WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Bill Frist and Lamar Alexander today applauded Senate passage of an amendment to the Interior Appropriations bill (S. Amdt. #1028) that allows the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to retain 100 percent of its collected user fees.
“This minor change will make a major difference for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park,” said Sen. Frist. “Quite simply it’s a question of fairness; this amendment will allow the Smokies to retain hundreds of thousands of dollars in entry fees which can be reinvested in preserving and maintaining our natural Tennessee treasure.
I’m glad that we were able to get this done for the park, for Tennesseans, and for the 10 million annual visitors that enjoy one of the most beautiful and awe-inspiring landscapes America has to offer.”
“The Great Smoky Mountains National Park receives more annual visitors than any other national park, but it has a $180 million maintenance backlog and a funding disadvantage,” said Sen. Alexander. “Allowing the park to retain 100 percent of its collected user fees is simply the right thing to do. This amendment is good news for the Smokies, for Tennessee and for the millions who visit the park each year. I will continue to work with Senator Frist to ensure that this national treasure is well-preserved and maintained.”
The “Smokies Fee Amendment” reinstates a provision that allows parks in the National Park System that do not charge an entrance fee because of deed restrictions to retain all collected user fees. Sen. Frist sponsored legislation in the 105th Congress, S. 1333, that first allowed national parks with deed restrictions to retain 100 percent of collected user fees. The provision was repealed as part of the “Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act” that was included in the FY2005 Omnibus bill, which only allows parks to retain 80 percent of collected user fees.
Due to a deed restriction, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is unable to charge an entrance fee like the majority of other national parks. The “Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act” passed last year only ensures that 80 percent of user fees are retained by the parks where they are collected, which meant the Smokies could lose up to $300,000 each year. This amendment ensures that the Great Smoky Mountains National Park – the nation’s most visited national park – can retain the fees that are essential to support increasing operations and maintenance needs.