Georgia board set to raise fees at state parks 

The next time you want to take in some of Georgia’s natural beauty at one of its state parks, it could cost you a little more. Or at least it will if the Board of Natural Resources signs off Tuesday on a proposal to raise fees. Under the plan under consideration, the cost to park […]

James H. "Sloppy" Floyd State Park and other Georgia parks could be getting a little pricier to visit. Photo by Jill Williams

The next time you want to take in some of Georgia’s natural beauty at one of its state parks, it could cost you a little more.

Or at least it will if the Board of Natural Resources signs off Tuesday on a proposal to raise fees. Under the plan under consideration, the cost to park at Georgia’s state parks for a day would double.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ State Parks and Historic Sites Division spent just over $109 million in the 12 months preceding July 1, according to a new report from the state Department of Audits and Accounts, about half of which – $55.5 million – came from self-generated revenue sources like park passes, campsite rentals, golf course fees and gift shop sales.

State funds and bonds pay for about 43% of the division’s expenses, or about $46 million, and the federal government chipped in about $7 million, good for around 7%.

The auditors called the self-generated portion of the division’s revenue “significant.”

“However, we noted additional revenue-generating opportunities related to price adjustments, marketing, and targeted future investments,” the report reads. “Generating revenue to staff and maintain parks must be balanced with ensuring Georgians can access these public resources.”

In all, the auditors came up with more than two dozen recommendations dealing with topics from planning and maintenance to marketing and pricing.

In response to a request for comment, State Parks and Historic Sites Division Chief of Finance Katherine Darsey said the department “recently received the report and will be reviewing its findings and suggestions in the coming weeks.”

You can read the full report here.

Vehicle entry passes

The price to park your car at a state park has been unchanged since 2009 – $5 for a day or $50 for an annual pass, and the auditors found that among southeastern states that charge for park access, Georgia’s fees are the lowest. The report found that Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee do not charge for daily or annual passes, and Tennessee does not charge for the majority of its state parks.

The state Board of Natural Resources is set to meet Tuesday and vote on increasing next year’s fees to $10 for one visit or $70 for a year, according to the proposed amendments to the existing rules. Using 2024 visitation numbers, auditors found a $10 fee could increase revenue by $3.7 million.

Under the proposed changes, groups like senior citizens and disabled veterans who receive discounted rates would see price increases as well, though they would still pay less than the general population.

The auditors also called on the division to push for visitors to opt for annual passes since they bring in more money and drive down the number of potential daily noncompliers.

They note that some states offer discounted annual park passes along with vehicle tag renewal. In one such program in Michigan, 38% of the population purchased discounted passes, generating $42 million.

The auditors found that if owners of 10% of Georgia’s 8.5 million registered vehicles opted for a $20 discounted park pass, state parks could see a $15.8 million revenue bump.

The DNR parks division expressed concerns with the vehicle registration plan, noting fears that such a program could reduce revenues from the state’s license plate program, which allows people to buy a specialty plate and fund conservation efforts.

Reaction

Georgia Rivers Executive Director Rena Peck said bringing Georgia parks’ prices more in line with neighboring states makes financial sense and will help fund the work needed to keep facilities attractive and bring in more customers.

“I think it’s a good plan,” she said. “You’ve got to upkeep these places so that people can come, and then it’s a good, positive cycle with outdoor recreation because those state parks and historic sites, most of their budget comes from income from outdoor recreation. So, you’ve got to keep the facilities up in order to keep the stream of money in order to maintain them for people and nature.”

But Sierra Club legislative chair Mark Woodall said it doesn’t make sense for the state to increase prices at all when it is in a strong fiscal position.

“The state parks of Georgia should be for all the people of Georgia, regardless of income. With over $14 billion in reserve, it would be outrageous for the state parks to increase fees,” he said.

“In these difficult times, we ought to be encouraging people to get outdoors, not making it harder,” he added.

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