Opinion: Demand is high for national parks and monuments. Trump should protect more land, not cut back

To the editor: The Los Angeles Times reports that the National Park Service is considering a fee hike of 180% for the most popular parks. (“National Park Service considers fee hike of up to 180% for most popular parks, including Yosemite,” Oct. 24)

While this is justified in terms of upkeep and providing basic services, it is a consequence of the increase in visitors to national parks in recent years. According to CNN: “In 2016, National Park Services received a record-breaking 331 million visits, which marked a 7.7% increase over 2015.”

President Obama created 23 national monuments using the Antiquities Act, a precedent established by President Teddy Roosevelt. The Trump administration is intent on eliminating or rolling back some of these Obama-era declarations, as well as restricting access by means of price increases.

The debate on public use of preserved lands goes back more than 100 years, when John Muir lost the battle to oppose damming the Hetch Hetchy Valley. We live in a time when American enthusiasm for experiencing America’s natural riches is creating a glut of visits. The obvious solution to this is to create more protected lands for public enjoyment, not fewer.

Robert Fiske, Long Beach

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