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Commissioners approve commercial river-shuttle fee increase from $1 to $5 to fund river programs
Summary
The Board voted to raise the county commercial-use river shuttle fee from $1 to $5 per user to fund river programming (river ambassadors, river rangers, enforcement and put-in maintenance); the change is expected to raise about $15,000 and the board directed continued discussion about broader equitable user-fees.
Teton County commissioners voted on April 16 to increase the commercial river-use fee for shuttle operators from $1 to $5 per user. The change was publicly noticed as required by local ordinance and the county anticipates the increase will raise roughly $15,000 annually to support river programming.
The increase responds to a Waterways and Recreation Advisory Committee recommendation and is intended to fund river ambassadors, a river ranger program, put-in maintenance and related river stewardship activities. Staff explained that there are two permitted shuttle operators in the county; the commercial-use permit holders currently pay the fee through partner agencies (outfitters coordinate fees through the state). The fee revenue will be placed into the county’s River Fund to pay for programming, enforcement and maintenance.
In discussion commissioners noted concerns about fairness and enforcement — private, non-permitted recreational users represent a much larger share of river use than permitted shuttle operations. Commissioners directed staff to continue exploring more equitable solutions for the larger user base (for example an annual pass or business-donation approach), while approving the modest per-user increase as a near-term measure to support river programs.
MOTION and VOTE: The board approved the increase from $1 to $5 per commercial user for county commercial-use river permits; motion passed (board voice vote).
Why this matters: The change is a near-term user-fee increase aimed at funding river stewardship and enforcement as river use grows; the board signaled further work to find fairer ways to capture revenue from all beneficiaries of river recreation.
