In a response to increased over-sand travel at Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland and Virginia, the National Park Service is tweaking its permitting program to retain more fee revenues at the seashore.

Under the changes, 100 percent of the revenue from OSV permit sales will stay in the park and are cost recovery for the management of the OSV Zone, used for maintenance, visitor and resource protection, and to enhance visitor safety specific to that area.

In the summer season of 2020, the National Seashore saw an 81 percent increase to OSV Zone use from the average use over the last five years. With this increase of use, there was also an increase of cost. The new cost recovery permit fee is intended to offset this cost to the National Seashore while not creating a significant impact to the visitors of this area.

The total number of vehicles having access to the Maryland OSV zone will remain unchanged at 145. As always, a beach driving permit is required and once the 145-vehicle limit is reached further access is limited to one vehicle on for each vehicle coming off the beach. Many OSV users arrive early and can remain on the beach overnight, if they are awake and fishing, or camping in the “Bull Pen” in a self-contained camper.

Assateague Island is a premier recreational resource, with opportunities to swim, hike, camp, fish, crab, bird, paddle, surf, bike, hunt, and use over-sand vehicles on the island. It is one of the last surviving undeveloped shorelines along the east coast.