House Bill No. 5216, presented by the Committee on Environment, proposes to establish a capacity limit for Gardner Lake State Park. The bill mandates that the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection develop and publicly post the park's capacity limit by January 31, 2025. The capacity limit is to be determined based on several factors, including the number of visitors and swimmers that can be safely supervised given the staffing levels, the park's parking and public restroom capacities, and the impact of pedestrian and vehicular traffic on nearby highways that could threaten public safety or impede emergency vehicles. The bill also grants the commissioner the authority to use the number of vehicles entering the park as a proxy for the number of visitors.

Additionally, the bill requires the commissioner to coordinate with municipal and state law enforcement agencies to implement traffic control measures around the park and permits the commissioner to close the park to new entrants once the capacity limit is reached. The fiscal impact statement indicates a potential cost to the state of approximately $361,000 in FY 25 and $18,000 annually thereafter for managing pedestrian entry to the park. This includes a one-time cost for installing fencing and the recurring costs for hiring a seasonal Environmental Conservation patrol officer. The bill is effective upon passage and has received a Joint Favorable report from the Environment Committee.