Congressman Peter DeFazio has asked the Bush administration to reconsider a proposal that would increase

fees at Crater Lake National Park and the Lava Beds National Monument in Oregon.

File photo

Crater Lake.

Under the Bush administration proposal, entrance fees at Crater Lake would double to $20 from $10, and fees at Lava Beds would increase to $15 from 10.

DeFazio says national park visits are declining, even though Crater Lake has bucked the trend with attendance holding steady over the past decade.

The Oregon Democrat says he's worried that increasing park fees will discourage visits to Crater Lake, and it will join the downward trend in attendance.

DeFazio says the Bush administration should force oil companies to come up with the royalties they owe the federal government and use some of that to improve the park system.