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CityGuy
10-31-2007, 07:21 AM
Hello all -
I received a message from The Arizona State Parks office asking for feedback on proposed fee increases. I know many of you are annual pass holders and use facilities like Windsor and Cattail Cove, so I thought I'd pass on this information in case you want to comment on the 25% increase in the annual pass and any of the other proposed fee hikes.
The moderators may wish to make this a sticky.
Regards -
Charlie
Summary of Changes:
The proposed changes are illustrated on the draft schedule (proposed fees are in bolded text), and are summarized below:
• Implement a 50% discount for Regular Military, Reserve, National Guard, and state militia troops and their families. This discount will satisfy the Governor’s Executive order: 2003-10.
• Implement an $11.00 camping permit for pre-arranged and limited camping at Sonoita Creek Natural Area.
• Implement a 20% discount for Commercial Tour operators at Kartchner Caverns. This discount would be available to any Commercial operator who books a group tour for Kartchner Caverns (at least 12 persons or more). Additionally, the park entry fee will be waived, each group will be provided with a “step-on guide” upon entering the park. Groups that are 16 persons or larger that take 2 tour times will also be provided with an interpretive program for the waiting members of the group.
• Implement a non-refundable reservation fee for a campsite, cabin or yurt to be equal to one nights rental.
• Use of a Dump Station, for non-camping visitors will require a fee equal to one night of the low end of the Parks non-electric camping fee range.
• Increase the daily entrance fee to $3.00 from $2.00 at McFarland State Historic Park. The subsequent Group Fee will be adjusted appropriately to $2.40 from $1.60.
• Increase the daily entrance fee to $10.00 from $9.00 at Cattail Cove and Lake Havasu State Parks.
• Increase the upper-limit of the electrified campsite range to $30.00 from $25.00 at Buckskin Mountain, River Island, Catalina, Dead Horse Ranch, Lake Havasu, Lost Dutchman, and Patagonia Lake State Parks
• Implement a camping fee range at Kartchner Caverns State Park of $19.00 - $30.00. This will replace the existing one fee of $22.00.
• Increase the “Over Night Parking” fee to $5.00 from $4.00
• Increase the Arizona State Parks Premium Annual Entrance Pass to $125.00 from $100.00
• Increase the Arizona State Parks Standard Annual Entrance Pass to $50.00 from $45.00
• Revise the definition of the “seasonal rates” at Catalina, Lost Dutchman, Oracle, Patagonia Lake, Picacho Peak, Roper Lake, and Slide Rock State Parks to read:
“Friday before Memorial Day through the end of Labor Day” instead of:
“Friday before Memorial Day through the Tuesday after Labor Day.”
To make comments on the proposed fee changes, please visit our online survey at:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=K_2fF74nlDz1svUIe2vXu85Q_3d_3d
Public meetings will also be held; meeting dates will be announced soon.
Thank you,
The Staff at Arizona State Parks

Kilrtoy
10-31-2007, 07:23 AM
Does not seem unreasonable

voodoomedman
10-31-2007, 07:45 AM
The biggest issue I see is that there isn't any rhyme or reason to the hikes like let's say 10% overall. The standard annual pass and the daily rate for state parks is 10% of an increase while the Premium annual pass is 25%. Of course there is on park in there with a 66% increase but were talking about going up a buck to 3 from 2. No I'm not happy about yet another thing going up in price but that's one of the reasons why we are planning on moving in a few years. I could be wrong here but it seems that everything to do with non-resident boating is going up dramatically to capitalize on us Cali folk. No resident registrations are waaaaaaaaaay over what they used to be and now the largest increase goes to the passes that the out of towners probably buy most of because you need it to use the parks on Friday or Saturday while the locals can buy one at less than half price since they can and mostly go on Sun-Thurs. Yes I know that there is the small percentage, albeit in large numbers, of idiots from SoCal that go and trash everything (yet another reason for the move) but we get to pay for it instead of existing laws and such being enforced.
Now that my rant is over. I would like to see most of the money from annual passes and any increases go to the actual park where it was bought and used for improvements and for enforcement and such. Cattail is nice so I won't comment but Windsor. Let's do something about the stupid dock design and let's have rangers at the ramp directing traffic and enforcing the time limit at the docks to streamline everything and make it safer and less stressful. I can never figure out why you need 3 or 4 of them in the guard house with only one lane of traffic coming in and nobody down at the ramp or patrolling the lots for security.

Havasu_Dreamin
10-31-2007, 07:54 AM
The biggest issue I see is that there isn't any rhyme or reason to the hikes like let's say 10% overall. The standard annual pass and the daily rate for state parks is 10% of an increase while the Premium annual pass is 25%. Of course there is on park in there with a 66% increase but were talking about going up a buck to 3 from 2. No I'm not happy about yet another thing going up in price but that's one of the reasons why we are planning on moving in a few years. I could be wrong here but it seems that everything to do with non-resident boating is going up dramatically to capitalize on us Cali folk. No resident registrations are waaaaaaaaaay over what they used to be and now the largest increase goes to the passes that the out of towners probably buy most of because you need it to use the parks on Friday or Saturday while the locals can buy one at less than half price since they can and mostly go on Sun-Thurs. Yes I know that there is the small percentage, albeit in large numbers, of idiots from SoCal that go and trash everything (yet another reason for the move) but we get to pay for it instead of existing laws and such being enforced.
Now that my rant is over. I would like to see most of the money from annual passes and any increases go to the actual park where it was bought and used for improvements and for enforcement and such. Cattail is nice so I won't comment but Windsor. Let's do something about the stupid dock design and let's have rangers at the ramp directing traffic and enforcing the time limit at the docks to streamline everything and make it safer and less stressful. I can never figure out why you need 3 or 4 of them in the guard house with only one lane of traffic coming in and nobody down at the ramp or patrolling the lots for security.
We buy our annual pass at Cat Tail becasuee the Ranger there told us that the majority of the money from the sale stays within the park of purchase.
As far as the prices being increased for out of state residents, well, that is the states perogative and realistically the AZ State Parks, while open for anyone to use, are primarily there for the residents of the State of Arizona. Just my $.02. That being said I still look forward to the day that we register our boat as AZ residents...

hkunz
10-31-2007, 08:01 AM
I agree that the fees sem to increase without any increase in infrastructure or services. Maybe if they were to repair the south ramp at Windsor so boats larger than 20 feet could launch without mashing thier trailers, or there could be some "signage" or guidance at the ramp so folks, especially newbies, don't wait until the boat is half in the water before they load thier coolers and kids. Enforcement of the 10 minute docking rule, also, and a breathalizer for every fishing boat that comes out of the water. (J/K, that breathalizer rule should only be for DCBs):D

2Driver
10-31-2007, 08:07 AM
You have the Clinton years to thank for being fee'd to death to use your public plans.
Christ you can't even pull over to take a picture in Sedona without having a "Red Rock pass" but that doesn’t work if you pull into hike the west fork of Oak Creek in Sedona that requires a National park pass which is not good for your boat at Bartlett which happens to be in Tonto national forest.
Then they take your $ and spend it to erect crap that no one ever uses. check out the hundreds of steel cabanas at Roosevelt or the ones at Bartlet. MIllions spent and they sit empty 1/4 mile or more from the waters edge. :rolleyes:
The whole thing just focking sucks.
Now they want to increase the fees? Fock them and the train they rode in on.:D

Baja Big Dog
10-31-2007, 08:09 AM
First of all, they can make the rates what ever they want,it is not going to affect the state AT ALL, some will come on here and try to organize a "walk out" or a campaign to not use the facilities, but in the long run we Californians (as the majority of users of these facilities) will pay the increase.
The irritating part of this is that the people that own houses in Az, as many of us do, do not benefit from the resident pricing (fee, boat registrations etc).
The other issue with this increase is that no where in the proposal did it mention where the increased monies go, or how this increase will benefit the people that pay the fees (us), or even a reason for the increase, to the tune of 10%-25% sounds small if you look at each fee increase, but its still a lot of money. Not many will complain about (at least I wont), but it would be nice to know why the increases.
Maybe they are preparing for a dramatic fall in revenue next year as a result of the economy, I know this years attendance was down from last year, the crowds were not anything that they used to be.

Phat Matt
10-31-2007, 08:11 AM
I would just hope the money goes back to making these places better in the future.

voodoomedman
10-31-2007, 08:12 AM
We buy our annual pass at Cat Tail becasuee the Ranger there told us that the majority of the money from the sale stays within the park of purchase.
As far as the prices being increased for out of state residents, well, that is the states perogative and realistically the AZ State Parks, while open for anyone to use, are primarily there for the residents of the State of Arizona. Just my $.02. That being said I still look forward to the day that we register our boat as AZ residents...
Understood but still sucks.
I agree that the fees sem to increase without any increase in infrastructure or services. Maybe if they were to repair the south ramp at Windsor so boats larger than 20 feet could launch without mashing thier trailers, or there could be some "signage" or guidance at the ramp so folks, especially newbies, don't wait until the boat is half in the water before they load thier coolers and kids. Enforcement of the 10 minute docking rule, also, and a breathalizer for every fishing boat that comes out of the water. (J/K, that breathalizer rule should only be for DCBs):D
And this is the thing. They will raise the fees but will we see any improvements? I'm not thinking any in the near future.

Not So Fast
10-31-2007, 09:13 AM
Dont forget that it was only 2 years or so ago that the annual pass was increased from $75 to $100, so now another $25 increase makes the 25% more like 50% in just a few years and that is just not right. Its mostly locals that have the pass and we are already paying increased taxes on everything including the monies to support places like Windsor. And also like VooDoo said "what improvments have you seen there" Supervision (Ranger) even on weekends is slack and very much needed. The north docks are a friggin joke and UNSAFE (they are now screwing down old road signs to cover the holes in the docks:eek:)
No, I don think the annual pass holder is getting a fair shake at all, and the increase (50% actually) is WAY OUT OF PROPORTION!! JMHO. NSF

3 daytona`s
10-31-2007, 09:22 AM
I guess the term "USER FEE" is appropriate here and to those who do not like Arizona`s ways = there is a very easy remedy.:idea:

Family Jewell
10-31-2007, 10:37 AM
I Have An Idea ! Lets Audit The Department Of Parks And Rec And See Where We Can Cut Expenses .

Baja Big Dog
10-31-2007, 10:58 AM
I say lets get rid of those dam BOATCOPS!!!:D :D
I know...I know they dont get paid out that money...just flamming up the BC!!!:D

Baja Big Dog
10-31-2007, 10:59 AM
I guess the term "USER FEE" is appropriate here and to those who do not like Arizona`s ways = there is a very easy remedy.:idea:
YA!!!!!:eek: :confused: