Siuslaw National Forest

Siuslaw National Forest
4077 S.W. Research Way
P.O. Box 1148
Corvallis, Oregon 97339

(541) 750-7000
Fax: (541) 750-7234

TTY for hearing & speech impaired:
(Oregon Relay)

Fee Increase at Sand Lake and Hebo Lake

Contact: Nate Lewis 503-392-5128

March 26, 2009

Hebo, OR – In an effort to improve the facilities and services provided, camping fees have increased at Sand Lake Recreation Area and Hebo Lake Campground.

The new fee for camping at East Dunes and West Winds Camping Areas is $15 per night and Sandbeach Campground is $20 per night. The new fee for Hebo Lake Campground is $12 per night. The charge for additional vehicles has not changed in any of the campgrounds.

“ The majority of the fees go right back into maintaining the sites,” said Nathan Lewis, Recreation Staff at the Hebo Ranger District.

The fee increase will cover the rising cost to operate and maintain these campgrounds, including pumping vault toilets, maintaining the water and sewer systems, replacing fire rings and picnic tables, upgrading facilities, repaving campground roads, removing drifting sand, providing campground hosts, providing law enforcement, and other routine maintenance (e.g. garbage collection).

The fee change was recommended in January 2009 by a citizen’s advisory committee known as the Forest Service Recreation Resource Advisory Committee (RRAC). Committee members represent a broad array of recreation interest groups and help ensure that the Forest Service proposes reasonable and publicly acceptable fee changes, and addresses public issues and concerns about the fees.

In 2004, Congress passed the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (REA) allowing the Forest Service to charge recreation fees. Ninety-five percent of the fees collected are reinvested at those sites to operate, maintain, and improve recreation facilities and visitor services.

“ The decision to increase fees was not easy to make given the state of our economy,” said Lewis. “However at Sand Lake, people can still camp out on the sand or at Derrick Road for just $5 per night. There are not a lot of places where you can camp for that price that provide campground hosts and new vault toilets.”

For more information, questions, or comments about the fee increases, please contact Nate Lewis at (503) 392-5128, or visit the Siuslaw National Forest web site at http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/siuslaw/