'Discriminatory' National Park fee plan slammed by Democrats turns into conservation win, Burgum says

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2026 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum discusses the U.S. energy supply amid geopolitical tensions on 'The Story.' EXCLUSIVE: A major change to the National Park entry fee structure lambasted by Democrats as discriminatory has led to a moderate windfall for conservation efforts undertaken by the Department of the Interior. Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., led a December letter co-signed by Sens. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and others slamming DOI Secretary Doug Burgum’s plan to increase national park annual passes to $250 for foreign visitors while the $80 rate for residents remains in place. An additional $100 is also tacked on to nonresident visitors at the most trafficked parks. Padilla separately called the plan "discriminatory," while Schiff and his co-signers said the move fails to meet public notice guidelines, risks retention of visitors’ personal information