Lat week, the Biden-Harris administration announced that veterans of the U.S. Armed Services and Gold Star Families can now obtain a free lifetime pass to more than 2,000 federal recreation sites spread out across more than 400 million acres of public lands, including national parks, wildlife refuges, and forests.
Each lifetime pass covers entrance fees for a driver and all passengers in a personal vehicle (or passholder and up to three adults at sites that charge per person) at national parks and national wildlife refuges, as well as standard amenity fees at national forests and grasslands, and at lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Veterans can present one of the four forms of acceptable ID (Department of Defense ID Card, Veteran Health ID (VHIC), Veteran ID Card, or veteran’s designation on a state-issued US driver’s license or ID card) at participating federal recreation areas that normally charge an entrance fee. Gold Star Families obtain information, self-certify they qualify and download a voucher by visiting the U.S. Geological Survey’s website.
“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and our federal teammates are proud to honor our veterans with free lifetime access to more than 2,000 federal recreation areas across the nation,” said Lieutenant General (LTG) Scott Spellmon, Chief of Engineers, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “This is a small token of appreciation for veterans who have bravely dedicated their lives to defending our freedom.”
The Alexander Lofgren Veterans in Parks Act authorized free lifetime access to federal lands to veterans and Gold Star Families. This new lifetime pass for veterans and Gold Star Families is in addition to the free annual Military Pass, which has been available to active duty service members and their families since 2012.
Federal recreational land management agencies offer additional lifetime passes, including a Senior Pass for US citizens or permanent residents over age 62 and an Access Pass for US citizens or permanent residents with a permanent disability. More information is available on NPS.gov.
The Interior Department and other federal land agencies also offer fee-free entrance days for everyone throughout the year to mark days of celebration and commemoration, including the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., National Public Lands Day, and Veterans Day.
For more on the National Association of Landscape Professional’s (NALP’s) commitment to the National Mall and Memorial Parks of the National Park Service through it annual Renewal and Remembrance volunteer event, click here.
Read the full article “Free Lifetime Parks Pass For Veterans & Gold Star Families Announced” on Turf Magazine.