3 ms·

People pay to visit right? Why doesn’t the revenue match the necessary operation expenses and the whole thing just function as a non-profit business? I don’t k

People pay to visit right? Why doesn’t the revenue match the necessary operation expenses and the whole thing just function as a non-profit business? I don’t know what type of budget and expenses go into running this park in an ideal scenario, and what the revenue shortfall might be that would require additional taxpayer subsidies, but it seems like the obvious solution here is the ask people using the park to pay for the majority of its operations

dkasper 2y ago
The popular national parks like Yosemite do pay for themselves, so that’s how it works, it’s just run by the government instead of a corporation.
psadauskas 2y ago
It also looks like it does pay for itself: https://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/management/statistics.htm https://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/management/statistics.htm > 2021 Operating Budget: Approximately $30 million > Park visitors: 3,343,988 (2021) An entrance pass is $35 (per vehicle) or $20 (per person). I imagine Yosemite, being one of the most popular National Parks, subsidizes the others. That said, the National Parks are one of this nation's greatest accomplishments, and would be a bargain at 10x the cost. Trump (or rather his sycophants) would rather see them collapse as further "proof" of government as a failure, and to open the lands up to private resource extraction, like logging, mining and drilling.
- votepaunchy 2y ago
  > An entrance pass is $35 (per vehicle) or $20 (per person). Anyone visiting more than one park is almost certainly buying the $80 annual pass (free for military) or lifetime senior pass.
  - psadauskas 2y ago
    Yup, including me! I buy one every year, even if I'm only planning on visiting 1 or 2 parks that year. Same with the Colorado State parks annual pass. I have no problem about going above and beyond for just a wonderful resource, so that others who are less fortunate might also be able to visit. You didn't specify if you thought that detracted from my point, though.
snowwrestler 2y ago
The short answer is that national parks are not a self-contained business, they are held in trust for all Americans. Very high entry fees would violate that trust by excluding most citizens. So they are primarily supported by taxes, as they should be. Parks do generate a ton of economic activity, but directly capture little of it. Airfare, gas, lodging, meals, retail sales, social media revenue, etc. mostly happen outside the parks. Like the highway system or national defense, they are a national platform that is federally maintained. All that said, a national park is fundamentally not an economic concept. It satisfies a national desire that is deeper than just making a bit of money. The economic story is just another way of saying that tons of people love the parks.
croes 2y ago
Who said something about revenue and expenses? They are just firing people arbitrary and claim fighting bureaucracy and corruption.

dkasper 2y ago

The popular national parks like Yosemite do pay for themselves, so that’s how it works, it’s just run by the government instead of a corporation.

psadauskas 2y ago

It also looks like it does pay for itself: https://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/management/statistics.htm https://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/management/statistics.htm > 2021 Operating Budget: Approximately $30 million > Park visitors: 3,343,988 (2021) An entrance pass is $35 (per vehicle) or $20 (per person). I imagine Yosemite, being one of the most popular National Parks, subsidizes the others. That said, the National Parks are one of this nation's greatest accomplishments, and would be a bargain at 10x the cost. Trump (or rather his sycophants) would rather see them collapse as further "proof" of government as a failure, and to open the lands up to private resource extraction, like logging, mining and drilling.

votepaunchy 2y ago
> An entrance pass is $35 (per vehicle) or $20 (per person). Anyone visiting more than one park is almost certainly buying the $80 annual pass (free for military) or lifetime senior pass.
- psadauskas 2y ago
  Yup, including me! I buy one every year, even if I'm only planning on visiting 1 or 2 parks that year. Same with the Colorado State parks annual pass. I have no problem about going above and beyond for just a wonderful resource, so that others who are less fortunate might also be able to visit. You didn't specify if you thought that detracted from my point, though.

snowwrestler 2y ago

The short answer is that national parks are not a self-contained business, they are held in trust for all Americans. Very high entry fees would violate that trust by excluding most citizens. So they are primarily supported by taxes, as they should be. Parks do generate a ton of economic activity, but directly capture little of it. Airfare, gas, lodging, meals, retail sales, social media revenue, etc. mostly happen outside the parks. Like the highway system or national defense, they are a national platform that is federally maintained. All that said, a national park is fundamentally not an economic concept. It satisfies a national desire that is deeper than just making a bit of money. The economic story is just another way of saying that tons of people love the parks.

croes 2y ago

Who said something about revenue and expenses? They are just firing people arbitrary and claim fighting bureaucracy and corruption.