Grand Canyon National Park, Ariz. • The National Park Service is giving people more time to weigh in on a proposed fee increase at 17 of its most popular parks.
Visitors would be charged $70 per vehicle, up from the current $30 fee, during the five busiest months of the year. At others, the hike is from $25 to $70.
The comment period had been scheduled to end Thursday. The new deadline is Dec. 22.
The Park Service says it wanted to accommodate interest from Congress and the public. More than 65,000 comments already have been submitted.
Most of the 17 sites are in the West, including four of Utah’s Mighty 5 — Bryce Canyon, Zion, Arches and Canyonlands national parks — and Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Yellowstone and Mount Rainier.
The Park Service says it would raise $70 million annually under the proposal. The revenue would fund maintenance and infrastructure projects.