The following editorial appeared in the Red Rock News on November 3, 1999.
Outdoor enthusiasts are used to paying fees for certain types of recreation.
People who hunt or fish have to buy state and federal licenses, depending upon what species they pursue. They also pay excise taxes - which they asked for, themselves - on hunting and fishing equipment.
Visitors to national parks and many state parks expect to pay fees to enter. After all, paved nature trails, interpretive signs and picnic pavillions all take money to build and maintain.
Campers using developed campgrounds on local, state or federal land know they will pay for the convenience of toilets and other amenities.
The adage: "There is no free lunch," seems to be as true in the out of doors as it is anywhere else.
That is, with one notable exception.
National forests have long been considered by many hunters, fishers, hikers, campers, birders, and backpackers as the last refuge of freedom of access and freedom of movement.
People could enter real wilderness in national forests without being charged, counted or controlled. No theme-park perks, no theme-park herds.
Enter at your own risk. There are no gatekeepers in our national forests.
At least, that's the way it used to be.
Nowadays, the idea of charging fees for access to national forest lands is growing. Some forests charge fees for various recreational uses. Other forests are charging fees for access only to special sites, such as Pataki Ruins and the V Bar V Ranch. Still others have avoided using any fee system.
The managers of those forests that shun fee systems recognize that we, Americans - especially in the West - need free access to wilderness.
Now the Coconino National Forest is planning to charge fees for certain types of recreation around Sedona.
"We are designing a business. When this is all done, we will create a product line that has a price tag," said Ken Anderson, Sedona-Beaver Creek District ranger.
That must have been what Walt Disney said when he started building Disneyland in California.
It is hard to imagine that most users of the national forest want it turned into a business.
It seems inconceivable that forest managers view a wilderness experience as "a product line... with a price tag."
They will never "create a product line" out of national forest. That was done by nature.
This "product" is wilderness, and it is owned by the American public. Our entry fees are paid each time federal taxes are withheld from our paychecks.
Overall, the Forest Service does a comendable job of protecting and maintaining this country's national forests. At the same time, the service provides excellent recreational opportunities and wilderness experiences.
The Sedona-Beaver Creek District is no exception. It does a great job of managing one of the busiest sections of national forest in the United States.
The local district's desire to keep up with the area's increasing tourism is understandable, but its proposed method is misguided.
The district should focus on managing the forest, not the people who already pay to use it.
- Philip Wright
Staff Writer