I agree, if money were such an issue then they should charge for walk-in permits. $30 is a small amount especially for someone traveling from a fair distance hoping to score a permit. That would more than recoup the refunds given. The existing system favors the locals who have nothing to lose by going in and probably never bother to get a permit in the first place because they know they can go up for free. If they had to pay the $30 walk-in fee then there would be less competition for unused permits, giving those who play the drive-up lottery a better chance to score.
