On January 14, the Board of Commissioners
of Montezuma County, Colorado voted 2-1 to pass Resolution #1-2002. The
resolution requests that no recreational fees be implemented in Montezuma
County.
The resolution reads as follows:
"WHEREAS, in 1996 Congress authorized the Recreational Fee Demonstration Program, which allows the United States Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to charge visitors daily and yearly fees for recreation on publicly owned land under their management; and
WHEREAS, several Fee Demo programs have actually been implemented in Colorado, including Yankee Boy Basin, Vail Pass, the Gunnison Gorge, Mount Evans, and others; and
WHEREAS, it is reasonable to expect that the Fee Demo program will be extended to the numerous nearby recreation areas on federal land managed by the U.S. Forest Service, BLM, National Park Service and/or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, on which the economy and prosperity of our city depends; and
WHEREAS, recreational fees constitute double taxation which bears no relationship to the actual cost of recreation such as hiking, picnicking, observing wildlife or scenic driving on county roads; and
WHEREAS, while the original inent of the Fee Demo program was to generate revenue to address maintenance backlogs and enhance visitor services, it has instead limited public access and garnered strong public criticism; and
WHEREAS, while the controversy over Fee Demo continues, the core issue of providing adequate funding for public land maintenance remains unresolved; and
WHEREAS, since the purchase of a Fee Demo pass is counted by the federal land management agencies as support of the program, but no means of expressing opposition is provided except to avoid the fee area, we are concerned that some citizens may be deterred from visiting the public lands near Montezuma County.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of County Commissioners of Montezuma County hereby requests that no recreational fees be imposed on Federal lands in our vicinity under the Recreational Fee Demonstration Program.
Commissioners voting aye in favor of the Resolution were: [two illegible names]
Commissioners voting nay against the Resolution were: [one illegible name]
I Certify that the above Resolution is a true and correct copy of same as it appears in the minutes of the Board of County Commissioners of Montezuma County, Colorado, and the votes upon same are true and correct.
Dated this 14th day of January, 2002."