...is a regionally active, grass-roots organization opposed to the
U.S. Forest Service Adventure Pass program in Southern California, the Northwest
Forest Pass in Oregon, and all other forms of the Recreational Fee Demonstration
Program nationally.
In 1996, Congress passed the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 1996. This bill contained a rider -- a non-debated piece of legislation -- that created the Recreational Fee Demonstration Program (Fee Demo; Public Law 104-134). The Forest Service administers the Adventure Pass and the Northwest Forest Pass as part of Fee Demo. The lands affected by the rest of Fee Demo include all 533 million acres of the Department of Agriculture Forest Service, and Department of Interior Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Fish and Wildlife Service and some 90 million acres of the Department of Interior National Park Service. Together this makes up nearly one third of the land mass of the United States; land originally designated "in the public trust"...so much for trust.
The Government was not alone in the creation of Fee Demo. Corporate lobbyists of the recreation industry drove the idea through our Congress in the hope to gain managerial control of public lands to cash in on the "commodity" value of walks in the woods, sunsets, and scenic vistas. Fee Demo not only allows the charging of fees, but also allows private entities to design and invest in the fee programs.
Follow the links in this website to learn more about this "government by experiment" program, who is behind it, and why. If you agree that this program is misdirected, join us today or support us with your contributions and get yourself a t-shirt or bumper sticker. If you are in our area, attend one of our regular meetings and get involved in the protest. To keep informed of unfolding events in this fight, subscribe to FOF's e-mail list and/or our printed newsletter. And if you're itching to speak your mind on the issue, after writing Congress, express it in on FOF's bulletin board.
Free Our Forests supporters include thousands of petition signers and FOF member groups centered in Santa Barbara, Ojai, and Los Angeles, California, and Rogue Valley, Oregon. Opposition is widespread beyond FOF, consisting of an array of differing organizations including: anti-recreation fee groups, environmentalists, off-road vehicle rights groups, anti-off-road vehicle groups, conscientious recreation companies, and hunting groups around the country, and a number of state and local governments, who are all awake and vigilant to one of the largest land swindles ever conceived. Additionally, our supporters include a large number of activists on the web.
Two academic recreation journals devoted their Fall 1999 issues to scientific studies of the Recreational Fee Demonstration Program. These studies had findings different from the Forest Service's claims, including finds of widespread opposition to the program and decreased visitation to forests where fees are in place. Furthermore, to the credit of those protesting the program, in a court hearing a federal magistrate called the Adventure Pass project -- "discretionary," and told the defendant that he did not need a pass to protest in areas where the fee is required.
Are you curious how Congress stands on this issue? Have a look at FOF's list of Fee Demo supporters and opponents in Congress.
The National Forest Defense Alliance has designed a document to be posted in your vehicle, in lieu of a pass or fee in a National Forest. The Notice of Exemption lets a Forest Service employee know that you are not recreating during your visit and, therefore, should not receive a Notice of Noncompliance.
Free Our Forests is offering a version of the NFDA Notice of Exemption and providing information on contacting the NFDA to obtain a professionally printed copy.