BERLIN – Berlin officials offered their support for proposed fee increases at Assateague Island National Seashore following a presentation by park staff this week.
Debbie Darden, superintendent of Assateague Island National Seashore, approached the town in an effort to get feedback on the potential fee hikes from the communities served by the park.
Members of Berlin’s town council told her they didn’t believe the increases were out of line.
“It’s still a good deal,” Councilman Thomas Gulyas said.
Darden explained that fee increases were being proposed in 2015 for National Park Service sites throughout the country. As a Group 2 park, Assateague is set to see its annual pass increase to $40. The per-vehicle cost, which was previously $15, would jump to $20 a vehicle.
“We’d also be increasing camping fees to more where they are in the local community,” Darden said.
She said the increase, which is expected to go into effect this spring, would be the first at Assateague since 2008. Following that fee increase the park’s visitation numbers dropped slightly, according to Darden.
“We don’t know if it was that [fee increase] or the economy,” she said, adding that the level of patrons bounced back in 2009.
She said the price changes proposed for this year were not expected to have a large impact on visitation. She pointed out that $40 — the projected price of the annual family pass — was less than a family of four would pay to go to the movies.
Darden said the money raised by admission fees was used to pay for items and services that directly benefited visitors during their time at the park — things like lifeguards and bathrooms.
“It doesn’t get spent on anything behind the scenes,” she said.
Councilmember Lisa Hall said the camping fee increases proposed would bring the national park’s prices in line with those at other area campgrounds.
“I don’t think $5 or $10 is going to keep people from taking a vacation,” she said.
Darden said she hoped that was true. She said the proposed camping rates had been developed after a market study.
Berlin Mayor Gee Williams thought the rate hikes were reasonable.
“Unfortunately inflation is real,” he said. “We don’t want to become exclusive but we want to make sure we’re providing quality services.”
The public comment period for the proposed increases closed Jan. 12.