Hike in Park pass price draws reactions

The Kalispell Chamber of Commerce has asked the National Park Service to reconsider some of its proposed fee increases for Glacier National Park.

The chamber’s main concern is the proposed 71 percent fee increase for the annual pass, from $35 to $60. NPS also proposes increasing the cost of the 7-day summer pass by 20 percent, from $25 to $30.

“This fee structure puts an unfair and disproportionate burden on Flathead Valley and Montana residents,” chamber president and CEO Joe Unterreiner said in its comments on the proposal. “Montana resident visitation to the Park has trended around 14 percent of total visitation. Many in this group favor an annual pass.”

The chamber, which represents about 650 businesses across the valley, favors increasing the cost of the annual pass similarly to the 7-day pass so as not to overly penalize locals but will still give NPS the revenue increase it seeks.

“A strategy that increases the entrance fee for the 7-day pass slightly higher than proposed, and which is preferred by 86 percent of the visitors, will give the Park the financial outcomes it seeks without a drastic increase to the price of an annual pass,” Unterreiner said. “It has the added benefit of mitigating the risk of losing Park attendance from annual pass purchasers who may be unable to afford such a large increase and who are more likely to use the Park during off-peak seasons.”

Park spokeswoman Denise Germann said the Park received about 300 comments before the Dec. 19 deadline. Most centered on the increase in the annual pass. She said people value the Park but have expressed concern about the jump in price.

The fee increase would bring Glacier Park in line with other national parks. Fee hikes also are proposed at Yellowstone National Park. The annual pass there could increase from $50 to $60, but a 7-day pass for Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks could sell for $50 and a 3-day pass to Yellowstone could sell for $30.

Visitors who travel to several national parks could consider the Interagency Pass, which provides entrance to all national parks, battlefields and monuments for $80 a year. NPS is not proposing increasing the cost of the Interagency Pass.

Germann said the Park Service’s goal is to set the fee increases by 2017. The increase could be phased in, but they aren’t set in stone.

“It really does matter what constituents think,” she said.