Think you're paying a bit too much to visit your local state park? If California has its way, annual park passes could climb as much as $70 come May 1. Is it shut up and pay, or don't pay and shut down?
In a story carried by the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, California State Park officials are planning on extreme "pay to play." Annual passes that allow visits to all state parks will jump from the already steep $125 to $195. Lower cost, but limited to 98 parks, the Golden Poppy pass will shoot up like flowers after a rain from $90 to $125.
Government officials blame rising costs. Official parks spokesman, Roy Stearns, told the paper, "We don’t like raising fees. But the cost of everything is going up." With government unable to resolve the issue of funding, the feeling is evidently 'pass it along to the user.'
But even the proposed fee increase won't solve it all. The state still plans to close the gates on dozens of the Golden State's parks come July 1.
California sells about 65,000 passes per year, a small number when compared to the state's population of 37.6 million. While officials acknowledge the price hike will probably reduce sales even more, they still feel they'll come out ahead.
flag face:Alex Schweigert on flickr.com
