Higher Camping Fees Proposed At Assateague Island

BERLIN, Md. (AP) -- Officials are considering raising the 2012 fees for camping at Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland.

The proposal would raise the cost of regular sites in the Oceanside and Bayside campgrounds by $5 per night. The cost of a group site would increase by $10 per night. The cost for a backcountry camping permit would also increase by $1.

Individual campsites are currently $20 per night through Oct. 15, and $16 a night the rest of the year. Group campsites are $30 year-round.

Assateague Superintendent Trish Kicklighter says the fees were proposed to keep Assateague's fees in line with the fees at other area campgrounds. She says the site's entrance fees and special uses fees would not change under the proposal.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)