DNREC is exploring the possibility of raising fees at Delaware State Parks.
DNREC will hold three open houses – one in each county – to discuss a possible plan to raise entrance, annual, military, senior and lifetime pass fees.
No plan has been finalized, but the hope is to have one for the public to discuss at the open houses.
Delaware State Parks are 65% self-funded through visitor user fees.
Those fees help cover day-to-day costs to operate the parks, maintain grounds and facilities, provide visitor services, lifeguards, public safety and programming.
DNREC’s Division of Parks and Recreation director Matt Ritter explains why a possible fee increase is needed.
"So, since 2015, which is the last time we did a fee increase, our parks have seen an additional two million visitors a year, about eight million total. At that same time, our expenses have grown by nearly 127%. Just like everybody else, our expenses go up," said Ritter.
Ritter notes the status quo is just not sustainable.
He says while they haven’t finalized any plans, there have been discussions on how to best help fund Delaware State Parks.
"We're really doing our analysis now, a deeper analysis. We have meetings regularly to look at our budget. We've done budget cuts internally over the last two years just to make our ends meet, but like I said, we're at a point that we just can't keep pace anymore,” said Ritter. “So, we're in that final evaluation."
The first open house is September 30 at the Blue Ball Barn in Alapocas Run State Park, the second is at the Officers Club at Cape Henlopen State Park on October 1 and the third at Killens Pond Nature Center in Killens Pond State Park October 2.
All three start at 5:30pm.
