About Recreation Fees
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Recreation Fees
More and more people recreate on national
forests and grasslands every year. Meeting the increasing needs
of these visitors, delivering quality recreation, heritage and
wilderness opportunities, and protecting natural resources has
become challenging.
To help address this issue, President
Bush signed the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement
Act (REA). The Act permits federal land management
agencies to continue charging modest fees at campgrounds, rental
cabins, high-impact recreation areas and at day-use sites that
have certain facilities. The Act defined the following fee categories:
Standard
Amenity Fees
Examples: Picnic areas, developed
trailheads, destination visitor centers, high impact recreation
areas
Explanation: Typically,
standard amenity fees are day use fees, often covered by a
day or annual pass. Each site or
area must contain six "amenities," which
are picnic tables, trash, toilet, parking, interpretive signing
and security.
Expanded
Amenity Fees
Examples: Campgrounds, highly developed
boat launches and swimming areas, cabin or lookout rentals. Services
like hookups, dump stations, special tours, transportation systems
and reservation services.
Explanation: Provides direct benefits
to individuals or groups.
Special Recreation Permits
Examples: Shooting
ranges, special events, specialized trail systems
Explanation: Permits are issued
when extra measures are required for natural and cultural resource
protection, or the health and safety of visitors. They may
also be used to disperse recreation use or help ensure that
the number of visitors does not exceed the capacity of the
land.
Recreation Enhancement Act Information
The
previous Recreation Fee Demonstration program was enacted by
Congress in 1996. In December 2004, Congress enacted the Recreation
Enhancement Act, which gave federal agencies a long-term, multi-agency
recreation fee program. Recreation fees provide crucial resources
that allow the federal agencies to respond to increased demand
on federal lands. The goal is to provide visitors with a quality
recreation experience through enhanced facilities and services.
- Recreation Fee Legislation Summary
- Recreation Fee Legislation Text
Forest Service Guidelines
The Forest Service has developed implementation
guidelines that follow the Act and give direction on where and
how fees can be charged.
Information Resources
Revenue and Expenditures
Public Involvement
Guidance
- Forest Service Public Involvement
Strategy for Recreation Fees - October, 2006 (22
KB PDF)
- Interagency Public
Involvement Guidelines for Recreation Fees - September 28,
2005 Federal Register Notice (50
KB PDF)
Recreation Resource Advisory Committees
Program Audits
- 2006 General Accounting Office Report
- 2003 General Accounting Office Report
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