New Mexico delays fee increases at state parks amid criticism from House Republicans
Officials delayed raising fees at New Mexico State Parks after receiving hundreds of public comments both in support and against the proposal.
The proposal was intended to raise money for the New Mexico State Parks Division, an arm of the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, to aid in increased expenses and hire more staff.
The Division cancelled a public hearing scheduled for April 1 on the matter to give the agency more time to review feedback. EMNRD said a new meeting time will be announced “in the near future.”
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Public comments can still be submitted until March 29. The Parks Division plans to revise its proposal based on comments received and will undertake another public comment period on the rewritten rules.
The Division held 12 public meeting around the state, presenting a study it conducted on needs at the agency to justify raising some of the rates. State Parks Division Director Toby Velasquez said more than 800 comments in response to the study appeared to support revising the fee structure.
“We traveled statewide to engage with our valued customers and understand their viewpoints,” he said in a statement. “With over 800 public comments in hand, it’s clear that there’s a consensus for enhancing our fee structure. These insights will greatly enrich our revision process.”
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What did the Parks Division propose?
The Parks Division proposed a series of fee increases for users of New Mexico State Parks intended to drive up revenue.
A $5 per vehicle day use fee would be waived for New Mexico residents, but doubled to $10 for non-residents, under the proposal, while fees for primitive and developed camping would be upped to $20 from the current rates of $8 and $10, respectively.
Utility fees would go from $4 a day to $10 a day and a new $10 dump station fee would be imposed. The $40 annual day use and $100 to $225 annual camping passes would be eliminated under the proposal.
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Vessel registration fees of $28.50 to $66 would increase to $75 to $180, while a $5 vessel launch fee would be added. Parking fees would also increase from $3 to $5, under the proposal.
The Parks Division estimated the higher fees would bring about $5.3 million in added revenue to the Division. The agency also recommended reviewing fees every five years and increasing them based on inflation.
At Smokey Bear Historical Park 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. The Living Desert Zoo & Garden would see fees increase from $5 to $10.
Why does the New Mexico State Parks Division need more money?
Jared Langenegger, Parks Division field operations bureau chief said the agency’s budget remained flat or less than flat for more than a decade.
The Division’s funding saw a net decline between Fiscal Year 2010’s $29.4 million budget and $28.9 million budgeted in FY 2024, according to the agency’s records.
Meanwhile, Langenegger pointed to the State’s budget almost doubling in that time from about $9.6 billion in FY 2010 to about $18.6 billion in FY 2024. Comparable agencies like the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish also saw increased budgets during that time, he said.
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“I don’t know of any other agency out there, any other business, any other household that has operated over the last 15 years on a flat or less-than-flat budget and still operates the same amount of things they did back then,” he said during a March 1 virtual public meeting.
Meanwhile, the division’s staff was at a 27 percent vacancy rate, records show, as it struggled to offer salaries competitive with other industries, Langenegger said. He said the current budget also would not allow the Division to fill all the open positions.
“We have to make decisions on which position to leave vacant so we can meet the budget that we have in place,” he said. “When parks are operating with significant staff shortages, it creates a decline in the services we can provide. It makes it more difficult for State Parks to meet our mission.”
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More funding and personnel would prevent area closures currently in place due to low staffing, Langenegger said, allow the Division to better protect and maintain resources and improve safety for those that visit the parks.
Republicans oppose fee changes
New Mexico House Republicans criticized the Parks Division for attempting to increase costs to visitors in a letter submitted amid the public comment process. The letter was signed by all 25 GOP members of the New Mexico House and argued the higher fees could negatively impact local economies near State Parks.
Republicans did support waiving day use fees for New Mexico residents but opposed all other facets of the proposal. They called on EMNRD to engage with lawmakers ahead of the 2025 Legislative Session to address budget concerns via legislation.
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“While we can all agree that our state parks need to be cared for and maintained, we urge the Division to rethink the approach taken in the proposed rule,” read the letter. “The increased fees and new fees will make activities like camping, boating and paddle sports unaffordable for many New Mexicans at a time when they are struggling to keep up with the significant inflation of recent years.”
Republicans contended 90 percent of State Parks visitors in FY 2023 visited a lake, river or reservoir at 20 parks containing such features, visitation the lawmakers predicted would decline under the proposal. “While free park visits may result in positive economic impacts in some communities, we are concerned that the 20 state parks with lakes and reservoirs will disproportionate decreases in local economic activity as a result of increased fees for camping and boating,” the letter read.
Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, achedden@currentargus.com or @AdrianHedden on the social media platform X.
This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: New Mexico delays fee increases at state parks amid criticism from GOP
