THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 1, 1997 TAG: 9701010438
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
DATELINE: MANTEO LENGTH: 32 lines
Unlike visitors to some national parks, sojourners to the Cape Hatteras National Seashore won't feel an extra pinch on their pocketbooks, at least for now.
The Wright Brothers National Memorial is the only park service facility in the Cape Hatteras group that charges admission. The current price - $2 per person and $4 per carload - will not change, said Dan Brody, a fee collector at the popular Outer Banks attraction.
And other local National Park Service sites that do not charge have no plans to begin collecting money.
``There is no way we could charge,'' said Dan Butcher, a park ranger stationed at the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse complex in Buxton, adding that there are no facilities for collecting fees at the site.
However, Butcher said that the 211,000 people who visit the Buxton light annually keep the donation box jammed with money.
Some fees at some high-profile attractions like Grand Canyon National Park, fees have doubled. Eighty percent of the fees will be used for maintenance and upkeep at the parks where they are collected.
In all, 100 parks will be affected. Fee increases were announced for 47 parks in November. Fees at 53 additional parks will be announced in February.
The park service hopes to have all increases in place by May.
The Cape Hatteras National Seashore includes the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site and the Wright Brothers National Memorial.