Section 216-A:3-g Fees for Park System.
The commissioner of the department of resources and economic development, in consultation with the director of parks and recreation, shall establish fees for access to and use of the state park system. The fees approved by the commissioner, after prior approval of the fiscal committee, shall not be subject to the provisions of RSA 541-A, so as to provide the department with the ability to maximize revenues and to adjust fees according to market conditions and trends as is the common practice in private industry. Said fees shall be consistent with the following criteria:
I. Fees for the use of park areas shall be designed to recover a reasonable portion of budget expenses consistent with the purposes of RSA 216-A:1 and 216-A:3. The general court does not intend that all park facilities be self-supporting.
II. Fees for the use of campgrounds and ski lifts shall be comparable with the fees for use of similar privately owned facilities. The operation of all enterprise functions within the park system, including ski lifts, food service, retail facilities, campgrounds, and other concession activities, shall be as profitable as possible, within the purposes of the park system.
III. [Repealed.]
IV. No disabled veteran of this state, upon providing satisfactory proof of a service-connected disability, shall be charged a fee for day-use admission to the state park system. Special number plates issued to disabled veterans pursuant to RSA 261:86 or a letter issued by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs certifying that the veteran suffers from a service-connected disability shall constitute satisfactory proof under this section. Any fees for the use of enterprise activities as defined in paragraph II shall be charged.
V. (a) Any active member of a federally recognized unit of the New Hampshire national guard who is a legal resident of this state, and who meets the minimum requirements for satisfactory membership, as defined in the United States Department of the Army and the United States Department of the Air Force regulations, and is serving in pay grades E1 through E6 shall not be charged a fee for admission to the state park system. This section shall apply to members of the Active Guard and Reserve program in the New Hampshire national guard.
(b) Any New Hampshire national guard member who retired in pay grade E6 or below shall not be charged a fee for day-use admission to the state park system.
(c) Any fees for the use of enterprise activities as described in paragraph II of this section shall be charged.
Source. 1985, 389:6. 1991, 355:62. 1993, 358:24. 1995, 308:127, X, eff. July 1, 1995. 1996, 210:6, eff. June 10, 1996. 2003, 153:1, eff. Aug. 16, 2003; 282:1, eff. July 18, 2003.