Secretary Zinke: Don’t Blame Veterans and the Disabled for Raising Park Entrance Fees

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Secretary Zinke: Don’t Blame Veterans and the Disabled for Raising Park Entrance Fees

(Washington, DC) – In reaction to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s plan to raise the entrance fees for national parks, saying the National Park Service must charge more because too many people, including veterans and the disabled, get in for free, VVA National President John Rowan issued the following statement:

“Secretary Zinke’s rationale to steeply increase the entrance fees for others because disabled veterans and active-duty military get in for free is a small-minded and mean-spirited jab that pits some citizens against others. I believe that we, as a nation, are more inclusive and compassionate than this.

“By discounting fees, we honor our veterans and our seniors and bring a bit of inexpensive enjoyment to our disabled citizens. Does Mr. Zinke really think that citizens who pay $25 or $30 per carload to enjoy some of our most popular national parks are going to pay twice as much? Does he really believe that they will buy his ill-conceived argument that because veterans get in for free the rates must be doubled for everyone else?

“Secretary Zinke’s flawed plan needs to be discarded and forgotten.”