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Ohio State Parks System Seeks Parking Fees
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Beginning in May, visitors to Ohio State Parks will be required to display Parks Pride Passes on their motor vehicles, under rules proposed by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. The rules will allow Ohio State Parks to collect $5 for each daily parking pass. An annual pass, good for unlimited park visits for 12 months from the date of purchase, will cost $25. Out-of-state visitors will pay $6 daily, or $30 annually per vehicle for a pass, and Golden Buckeye Card holders $4 daily and $20 annually. There is no charge for walk-in visitors.If the rules are approved, Ohio will become the 45th state to enact a user fee in its park system.A majority of monies generated from the sale of passes will be returned to the park where they are collected. The balance will go into a special fund to support day-to-day operations and maintenance in all 74 state parks, according to Sam Speck, ODNR director.Introduction of the Parks Pride Pass marks a milestone in the 56-year history of Ohio State Parks. While general revenue funds and user fees generated from camping, boat dock rentals and concessionaire contracts have traditionally supported the cost of operating the state parks, those sources are no longer sufficient to ensure the standard of excellence for which Ohio State Parks are known, Speck said. "Continued reductions will place our wonderful state park heritage at risk and threaten the reputation of our parks as wholesome, family-oriented destinations," he noted.Faced with increasingly difficult budget challenges and cutbacks in state funding over the last five years, the park system has responded with significant reductions in staffing, maintenance and visitor services. For example, Ohio State Parks employed 607 full-time staff members in 2000, but cut that number to 490 employees in 2004. Only 42 of the system's 74 parks now have on-site managers. "In recent years, more and more of the state's budget has been allocated to Ohio's other needs," Speck said. "Meanwhile, despite staff reductions and other belt-tightening, the costs associated with maintaining and operating state park facilities have steadily increased." Because each of Ohio's state parks is unique in character and layout, administration of the Parks Pride Pass will vary from facility to facility. At the busiest locations, park staff will have passes available for motorists as they enter designated parking areas. At less-busy parks and times, motorists will use an "honor system" drop box to obtain a pass. Annual passes will be available for purchase at most Ohio State offices, campgrounds and lodges, at selected retail locations within individual parks, online, or by calling 1-866-OHIOPARKS later this spring after the proposed rule becomes effective.The Ohio parks system is the third most-visited state system in the country. Only California and New York average more visitors each year to their state parks, according to Speck."