Public input accepted through Dec. 22
MONTANA FISH, WILDLIFE AND PARKS
HELENA – Even though the summer season at Montana
State Parks is over, plans for the management of those parks is really hitting
its stride.
It’s been a
busy 18 months for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Gov. Steve Bullock’s Parks
In Focus commission issued its final report in 2018 making several
recommendations about funding and management of state parks. A legislative
audit was also completed with several recommendations for oversight and
funding.
“We made a
commitment to the public in 2017 that we would put parks on the right path to
ensure their management and future,” said FWP director Martha Williams. “We’ve
had a lot of help along the way in making these changes and now we’re beginning
to see the pieces fall into place.”
Earlier this
year, Bullock signed Senate Bill 24, a bipartisan effort to raise the voluntary
light vehicle registration fee from $6 to $9. This optional fee supports not
only state parks, but fishing access sites, recreational trails and historic
properties in Nevada and Virginia cities.
This funding
was critical for parks management and to make progress toward a backlog of
maintenance needs.
This past
summer, FWP finalized its revision of the parks classification policy, which
will give the department clearer direction on how to manage parks based on the
type of experience and level of services provided. The new Classification
and Investment Strategy Policy will ideally make it easier for visitors to
distinguish between the wide array of options that the park system offers.
“We
recognize that visitors want a range of experiences and with this new system of
designations, members of the public, current and prospective partners, and
other important constituencies will be able to better understand what to expect
and how we are managing each site, now and into the future,” said parks
division administrator Beth Shumate. “This policy will also help guide our
decisions around resource allocation and serve as a framework for better
investing in parks across the state.”
FWP
regularly reviews fees charged at parks. Approximately 25 percent of the
overall state parks operations budget is derived from user fees. Park
entrance fees which are paid by nonresidents, but waived for residents through
their vehicle registration, are an important part of helping state parks keep
pace with rising costs of pumping toilets, fuel, utilities and supplies to keep
parks running smoothly. Modest increases for some of those fees are
proposed to address rising operations costs and improve visitor experience.
Annually,
Montana State Parks see more than 2.5 million visitors from all over the world.
They come to visit developed parks, like Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park, or
more remote experiences like Brush Lake State Park in the far northeastern part
of the state.
The proposed
fee increases will not impact camping fees, but rather are focused in other
areas, including nonresident annual passes, RV dump fees and nonresident daily
entrance fees. The proposed increases will bring in about $200,000 for parks operations.
“Our
visitors have come to expect a great level of service at Montana State Parks,”
Williams said. “Our commitment to them is to continue to provide amazing
opportunities outside with exceptional facilities, infrastructure and service.”
Public
comments on the proposal will be accepted through Dec. 22.
Visit stateparks.mt.gov/news/publicNotices/biennial-commission-rule/pn_0008.html for more information or to comment online. Comments can also be emailed to fwpparksrules@mt.gov or sent by mail to Montana State Parks, 2020/2021 Fee Schedule, P.O. Box 200701, Helena, MT 59620.
