Counties could add up to $2 to state park entry charges

A county fiscal body could adopt an ordinance to add a surcharge of up to $2 to park entry charges. The surcharge would apply to entry charges for a state park or state recreation area located in the county adopting the ordinance. The surcharge would not apply to veterans, people on active military duty, people at least 65 years old, or annual pass holders and their immediate families. If a park or recreation area is in multiple counties, the surcharge would be divided among them only if each county adopts an ordinance. After a county gives notice of its ordinance, the state natural resources department would begin collecting the surcharge within 60 days and send each month's collections to the county treasurer by the end of the next month.

Money collected and sent to the county treasurer would have to support first responders, infrastructure improvements, or both, as specified in the county ordinance. The money is the surcharge collected for entry into a state park or recreation area in the county. Responder-related uses may include pay, equipment purchases, or equipment updates. Infrastructure improvements may include water quality improvements. The department would send each month's collections to the county treasurer by the end of the following month.