State Rep. Lundy Kiger, R-Poteau, hosted an interim study on state park parking fees before the House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Natural Resources and Regulatory Services

Kiger said he requested the study after the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department’s started charging parking fees of between $8 to $10 at about half of Oklahoma’s state parks earlier this summer.

“I wanted to give members of the Tourism Department the opportunity to present their case and answer questions as to why they feel these fees are necessary,” Kiger said. “I also wanted to give other lawmakers a chance to publicly voice their concerns and ask questions. This also allowed several people from the public and private sector the ability to share their ideas of raising revenue for our parks without unduly charging locals or those of low income.”

Kiger said after the Tourism Department raised parking fees in June at many of the state parks, he heard from other lawmakers and many constituents who felt the fee structure was unfair to locals and those of low or limited income who have enjoyed the natural resources in their areas for years without paying an extra fee. He said these people are not opposed to charge out-of-state visitors, but they believe they’ve already contributed their share for the parks and their regular maintenance and upkeep by paying local and state taxes.

Jerry Winchester, executive director of the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department, and Deputy Director Gino DeMarco spoke at the meeting explaining that the cost of upkeep and maintenance at the state parks far exceeds the amount appropriated to the parks each year by the Legislature or raised in the forms of usage fees. They said the parking fees are allowing them to maintain roads, bridges and parking lots at the parks as well as put in new restroom facilities, upgrade restaurants, lodges, cabins and other amenities.

They said rather than consider each park individually, they are trying to treat the system as a whole. They conceded, however, that some parks like Alabaster Caverns or Little Sahara in the Northwest portion of the state charge entrance fees instead of parking fees. So there are some exceptions. Jenson presented an idea of public-private partnerships