Media365
The Trump administration has removed Martin Luther King Jr Day and Juneteenth from next year’s list of fee-free entry days at US national parks and added President Donald Trump’s birthday, according to the national park service (NPS). The revised calendar, effective January 1, comes as the administration continues reshaping how US history is reflected on federal lands. Trump’s birthday, which falls on June 14 – also observed as Flag Day – is among several new commemorative dates. Others include the 110th anniversary of the NPS on August 25, constitution day on September 17 and President Teddy Roosevelt’s birthday on October 27.Under the administration’s new “America-first pricing” policy, non-US residents will still be required to pay entrance fees on those dates. At 11 of the country’s most visited parks, international visitors will be charged an extra $100 on top of the standard fee, while the annual pass for non-residents will rise to $250. The pass for US residents will remain $80. The policy follows a July executive order directing agencies to raise fees for international visitors and give US citizens and residents “preferential treatment with respect to any remaining recreational access rules, including permitting or lottery rules.”The department of the interior, which oversees NPS, described the new list as “patriotic fee-free days,” praising the changes as “Trump’s commitment to making national parks more accessible, more affordable and more efficient for the American people.”Interior secretary Doug Burgum said in a statement: “These policies ensure that US taxpayers, who already support the national park system, continue to enjoy affordable access, while international visitors contribute their fair share to maintaining and improving our parks for future generations.” The updated calendar follows earlier efforts by the administration encouraging national park visitors to report signage deemed to cast past or present Americans in a negative light.
