The Berkeley City Council unanimously passed a
resolution (No. 59,848-N.S.) on Janurary 12 to oppose the Recreational Fee
Demonstration Program. The resolution states that they support the Sierra Club's
efforts to urge Congress to restore needed public funding to the Forest Service
and other federal public land agencies for their recreation programs.
The resolution reads as follows:
"SUPPORTING SIERRA CLUB EFFORTS TO URGE CONGRESS TO RESTORE NEEDED PUBLIC FUNDING TO THE FOREST SERVICE AND OTHER FEDERAL PUBLIC LANDS AGENCIES FOR THEIR RECREATION PROGRAMS
WHEREAS, the new National Recreation Fee Demonstration Program would require trail users in National Forest wilderness areas to pay user fees; and
WHEREAS, this move is seen as the first step in a broad public-private partnership that would lead to increased commmercialization of the country's public lands; and
WHEREAS, the Berkeley City Council opposes the current Congressionally-mandated recreation fee demonstration program, except for National Park System lands; and
WHEREAS, the Berkeley City Council opposes any efforts to privatize, commercialize, and motorize recreation on public lands.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Berkeley City Council supports efforts by the Sierra Club to urge Congress to restore needed public funding to the Forest Service and other Federal public lands agencies for their recreation programs."
The
Forest Tax Relief Act (H.R.786), first introduced on September 6, 1998 by Southern California
Representatives Mary Bono (R, Palm Springs) and co-sponor Lois Capps
(D, Santa Barbara) was reintroduced Tuesday, Febraury 23rd to the new session of
Congress with three co-sponsors: Representatives Cook (R-Utah), DeFazio (D-Oregon) and Emerson
(R-Missouri). This bill, if enacted into law, will specifically remove the US Forest
Service from the Recreational Fee Demonstration Program (Fee Demo). Presently the
Forest Service has 67 Fee Demo sites nationwide, including the Enterprise Forest in
Southern California where the Adventure Pass exists. The bill will not affect
Fee Demo on Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, or Fish & Wildlife Lands. The
program is scheduled to end for all public lands in September of 2001 when
Congress will decide whether to discontinue the program or pass legisation to
implement it permanently.
So far, the language used by government agencies indicates that Fee Demo evalutation is not focusing on whether the program should be implemented, but what form the program will be implemented in. People who want this program to be put to an end immediately should write their Congressional Representatives and Senators and get them to support the Forest Tax Relief Act.
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources
Committee held an oversight hearing on the Recreational Fee Demonstration Program
on February 4th. Republican Senators Frank Murkowski (AK), Larry Craig (ID),
Slade Gorton (WA), and Craig Thomas (WY) were all present. Due to impeachment
matters only Senator Thomas remained after each made a brief statement. Senator
Murkowski said he felt the program was successful. He wants to use a common
sense approach to collecting these fees because, in his words, "common sense
dictates we collect these fees if we are going to expand America's recreational
activities." Senator Craig stated that he felt a lot of public grief when the
program was initiated. He was forced to hold town meetings that dealt with why
these fees were being collected and just how they were being spent. He emphasized
that the fees should only be used in areas where they are needed. Senator Gorton
declined to comment while Senator Thomas remained to conduct the hearings. No
Democrats were present.
Testifying at the hearing were: Barry Hill, Assistant Director for Energy Resources and Science, General Accounting Office; Robert Lamb, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Budget and Finance, Department of Interior; Ronald Stewart, Deputy Chief for Programs and Legislation, US Forest Service; Derrick Crandall, President of the American Recreation Coalition; Bob Jones of Utah Outfitters and Guides Association; David Brown of America Outdoors; Ed Moreland of American Motorcycle Association; and Kent Olson of Friends of Acadia. All of the panel members were in favor of these fees.
Senator Thomas of Wyoming was extremely interested in this issue. In the middle of the hearing a statement from Representative Lois Capps (CA) was entered into the record opposing fees in all areas but national parks. Outside the hearing, the Sierra Club had an information table where they passed out their position on the program (opposing fees on all lands except national parks) to the press.