responsibly and permanently without adding to the nation’s debt, Enzi said. 

Without changes to the bill, the legislation will force the U.S. to borrow more money, causing more debt while providing only five years of funding, Enzi said.

Enzi’s amendment would increase fees for foreign visitors entering the country. According to a study by the U.S. Travel Association, nearly 40 percent of people who come to the U.S. from abroad are visiting one of the national parks, which amounts to more than 14 million people.

The amendment also raises entrance fees for citizens by $5 and annual passes by $20. Enzi emphasized that bringing a vehicle into a park would still be cheaper than taking a family of four to a movie or visiting an amusement park for a day. 

“No one likes to pay more for things, especially during times like these, but to maintain these national treasures for future generations, we either borrow money and put it on the national credit card or we take some modest steps to address the issues responsibly,” Enzi said. 

Text of the amendment is available here. Last week, Enzi also wrote an opinion article on this issue, which is available here.