No Sandy Hook fee hike in 2017: Pallone

Lots of costs will rise in 2017, but one of those that seemed inevitable takes a sudden turnabout.- Sandy Hook parking and camping fees.

Rates are not rising at Gateway National Recreation Area after all, according to shore Representative Frank Pallone (D-6), who railed against the National Park Service proposal for months and organized a public hearing to address it earlier this year.

Under aegis of Director Jonathan B. Jarvis, the Park Service sought to hike daily fees from $15 to $20, and seasonal fees from $75 to $100. For oversized vehicles longer than 20 feet, the fees would have risen from $30 to $50 daily, and from $150 to $200 seasonally.

The Long Branch Democrat fired off a letter to Jarvis before summer's end, then brought Park Service operatives face to face with Jerseyans in a hearing on the matter.

"The proposed increase would have been an additional financial burden to the individuals and families who enjoy visiting Sandy Hook, and could potentially damage the local economy, which relies in part on tourism," Pallone said in prepared comments.

"We should be looking at ways to encourage more visitors to the parks, in turn helping the surrounding economies. I am confident that NPS' decision will help keep Sandy Hook affordable for working families."

Pallone takes credit for leading the charge against a similar proposal in 2012, that would have doubled the $10 daily and $50 seasonal fees in force at the time.