Skull Hollow Campground ( Smith ) Privatized

[elaine]

The Ochoco National Forest received approval in October 2009 from the

Pacific NW Recreation Resource Advisory Committee to begin charging a $5

fee for camping at Skull Hollow Campground near Smith Rock. This was done

over significant objection from the climbing community, who are the

primary users of the site. The Forest justified the fee as necessary to

operate and maintain the campground to standard and provide increased

security.

 

Now they are including Skull Hollow in a prospectus for sites to be turned

over to a private for-profit concessionaire to operate. Concessionaires

will be invited to bid on what they will charge the public, and you can

pretty much bet it will be a lot more than $5. The funds will flow to the

private firm, with only a small percentage being paid to the Forest as a

franchise fee. Often concessionaires offset franchise fees by performing

in-kind work, in which case little or no cash flows to the Forest.

 

The process of turning a facility over to concessionaire management is

done internally and administratively, with no public notice. No public

comment is solicited either on whether to do it or on how much the

concessionaire's fees should be. Future increases in fees are approved

administratively, with no public notice, comment, or input, and no

advisory committee approval required.

 

I thought you would like to be made aware of this impending change. Skull

Hollow Campground is, for all practical purposes, about to pass out of

federal hands, probably forever. If the local climbing community has any

influence with the Forest, use it now or forever hold your peace.

 

Here is the Ochoco's letter: [

http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/centraloregon/passes/documents/Notification%20ltr%2007.15.10.pdf'>http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/centraloregon/passes/documents/Notification%20ltr%2007.15.10.pdf

]http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/centraloregon/passes/documents/Notification%20ltr%2007.15.10.pdf

 

 

In addition, there was a hint that it might be completely closed during the winter months.

Send in your comments!!!

--

Kitty Benzar

President

Western Slope No-Fee Coalition

P.O. Box 135

Durango, CO 81302

970/259-4616 (Landline)

970/946-2909 (Cell)

[ http://www.WesternSlopeNoFee.org ]www.WesternSlopeNoFee.org

[billcoe]

Thanks Kellie! This is being discussed on this thread as well. http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/983794/gonew/1/SKULL_HOLLOW_SOLD_OUT#UNREAD

 

"I thought you would like to be made aware of this impending change. Skull Hollow Campground is, for all practical purposes, about to pass out of federal hands, probably forever. If the local climbing community has any influence with the Forest, use it now or forever hold your peace."

 

I don't know if Kitty has that right - that is, if "passing out of federal hands: is accurate if they are in fact only leasing it, not selling it, to private companies. I'm musing if there might possibly be some good come out of this. Say, perhaps actual improvements that might justify the cost of staying there?