HB 752 Summary

• Establishes an Environmental Stewardship Fee Program within the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) requiring visitors aged 15 and older to purchase a license before accessing state parks, beaches, forests, hiking trails, and other natural areas on state land.

• Creates an Environmental Stewardship Fee Special Fund to receive revenue from license fees, fines for violations, transient accommodations tax allocations, legislative appropriations, and grants; fund moneys support protection, restoration, and management of natural resources impacted by visitor use.

• Allocates collected revenue for direct state agency projects, program administration, grants to counties and nonprofit organizations (limited to 50% of annual revenue), and federal grant matching funds; prohibits use of fund moneys to supplant existing appropriations.

• Imposes civil fines not to exceed a specified amount for visitors who access state natural areas without a license; penalty enforcement begins five years after the Act's effective date to allow for implementation and public education.

• Effective July 1, 2027 for the licensing program and July 1, 2025 for the special fund; appropriates funds for a strategic plan and four full-time equivalent positions to administer the environmental stewardship fee program.