National Park Service Announces Proposed Fee Increase At Christiansted National Historic Site

ST. CROIX — The National Park Service has established a new nationwide entrance fee rate structure, with a goal for all parks to implement the new rates sometime this year, N.P.S. announced Friday.

N.P.S. is inviting the community to comment on the proposed increases here, before June 30.

According to the release, similar parks are grouped into one of four different tiers: Group 1 $7/person, group 2 $10/person, group 3 $12/person, and group 4 $15/person. The Christiansted National Historic Site has been placed in group 1.

N.P.S. is proposing to increase the entrance fee for Christiansted N.H.S. at Fort Christiansvaern from $3 to $7 per person to bring it in line with other similar national park areas, according to the release, which added that national parks have the latitude to phase increases over time to meet the national rate structure. Entrance fees grant access for three days to the Christiansted site.

“The park had not implemented a fee increase since 1987, when the entrance fee program was first implemented,” said Christiansted site Superintendent Joel Tutein.

The National Park Service allows parks to keep 77 percent of the money collected from entrance fees. Funds collected at Fort Christianvaern are used for a variety of historic preservation, repair, and maintenance projects, N.P.S. said. The revenue also helps subsidize the park’s interpretive and historical programs to enhance the visitor experience.

For example, fee dollars have assisted the park this year in developing its newest interpretation exhibit called “Visionary Reflections” in celebration of the 100th Anniversary of Transfer Day. This exhibit — which captures stories of Virgin Islanders living on St. Croix as they reflected back on the past 100 years, shares history of America, St. Croix, and Denmark for the past 357 years, and oral histories from many Virgin Island elders — is now open for viewing.

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, according to the release.

This additional revenue will enable the Park Service to keep pace with inflation, other rising costs and fund the many critical historical preservation and public service programs that give the Christiansted N.H.S. one of the highest visitor satisfaction ratings in the National Park System, according to the release.