In 1996, Crater Lake National Park became one of the first participants in a pilot project established by the United States Congress called the Recreation Fee Demonstration Program. Today, park managers are using the additional fees collected through this program to fund efforts important to the protection of Crater Lake National Park.

The Recreation Fee Demonstration Program directed the National Park Service and other agencies to implement and test new fees at sites throughout the country. Initially conceived as a three-year pilot program, it has since been extended by Congress through September of 2001.

The new program represents a fundamental change in the way fees collected in National Parks are disturbed. In the past, all fee revenue has been deposited into the general U.S. Treasury, and then distributed by Congress back to the National Park Service through the annual appropriations process. In contrast, the Fee Demonstration Program allows participating parks to keep 80% of the additional revenue on-site, where it may be used to fund projects that benefit the park where it was collected. The remaining 20% is targeted to national programs and distributed to other sites in the National Park System where the need is greatest.

The new revenue comes at a critical time for the National Park Service. Even as the number of visitors to National Parks continue to climb, government funding for necessities such as road and building repairs, campground maintenance, visitor protection, and other services has not kept pace with the demand. The Recreation Fee Demonstration Program helps by spreading some of the costs for managing public lands among those who use them.

At the outset of the new program, the National Park Service faced an estimated $5.6 billion backlog in repair and maintenance projects. "Revenues derived from this test program will provide needed funds to begin fixing the badly deteriorated infrastructure of our aging park system," said Roger Kennedy, the Director of the National Park Service at the time. "These revenues also will fund visitor education and recreation programs, and resource protection efforts."

The Fee Demonstration Program allows participating sites the flexibility to tailor fee projects to specific needs and situations. In many National Park areas, fees are now being charged for the first time for boating, backcountry permits, and special programs. Entrance fees have been raised at many parks. Crater Lake doubled its entrance fee, from $5 to $10 per vehicle, in the Spring of 1997. Four of five extra dollars collected go directly into projects which benefit Crater Lake National Park.

In 1998, Crater Lake National Park collected more than $910,000 dollars through the Fee Demonstration Program. Projects have been selected for more than half of that amount. Some of the specific projects ongoing at Crater Lake include the following:

Cleetwood fuel system

Last summer, the Cleetwood Trail was closed while a new fuel delivery system was installed from the caldera rim to the boat dock at Cleetwood Cove. The new system will help protect the pristine character of Crater Lake by reducing the risk of fuel spills.

Restoration and revegetation

Crater Lake's picnic areas and overlooks show wear and tear from a century of use. Resource managers are working to restore these sites by repairing erosion damage and replanting trampled vegetation. This summer, Vidae Falls Picnic Area will be closed while crews work. Several backcountry trails will also be rehabilitated, to convert them to a narrower, more natural appearance in keeping with the park's wilderness character.

Research education

The lake research program has collected volumes of information about the chemistry and ecology of Crater Lake. Several projects are under way to pass that information on to the public. New training materials will be available for park naturalists, an interpretive video will be created about the ecology of the lake, and educational curricula will be developed for students and teachers.

Historic park signs

Crater Lake became one of the nation's first national parks in 1902. To preserve that historical significance, the park's entrance signs are being restored to a historic appearance. Signs around the park's headquarters in Munson Valley are being replaced as well, with a design that matches the historic character of the area.

In addition, several other projects are planned or already under way. Backcountry signs will be replaced to make them more consistent and less obtrusive. A new traveler's information system will be installed at several places to broadcast up-to-date information about roads and trails in the park. The historic landscape in Munson Valley will be restored. Bear-proof food lockers will be installed in the campgrounds to help reduce conflicts between visitors and bears. New guardrails, gates, and toilets will be installed throughout the park.

In 1916, Congress directed the fledgling National Park Service to "conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations." Protecting our natural and cultural heritage, while ensuring that everyone who visits has a safe, enjoyable, and educational experience, costs money. Your support is crucial. But with your help, the benefits to Crater Lake National Park are tangible. You'll see them throughout your visit. Remember this as you tour the lake on boats supplied by a safer fuel system. Remember it as you gaze out over Crater Lake from the rehabilitated fire lookout on Watchman Peak in years to come. Remember: you helped make it happen.