Joe Kessler, who heads up the Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park, says the Park is not likely to adopt the idea to charge for parking at Trunk Bay. In a comment at NewsofStJohn.com, he said, "Parks throughout the national park system are currently prohibited from introducing any new fees."
(The Inquiring Iguana would direct your focus on the word 'currently,' though.)
The Friends leader agrees a shuttle service from Cruz Bay to Annenberg would be a good idea. "So that visitors to the park would be able to get on and off as they wish at park venues along the north shore for a set fee per trip — similar to the "dollar taxis" on St. Thomas (although it would likely be more than a dollar)," he said.
Later this week, Kessler is hosting the annual meeting of the Friends group. The Iguana encourages you to attend the get together at the T'ree Lizards restaurant at Cinnamon Bay, Sunday, at 2 p.m.
Listening to Kessler, the Park Superintendent and the many hard-working volunteers and staff describe what they've accomplished each year, doing more with less each year it seems, is more than enough reason you should join the Friends group and make a donation. Join here: http://www.friendsvinp.org/support_us.htm
The taxi’s sit in the lot all day…there should be a charge for that!
The Inquiring Iguana should not read too much into my use of “currently”. There are no plans to charge for parking at park venues. However, should the issue ever be raised, the Friends would strenuously object to it and work against its implementation.
Joe Kessler, President, Friends VI National Park
The Inquiring Iguana is certainly not suggesting the Friends are parsing their words.
It’s that The I.I. knows fees are not up to the Friends, or even the Park Service. It’s the Washington DC crowd who, the Friends might agree, have already been starving Parks for operating as well as development funds.
The possibility of adding fees? Priceless … for Members who are always looking for money for pork, earnmarks, or bridges to nowhere.