Congressman Ryan Zinke and Senator Tim Sheehy are introducing new legislation that would add a surcharge for most foreign tourists visiting U.S. national parks, aiming to boost funding for public lands and rural communities.
The proposal, called the Patriot Parks Act, would formalize a previous executive order signed by President Donald Trump, directing the Departments of Interior and Agriculture to implement the fee.
The surcharge would apply to parks that already collect entrance fees but would not require new entrance fees at locations that currently don’t charge them. However, proceeds would help support parks and public lands without existing fee systems.
Canadian visitors to Glacier National Park would be exempt from the surcharge.
