Crumbling national parks mired in $11 billion backlog, but experts scoff at jacking up fees

Three years ago, the National Park Service banned trucks and buses heavier than 10 tons from crossing over the Arlington Memorial Bridge, a major transportation artery connecting Virginia to Washington D.C. And there’s speculation that the U.S. Secret Service now refuses to cross the 82-year-old concrete span, though the agency would not confirm whether this was the case.

From afar, the bridge’s neoclassical design — finished with sculptures of eagles and bas relief of bison — looks glorious. But inside, it’s rotting.

"Most people would be horrified to look behind the curtains of parks," said Robert Manning, professor emeritus at the University of Vermont’s Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources.

BY MARK KAUFMAN

https://mashable.com/2018/02/10/national-park-service-maintenance-backlog-entrance-fees/?utm_cid=hp-h-2#tgkUzKc__aqz