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W A S H I N G T O N, U. S. A.
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City Council
December 24, 2014
Sarah Creachbaum, Superintendent
Olympic National Park
600 East Park Avenue
Port Angeles, WA 98362
RE: Recreation Fee Increase
Dear Superintendent Creachbaum:
On behalf of City Council I want to express appreciation for the opportunity to
comment on the National Park Service proposed recreation fee increases. As a local
government, the City recognizes how important it is that revenues cover the expenses
required to maintain quality services. Simultaneously, the City recognizes that the
cost of service is continually increasing due to operational requirements and
personnel costs. These challenges are shared by all levels of government, and the
City understands the necessity for change.
The City can support necessary changes, however, we would ask that the Park
Service take into account how critically important park visitation is to our local
economy. Olympic National Park is the key driver of the tourism sector of our
economy, and balancing the cost and quality of the park experience is essential to the
sustainability of our local hospitality industry.
While the tourism industry has seen tremendous growth in recent years, our local
economy has remained stagnant with significant under-employment. Unlike other
parts of the country, the Port Angeles regional area has not recovered from the
recession of 2008. For this reason, many citizens of our community have limited
ability to pay. It is important to the City that our community members not be priced
out of the ability to visit and appreciate the national park in their own backyard.
Port Angeles would benefit from consideration of smaller incremental changes to the
fee structure rather than larger increases that may negatively influence the decision
making of potential visitors and residents alike. These small changes should focus
on supporting critical operation and maintenance related costs that ensure a quality
experience for all park visitors. Additionally, the City would like to stress the
importance of re-investing the revenue from increases into the local park
infrastructure.
Phone: 360-417-4500/Fax: 360-417-4509/TTY: 360-417-4645
Website: www.cityofpa.us / mail: council @cityofpa.us
321 East Fifth Street- P.O. Box 1150 / Port Angeles, WA 93362-0217
Page 2
Olympic National Park
Recreation Fee Increase
The City greatly appreciates the dedication to the local community and government-
to-government partnership that Olympic National Park has demonstrated over recent
years. I am hopeful that these comments are viewed as constructive feedback to this
important input opportunity.
Sine rely,
J
L
Dan DiGuilio
Mayor, City of Port Angeles
CC City Council
Dan McKeen, City Manager