<HTML><HEAD>
<META content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1" http-equiv=Content-Type></HEAD>
<BODY dir=ltr bgColor=#ffffff text=#000000>
<DIV dir=ltr>
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calisto MT'; COLOR: #000080">
<DIV><FONT size=4>That’s my opinion, too. Between the concession price
hikes and the entrance fees, it will make it just that much more difficult for
someone of limited means to visit the parks.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Meg Justus</FONT></DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT-SIZE: small; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; COLOR: #000000; FONT-STYLE: normal; TEXT-DECORATION: none; DISPLAY: inline">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt tahoma">
<DIV><FONT color=#000080 size=4 face="Calisto MT"></FONT> </DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT-SIZE: small; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; COLOR: #000000; FONT-STYLE: normal; TEXT-DECORATION: none; DISPLAY: inline"><FONT
size=-1><FONT face="Comic Sans MS">Thanks for the report, Jacob. I'm still
mulling this over. Paul's reaction to the rates as they are is that they should
just post a sign that says "Poor people not welcome." I don't know as much as I
should about other sources of income for national parks. I would feel after the
debacle with the government shut-down last year that if the federal government
can shut down and, with virtually no warning, de facto shut down all national
parks in-season (don't even get me started on WIC), they should also be able to
ante up funding to help support park services. I think I've said this before,
but it's ironic considering that YA bookstores carry the book that describes
nature deprivation syndrome, escalating fees for all things park-related are
probably already excluding the segment of the population most in need of contact
with the natural world.</FONT></FONT> It would be nice if there were a way to
exchange service for the fee if the bottom line is that this money is needed to
improve services, or possibly to lower the fee if the visitors can document
low-income status.<BR>Karen Webb<BR><BR></DIV></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>