02-28-2015, 05:54 AM
Oh yes, and my comment (rant) that I submitted to the NPS.
National Park Service,
I oppose the proposed fee increases at Lake Mead National Recreation Area since this park does not have an insufficient fee problem, it has a fee enforcement problem. I enter LMNRA 20-30 times a year and rarely do I ever see the fee stations being manned, and I would venture to say that most people going through the unoccupied stations have not paid the park fee.
The fee stations that have been built are basically a waste of money since they are rarely occupied, this is the public's perception of those stations. I have never seen the Overton, Willow Beach, Cottonwood Cove or Temple Bar fee stations occupied, and about 70% of the time the Lake Mead Blvd and Boulder City fee stations are also closed. That's a lot of lost fees, driving straight through those unmanned fee stations.
The 12 month card pass system for vehicles seems fair, but having the boat as a yearly sticker is counter-intuitive. The only way to get full value of a yearly boat sticker would be to buy and start using it in January, and as a "customer" of the park, it makes absolutely no sense that the higher priced boat sticker wouldn't last just as long as the cheaper vehicle sticker. Not many boaters start their Lake Mead season in January, so most of them would be buying a devalued boat pass. Both car and boat should be on the same card pass for a full 12 months. Boats moored in the marinas would also need to have their yearly fee paid on their owner's vehicle card pass and I would suggest having a visible endorsement on the card pass so the boat fee can be easily verified by park personnel. This would eliminate all boats in the park needing stickers.
The entrance stations should be fully electronic with the gate opening when a person swipes their card pass, just like they have at McCarren Airport's parking garage exit. Drive up, swipe your card, then the gate opens. Each time the gate opens a camera needs to photograph the vehicle and boat trailer to verify that the proper fees have been paid on the card. Instead of having multiple people manning fee stations, or multiple fee stations remaining unmanned, this would only require 1 person at the main LMNRA headquarters to review each card pass swipe and verify the picture taken of the vehicle and boat(s).
Now that we have practically 100% of the park visitors paying their full share of their park fees, there is absolutely no reason to raise the park fees. I would also suggest that the January early-bird discount fees to be reintroduced, or offer discounts for NV and AZ residents.
Regards,
(fishrdan)
[signature]
National Park Service,
I oppose the proposed fee increases at Lake Mead National Recreation Area since this park does not have an insufficient fee problem, it has a fee enforcement problem. I enter LMNRA 20-30 times a year and rarely do I ever see the fee stations being manned, and I would venture to say that most people going through the unoccupied stations have not paid the park fee.
The fee stations that have been built are basically a waste of money since they are rarely occupied, this is the public's perception of those stations. I have never seen the Overton, Willow Beach, Cottonwood Cove or Temple Bar fee stations occupied, and about 70% of the time the Lake Mead Blvd and Boulder City fee stations are also closed. That's a lot of lost fees, driving straight through those unmanned fee stations.
The 12 month card pass system for vehicles seems fair, but having the boat as a yearly sticker is counter-intuitive. The only way to get full value of a yearly boat sticker would be to buy and start using it in January, and as a "customer" of the park, it makes absolutely no sense that the higher priced boat sticker wouldn't last just as long as the cheaper vehicle sticker. Not many boaters start their Lake Mead season in January, so most of them would be buying a devalued boat pass. Both car and boat should be on the same card pass for a full 12 months. Boats moored in the marinas would also need to have their yearly fee paid on their owner's vehicle card pass and I would suggest having a visible endorsement on the card pass so the boat fee can be easily verified by park personnel. This would eliminate all boats in the park needing stickers.
The entrance stations should be fully electronic with the gate opening when a person swipes their card pass, just like they have at McCarren Airport's parking garage exit. Drive up, swipe your card, then the gate opens. Each time the gate opens a camera needs to photograph the vehicle and boat trailer to verify that the proper fees have been paid on the card. Instead of having multiple people manning fee stations, or multiple fee stations remaining unmanned, this would only require 1 person at the main LMNRA headquarters to review each card pass swipe and verify the picture taken of the vehicle and boat(s).
Now that we have practically 100% of the park visitors paying their full share of their park fees, there is absolutely no reason to raise the park fees. I would also suggest that the January early-bird discount fees to be reintroduced, or offer discounts for NV and AZ residents.
Regards,
(fishrdan)
[signature]