Hawaii Considers Fees to Manage Ecotourism and Tourism Authority.

Lawmakers in Hawaii are considering legislation that would require tourists to pay for a yearlong license or pass to visit state parks and trails, in an effort to help pay for the impact of tourism on the state's unique natural environment. The fee would be a first of its kind for any US state and would follow the example of other tourism hotspots that have imposed similar fees or taxes. The legislation says proceeds would go into a "visitor impact fee special fund" managed by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.