MATTHEW BROWN and MATTHEW DALY.

FILE - Tourists walk along a boardwalk in Upper Geyser Basin on June 22, 2022, in Yellowstone National Park, Wyo. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)

Higher fees for foreigners visiting US national parks stokes tourism concerns

A $100-per-person charge for foreigners entering Yellowstone, Grand Canyon and other popular national parks is stoking apprehension among some tourist-oriented businesses. They worry the fee announced this week could discourage travelers. Supporters say the change will generate money for cash-strapped parks. Interior officials described the new fee structure as โ€œAmerica-first pricing.โ€ The charge also will apply at Acadia, Bryce Canyon, Everglades, Glacier, Grand Teton, Rocky Mountain, Sequoia & Kings Canyon, Yosemite and Zion national parks. A coalition of current and former employees park service denounced the new charge.

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FILE - A haul truck is seen after being loaded with coal by a mechanized shovel at the Spring Creek mine, in this Nov. 15, 2016 photo, near Decker, Mont. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown)

Republicans vote to roll back Biden-era restrictions on mining and drilling in 3 Western states

Senate Republicans have voted to roll back restrictions on mining and drilling in federal land in three Western states. The moves advance President Donald Trump’s ambitions to expand energy production from public lands. Senators voted this week to repeal land management plans adopted during the Biden administration for areas in Alaska, Montana and North Dakota. The House approved the repeals last month. Trump is expected to sign the measures, which will boost a proposed road through an Alaska wilderness to allow copper mining and support coal leases in Montana’s Powder River Basin. Critics say the GOP agenda will drive up energy prices and harm the environment.

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