Glacier Park proposes entrance fee increases

Glacier National Park is asking for public comment on a proposal to increase entrance fees for the first time in nine years.

The park wants to implement a launch fee for motorized boats and increase the camping fee at Many Glacier Campground.

The proposal includes increasing:

 the summer vehicle seven-day entrance fee from $25 to $30 and the winter fee from $15 to $20; 

the individual hiker/biker summer seven-day entrance fee from $12 to $15; 

the seven-day entrance fee for motorcycles from $12 per person to $25 per motorcycle in summer;

 the annual pass from $35 to $60.

Summer season fees are charged from May 1 to Oct. 31, and winter fees are charged Nov. 1 to April 30. If approved, the changes would be implemented in May 2015. The last time park entrance fees at Glacier National Park were increased was in 2006. Prior to that, the summer vehicle fee was $20 and the annual park pass was $30. 

A new launch fee for motorized boats also is being proposed to help support boater education, monitoring and improvements to boat launch facilities. The proposed fee is $10 for a seven-day permit or $40 for an annual permit, effective in May 2015.  

The proposal also calls for increasing the camping fee at Many Glacier Campground from $20 to $23 and utilizing the federal reservation system for approximately half of the camp sites. Remaining sites would be available on a first-come first-serve basis. If approved, this fee and the reservation system would be implemented in summer 2016. 

The proposal also calls for changing the fee for group campsites at St. Mary, Apgar, Many Glacier and Two Medicine to $65 per group reservation site and $60 for first-come first-serve group sites. The current fee structure is $53 per site for the first nine individuals and $5 for each additional person for a reserved site, and $50 for a first-come first-serve group site. If approved the proposed fee change would begin May 2015. 

The park keeps 80 percent of revenue from entrance and campground fees. The remaining 20 percent is distributed throughout the National Park System. Basic Park operations are funded by direct appropriations from Congress. 

It is anticipated that the proposed fee changes could generate about $500,000 more per year for the Park. Funds generated by fees would be used for projects that enhance visitor services and facilities, including interpretive programs at campgrounds, the backcountry campsite reservation program, repair and restoration of trails, restoration of wildlife habitat, improvement and replacement of restroom facilities, preservation and maintenance of roads, and shuttle bus operation and maintenance. 

Comments can be e-mailed online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/GlacierNationalParkFeeIncrease or mailed to Superintendent, Glacier National Park, Attn: Fee Proposal, P.O. Box 128, West Glacier MT 59936. Deadline is Dec.19.