Its just the typical California government way of doing business.  Attendance has been dwindling in the imperial dunes in the past few years so they didn't make enough money selling permits to pay all the leo's and buy them new shiney sandrails, quads, and suv's every year.  So instead of cutting back staffing to deal with the less rider turnout they raise the fee even more!!  So now this year there will be even less rider turnout than the year prior with the increase of permit fee's, higher prices of fuel/grocieries ect.  It's frightening how these people do math.  I can see it now in 10 years only 4 people will buy permits at $300k a piece, with dozens of leo's swarming the campsites watching their every move.