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Sen. Keith Murphy urges higher nonresident park fees to shore up state parks' budget
Summary
At a Ways and Means public hearing, Sen. Keith Murphy said SB 511 would let the parks commissioner set higher fees for out‑of‑state visitors (example $8 vs. $4 for residents) to raise an estimated $2.2 million for maintenance; park staff warned of $100 million in deferred maintenance and cautioned about possible lost visitation if fees are set too high.
Sen. Keith Murphy introduced SB 511 at the Ways and Means subcommittee public hearing, saying New Hampshire’s state parks currently charge a uniform $4 entry fee for residents and nonresidents and proposing separate nonresident pricing to raise operating revenue.
"This bill is intended to increase revenue for our park system," Murphy said, citing a fiscal-note estimate that doubling nonresident day-use fees could generate approximately $2,200,000 in additional revenue. He repeated that he would support a smaller increase if the committee prefers: "If it came back to the committee, to the senate at $6 instead of $8, I would support concurrence." (Sen. Keith Murphy)
The bill would permit the parks…
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