Raising fees for state parks will scare people away

Len Lacombe, Laughlin

Saturday, April 9, 2011 | 2:02 a.m.

Bob Shue, in his Monday letter to the editor, proposed a “pay as you go” system for state parks instead of $3 being added to vehicle registration fees.

At present, the daily Nevada state park entrance fee is $7 to $12, with a $2 reduction for Nevada residents.

We have an annual pass that my wife and I (snowbirds) use during the winter at Big Bend Park near Laughlin. The daily rate otherwise is $9, and I cannot believe the number of vehicles that do a U-turn instead of paying that charge. Increasing the fees will only scare more people off.

Pay as you go is not the answer. If the parks are losing money at an average admission fee of $8 to $9 and getting limited usage, the vehicle registration makes sense. Then give Nevada-plated vehicles a break and continue to charge out-of-state vehicles a surcharge.