A
Forest Appropriations Initiative proposed to
Congress and written by American Lands (a nationally active environmental group) has
within the proposal a position against the Recreational Fee Demonstration Program.
83
environmental groups have signed on to the Initiative.
On Tuesday, April 13th, the Los Angeles County
Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 to oppose the Adventure Pass program and,
consequently, its parent: the Recreational Fee Demonstration Program (Fee Demo).
Although they do not have jurisdiction over this federal program (though by the
rights given by the 10th amendment they really should), by this vote, Los Angeles
County can now be counted as part of the opposition to Fee Demo. This is a
considerable boon to opposition groups as the Angeles National Forest in L.A.
County is the most frequented National Forest in the country.
Supervisor Antonovich introduced the resolution and stated that the "[Adventure Pass] program has proven to have been a mistake and it is time that Congress reverse itself and end the program. I am not aware of any program that has encountered as much anger and done as much to discourage use of the Forest, particularly by our lower income families, as this misguided program."
The resolution resulted in a letter written to President Clinton, Senators Boxer and Feinstein, the County Congressional Delegation and the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture which reads as follows:
"We support ending the Forest Service's Adventure Pass Program within the Angeles National Forest and are requesting restoration of the needed forest maintenance funds in the Forest Service budget.
Two years ago, Congress authrorized the creation of the Forest Adventure Pass as a means to shore up funding for the Angeles National Forest. The $5.00 per day or $30.00 per year pass permits individuals to park their vehicles within the National Forest when they hike or camp in the Forest.
Unfortunately, the program has proven to have been a mistake and it is time that Congress reverse itself and end the program. The Board is not aware of any program that has encountered as much anger and done as much to discourage use of the Forest, particularly by our lower income families, as this misguided program. Paying the fee is bad enough, but finding a location that sells the permits is equally frustrating.
Therefore we request an end to the Forest Service's Adventure Pass Program and request restoration of the much needed maintenance funds in the Forest Service budget."
Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI) has
dropped out of the American Recreation Coalition's (ARC) spin-off group, the
Recreation Roundtable: a group consisting of recreation industry presidents and
CEO's. This group was instrumental in pushing the Recreational Fee Demonstration
Program (the parent program of the Southern California Adventure Pass) through
Congress. It's members have also played a major role in implementing the program
in tandem with public lands agencies via public/ private partnerships. With the
withdrawl of REI, the membership of the ARC and its Recreation Roundtable consists
only of motor sports recreation interests, resort developers, the petroleum
industrty, commercial camping companies, concessionaires, ski associations, the
Walt Disney company, and similar corporate interests.
REI's pullout came after Wally Smith, CEO of REI, met with Mark Lawler of the Sierra Club and Scott Silver of Wild Wilderness of Bend, Oregon. The two activists (along with a number of REI co-op members and other citizens who contacted the company about its ARC involvement) made the argument to REI that association with the ARC violates REI's own stated objective of promoting "human powered recreation." REI stated in a letter to Alasdair Coyne of Keep the Sespe Wild that "our continued participation in the Recreation Roundtable causes confusion, as that organization is linked with ARC. In response to this confusion, REI has stepped down from its membership in the Recreation Roundtable."