Entrance fees could rise at Living Desert, 34 other New Mexico state parks

Living Desert Zoo and Garden in Carlsbad, New Mexico is the only state park that charges an individual entry fee ― $5 ― but it's not alone in an effort by New Mexico State Parks Division to raise the price to access public lands in an effort to stabilize the budgets that support each site.

The State Parks Division is seeking public input on the proposals for all 35 state parks in a series of meetings across New Mexico communities.

“Our state parks have been the crown jewel of outdoor recreation in New Mexico for 91 years and they are essential contributors to quality of life in our state,” said Toby Velasquez, State Parks Division director.

“We are decades behind surrounding states when it comes to our fees structure. Adjustments are necessary to better support these beautiful landscapes with diverse natural and cultural resources for future generations.”

Proposal would raise entry fee per person at Living Desert

Adult admission to Living Desert is $5, while children between 7 and 13 are charged just $3. Other rates for entry to the park are broken down by group size, and discounts for members of the Association of Zoo and Aquarium.

A fees study commissioned by the State Parks Division indicated that a review of other zoo fees in surrounding states "shows admission fees ranging from free to $30 per person."

According to the fee study, the prices currently charged for admission to Living Desert were implemented in 2004. It recommends "at a minimum" increasing the price of entry to Living Desert to account for inflation.

The fee study's proposed changes are to increase adult admission to $8.91 and child entry to $5.35. Youth school groups would pay 89 cents rather than the current 50 cent fee; while adult groups would pay $5.35, up from $3. Association of Zoo and Aquarium members would pay $4.46 for adults and $2.67 for children under the proposed new fees.

The Carlsbad Current-Argus reached out to Living Desert Director David Heckard, but Heckard was out of the office this week.

Visitor numbers at Living Desert

Living Desert reported 37,418 visitors traveled the park's 1.3-mile trail through mountain vistas of the Chihuahuan Desert and multiple exhibits of plants and animals native to the area in 2023.

In 2022, Living Desert saw 32,269 visitors; 37,082 in 2021. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when an emergency health order from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham closed public spaces in the state, Living Desert saw just 13,205 visitors. During the height of the pandemic, EMNRD reported half of state parks were closed, during the busiest seasons of the year severely affecting revenues.

The 2022 Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department annual report showed visitation was down that year to all state parks from 5,240,071 in 2021 to 5,004,720. Revenue also declined for the year from $4,588,159 to $4,474,751.

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Fee changes would increase annual revenue

The fee changes could increase annual revenue collected from just adult ticket sales to $190,000 per year ― that figure was based on the 19,000 adult visitors who came to Living Desert in 2022. In total, fee changes could generate $210,855 in revenue for the state park.

According to New Mexico State Parks, a portion of 30% of the budget to support state parks comes from self-generated funds through the sale of day use passes, camping and concession fees and recreational fees.

In fiscal year 2019 through 2022, state parks generated about $4.09 million in annual revenue. In 2016, a performance report card from the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department for the fourth quarter of the fiscal year noted state parks lost $5.8 million in the prior fiscal year.

Read the full report: State Park Fee Study

Restructuring fees requires public input

"New Mexico has not substantially changed its State Park fees in the past 25 years," read the fee study.

The State Parks Division hopes to gain public input into the proposed changes during a series of informational meetings scheduled throughout the state.

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Eddy County residents can chime in from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 28 at Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, 1504 Skyline Drive. A virtual meeting will be held March 1 from noon to 1:30 p.m. though the URL has yet to be provided.

Other public meetings are scheduled for 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.:

• Feb. 21: Mesilla Valley Boque State Park in Mesilla

• Feb. 22: Elephant Butte Lake State Park Boating Education Center in Elephant Butte

• March 6: Mesalands Community College Wind Energy Center in Tucumcari

• March 7: N.M. Department of Public Safety in Las Vegas

• March11: Navajo Lake State Park Visitors Center in Navajo Dam

• March 12: Rio Grande Nature Center State Park Education Building in Albuquerque

• April 1: EMNRD Wendell Chino Building Pecos Hall in Santa Fe

Other fee changes proposed in the study

The fee study proposes several other changes to state park access, including the elimination of annual camping passes, adjusting boat registration fees and increasing day use fees.

The study further proposes to adjust fees based on the home state of the visitor ― 40% of overall visitors to New Mexico parks come from Texas, Colorado and Arizona. That change, the study estimated, would bring in $12,453,100 in revenue every year.

"Increasing New Mexico's fees for non-residents would support local recreation while still providing a much-needed revenue increase," the study read.

Of the changes proposed, two target specific state park lands: Living Desert Zoo and Garden State and Smokey Bear Historical Park. At Smokey Bear, located in Capitan, an adult would pay $6, up from $2 in the fee proposal, while children ages 7 to 12 would pay $3, up from $1 for entry to the park's small museum and botanical garden.

Jessica Onsurez can be reached at jonsurez@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @jussGREAT.

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Entrance fees may rise at Living Desert, other New Mexico state parks