§100904 Admission and special recreation use fees

Summary

The Secretary must keep 100% of fees collected at any park unit where entrance fees can’t be charged because a deed blocks charging them. The money stays with the Service and can be spent without asking for more approval. It can be used at that park for things like improving the visitor experience, protecting resources, repairs and maintenance, interpretation and signs, habitat and facility upgrades, yearly operations (including fee collection), and law enforcement. Each year 10% of those funds given to the Director is set aside and given out based on need. Of the rest, 40% is divided among parks based on each park’s prior-year operating costs, and 50% is divided based on each park’s prior-year user and admission fees. Any money allocated but not spent in a year stays available for that park until used. Volunteers may sell permits and collect fees if the Secretary allows it, gives them training, and requires a surety bond (the Service can pay the bond). The Secretary can also let qualified groups sell annual passes if they pay for the passes before getting them. When the Service provides transportation to view a park, the Director can charge for that instead of an admission fee. Half of that charge stays at the park where the service happened; the other half is handled like other fee receipts. Of the half kept at the park, 50% must be used for transportation system maintenance and 50% for resource protection. If a concessioner provides main public access, any admission fee charged by the Service plus the concessioner’s access charge cannot exceed the maximum allowed admission fee. For parks that charge admission, the Secretary must set commercial tour fees of $25 per vehicle with capacity of 25 or less, and $50 per vehicle with capacity over 25; the Secretary can adjust these fees. Those charges do not apply to organized school groups or vehicles under certain contracts. The fee rules also apply to aircraft providing commercial tour services in certain listed park areas or similar locations the Secretary names.