SPRINGFIELD | Money raised from higher camping and hunting fees will help Illinois keep its state parks open, officials said Tuesday.
A day after unveiling a plan to charge campers and hunters more to enjoy the outdoors, the Blagojevich administration defended the proposal as a way to stave off cutbacks that have been threatened in other states.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources, which manages the state's parks system, wants to boost the cost of an electric hookup at a campsite from $5 per day to $10 per day. Rates for sites on holiday weekends would be $10 more per day. Also, out-of-state hunters would pay more for archery and firearm licenses.
The estimated $33 million those increases would produce, as well as a half-dozen others affecting businesses and local governments, would go back to the agency and not be used to help close the state's $750 million budget hole.
DNR spokesman Chris McCloud said the money will go toward parks programs "making the agency more self-sufficient."
"It means less competition with thousands of other uses clamoring for funds," McCloud said.
State Rep. Dan Reitz, D-Steeleville, chairman of the Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus, said Tuesday he is keeping an open mind about the proposed increases.
Reitz said there may not be a great outcry over higher parks fees if the increases keep costs in Illinois comparable to neighboring states.
"If this is just to raise extra money for the state, that is not prudent. If it goes to help the parks and programs, it may be a reasonable approach," Reitz said.
The state last raised camping fees in 2004, when campsite costs rose by $4 to $5 per day.
McCloud downplayed the size of the proposed increases.
"Unlike states like Michigan who are proposing to close many campgrounds and raise fees for in-state hunters, we are asking for these modest increases to recoup the rising costs of operations so we can continue to provide these services to our visitors," he said.
Kurt Erickson can be reached at kurt.erickson@lee.net or (217) 789-0865.
