GF&P Proposes Camping Fee Increases

KJAM reports this morning that SD Game Fish & Parks is proposing increases in camping fees at our state parks. $2 more for a night of regular camping, $3 more for a cabin, and $25 more for a group lodge. That would bring a night at beautiful Lake Herman State Park to $12 for the occasional hardy tenter who decides to rough among the rolling Super 8's that generally dominate the camping landscape in our fair state. A night in the group lodge up at Lake Thompson or down at Newton hills would climb to an even $200 (about $17 a head if you max out the lodge capacity -- see the full list of current state park fees).

This writer feels a little twinge at the thought of increased fees for a favorite pastime. Even a hike on the Mickelson Trail may cost more, rising from $2 to $3 for a one-day pass and from $10 to $15 for a season pass. There is a temptation to argue that, with the Zaniya Project's focus on individual wellness, we perhaps ought to lower our state park fees to encourage more people to get out for some vigorous activity amid the splendor of nature.

We have to pay for our parks somehow, though, and here is a situation where proportional user fees make some sense. RVs bring in garbage, noise, even (if you want to be really picky) more visual pollution -- 36 feet of aluminum and fiberglass obstructing a perfectly good view of the lake. They consume more electricity and dump more waste; they should expect to pay higher fees for their use of park resources. Tenters tread more lightly on the parks, but they, too, should chip in for the resources they consume.

Nonetheless, we should never expect user fees to completely pay for the parks. GF&P says that "park entrance licenses and camping fees comprise nearly half the entire funding needed to operate the state parks and recreation areas." Some might say the parks should support themselves and not take money from non-users, but parks, like schools and roads, are public good that should be supported in significant part by general public dollars. Campers are getting a very personal benefit -- playtime outside, enjoyment of a sunset on the lake or moonrise over Philosophizing Peak (that's what Dad called it, the hill east of Herman Pond), but at some level that exercising or philosophizing or just plain resting folks do while camping is a public good as well. They appreciate nature a little more, maybe litter a little less, and go back to work tanned, rested, and ready. And we all like happy campers.

Parks are also important public space. User fees may be necessary, but we should always make sure they do not price any citizen out of enjoying them. Even the low-wage working man just barely making ends meet deserves the occasional weekend when he can take his family to the park to look at pelicans and pine cones, roam under the blue sky, and tell stories and sleep under the stars. Support for state parks through the general fund keep those family outings affordable for more families

People need wilderness. Even a busy campground like Lake Herman State Park still offers plenty of tree and open prairie where one can find a quiet spot, get away from the machines and metropolitan madness, and hear oneself think. Getting in touch with nature and with oneself isn't hippie hogwash; it's part of simple personal wellness that contributes to societal wellness. Campers will likely have to pay higher rates next year to support that effort, but we should continue to support our parks through the general fund as well.