Public Hearing on Proposed 2027 Dane County Parks Fee Increases

The Dane County Park Commission will hold a hybrid public hearing on Wednesday, June 10 at 5:30 p.m. to review proposed 2027 park fees. Community members may attend in person or virtually via Zoom. 

Each year, the Park Commission reviews and updates the fee structure for services in county parks to help offset operational and maintenance costs. 

Proposed changes for 2027 include: 

• Increases to annual permit, camping and shelter reservation fees 
• An increase in daily permit fees to align with the Wisconsin State Park entry rate of $13 
• More substantial increases for non-Dane County residents, including the introduction of non-resident rates for permits that do not currently have that category 
• No increase to resident annual cross-country ski permit fees, recognizing that climate change continues to make snow conditions in southern Wisconsin increasingly unreliable 

A full list of current and proposed 2027 fees is available at: www.danecountyparks.com/about/fees 

Financial assistance and youth program scholarships are available to Dane County residents in need. 

The public hearing will be held in person at the Heritage Center, 3101 Lake Farm Road, Madison, WI, and virtually via Zoom. Paper registration forms for those wishing to provide public comment in person will be available onsite and accepted throughout the duration of the hearing. 

To join the meeting on Zoom, use the following registration link. After completing the form, the meeting link and access information will be emailed to you: 

https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Xs1BmBEmREWYgSELLKGD3A#/registration  

This link will be active until the end of the meeting. 

Virtual registration to provide public comment will be accepted until 30 minutes before the start of the meeting. To testify virtually, participants must attend the meeting by Zoom or phone. Speakers will then be unmuted or promoted to panelist status and given time to speak. 

To join the meeting by phone, dial-in using one of the following three toll-free phone numbers: 

1-833-548-0276 
1-833-548-0282 
1-888-788-0099 

When prompted, enter the following Webinar ID: 970 9986 0708 

If you are unable to attend the meeting, feedback and questions may be sent to LWRD@countyofdane.com, or mailed to the Dane County Park office at 5201 Fen Oak Drive, Room 208, Madison, WI  53718. Staff will forward submitted emails and materials to members of the Park Commission. 

Permits are available online at www.reservedane.com, by calling (608) 224-3730 or at the  

Parks office located at 5201 Fen Oak Drive, Room 208, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 

For more information, please contact Dane County Parks at (608) 224-3730 or visit the parks website at www.danecountyparks.com