CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine Tour buses visiting the popular Portland Head Light and adjoining Fort Williams Park will be hit with a $40 fee starting in June.

Imposition of the fee, which was adopted by the Town Council of Cape Elizabeth, has outraged bus operators in the Northeast and New England because it applies only to tour coaches.

Others visiting the lighthouse and park will continue to pay nothing.

The Portland Head Light is a 225-year-old lighthouse in Cape Elizabeth, sitting at the entrance of the shipping channel into Casco Bay. Construction of the headlight was started in 1787 -- at the direction of George Washington, and it is part of Fort Williams Park.

The Museum at Portland Head Light is located within the former lighthouse "Keepers Quarters."

Also on the site is a seasonal shop featuring lighthouse and Maine- related gifts. Tour bus passengers reportedly account for a third of the gift shops annual receipts.

The adjacent 90-acre Fort Williams Park offers picnic facilities, hiking opportunities, sports and recreation areas, historic fort structures, and unlimited ocean views.

The popular landmark and tourist attraction is owned and managed by Cape Elizabeth. Late last year, the town council voted 5-2 to impose a $40 fee for each bus entering the park and lighthouse grounds. The fee was instituted to help pay for upkeep and other costs.

However, coach operators in Maine and throughout New England became upset when they learned the fee appeared to be discriminatory, applying only to tour buses.

It is thought likely operators will seek to have the fee lifted or modified before it is fully implemented in June, when the tourist season begins.

Meanwhile, Cape Elizabeth officials are making plans for collection of the fee.

Town Manager Michael McGovern said the community plans to set up an online payment system that will allow bus operators to print out a pass. A billing system for frequent visitors also is under consideration.

Buses serving cruise ships that stop in the area already have established payment arrangements, according to McGovern.

Greeters will be on site daily to accept cash payments.

Currently, McGovern is handling inquiries about the fee and payment arrangements. Contact him by email at michael.mcgovern@capeelizabeth.org, or by phone at (207) 799-5251.

The 80-foot Portland lighthouse still has a beacon and fog signal that are owned and maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard as an aid to navigation. The beacon reportedly is visible from 24 miles away.