DNREC proposes state park fee hikes

Susan Moerschel worked for Delaware State Parks for 37 years. She said she knows what it takes to run the system.

Moershel, and her friend John Schneider, visited the Officer’s Club at Cape Henlopen State Park Oct. 1 to support a proposed increase in entrance, annual and lifetime pass fees.

“When you look at the data, and you look at what other states are charging to enter their systems or just locally, the beaches here, this is a bargain,” Moershel said.

If implemented, proposed rates are estimated to generate an additional $2.66 million annually. The proposal does not recommend increasing surf-fishing permits, which were last increased in 2019.

Employees from the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control were stationed around the room Oct. 1, standing in front of boards that listed statistics that they said back up their need for more money.

• No increase in fees since 2015

• Operating expenses up 127% during that period

• Trips to Delaware State Parks have increased 35% in the last decade.

Delaware State Parks are 65% self-funded, which comes from user fees. The other 35% comes from the general fund, or tax base.

“What were are seeing in the last several years is that all the expenses have gone up, and we all feel that,” said Matt Ritter, DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation director. “Our revenue is not quite keeping pace with expenditures, so we need to find a way to bump that up a little.”

Ritter said without an increase, some services and amenities could potentially be cut.

He said that federal water conservation, and recreation and trail funds that the parks receive are protected and not at risk from the current government shutdown.

Sally Boswell of the Preserve Our Park Coalition said her group supports the increase.

That organization mobilized in 2023 to oppose building a restaurant on the dune next to the McBride Bathhouse.

“They haven’t [raised fees] in a long time. We don’t want the parks to have to come up with ideas like a restaurant on a dune. We want them to have enough money,” Boswell said.

DNREC held similar public sessions in New Castle and Kent counties.

The agency is asking people to take an online survey on the proposed fee changes at destateparks.com/fee-proposal.

Proposed fee increases

Daily entrance

Delaware registered vehicles – Inland parks, $4 to $5; beach parks, $5 to $10

Out-of-state vehicles – Inland parks, $8 to $10; beach parks, $10 to $20

Annual pass

Delaware registered vehicles – Annual pass, $35 to $50; senior pass, $18 to $25; Delaware military pass, $17.50 to $25

Out-of-state vehicles – Annual pass, $70 to $100; senior pass, $35 to $50; Delaware military pass, $35 to $50

Lifetime pass

Delaware residents over 65 – $65 to $150.