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Agreed.
Submitted by Tom H on 21/Jan/2015 in reply to Proposed User Fees for C&O Canal and Towpath posted by Mark B on 21/Jan/2015 158.74.35.10
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Agreed. This is a major policy change detrimental to potomac boating. While parks need sufficient financial support, the answer is not to impose blanket access fees on all parts of all parks, especially large parks like the C and O that are woven into the fabric of many communities.
Even if the fee for accessing the Potomac is small each time, how is a boater that might enter park property 6 times in a week (due to shuttles on multiple paddling sessions) supposed to pay the fee? Do we need to stop at an entrance both every time? Are we expected to pay 6 times? Do we need to buy an (expensive) annual pass, and then bring it with us on the river?
The same problems would face frequent walkers/joggers on the C and O towpath.
I fear that this proposal will make potomac boating a lot more of a hassle, and will undermine many public uses of the parks, and the connection between local communities and the C and O.
Unless the park service imposes a workable solution, many boaters would have no practical way to pay the fee, but then we would be criminals each time we enter the park.
I encourage boaters to speak up against this policy.
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