Citing the negative effects on tourism among
other reasons, Montrose County, Colorado took a strong stand against the Recreational Fee
Demonstration Program (Fee Demo) by passing a resolution calling for Fee Demo to be abolished and
opposing the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (H.R. 3283), which would implement
permanent access fees on all public lands.
The Montrose County Board of Commissioners was vehement in their resolution, stating flatly that "the extension of the Recreational Fee Demonstration Program and/or H.R. 3283 would have a negative impact on local business and tourism." Their resolution passed unanimously at a public meeting in Montrose on September 20th.
Citing double taxation and commercialization of public lands
agencies among other reasons the Southeastern Utah Association of Local Governments has taken a
strong stand against the Recreational Fee Demonstration Program (Fee Demo). The body recently passed
a resolution calling for Fee Demo to be abolished and opposing
Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (H.R. 3283), which would implement
permanent access fees on all public lands.
The Utah association represents four counties (Carbon, Emery, Grand, and San Juan) and numerous municipal governments, including Moab, Monticello, Price, and Castle Dale. Their Executive Board voted in Price on September 8th to adopt a resolution that states in part, "The Recreational Fee Demonstration Program encourages federal land managers to view that resource which has been placed under their stewardship as a quasi-private enterprise to be operated for return on investment which, in turn, redounds to personal benefit through job security in a manner appropriate in the private sector but inappropriate in the realm of public servants."
In reference to H.R. 3283, the resolution states that, if enacted, it would "grant broad discretion to federal land management agencies to extend recreational fees to public and forest lands generally thereby authorizing the 'criminalization' of those activities and that simple access which have been exercised by the general public since the beginning of the Republic."