Welcome to America - land of the free !

This document is very badly written and open to many interpretations.
Let me give you an example. So you arrive at the park with your girlfriend who happens to be Peruvian and is wearing their national dress. You wander around a bit enjoying the flowers and scenery. She says how about taking my picture with the flowers showing behind me so you do obviously with no intent of ever selling anything. You have just enabled 4 things that invoke a permit - "Any other posed photography session that uses a park location as a backdrop for pictures and/or that requires special attire"
1. Posed photography (this would include taking selfies)
2. Uses a park location
3. Uses a park location as a backdrop
4. Took photographs of someone wearing special attire
So the document is extremely badly worded but is very clear. It may not have been intended to be so badly written but even lawyers make mistakes (sometimes deliberately).
That single sentence kills all personal, not for profit photography. I guess a court case would resolve the meaning of "posed".
Making you pay to photograph something that you, as a citizen, own is beyond belief but that is what they have done. Any sort of commercial use is different although even that might be questionable. How about if you wanted a photograph of a 'mountain daisy' to include in a book documenting the States flowers. Said book being sold rather than given away. And maybe even sold through the parks shop. Here you are screwed also since it is a commercial use.
Soon you will be obliged to buy an air meter on entering the park so you can be charged for the amount of "their (really yours)" air you breath.
Only in America !

It depends on what their definition of "commercial photography" is. If you take a picture and sell copies of it as art, that isn't generally referred to as commercial photography. The general description of commercial photography is photos taken to promote a product or service. Sometimes wedding or portrait photographers are required to get a permit to photograph their subjects in public parks and venues. Also, the use of a tripod sometimes triggers the need for a permit. Sometimes, people with some small amount of authority get over zealous in their enforcement tactics and exceed the bounds of their authority. You have to decide how important it is to take your photos or to make a point.

Welcome to America - land of the free !

This document is very badly written and open to many interpretations.
Let me give you an example. So you arrive at the park with your girlfriend who happens to be Peruvian and is wearing their national dress. You wander around a bit enjoying the flowers and scenery. She says how about taking my picture with the flowers showing behind me so you do obviously with no intent of ever selling anything. You have just enabled 4 things that invoke a permit - "Any other posed photography session that uses a park location as a backdrop for pictures and/or that requires special attire"
1. Posed photography (this would include taking selfies)
2. Uses a park location
3. Uses a park location as a backdrop
4. Took photographs of someone wearing special attire
So the document is extremely badly worded but is very clear. It may not have been intended to be so badly written but even lawyers make mistakes (sometimes deliberately).
That single sentence kills all personal, not for profit photography. I guess a court case would resolve the meaning of "posed".
Making you pay to photograph something that you, as a citizen, own is beyond belief but that is what they have done. Any sort of commercial use is different although even that might be questionable. How about if you wanted a photograph of a 'mountain daisy' to include in a book documenting the States flowers. Said book being sold rather than given away. And maybe even sold through the parks shop. Here you are screwed also since it is a commercial use.
Soon you will be obliged to buy an air meter on entering the park so you can be charged for the amount of "their (really yours)" air you breath.
Only in America !

Howdy.
Yesterday I went online to get the phone number for LDSP to inquire if anything was in blossom yet before I took the 1 hour drive to get there. When I went to their website I noticed that they now require both an approved permit and $$$ to photograph for commercial usage.
I called the park and was told to talk to the Park Ranger in person, so I did.
I was told the min. cost would be $50.00 for 1 hour.
I told the Ranger no thank you, she did suggest an area I was not aware of that borders the State Park.
Take a right out of the Park and about 5 minutes on the right you will come to a road called "First Water".
It is a dirt road with MANY dips and pot holes, but doable just drive slow!
There is no cost as far as I could see, had great views of and surrounding landscape of Superstition Mountains.
BTW...some flowers are starting to bloom.

Howdy.
Yesterday I went online to get the phone number for LDSP to inquire if anything was in blossom yet before I took the 1 hour drive to get there. When I went to their website I noticed that they now require both an approved permit and $$$ to photograph for commercial usage.
I called the park and was told to talk to the Park Ranger in person, so I did.
I was told the min. cost would be $50.00 for 1 hour.
I told the Ranger no thank you, she did suggest an area I was not aware of that borders the State Park.
Take a right out of the Park and about 5 minutes on the right you will come to a road called "First Water".
It is a dirt road with MANY dips and pot holes, but doable just drive slow!
There is no cost as far as I could see, had great views of and surrounding landscape of Superstition Mountains.
BTW...some flowers are starting to bloom.

I lead Photography Tours in the Tongass National Forest. For each trail or area I use we (the company I work for) need permits. These permits are based on number of guests and include lots of rules we have to follow. We are given total number of guests permitted on each trail between certain dates. We submit reports every week on where we stand on our usage. Of course we have to be insured. Near the end of the season we may be reaching our limits on a trail or area and then try to shift our groups to other permitted trails. There are many rules. We can't block trails. We can set up tripods if there is room but we can't make casual users wait or be inconvenienced. This is just one rule. There are many and they are no joke. Every time we are discovered 'screwing up' it goes in 'the book' and may count against us the next year when the permits come up. At the same time though, we get special bonuses. When the yearly bear closures go into effect (around salmon spawning streams) our groups alone are allowed into those areas. All the guides get special training for bears and rules and are required, in our permits, to intervene when our guests or anyone is seen doing something not cool. The pictures I take on the tours, of bears and mushrooms and salmon and glaciers, I am allowed to sell at the gallery I work with, and our company can use them in our advertising.
The point is that not all the permitting is bad, and some, like ours, actually protects the areas for the general public too, not even counting how much money we give to the Forest Service.

Howdy.
Yesterday I went online to get the phone number for LDSP to inquire if anything was in blossom yet before I took the 1 hour drive to get there. When I went to their website I noticed that they now require both an approved permit and $$$ to photograph for commercial usage.
I called the park and was told to talk to the Park Ranger in person, so I did.
I was told the min. cost would be $50.00 for 1 hour.
I told the Ranger no thank you, she did suggest an area I was not aware of that borders the State Park.
Take a right out of the Park and about 5 minutes on the right you will come to a road called "First Water".
It is a dirt road with MANY dips and pot holes, but doable just drive slow!
There is no cost as far as I could see, had great views of and surrounding landscape of Superstition Mountains.
BTW...some flowers are starting to bloom.

I lead Photography Tours in the Tongass National Forest. For each trail or area I use we (the company I work for) need permits. These permits are based on number of guests and include lots of rules we have to follow. We are given total number of guests permitted on each trail between certain dates. We submit reports every week on where we stand on our usage. Of course we have to be insured. Near the end of the season we may be reaching our limits on a trail or area and then try to shift our groups to other permitted trails. There are many rules. We can't block trails. We can set up tripods if there is room but we can't make casual users wait or be inconvenienced. This is just one rule. There are many and they are no joke. Every time we are discovered 'screwing up' it goes in 'the book' and may count against us the next year when the permits come up. At the same time though, we get special bonuses. When the yearly bear closures go into effect (around salmon spawning streams) our groups alone are allowed into those areas. All the guides get special training for bears and rules and are required, in our permits, to intervene when our guests or anyone is seen doing something not cool. The pictures I take on the tours, of bears and mushrooms and salmon and glaciers, I am allowed to sell at the gallery I work with, and our company can use them in our advertising.
The point is that not all the permitting is bad, and some, like ours, actually protects the areas for the general public too, not even counting how much money we give to the Forest Service.

It would appear she is unfamiliar with the language and stated (published) purpose of the permit requirements. Have a printed copy of the PDF and don't set up your tripod anywhere near the parking lot or high-use trails. You'll have the situation covered if a ranger later arrives while you're shooting. Probably don't drive up to the entrance in a van covered with advertising of a film company nor a backseat full of lighting and three models ...

"Reserve" as referenced twice in just this small portion of the document would seem the key point. If you're not blocking / limiting any use of the park by any other citizen, you can't be characterized as reserving a portion of the park for your own use.