[pct-l] "national monument" vs "national park".

[Brick Robbins <brick@fastpack.com>]

At 03:00 PM 01/07/2000 , Jonathan Ley <over_there@geocities.com> wrote:
>St. Helens is a "national monument", not a "national park".
>(why the USA even has this distinction is beyond me!)

They are both administered by the National Park Service, a part of the 
Department of Interior as apposed the US Forest Service, (tree sellers) 
that are part of the Department of Agriculture. Your Golden Whatever pass 
should be good in all NPS administered sites (parks, monuments, national 
historic sites, national historic battle fields...). Don't know why they 
had problems. It could be that Mt Saint "Boom" is a "Designated Recreation 
Use Facility" per 36CFR71.5. The same rule applies ot

"    (c) The annual Golden Eagle Passport does not authorize the use of
any Designated Recreation Use Facility for which a recreation use fee is
charged or any Special Recreation Permit Use for which a special
recreation permit fee is charged."

The major difference between a park and a monument is the protection 
afforded the land and what it takes to make one. A National Monument can be 
made by presidential decree, and affords a lower level of protection to the 
land. National Parks take an Act of Congress, and provide more protection. 
For example, Joshua Tree was a National Monument for several years before 
it was upgraded to a National Park.

If you are REALLY bored, read Title 36 of the Code of Federal Regulations 
(36CFR)
http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_99/36cfrv1_99.html

Fee-Haters might find
http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_99/36cfr71_99.html
interesting.

-Brick

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