CrackMaster

The following letter was published in the Pasadena Star - News Friday, August 22, 2003. Dreier Disappointment As chairman of Free Our Forest, L.A, we are very disappointed that Representative David Dreier R-Glendora has changed his position and is now supporting the unpopular Recreational Fee Demonstration Program (Fee-Demo) which is known as the Adventure Pass here in Southern California. We have provided the proof that this test program was fostered by the American Recreation Coalition (ARC) to hijack our public lands for commercialization and privatization. Part of the ARC agenda with the help of congress is to eliminate free access to all public lands so commercial offerings of recreation will be more saleable. Resolutions against the Adventure Pass Program have been passed by the California Senate and Assembly, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and four Southern California Counties. Dreier obviously believes that corporate profits are much more important than representing the wishes of his constituents and doing his best to preserve the principles of freedom that our forefathers fought and died for. The day we are required to show a permit to visit our own public lands, we have lost a very important piece of our freedom. Dreier has either not read or chooses to ignore the Forest Service Fee-Demo April 2003 GAO report #03-470 which is scandalous and totally discredits any justification for this test program. The Forest Service GAO report #03-503 published May 2003 states “The Forest Service has not been able to provide congress and the public a clear understanding of what its 30,000 employees accomplished with the $5 billion it receives every year and is at a high risk of waste, fraud, abuse and mismanagement”. There is plenty of federal funding for the Forest Service without the Adventure Pass if they were made accountable for the federal appropriations they receive every year. Their recreation budget has increased from $267 million in 1996 to $390 million in 2002 as stated in the GAO report # 03-470. We hope Dreier will reconsider his position on this issue in the best interests of our country. Robert W. Bartsch

Dear Fee-Demo Opponent - The House of Representatives will begin debate on the Fiscal Year 2004 Interior Appropriations Bill at 3:00 PM (EST) today, July 16th. Contained within that legislation is language that would, unless it is removed, extend the Recreation Fee-Demonstration Program for yet another two years. That is not only ridiculous, it is unacceptable. In 1996, Congress authorized Fee-Demo as be a THREE year test. The time has come for this unpopular and ineffective program to be recognized, once and for all, as a failure and for fee-demo to end. Fortunately, a bipartisan effort has come together within the House of Representatives for the purpose of removing the offending language from the Appropriations Bill and to allow Fee-Demo to peacefully terminate next year. Within the next 24 hours, Representatives Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Jeb Bradley (R-NH) will introduce an amendment to remove the Fee-Demo extension language. Your help is urgently needed to help pass that amendment. HERE'S WHAT TO DO: Please call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and asked to be connected with the office of your Representative. When connected, ask to speak with the Public Lands Staffer. If that person is unavailable, then speak directly to the receptionist. Tell him or her that you strenuously oppose the Recreation Fee Demonstration Program and that you encourage your Representative to vote in SUPPORT of the DeFazio / Bradley amendment that will strike the two-year extension of Fee-Demo from the Interior Appropriations Bill. This call is IMPORTANT. Thanks you for your help. Scott and Bob ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Scott Silver and Bob Bartsch Wild Wilderness Free Our Forests LA

Does anyone know if there is snow on Kangaroo Pass, I would like to take my son climbing Wallabee Peak.

Bravo!! I agree, I have never paid a fee and I never will.

Doug, It's nice to see someone else inflamed by fee demo. Its an outrage. Last weekend, my husband and I took our son to Peshastin Pinnacles and guess what? A $5 fee to park in the parking lot. We were upset to say the least, complements of fee demo. We've been going there for years. It's an outrage to no longer be able to enjoy public lands (no longer public). For someone who's grown up in the Northwest, I've spent my whole life, hiking, climbing, camping, etc... That's what we did for fun, we never had any money and taking the kids camping with a package of hot dogs and soda was it. Well, if you can't pay you can no longer play. It's a shame and scarey; the exploitation and privatation that is sure to follow if fee demo becomes permanent, sad.... It looks like we're on the same e-mail list. I receive e-mail from Scott Silver all the time. I've printed out his flyer and posted hundreds of them on parked vehicles up the icicle in Leavenworth. No one has ever called me. I've written a couple editorials on fee demo and state park fees in the Wenatchee World. It's good to see someone else in these parts interested in putting a stop to this regressive tax. Good luck and take care. Betty Merriman