Hey people are taking notice!

[jon]

Here is an email I just got from Scott Silver. Note that I will be moving all Fee Demo related discussion to this new forum.

Jon

------------------------------------------

Opposition to fee-demo within the climbing community is steadily mounting.

Pasted below, for example, are the comments of the Kentucky-based Red River

Gorge Climbers' Coalition on Rec. Fee-Demo.

It's nice to see so many additional organizations coming out against

fee-demo and encouraging their members to become actively involved in this

issue. Its especially nice to see interest developing in the Eastern portion

of the nation.

Scott

PS.... For those climbers and outdoor types who would like to discuss this

issue online, there is an active fee-demo discussion taking place at the

Cascade Climbers web site. To participate, go to http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/cgi-bin/search.cgi?action=intro&default=1 and

search for "fee demo".

 

PPS.... the Access Fund's opposition to fee-demo can be read at http://www.accessfund.org/programs/programs_news_pr.html

------- begin quoted -------

http://www.rrgcc.org/index.php?action=view_article&article_id=64

© Copyright 2001 - Red River Gorge Climbers' Coalition - All Rights Reserved

RRGCC - PO BOX 22156 - Lexington, KY 40522-2156 - RRGCC@RRGCC.org

The Recreation Fee Demonstration Program

Last April the Daniel Boone National Forest implemented a "fee for use," an

overnight parking fee, under the 1997 Recreation Fee Demonstration Program.

The money collected from overnight parking is being used to provide some

improved services for forest visitors, such as better trash receptacles,

trash removal services, and additional law enforcement. The Recreation Fee

Demonstration Program was adopted as part of the 1997 federal budget

package. This year Congress decides whether to make the Recreation Fee

Demonstration program permanent or not. The RRGCC, the Access Fund, the

Sierra Club, and many other groups, oppose the Fee Demo Program and

encourage everyone to read more about the program, get the facts, decide for

themselves and let their political representatives know how they feel.

The Recreation Fee Demonstration Program was adopted as part of the 1997

federal budget package. The program was given an initial three-year life to

test its applicability and benefit to agencies and public land visitors. The

program was meant to supplement budgets and meet shortfalls from

Congressional appropriations due to budget constraints. In other words,

Congress decided to try a test. Forest visitors would be charged a fee, in

some parts of the country to "enter" the forest, or in other parts of the

country to "use" the forest in certain ways, such as camping overnight.

These fees have been called fees for access (to enter the forest) and fees

for use (for example, to use the forest to camp in). If these fees "worked"

(i.e., gave land managers, such as the Forest Service, enough money to fill

in the gaps in their budget) then they would go from being a test to being

permanent. They are still in the testing stage and not considered "law" per

se in some jurisdictions. In fact, in California where campers refused to

pay the fee the court ruled in favor of the campers saying that the program

is for "demonstration purposes" and did not have the force of a federally

mandated law, yet. Until Congress makes the Recreation Fee Program permanent

the court viewed the Fee Demo Program "voluntary" and therefore

unenforceable. In fact, the Forest Service and other agencies view every fee

paid as a vote in favor of the program by the American public and evidence

to make the Fee Demo Program permanent, but only "unpaid" fees are

registered as a no vote.

Many people and groups, including the Access Fund and the Sierra Club, are

opposed to the collection of fees from the American public to use or visit

their own forests. Despite the obvious need for more money for our forests,

many feel the correct solution is for Congress to give land managers more

money collected from our taxes and not charge the American people twice for

the same thing. The two main criticisms of the Demonstration Fee Program

are: it is inherently unfair to people who cannot afford the additional fee,

and it would allow Congress to continue to reduce the Forest Service's

budget.

This year Congress decides whether to make the Recreation Fee Demonstration

program permanent or not. You can tell Congress what you think and whether

you want to pay for public lands use and management through your already

collected income taxes, or through use and entry fees collected in our

forests. We think the better way is to have Congress stop reducing land

management agency budgets and to increase funding for recreation and

resource management programs, and sustain these improved funding levels in

the future.

What do you think? To learn more about why people are opposed to this

program visit .www.freeourforests.org. Personal letters through regular mail

are the best way to let congress know how you feel on this issue. To find

your representative and their address visit a www.senate.gov. or www.house.gov.

We will be posting more information on this issue. Click on "Access Issues"

on our menu to read the Access Fund's position on the Fee Demo Program.

-------

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Scott Silver

Wild Wilderness

248 NW Wilmington Ave.

Bend, OR 97701

phone: 541-385-5261

e-mail: ssilver@wildwilderness.org

Internet: http://www.wildwilderness.org

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^