developments with certain standard amenities (e.g., designated parking, camping sites, etc.). Like the
passes it is replacing, the new pass does not cover any expanded amenity fees for such things as
reservation services or developed campgrounds and boat launches. When appropriate, pass holders will
also continue to pay special recreation permit fees such as those for motorized recreational vehicle use,
recreational events, and group activities.
The NRP is very similar to the earlier GEP. The GEP was introduced in 1965, at a price of $7 per
year. By 1997 its price had risen to $50; by 2000 the price was $65. Like the NRP, the GEP provides
entrance for the passholder (and other occupants of a private vehicle) to virtually all federal lands that
charge a fee. One minor difference is that the NRP card can be signed by two adult passholders, either of
whom may show the card to secure entrance, whereas the GEP card had space for only one signature. As
a practical matter, however, this difference is inconsequential, because there was and is no mechanism in
place to require the person showing the card to verify that the signature is his or hers.
The year 2000 also saw the introduction of the NPP, sold for $50 and providing entrance only to
federal lands administered by the National Park Service. For an additional $15, a sticker could be
purchased and affixed to the NPP to make it equivalent in all respects to the GEP (and therefore,
essentially equivalent to the NRP). Throughout this paper, GEP refers to either the Golden Eagle
Passport, per se, or the National Parks Pass plus sticker. Sales of the GEP and the NPP were discontinued
in January of 2007 when the NRP was introduced.
3. Economic Analysis
Our economic analysis begins with the assumption that by stating their WTP for the NRP, households
are revealing their optimal choice for expected number of visits to federal recreation sites. This
assumption provides a convenient method for calculating expected NRP and gate revenues. All
households with a maximum WTP above the price of the NRP will purchase the pass and contribute
exclusively to pass revenues; all households with a maximum WTP that is below the price of the NRP
will instead pay at the gate and contribute exclusively to gate revenues. We can then evaluate how