Active-duty military offered annual passes to nat'l parks
Beginning Saturday, active-duty military members can receive a free annual pass that gives service men and women and their dependents access to more than 2,000 public land sites, including America's national parks.
The White House and the Department of the Interior announced the move in honor of Armed Forces Day on Saturday, which kicks off a weeklong celebration of America's military.
The pass will be accepted at all public lands with entry and amenity fees, including those managed by the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Army Corps, according to a news release from Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden.
Active-duty personnel from all military branches, including the National Guard and Reserves, can get the passes by showing a valid military identification card. Some veterans may also qualify for the pass, the release said.
For more information about the program, visit the National Park Service website.