my country 'tis a beautiful backdrop (permit, please)

Originally uploaded by suttonhoo.

Wedding parties and other groups hoping to commemorate their special event with a photograph at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument or other popular landmarks on National Park Service land now have to pay for a permit.

Under a policy that began May 15, the Park Service is requiring a payment of $50 to $250 from groups that hire commercial photographers to snap pictures at some of the 390 monuments, parks and historic sites it oversees.

The cost depends on the size of the group. The fees are being charged at some of the busiest Park Service sites, including the Grand Canyon and the Statue of Liberty.

From this morning’s New York Times