FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 31, 2024
New Mexico State Parks to hold additional meetings on proposed fee adjustments
Public input from first round of meetings incorporated into a revised proposal
SANTA FE, NM – The State Parks Division of the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department(State Parks) announces another series of informational meetings to discuss adjustments to proposed park fees.
“We really appreciated the engagement and participation during the first round of discussions we hosted around the state on our fees adjustment proposal. “We realized that this change to our fees as originally proposed, while long overdue, required some modifications based on feedback received during our initial outreach sessions,” said Toby Velasquez, State Parks Division Director. “We have listened to this feedback and are prepared to inform the public about changes we made in response.”
As part of its fee adjustment process the State Parks Division was committed to gathering public input clearly and transparently. This included 12 informational meetings around the state both in person and virtually. More than 400 people participated in the meetings from February through March, and more than 900 written comments were received during the initial public comment period that ended on March 29. State Parks thoroughly reviewed the public input submitted during the initial comment period and adjusted the first fee revision proposal.
Some revisions include differentiated fees for residents and non-residents, maintaining annual passes at an adjusted rate, and elimination of the proposed launch fee for paddle craft. State Parks continues to evaluate options regarding day use.
Before taking this updated proposal to the rulemaking process, State Parks is announcing additional informational meetings, including a virtual option and four in-person meeting options around the state. The dates, times, and locations are as follows:
| Informational Meeting Date | Time | Location |
| Monday, June 17, 2024 | 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM | Virtual WebEx Meeting Link Pending |
| Tuesday June 18, 2024 | 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM |
Mesalands Community College Wind Energy Center |
| Thursday, June 20, 2024 | 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM |
Truth or Consequences Civic Center 400 W 4th St Truth or Consequences, NM 87901 |
| Monday June 24, 2024 | 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM |
Rio Grande Nature Center |
| Tuesday June 25, 2024 | 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM |
Navajo Lake State Park
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(NOTE: Meeting schedules are subject to change and will be publicized)
A copy of the revised fee adjustments is available to view or download in PDF format on the emnrd.nm.govwebsite under the State Parks Public Meetings page.
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