For several years state Rep. Doyle Heffley has pushed to allow state parks like Beltzville to charge admission and parking fees.

And with the COVID-19 pandemic generating larger crowds at other parks across the state, he says there is more interest in Harrisburg than ever before.

“Many of my colleagues are now seeing the same issues at their state parks that we’ve been seeing at Beltzville for years,” he said. “We just have to look at a better way to manage it.”

Heffley on Friday introduced legislation that would allow DCNR to charge admission and parking fees at state parks. He introduced a similar bill in 2017.

While state parks are allowed to charge fees for activities like boating and swimming, the law currently states that state parks can’t charge fees for admission.

Heffley said he isn’t proposing fees at all state parks. Rather, he wants to give DCNR the option at parks that need additional maintenance, staff or infrastructure projects.

Heffley pointed to the issues at Beltzville - everything from overuse of non-picnic areas and litter left behind by guests, up to safety concerns by a lack of lifeguards.

While he wants those issues to be addressed, he opposes using more taxpayer money to do so.

“In this climate we cannot ask the taxpayers of Pennsylvania to pay higher taxes to provide free access to state parks for people who aren’t event paying taxes in our state,” he said.

He envisions something as simple as a parking kiosk, which could be easily enforced.

Surrounding states like New York, New Jersey and Delaware all charge fees for parking or admission at their state parks, Heffley said. Fees are higher for out-of-state residents because taxpayers already pay toward the maintenance of the parks.

Heffley said since fishermen must pay for fishing licenses, and boaters must buy launch permits, it’s not a stretch to make people pay a small fee if they are using beaches and picnic areas.

“We’re not looking at gouging people. We’re just looking at additional revenue to manage these parks because it’s becoming unsafe, and it’s spilling over into the community,” he said.

State Rep. Jack Rader, Monroe, has co-sponsored the bill. He said in the past, he did not support charging fees for state parks. But the pandemic has forced legislators to look for new ways to fund existing services.

He also sees the need to better manage parking and maintenance at parks like Beltzville.

“I want to see them thrive and survive, and I think in order to do that, they need proper funding. I don’t think we can get it any other way right now,” Rader said.

When DCNR was created in 1995, the enacting legislation said that the agency shall not charge admission from parks. That law is still in effect.

The law reflects a long-standing philosophy that there shouldn’t be economic barriers to Pennsylvania state parks, said Marci Mowery, president of the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation.

“We don’t charge admission to their state parks because you want people to go to state parks. People who are outside tend to exercise more which can have health benefits. A lot of our parks are located in rural economies and it brings people into rural economies,” she said.

Mowery acknowledged that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to an unprecedented number of visitors to Pennsylvania’s state parks - not just Beltzville but parks like Marsh Creek in Berks County, and Ohiopyle near Pittsburgh.

But she said a better solution might be committing to create more state parks in popular areas like Carbon County, or restoring funding from the state’s general fund. DCNR used to reserve revenue from its activity fees for maintenance, but she said more and more it uses them on day-to-day operations.

Parks are a big economic driver in the state. There are only four states in the country where residents and visitors spend more on outdoor services and products, Mowery said.

“It’s a huge economic engine for the commonwealth,” she said.