Question: Why does the federal government fill general treasury coffers with large amounts of revenue from national parks and then close facilities or curtail National Park Service functions due to revenue short- falls?
Answer: Because it's the federal government.But even so, that's no way to run a railroad - or a national park. Yogi Bear would be disappointed - and rightfully so.
The latest casualty of Washington's nearsighted and imprudent fiscal practices is Yellowstone, the crown jewel of the National Park Service. The park will experience a $75,000 budget shortfall next year if it's not allowed to increase entry fees or keep a greater share of its intake.
The latter is what ought to happen.
Currently, parks are able to keep only 15 percent of their fees, with the rest going into the U.S. Treasury and being divided among other facilities. It would make more sense to allow parks to keep more of the revenue they collect, at least enough to meet appropriate budget needs. That's the essence of user fees. Parks that, like Yellowstone, experience heavy use should be able to keep a greater percentage of revenue than others with less traffic.
Fortunately, National Park Service officials have said Yellowstone will probably be part of an experimental fee system next year. Under the program, some parks will be allowed to keep 80 percent of the money they raise through fees over what they collected the previous year.
Unfortunately, Yellowstone officials are proposing boosting entry fees from $10 per vehicle to $20 or $25 to bring in that increased revenue. It's too bad the federal bureaucracy doesn't just let the park keep fees at their current level but also allow it to keep a greater share of what it takes in. Excess national park revenues are a drop in the general treasury budget and would be well-spent maintaining and enhancing the sagging national park system.
At Yellowstone, the alternative to bringing in more money to meet its $20.4 million 1997 budget is to close campgrounds or not meet all required maintenance needs. With the park's high usage, officials estimate it requires an extra $2.5 million just to keep up with road repairs and improvements.
That aside, the government ought to restructure its park-related budget policy to allow parks to regularly keep a higher percentage of their entry fees. It ought to do away with the current arrangement that makes cents for the treasury but not much sense for the National Park Service. Facilities that take in revenue should be allocated sufficient funds to meet their ongoing needs. As Yogi Bear would say enthusiastically: "Yabba dabba do!"