Proposed Fee Increase at Christiansted NHS

Dear Park Friend:

The National Park Service has established a new nationwide entrance fee rate structure, with a goal for all parks to implement the new rates by 2017. Similar parks are grouped into one of four different tiers. Christiansted National Historic Site has been placed in Group 1.

The Christiansted National Historic Site is proposing to increase the Group 1 fee from $3 to $7 per person to bring it in line with other similar national park areas. The national parks have the latitude to phase increases over time to meet the national rate structure. Entrance fees grant access for 3 days to this location. Superintendent Joel Tutein stated: "The Park has not implement a fee increase since 1987 when the entrance fee program was first implemented."

The National Park Service allows parks to keep 77% of the money collected from entrance fees. At the Fort, we use this revenue for a variety of historic preservation, repair, and maintenance projects. This revenue also helps subsidize our interpretive and historical programs to enhance our visitor experience. For example, fee dollars have assisted us this year in developing our newest interpretation exhibit called "Visionary Reflections". This exhibit is now open for you to view and captures stories of Virgin Islanders living on St. Croix as they reflected back on the past 100 years.

Owners of valid Federal passes such as the Senior Pass, Access Pass, and the America the Beautiful Annual Passes are admitted free of charge under the established guidelines for those passes. These passes will continue to be available and honored at the park. This additional revenue will enable the Park Service to keep pace with inflation, other rising costs and fund the many critical historic preservation and public service programs that give the Christiansted NHS one of the highest visitor satisfaction ratings in the National Park System.

The public is invited to comment on the proposed fee increase. Comments should be submitted by June 30, 2017 via the following link: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/Christiansted-Fee-Increase or by mail at the address listed in Project Contact Information below.

The National Parks in the Virgin Islands are a strong economic engine for the surrounding area. In 2016, nearly 532,200 visitors contributed $96 million to the local economy.

Contact Information
Isander Rodriguez
Chief Ranger
340-773-1460 x 234

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