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Recreation Enhancement Act (REA) Press Release
The Forest Service is reducing the area in Southern California where
recreation fees are required. Although 81% of the San Bernardino
National Forest will no longer require the Adventure Pass, the pass
will still be required in most locations that are popular with
visitors. The non-fee areas are more remote, have fewer visitors,
and experience fewer impacts from visitor use than fee locations.
"Recreation on federal lands has grown tremendously over the past
several years, and the recreation fee program has been a valuable
tool for allowing forest managers to meet visitor demands for
enhanced visitor facilities and services," said Forest Service Chief
Dale Bosworth. The revenues from the fees will allow the Forest
Service to continue to maintain trails, clean restrooms, pick up
trash, remove litter and graffiti, and provide visitor information
and other services.
The changes to the fee program are the result of the Federal Lands
Recreation Enhancement Act (REA), which was passed in December 2004
as part of the 2005 Consolidated Appropriations Act. REA allows the
Forest Service to charge fees for specific sites, and for heavily
impacted recreation areas that have specific amenities, including
toilets, parking, trash receptacles, picnic tables, visitor
information, and security. REA also extends the fee program for ten
years, and establishes standards that must be met before new fees can
be charged.
"The up side of these changes is that the more remote areas
of the Forest will no longer require a fee," said Forest Supervisor
Gene Zimmerman. "But the down side," he added, "is that visitors
will have a more difficult time determining where fees are
required."
Visitors who want to know whether fees are required at their favorite
recreation destination may contact the nearest Forest Service office
or look on the Recreation Fee Program website at
www.fs.fed.us/r5/sanbernardino/ap, or at our temporary website at
www.fsadventurepass.org. Here visitors will find a listing of the
locations where fees will be charged. The site also includes links
to maps showing the changes. "We'll be getting more information about
the changes to vendors soon," added Zimmerman, "and we'll be
printing new brochures with maps later this summer." The Forest
Service will also be ordering new signs that will be used to mark the
boundary of the fee areas.
"I really want to thank the public for their past support of the fee
program," said Zimmerman. "We've cleaned up the trash and graffiti,
and made many badly needed
-MORE-
repairs. We're cleaning restrooms more often, maintaining trails,
and providing visitor information. Our field rangers make regular
contact with visitors, and the forest is cleaner and safer because of
the Adventure Pass. We're proud of what we've accomplished, and the
public should be too."
The price of the Adventure Pass will remain unchanged -- $5 for a
daily pass, or $30 for an annual pass. Those visitors who have
purchased a pass for an area where fees are no longer required may
request a refund of their Annual Pass and accompanying second vehicle
pass by contacting the nearest Ranger Station any time before
December 31, 2005. "I'm hoping that people will hang on to their
passes, knowing that their fees have made a real difference, and
remembering that there are still many wonderful places to recreate
where fees are required," Zimmerman added.
The Adventure Pass was initiated in June of 1997 to reduce recreation
deferred maintenance and address problems posed by heavy recreation
use. Since 1997, more than $22 million in revenues have been
collected and invested back into the four southern California
Forests.
What Your Recreation Fees Provide
2004 Cumulative 97-04 Appropriations 04
Illegal or abandon campfires* 7,096 34,010 n/a
Emergency assists* 1,366 13,884 n/a
Information & interpretive contacts* 75,923 826,167 n/a
Violations of the CFR* 2,466 51,671 n/a
Portable restrooms, added 78 505 1
Permanent restrooms, repaired 1/ 213 611 261
Restrooms retrofitted, for ADA 8 35 0
Toilets (about 800 seats) cleaned 4-6 times more often
Trail maintenance, miles 218 2,169 195
Picnic sites refurbished 119 445 51
Campsites refurbished 145 906 30
Bear-proof containers installed 29 344 18
Trash and litter removed, cubic yards 5,356 41,538 440
Abandoned car bodies, removed 29 142 1
Graffiti removed, sites 1/ 1,448 2,469 2,468
*Additional Management services provided by Field Rangers funded by
recreation fees.
1/ The figures reported for FY 2004 reflect a change in reporting
from prior years 1997-2003 on two sub-units, which were under-
reporting accomplishments in these categories.
Records for accomplishments in the categories above do not exist
prior to 1997.
Cumulative totals may include multiple projects at the same location.
http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/sanbernardino/passes/rea.shtml
The Forest Service is reducing the area in Southern California where
recreation fees are required. Although 81% of the San Bernardino
National Forest will no longer require the Adventure Pass, the pass
will still be required in most locations that are popular with
visitors. The non-fee areas are more remote, have fewer visitors,
and experience fewer impacts from visitor use than fee locations.
"Recreation on federal lands has grown tremendously over the past
several years, and the recreation fee program has been a valuable
tool for allowing forest managers to meet visitor demands for
enhanced visitor facilities and services," said Forest Service Chief
Dale Bosworth. The revenues from the fees will allow the Forest
Service to continue to maintain trails, clean restrooms, pick up
trash, remove litter and graffiti, and provide visitor information
and other services.
The changes to the fee program are the result of the Federal Lands
Recreation Enhancement Act (REA), which was passed in December 2004
as part of the 2005 Consolidated Appropriations Act. REA allows the
Forest Service to charge fees for specific sites, and for heavily
impacted recreation areas that have specific amenities, including
toilets, parking, trash receptacles, picnic tables, visitor
information, and security. REA also extends the fee program for ten
years, and establishes standards that must be met before new fees can
be charged.
"The up side of these changes is that the more remote areas
of the Forest will no longer require a fee," said Forest Supervisor
Gene Zimmerman. "But the down side," he added, "is that visitors
will have a more difficult time determining where fees are
required."
Visitors who want to know whether fees are required at their favorite
recreation destination may contact the nearest Forest Service office
or look on the Recreation Fee Program website at
www.fs.fed.us/r5/sanbernardino/ap, or at our temporary website at
www.fsadventurepass.org. Here visitors will find a listing of the
locations where fees will be charged. The site also includes links
to maps showing the changes. "We'll be getting more information about
the changes to vendors soon," added Zimmerman, "and we'll be
printing new brochures with maps later this summer." The Forest
Service will also be ordering new signs that will be used to mark the
boundary of the fee areas.
"I really want to thank the public for their past support of the fee
program," said Zimmerman. "We've cleaned up the trash and graffiti,
and made many badly needed
-MORE-
repairs. We're cleaning restrooms more often, maintaining trails,
and providing visitor information. Our field rangers make regular
contact with visitors, and the forest is cleaner and safer because of
the Adventure Pass. We're proud of what we've accomplished, and the
public should be too."
The price of the Adventure Pass will remain unchanged -- $5 for a
daily pass, or $30 for an annual pass. Those visitors who have
purchased a pass for an area where fees are no longer required may
request a refund of their Annual Pass and accompanying second vehicle
pass by contacting the nearest Ranger Station any time before
December 31, 2005. "I'm hoping that people will hang on to their
passes, knowing that their fees have made a real difference, and
remembering that there are still many wonderful places to recreate
where fees are required," Zimmerman added.
The Adventure Pass was initiated in June of 1997 to reduce recreation
deferred maintenance and address problems posed by heavy recreation
use. Since 1997, more than $22 million in revenues have been
collected and invested back into the four southern California
Forests.
What Your Recreation Fees Provide
2004 Cumulative 97-04 Appropriations 04
Illegal or abandon campfires* 7,096 34,010 n/a
Emergency assists* 1,366 13,884 n/a
Information & interpretive contacts* 75,923 826,167 n/a
Violations of the CFR* 2,466 51,671 n/a
Portable restrooms, added 78 505 1
Permanent restrooms, repaired 1/ 213 611 261
Restrooms retrofitted, for ADA 8 35 0
Toilets (about 800 seats) cleaned 4-6 times more often
Trail maintenance, miles 218 2,169 195
Picnic sites refurbished 119 445 51
Campsites refurbished 145 906 30
Bear-proof containers installed 29 344 18
Trash and litter removed, cubic yards 5,356 41,538 440
Abandoned car bodies, removed 29 142 1
Graffiti removed, sites 1/ 1,448 2,469 2,468
*Additional Management services provided by Field Rangers funded by
recreation fees.
1/ The figures reported for FY 2004 reflect a change in reporting
from prior years 1997-2003 on two sub-units, which were under-
reporting accomplishments in these categories.
Records for accomplishments in the categories above do not exist
prior to 1997.
Cumulative totals may include multiple projects at the same location.
http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/sanbernardino/passes/rea.shtml
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