Golden Age Senior Access Pass

The government has decided NOT TO REDUCE the discount rate from 50% to 10% for the Golden Age Senior Access Pass... The 50% discount will continue and a spokesperson for the NFS stated that vendor managed campgrounds WILL HONOR the 50% discount.... :woohoo:
Below is a quote from the Director of the National Forest Service....

"Last Wednesday Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell announced his decision to not reduce the fee structure charged to holders of passes at Forest Service campgrounds operated by private contractors. This leaves intact the half-off camping fee rates now available to holders of the government issued $10 lifetime Senior Pass. "

Usually, vendor operated CGs don't honor the GP - so, now is that new? I've on several occasions been told that the CG is 50% off, but all other services (entry fees, etc) are collected even with the pass.

Matter of fact, in Idaho a few months ago, when I tried to get into a day-park, the 'gate dude' tried to make me pay the access fee. Right on my pass, it says free admission - so, he refused even after I showed it to him... When I requested to speak to his boss, he changed his mind and allowed me in.

We've had this discussion before on this site - and it becomes about honoring a promise, not about collecting fees and operating a system... When the discount is taken away, then only some of the patrons get raised fees (reduced discount is same as raising a fee) ...

So, if the cost is higher to operate, raise the fees for everyone, and then allow the discount ... that's how this should be handled so everyone pay a little more, not one group pays alot more. M44

Whatever the GP was good for in the past, must now be honored by vendor managed campgrounds. It is my understanding that those vendors who haven't honored GP must do so now. I don't know about concession items like boat rental, and such....I was focusing on the campground issue myself, since that is what I use most....

To my knowledge, when concessions (hotels, gas stations, stores, cafes etc, entered the NP system, they never honor the GP discount ... but vendors that took over park operations were supposed to continue, but tried to 'weazel' out of the discounts after signing the contracts. That was it issue when the passes started being denied. And, like Larry said on this once -- it takes just as much to service a guy with the discount - but that discount is legitimate, so earned as well as any other benefit. Problem is, the NP guys know it and have no problem, their interest is serving the customers -- but when a vendor takes over, that vendor is in it for the profit - so it begins to manipulate ways to up that profit -- if the removal of that discount went directly to service improvement, then we can see it -- but when I see service remain the same, and service weaken, then I have no support for removing any discount - and it seems like someone heard us.