CUMBERLAND — U.S. Congressman John Delaney on Tuesday opposed user fees that are being considered for the C&O Canal National Historical Park and said he would request a larger budget appropriation for the popular attraction.

Delaney represents Maryland’s 6th Congressional District.

In a letter to National Park Service officials, Delaney said he is concerned that fees will “create undue financial hardship on local residents and limit the overall economic impact of the park.”

Delaney said he understands the financial pressures at the 184.5-mile long park that stretches alongside the Potomac River from Cumberland to Washington, D.C.

“But even a seemingly small fee could become large when considered over multiple visits,” he said, noting that so many Western Marylanders live near the canal’s towpath that they have come to incorporate its use into their daily lives.

Delaney’s reaction comes part way through a public comment process undertaken by NPS. Many objections to fees were heard at meetings in Hagerstown and Cumberland. Additional meeting are scheduled in Glen Echo, Hancock, Brunswick and Shepherdstown, W.Va.

At the meeting in Cumberland attended by about 125, C&O Canal Superintendent Kevin Brandt said payment and enforcement of fees would take place only at parking lots and campgrounds.

Among the fees being considered:

• Vehicle pass of $5 for seven days increasing to $15 in 2017.

• Per person pass of $3 for seven days increasing to $7 in 2017.

• Motorcycle pass of $5 increasing to $10 in 2017.