Fees help parks fix roads, trails, campgrounds

While operations at most Utah parks have suffered cuts, parks report many improvements in facilities in recent years.

Much of it comes through the Fee Demonstration Program. It allows parks to keep 80 percent of the entrance fees they collect to address deferred maintenance projects — and to compete for a share of the 20 percent that all parks return to headquarters.

Following are examples of such projects recently completed at Utah parks — and figures on entrance fees collected and project money spent.

Southeast Utah group

(Arches, Canyonlands, Hovenweep and Natural Bridges)

• Fees collected, 2003: $2.16 million

• Fees spent, 2003: $1.54 million

• Arches: Fees helped fund a $77,000 project to rehabilitate trails near Balanced Rock; a $12,800 project to chip seal and restripe park roads; and a $25,600 project to rehabilitate sewer lines at Devil's Garden Campground.

• Canyonlands: Projects included a $1.49 million Needles District access road; $25,000 to restripe 26 miles of Needles District roads; and $62,391 to rehabilitate the Neck Spring Trailhead and the Shafer Canyon Overlook trail.

• Hovenweep: Projects included $11,000 to rehabilitate its campground and $3,000 to replace fences.

• Natural Bridges: Projects included $79,000 to reconstruct a trail between the campground and visitors center and $66,000 to rehabilitate the campground amphitheater.

The Southeast Utah Group of parks — including Arches, Canyonlands, Hovenweep and Natural Bridges — collected $2.34 million in entrance fees and spent $1.7 million from fees on maintenance projects in 2002.

Bryce Canyon

• Fees collected, 2003: $1.2 million

• Fees spent, 2003: $935,000

Projects included $104,516 to help rehabilitate the visitors center and restrooms and $180,000 to rehabilitate park trails.

Capitol Reef

• Fees collected, 2003: $170,000

• Fees spent, 2003: $127,000

Projects included $1,080 to reconstruct a failed wooden bridge on the Candy Ranch Road and $20,000 for trail rehabilitation.