Some of the best West Virginia has to offer can be found in our state parks. The state’s 45 state parks and forests serve as scenic, recreational and historic destinations for the day or for a longer vacation for West Virginians and out-of-state visitors who want an authentic experience.
Visitors can stay at a lodge or private cabin, camp, play golf, swim, bike and hike. Many folks just pack a picnic lunch and enjoy a little family time outside in a bucolic setting.
The fees for the lodging, food and amenities do not cover all the expenses of operating the parks and forests. Every year, the state allocates about $17 million in General Revenue and Lottery money to the state Division of Natural Resources to subsidize the parks.
Now, with the budget growing ever tighter and park maintenance falling behind, DNR Director Stephen McDaniel is implementing a pilot project to begin charging an entrance fee.
Beginning Memorial Day weekend, visitors to seven state parks and forests (Babcock State Park, Blackwater Falls State Park, Cacapon Resort State Park, Coopers Rock State Forest, Little Beaver State Park, Pipestem Resort State Park and Valley Falls State Park) will be charged $2 per car for a single day use.
Visitors will also be able to buy a $12 annual pass providing unlimited access to the parks. (Overnight guests and school groups that schedule visits at least one week in advance will be exempt from the fees.)
“Many of our lodge parks in our system are approaching 50 years of age. We have a lot of deferred maintenance and we have a lot of continuing operational and maintenance expenses,” McDaniel told me on Talkline Monday. “It was just time to take a look at it.” The money collected at each park will stay at that facility to pay for needed repairs.
Initially, the revenue collected from the entrance fees will be modest, only $1.1 to $1.2 million this year after factoring in the expense of the necessary facilities and manpower to collect the fees. However, he hopes to gradually expand the charges to all state parks and forests.
Over seven million people visited West Virginia parks and forests last year. “If I can find a way to get those visitors to spend an average of $2.75 more, we wouldn’t need any money from General Revenue to run our park system.”
West Virginia is one of just nine states (Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, California, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and Tennessee are the others) that do not charge an entrance fee to its parks. 117 of the country’s 400 national parks charge visitors to enter, with fees ranging from $3 up to $30.
Some will grumble that they already pay for West Virginia state parks by way of their tax dollars, and that’s true. However, that’s not enough money keep the parks and forests in a condition necessary to attract visitors and entice them to make return visits.
A $2 per vehicle entrance charge or the $12 annual pass are extremely modest user fees, and they represent a reasonable approach to funding our state parks and forests without trying to squeeze more money out of the General Fund.