Critics of the plan argue it could discourage international travel and unfairly affect visitors from lower-income countries. They also raise concerns about how such a policy would be implemented.
Jeff Ruch, Pacific director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), pointed out that the NPS does not currently track visitors’ countries of origin, making enforcement of a foreign surcharge difficult under existing law. “In addition, I am not sure of the practicality of determining citizenship—or lack thereof—at park entrance gates,” he said back in 2021. Ruch added that imposing such a fee might require changes to the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, which governs park fee collection.
