By Paul Hammel
LINCOLN — Visiting a Nebraska state park or recreation area would be more expensive under a proposal to be considered next week.
The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is proposing to increase the annual park entry permit for residents from $30 to $35. The daily permit would rise from $6 to $7 beginning Jan. 1.
The governing board of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will consider the increase at its Aug. 4 meeting in Valentine.
Nonresidents would pay more, too
Under the proposal, nonresidents would pay $70 for an annual park-entry permit, up from the current $60, with a daily permit increasing from $12 to $14.
According to the Game and Parks annual report for 2022, sales of park stickers totaled $8.68 million that year, which was about 8% of the agency’s total revenue. The top two revenue sources that year were camping/lodging fees and hunting licenses, which generated nearly $17 million each.
Sales of park entry permits were down about 11% in 2022, which the agency blamed on inflation and high fuel costs that summer. 2021 was also the year people flocked to state parks and other outdoor areas that were not closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.