<< Back 10/16/02 Budget woes prompt new Arboretum fees SMN Starting Saturday, Oct. 19, the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville will begin charging a per vehicle parking fee. Visitors in personal vehicles will pay $6 per car, passenger vans with more than 14 people will pay $25, and buses $45. The decision to charge a fee came about as a result of the loss of state budget funds coupled with significant increases in visitation that have dramatically affected the operations of the arboretum, an affiliate of the University of North Carolina system. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 19, arboretum staff and volunteers will showcase the activities that the arboretum regularly offers. Spring flower bulbs will be given to the first 100 guests and visitors can enjoy hot apple cider, crafts and guided tours of the gardens and trails, and children’s activities. “We have examined every available resource to replace operating funds and have put in place a comprehensive financial management plan to sustain our operations,” said George Briggs, executive director of the 426-acre site. One of the critical strategies is to implement the parking fee. “The arboretum’s budget is expected to be cut by a minimum of 8 percent this fiscal year at a time when we are experiencing record numbers of visitors and increases in the demand for our services. “Our visitation has grown by 673 percent since 1997 to about 500,000 visits annually,” said Briggs. “If we don’t start charging a fee now, we will be forced to severely curtail our hours of operation, lay off critically needed staff members, reduce the total number of acres we have under cultivation and management, and dramatically reduce the interpretive and educational opportunities that are now available. We don’t think this is acceptable to our visitors and to this community,” he said. Regular visitors can make a tax-deductible donation for an annual membership at the arboretum that includes free parking as a benefit. Memberships will cost $25 for students, $35 for individuals and $50 for families. The fee schedule includes: ° $6 for passenger vehicles, $25 for vans holding in excess of 14 passengers, and $45 for buses. ° Members park free. The annual cost of membership is $25 for students, $35 for individuals, and $50 for families. ° Visitors can park free all day on Tuesdays. ° Pedestrians and bicyclists entering the main entrance gate park free any time. ° Registered educational youth program participants will park free through a validation process. ° Participants in the Arboretum’s educational programs do not pay the parking fee. The parking fee will be waived for the North Carolina Chrysanthemum Show Oct. 26 and 27. For more information, call the arboretum at 828.665.2492 or access the website at www.ncarboretum.org.