Park Holding First Meeting On C&O Canal Fee Plan

BRUNSWICK, Md. (AP) -- The National Park Service has canceled its first public meeting about charging entrance fees along the entire, 185-mile length of the Chesapeake and Ohio National Historical Park.

The meeting had been scheduled for Wednesday night in Brunswick but the agency canceled it, citing inclement weather. The meeting will be rescheduled.

The agency says the fees are critical to the park's operation. It currently collects entrance fees only at the Great Falls Tavern in Potomac.

The proposal includes a $30 annual pass. Otherwise, vehicles would be charged $15 for a seven-day pass from the District of Columbia to Seneca Creek, or $5 for a seven-day vehicle pass from Seneca Creek to Cumberland.

The agency is accepting public comments on the proposal through Feb. 22.

The fees would become effective May 1.

(Copyright 2015 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)