A new system for Oahu residents to apply for camping permits in county parks is expected to go online early next year.

The city Parks and Recreation and Information Technology departments are finalizing contract language with a vendor who would have the system up and running early in 2012, said Louise Kim McCoy, city spokeswoman.

"It is something that we are pursuing, and we’re in the process of making it happen," McCoy said.

At an August meeting of the City Council Parks and Cultural Affairs Committee, Parks Director Gary Cabato said the online permit system would become effective in January and incorporate new camping fees passed by the City Council this year. The measure, Bill 60 (2010), became law in June without Mayor Peter Carlisle’s signature.

Fees range from $5 per day for campsites holding up to five people to $312.50 per day for sites that can accommodate up to 250 people. Fees will be deposited into a camping revenue account and used for park maintenance and improvements.

People will also be charged a $2 administrative fee per permit, with those funds going toward costs for the online processing system, according to the Council’s committee report.

Currently, camping permits must be obtained in person at the Parks Permits Section on the ground floor of the Fasi Municipal Building or at satellite city halls in Kapolei and Wahiawa.