National Park Fees Waived Over Veterans Weekend

Interior Secretary Gale Norton has announced that all entrance fees to national park areas
will be waived during Veterans Day weekend, November 10-12, 2001, to allow Americans the
opportunity to seek solace and inspiration from the nation’s parks, monuments and
memorials. “We all continue to be saddened and horrified by the magnitude of tragedy our
nation has undergone, but we cannot give hate-filled terrorists a victory by forcing us to
live in fear,” said Norton. “It’s tragedies like these that make healing necessary so we
can recover and rebound. What better places to begin that healing process than in our
parks, where Americans can draw strength from national icons of freedom and peace from
splendors of nature. “This Veterans Day, I encourage all Americans to join together with
family and friends to honor the victims of our recent tragedies along with the veterans who
protect our nation’s freedom and democracy,” said Norton. “And I urge everyone to take
advantage of this special opportunity to visit our nation’s historic, cultural and natural
treasures to reconnect with the values that have made this nation great.” The National Park
Service, an Interior Department agency, manages the National Park System, which compromises
385 areas covering more than 84 million acres in every state (except Delaware), the
District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. These
areas include national parks, monuments, battlefields, military parks, historical parks,
historic sites, lakeshores, recreation areas, scenic rivers and trails, and the White
House.