New state parks fee rule adopted

The Montana State Parks and Recreation Board on Oct. 15 adopted the 2014 Biennial Fee Rule, an assemblage of user fees and associated rules for the Montana State Park system.

The rule includes small increases for camping, electrical services, nonresident daily entry, nonresident annual pass, Lewis and Clark Caverns tours, rental of cabins, yurts and tepees, and shower use.

The rule also establishes new user fees for rustic camp sites, wild cave tours and sewage dump stations for nonregistered campers, as well as a sliding fee schedule based on group size for use of meeting rooms, shelters, pavilions and other facilities. The rule also gives the Montana State Parks Division the authority to implement future “premium” camp site fees.

The rule became effective immediately. Implementation, however, will take place over the next few months as currently posted fee signage is updated. Montana State Parks will honor the old user fees where ever they are posted.

Montana State Parks says user fees are critical to the support of the state park system and provide the second largest source of funding. The last increase in park user fees occurred in 2010 and applied to nonresident camping and new camping reservation fees only. The last increase in Montana resident user fees was in 2003.

To view a full version of the adopted 2014 Biennial Fee Rule visit online at http://stateparks.mt.gov/fees/feesAll.html and click “Montana State Parks Biennial Fee Rule” under the “Fee Rules” section at the bottom of the page.

A 30-day public comment period for the rule closed on Sept. 26. The majority of the comments were supportive or conditionally supportive of the fee changes.