For the first summer ever, commercial tour operators that bring customers to Petroglyph Beach will be required to pay their licensing fees to the borough, which intends to use the money to help maintain and improve the popular site.

Up until this year, operators were supposed to buy an annual license and pay a per-customer fee to the state, but the Alaska Division of Parks never invoked the 2000 requirement until a couple of years ago and only a couple of operators paid for a license.

In a negotiated deal last year, the state agreed to let the borough keep the collections and enforce the permit requirement at Petroglyph Beach State Historic Site.

The fee, which is set in state law, is $6 per commercial customer, plus an annual $350 license — the same as charged for businesses that use other state parks and historic sites.

The fee is not required for people who take friends and family to the beach — only for paid tours.

Economic Development Director Kate Thomas explained that this shift in management from the state to the borough is designed to protect the park’s cultural resources while funding necessary improvements.

“The borough wanted to make sure the collected fees could benefit the local infrastructure and help with the custodial costs,” she said. This new direction follows a memorandum of understanding signed last summer between City Hall and the state.

Under this agreement, the borough is now responsible for the administrative work of collecting fees and monitoring activities at the park.

The goal of the new system is to create a sustainable way to care for the historic site using the money generated by the tourism industry.

“We started clean this year with encouraging people to obtain fees and permits in order to keep the money local,” Thomas said. “That primarily applies to tour operators and other businesses that might take groups there.”

Operators must first apply through the Alaska Division of Parks online portal, which then forwards the application to borough officials for review.

Thomas said the state will issue the permit after the borough gives the OK. Tour operators will pay their license fee directly to the borough. At the end of the season, they must submit a report and the per-person client fees to City Hall.

The money will be used for multiple projects. Thomas said there are some maintenance needs, such as cleaning displays and interpretive signs, as well as replacing or upgrading decking.

The historic site features a boardwalk, viewing platform and educational exhibits that require regular attention to stay in good condition. “That’s not anything we can get completed in just one year, but within 5 to 10 years,” she said.

Beyond basic repairs, there is also planning for better access to the beach. Thomas noted the borough is looking into the possibility of expanding the right of way at the road entrance to allow for some parking. This would help solve a recurring safety issue on the narrow residential street leading to the site.

“As it is currently, it’s a residential road and it’s narrow,” she said. “So, when a large bus pulls in and parks and tries to turn around, it can create a little bit of a road hazard.”

The potential for revenue is significant if tourism remains steady. For example, if operators bring 7,000 customers to the beach — representing roughly 10% of this summer’s anticipated cruise ship passengers — the borough could collect around $45,000 to invest back into the historic site.

Thomas said the Economic Development Department and Parks and Recreation will work together to make plans for the money.