State Parks And Wildlife Area Local Access Funding

The act requires the parks and wildlife commission (commission) to promulgate rules authorizing a local government to request that the division of parks and wildlife (division) charge an additional per vehicle fee, not to exceed $2, for each daily vehicle pass issued for a state park or wildlife area in the local government's geographic boundary. Upon the request, the commission must establish the fee, which will be collected on and after January 1, 2025, and transferred, minus an administrative deduction, to the local access route cash fund created by the act and then distributed to local governments to maintain and operate local access routes. The fee will be adjusted every 5 years for inflation or deflation. The division of parks and wildlife is required to collaborate with local governments to identify and study issues surrounding local access route transportation infrastructure and funding deficits and sources of funding for the routes. The division is given factors to consider and must seek input from the department of transportation and the department of local affairs before completing the study. Based on the study, the division must make legislative recommendations to the general assembly by November 1, 2024, regarding sources of funding or partnerships to assist in the maintenance of local access routes and state park services. To implement this act, $411,000 is appropriated to the department of natural resources for use by the division of parks and wildlife from the parks and outdoor recreation cash fund. APPROVED by Governor May 19, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)