Office of the Secretary

For Immediate Release: April 4, 2000

Contact: John Wright 202/208-6416

Golden Eagle Passport to Cost More,
New Park Entry Pass Planned

Revenues generated from the increase will be used to fund badly
needed repairs to the nation's most cherished public lands

The Departments of Agriculture and Interior announced today that the price of the annual Golden Eagle Passport, good at any federal entry fee site, will go from $50 to $65 effective April 18. The Golden Eagle Passport is primarily issued by the National Park Service, but is also sold and used for entrance to Agriculture and other Interior public land sites.

The National Park Service plans to unveil a new park pass during National Park Week April 17-22. Congress established the new parks only pass with Public Law 105-391 and set its price at $50. To gain entry to other federally managed sites with the new pass, the public will be able to upgrade the new park pass through the purchase of a $15 Golden Eagle hologram that can be affixed to the new park pass.

The Golden Eagle pass is good at all federal entry fee sites and will continue to be part of the congressionally authorized fee demonstration program, allowing federal land management agencies to retain 80 percent of entrance fees for participating site projects. Revenues from the Golden Eagle pass will be used to help address dire maintenance backlogs on public lands administered by the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management and the Fish and Wildlife Service.

The Golden Eagle Passport admits the pass holder and any accompanying passengers in a private vehicle. Where entry is not by private vehicle, the passport admits the pass holder, spouse, children, and parents to all federal fee entry sites. The Golden Passport is good for a 12-month period, ending the last day of the purchase month, one year later. All Golden Eagle Passports purchased prior to April 18, 2000, will be fully honored through their expiration date.

The one-time $10 fee for the lifetime Golden Age Passport, available to citizens or permanent residents of the United States who are 62 years of age or older will remain the same. The Golden Access Passport, for those who are blind or permanently disabled, will continue to be offered free of charge.

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