Veterans and family members of those who lost their lives in the line of duty will now have free entry to national parks starting on Veterans Day and beyond.
“This is a commonsense way to recognize those who have worn the uniform, and we’re glad the [President Donald] Trump administration made this a priority in support of its commitment to better honoring and serving our nation’s heroes,” Veteran Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie told Fox News in a piece published Tuesday. (RELATED: Chris Pratt Visits Military Members For Film Screening, Continues To Be Awesome [PHOTOS])
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“With the utmost respect and gratitude, we are granting Veterans and Gold Star Families free access to the iconic and treasured lands they fought to protect starting this Veterans Day and every single day thereafter,” Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt said in a statement posted on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) website. (RELATED: Trump, First Lady Participate In Wreath Laying Ceremony At Korean War Veterans Memorial On 70th Anniversary Of The Start Of The War)
According to the blog post:
Entrance fees for the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and standard amenity recreation fees for the Bureau of Land Management and the Bureau of Reclamation sites will be waived for Veterans and Gold Star Families.
The post also noted that the free entry for those war veterans and Gold Star family members will extend to some 2,000 public locations across the country where people can take in such activities as “hiking, fishing, paddling, biking, hunting” and more.
Access to these parks was previously only offered for free to active-duty members of the U.S. military and dependents through the Interagency America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass Program, per the VA.