I am passing on information shared on another birding listserv because the
message is a good one. Credit goes to Ms. Holland in AZ:

If you are 62 and over and frequently use any of the birding sites on lands
covered by the "America the Beautiful - The National Parks and Federal
Recreational Lands Pass - Senior Pass" and you haven't purchased your
lifetime senior pass yet (or have lost yours and have been intending to
replace it) BUY IT NOW!!

The senior pass, which costs a one-time fee of only $10 for life once you
turn 62 (and only $20 if you order it by mail and/or online) will be going
up to $80 on August 28, 2017. If you already have your senior pass, it will
be grandfathered in, and all it's benefits remain intact for life (as long
as it's not lost or stolen) - you won't have to pay more. Any new senior
pass bought through August 27, 2017 will still cost the original $10. They
are having a large volume of purchases at the moment (no wonder!), so
passes may possibly end up being out of stock at actual physical sites at
any one time, but the USGS purchase website says that any mail order
purchases through the USGS that are *postmarked* before August 28th will
still be honored at the $10 price.

$10 is a heck of a bargain of a price to be able to get free access to a
bountiful myriad of recreational sites within the BLM, Bureau of
Reclamation, Fish & Wildlife Service, USDA Forest Service, National Park
Service and US Army Corps of Engineers. Plus you often get discounts
(sometimes up to 50%) on extra amenities within those agencies, such as
campgrounds. To be honest, even the new price of $80 lifetime will still be
a pretty darned spectacular bargain. Most birders could plow through that
price in Day Use Fees alone, in very short order. (Hubby and I chalked up
nearly 2/3 of that price in savings with his senior pass, just on our one
recent trip to San Diego, alone.)

The government is also implementing a brand new Annual Senior Pass for
$20/year, for those on a budget, or those that aren't yet sure if they'd
use a pass that much. The nice thing is, after you've purchased four Annual
Senior Passes in the future (a sure sign that you ARE using them much!) you
can then trade in those four passes to obtain a life pass, which you can
then use instead, with no further annual pass purchases needed. (So make
sure you don't throw any of the expired ones away!)

***And one very important recommendation I'd suggest to you: once you get
(or already have) your lifetime Senior Pass in hand, treat those things
like gold!!! They are good for you to use for life, but if they are ever
stolen or lost, you will have to buy a replacement, and that will be at the
new $80 price.

For complete details and frequently asked questions about these new
changes, go here:

https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/senior-pass-changes.htm?
utm_source=recdotgov&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=senior_pass

Georgia Conti
Lake Patzcuaro, Mexico (but formerly of and a frequent visitor to WA)