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NEWS

Free Our Forests is always attempting to improve its news archive. If you know of any past events of importance to the Recreational Fee Demonstration Program (Fee Demo) issue, let us know

Unless otherwise noted, all news items found on this page were composed by members of Free Our Forests from first and second hand accounts.

MOST RECENT NEWS

April 1996 Recreational Fee Demonstration Program Established	September 1996 Fee Demo Extended Through 1999
November 1997 Two Oregon Fee Demo Violators Exonerated in Court Bill Introduced to End Fee Demo	January 1998 Department of Interior and Department of Agriculture Fee Demo Report to Congress
February 1998 Congress Holds Hearings on Fee Demo	July 1998 Fee Demo Extended Through 2001 Amendment Fails to Cancel Fee Demo Extension
August 1998 Forest Tax Relief Act Introduced California Legislature Opposes Fee Demo	October 1998 Demonstration Held at REI Headquarters Demonstrations Held at REI Stores in 4 States
December 1998 California Fee Demo Protester's Charges Dismissed in Court Fee Demo Protester Arrested General Accounting Office Releases Report on Fee Demo Sierra Club Opposes Fee Demo Recreation Budget of Deschutes National Forest Cut	January 1999 Forest Service Drops Charges Against Two California Fee Demo Violators Department of Interior and Department of Agriculture Fee Demo Report to Congress
February 1999 Berkeley City Council Opposses Fee Demo Forest Tax Relief Act Reintroduced Senate Holds Hearings on Fee Demo	March 1999 House Holds Closed-Door Hearings on Fee Demo
April 1999 American Lands Initiative Opposes Fee Demo L.A. County Board of Supervisors Opposes Fee Demo REI Drops Out of Recreation Roundtable	May 1999 Forest Service and Fee Demo Opponents Have Public Debate Kern County Board of Supervisors Opposes Fee Demo
June 1999 BLM Expands Access Fees Forest Access Immediate Relief Act Introduced	July 1999 Amendment Fails to Cancel Forest Fees
August 1999 Ojai City Council Opposes Fee Demo Recreation Fees Introduced for Army Corps of Engineers National Day of Action Against Fee Demo Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors Opposes Fee Demo Public Access Coalition Formed to End Fee Demo	October 1999 Ventura County Board of Supervisors Opposes Fee Demo
January 2000 Department of Interior and Department of Agriculture Fee Demo Report to Congress Maine Fee Demo Violator's Charges Dismissed in Court New Mexico Fee Demo Violator Found Guilty New Hampshire Fee Demo Violator Found Guilty U.S. Attorney in Idaho Freezes Fee Demo Prosecutions Charges Dropped Against 15 Idaho Fee Demo Violators Charges Dropped Against Idaho Fee Demo Violator	February 2000 Riverside County Board of Supervisors Opposes Fee Demo Prosecutor Drops Charges Against Two New Hampshire Fee Demo Violators
March 2000 High Revenue Fee Demo Visitor Center to Close	April 2000 Court Hearing for California Fee Demo Violator
May 2000 New Hampshire Legislature Opposes Fee Demo	June 2000 National Day of Action Against Fee Demo Amendment Fails to Make Fee Demo Voluntary Amendment Fails to Increase Recreation Funding for Forest Service Recreation Fee Authority Act Introduced
September 2000 Four Arizona Fee Demo Violators' Charges Dismissed in Court	October 2000 Forest Service and Fee Demo Opponents Have Public Debate Fee Demo Extended Through 2002
January 2001 Department of Interior and Department of Agriculture Fee Demo Report to Congress	February 2001 New Mexico Fee Demo Violator Found Guilty Fee Demo California Protester Found Guilty
March 2001 Josephine County Board of Commissioners Opposes Fee Demo Forest Access Immediate Relief Act Reintroduced Forest Tax Relief Act Reintroduced Arizona Fee Demo Violator's Charges Dismissed in Court	April 2001 Jackson County Board of Commissioners Opposes Fee Demo
May 2001 Oregon State Legislature Opposes Fee Demo	June 2001 National Parks Stewardship Act Introduced to Make Fee Demo Permanent Amendment Fails to Cancel Fee Demo Extension and Expansion
August 2001 Silverton Town Board of Trustees Opposes Fee Demo San Miguel County Board of Commissioners Opposes Fee Demo Arizona Magistrate Rules Forest Service Cannot Issue Citations to Unattended Vehicles San Juan County Board of Commissioners Opposes Fee Demo Rio Grande County Board of Commissioners Opposes Fee Demo	September 2001 Hinsdale County Board of Commissioners Opposes Fee Demo Two Arizona Fee Demo Violators' Charges Dismissed House Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health Holds Oversight Hearings on Fee Demo
October 2001 Creede Town Board Opposes Fee Demo Saguache County Board of Commissioners Opposes Fee Demo Gunnison County Board of Commissioners Opposes Fee Demo	November 2001 Fee Demo Extended Through 2004
December 2001 Mineral County Board of Commissioners Opposes Fee Demo Oregon Magistrate Rules Fee Demo Illegally Implemented	January 2002 Montezuma County Board of Commissioners Opposes Fee Demo
March 2002 Durango City Council Opposes Fee Demo	April 2002 La Plata County Board of Commissioners Opposes Fee Demo New Hampshire State Legislature Strengthens Call to End Fee Demo
May 2002 Colorado State Legislature Opposes Fee Demo Colorado Fee Demo Protesters Found Guilty Recreational Fee Authority Act Introduced	June 2002 National Day of Action Against Fee Demo
October 2002 Fee Demo Protester's Conviction Upheld on Appeal Sedona City Council Opposes Fee Demo	January 2003 Two California Fee Demo Protesters' Charges Dismissed
April 2003 Pima County Board of Supervisors Opposes Fee Demo Village of Oak Creek Business Association Opposes Fee Demo Washington Fee Demo Violator Found Guilty Ouray County Board of Commissioners Suspends Fee Demo in Yankee Boy Basin	May 2003 General Accounting Office Slams Fee Demo Recreational Fee Authority Act Reintroduced
September 2003 House Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health Holds Hearings on Fee Demo	October 2003 Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act Introduced to Make Fee Demo Permanent Fee Demo Extended Through 2005
February 2004 California Fee Demo Protester Found Guilty Department of Interior Increases Fee Demo Penalties Oregon Fee Demo Conviction Overturned on Appeal Jackson County Board of Commissioners Opposes Fee Demo	April 2004 Adventure Pass Scaled Back Senate Holds Hearings on Fee Demo
May 2004 Recreational Fee Authority Act Passes in the Senate Washington Fee Demo Conviction Overturned on Appeal House Holds Hearings on Fee Demo	June 2004 San Juan County Board of County Commissioners Opposes Fee Demo
July 2004 Ouray County Board of Commissioners Passes Second Resolution Opposing Fee Demo	September 2004 Southeastern Utah Association of Local Governments Opposes Fee Demo Montrose County Board of Commissioners Opposes Fee Demo

September 2004

Montrose County Board of Commissioners Opposes Fee Demo

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.

Southeastern Utah Association of Local Governments Opposes Fee Demo

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."

ACTION ALERT!     Greeting Page     News     Calendar     The Fees     Why Fees Are Wrong
Corporate Agenda     Opposition     Editorials     Discussions     Activist Resources     Write Congress
Online Petition     Support Us     Partners' Sites     Contact Us     Mission Statement     webmaster

NEWS

MOST RECENT NEWS

April 1996 Recreational Fee Demonstration Program Established

September 1996 Fee Demo Extended Through 1999

November 1997 Two Oregon Fee Demo Violators Exonerated in Court Bill Introduced to End Fee Demo

January 1998 Department of Interior and Department of Agriculture Fee Demo Report to Congress

February 1998 Congress Holds Hearings on Fee Demo

July 1998 Fee Demo Extended Through 2001 Amendment Fails to Cancel Fee Demo Extension

August 1998 Forest Tax Relief Act Introduced California Legislature Opposes Fee Demo

October 1998 Demonstration Held at REI Headquarters Demonstrations Held at REI Stores in 4 States

December 1998 California Fee Demo Protester's Charges Dismissed in Court Fee Demo Protester Arrested General Accounting Office Releases Report on Fee Demo Sierra Club Opposes Fee Demo Recreation Budget of Deschutes National Forest Cut

January 1999 Forest Service Drops Charges Against Two California Fee Demo Violators Department of Interior and Department of Agriculture Fee Demo Report to Congress

February 1999 Berkeley City Council Opposses Fee Demo Forest Tax Relief Act Reintroduced Senate Holds Hearings on Fee Demo

March 1999 House Holds Closed-Door Hearings on Fee Demo

April 1999 American Lands Initiative Opposes Fee Demo L.A. County Board of Supervisors Opposes Fee Demo REI Drops Out of Recreation Roundtable

May 1999 Forest Service and Fee Demo Opponents Have Public Debate Kern County Board of Supervisors Opposes Fee Demo

June 1999 BLM Expands Access Fees Forest Access Immediate Relief Act Introduced

July 1999 Amendment Fails to Cancel Forest Fees

August 1999 Ojai City Council Opposes Fee Demo Recreation Fees Introduced for Army Corps of Engineers National Day of Action Against Fee Demo Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors Opposes Fee Demo Public Access Coalition Formed to End Fee Demo

October 1999 Ventura County Board of Supervisors Opposes Fee Demo

February 2000 Riverside County Board of Supervisors Opposes Fee Demo Prosecutor Drops Charges Against Two New Hampshire Fee Demo Violators

March 2000 High Revenue Fee Demo Visitor Center to Close

April 2000 Court Hearing for California Fee Demo Violator

May 2000 New Hampshire Legislature Opposes Fee Demo

June 2000 National Day of Action Against Fee Demo Amendment Fails to Make Fee Demo Voluntary Amendment Fails to Increase Recreation Funding for Forest Service Recreation Fee Authority Act Introduced

September 2000 Four Arizona Fee Demo Violators' Charges Dismissed in Court

October 2000 Forest Service and Fee Demo Opponents Have Public Debate Fee Demo Extended Through 2002

January 2001 Department of Interior and Department of Agriculture Fee Demo Report to Congress

February 2001 New Mexico Fee Demo Violator Found Guilty Fee Demo California Protester Found Guilty

March 2001 Josephine County Board of Commissioners Opposes Fee Demo Forest Access Immediate Relief Act Reintroduced Forest Tax Relief Act Reintroduced Arizona Fee Demo Violator's Charges Dismissed in Court

April 2001 Jackson County Board of Commissioners Opposes Fee Demo

May 2001 Oregon State Legislature Opposes Fee Demo

June 2001 National Parks Stewardship Act Introduced to Make Fee Demo Permanent Amendment Fails to Cancel Fee Demo Extension and Expansion

September 2001 Hinsdale County Board of Commissioners Opposes Fee Demo Two Arizona Fee Demo Violators' Charges Dismissed House Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health Holds Oversight Hearings on Fee Demo

October 2001 Creede Town Board Opposes Fee Demo Saguache County Board of Commissioners Opposes Fee Demo Gunnison County Board of Commissioners Opposes Fee Demo

November 2001 Fee Demo Extended Through 2004

December 2001 Mineral County Board of Commissioners Opposes Fee Demo Oregon Magistrate Rules Fee Demo Illegally Implemented

January 2002 Montezuma County Board of Commissioners Opposes Fee Demo

March 2002 Durango City Council Opposes Fee Demo

April 2002 La Plata County Board of Commissioners Opposes Fee Demo New Hampshire State Legislature Strengthens Call to End Fee Demo

May 2002 Colorado State Legislature Opposes Fee Demo Colorado Fee Demo Protesters Found Guilty Recreational Fee Authority Act Introduced

June 2002 National Day of Action Against Fee Demo

October 2002 Fee Demo Protester's Conviction Upheld on Appeal Sedona City Council Opposes Fee Demo

January 2003 Two California Fee Demo Protesters' Charges Dismissed

April 2003 Pima County Board of Supervisors Opposes Fee Demo Village of Oak Creek Business Association Opposes Fee Demo Washington Fee Demo Violator Found Guilty Ouray County Board of Commissioners Suspends Fee Demo in Yankee Boy Basin

May 2003 General Accounting Office Slams Fee Demo Recreational Fee Authority Act Reintroduced

September 2003 House Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health Holds Hearings on Fee Demo

October 2003 Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act Introduced to Make Fee Demo Permanent Fee Demo Extended Through 2005

February 2004 California Fee Demo Protester Found Guilty Department of Interior Increases Fee Demo Penalties Oregon Fee Demo Conviction Overturned on Appeal Jackson County Board of Commissioners Opposes Fee Demo

April 2004 Adventure Pass Scaled Back Senate Holds Hearings on Fee Demo

May 2004 Recreational Fee Authority Act Passes in the Senate Washington Fee Demo Conviction Overturned on Appeal House Holds Hearings on Fee Demo

June 2004 San Juan County Board of County Commissioners Opposes Fee Demo

July 2004 Ouray County Board of Commissioners Passes Second Resolution Opposing Fee Demo

September 2004 Southeastern Utah Association of Local Governments Opposes Fee Demo Montrose County Board of Commissioners Opposes Fee Demo

September 2004

Montrose County Board of Commissioners Opposes Fee Demo

Southeastern Utah Association of Local Governments Opposes Fee Demo

ACTION ALERT! Greeting Page News Calendar The Fees Why Fees Are Wrong Corporate Agenda Opposition Editorials Discussions Activist Resources Write Congress Online Petition Support Us Partners' Sites Contact Us Mission Statement webmaster

April 1996
Recreational Fee Demonstration Program Established

September 1996
Fee Demo Extended Through 1999

November 1997
Two Oregon Fee Demo Violators Exonerated in Court
Bill Introduced to End Fee Demo

January 1998
Department of Interior and Department of Agriculture Fee Demo Report to Congress

February 1998
Congress Holds Hearings on Fee Demo

July 1998
Fee Demo Extended Through 2001
Amendment Fails to Cancel Fee Demo Extension

August 1998
Forest Tax Relief Act Introduced
California Legislature Opposes Fee Demo

October 1998
Demonstration Held at REI Headquarters
Demonstrations Held at REI Stores in 4 States

December 1998
California Fee Demo Protester's Charges Dismissed in Court
Fee Demo Protester Arrested
General Accounting Office Releases Report on Fee Demo
Sierra Club Opposes Fee Demo
Recreation Budget of Deschutes National Forest Cut

January 1999
Forest Service Drops Charges Against Two California Fee Demo Violators
Department of Interior and Department of Agriculture Fee Demo Report to Congress

February 1999
Berkeley City Council Opposses Fee Demo
Forest Tax Relief Act Reintroduced
Senate Holds Hearings on Fee Demo

March 1999
House Holds Closed-Door Hearings on Fee Demo

April 1999
American Lands Initiative Opposes Fee Demo
L.A. County Board of Supervisors Opposes Fee Demo
REI Drops Out of Recreation Roundtable

May 1999
Forest Service and Fee Demo Opponents Have Public Debate
Kern County Board of Supervisors Opposes Fee Demo

June 1999
BLM Expands Access Fees
Forest Access Immediate Relief Act Introduced

July 1999
Amendment Fails to Cancel Forest Fees

August 1999
Ojai City Council Opposes Fee Demo
Recreation Fees Introduced for Army Corps of Engineers
National Day of Action Against Fee Demo
Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors Opposes Fee Demo
Public Access Coalition Formed to End Fee Demo

October 1999
Ventura County Board of Supervisors Opposes Fee Demo

February 2000
Riverside County Board of Supervisors Opposes Fee Demo
Prosecutor Drops Charges Against Two New Hampshire Fee Demo Violators

March 2000
High Revenue Fee Demo Visitor Center to Close

April 2000
Court Hearing for California Fee Demo Violator

May 2000
New Hampshire Legislature Opposes Fee Demo

June 2000
National Day of Action Against Fee Demo
Amendment Fails to Make Fee Demo Voluntary
Amendment Fails to Increase Recreation Funding for Forest Service
Recreation Fee Authority Act Introduced

September 2000
Four Arizona Fee Demo Violators' Charges Dismissed in Court

October 2000
Forest Service and Fee Demo Opponents Have Public Debate
Fee Demo Extended Through 2002

January 2001
Department of Interior and Department of Agriculture Fee Demo Report to Congress

February 2001
New Mexico Fee Demo Violator Found Guilty
Fee Demo California Protester Found Guilty

March 2001
Josephine County Board of Commissioners Opposes Fee Demo
Forest Access Immediate Relief Act Reintroduced
Forest Tax Relief Act Reintroduced
Arizona Fee Demo Violator's Charges Dismissed in Court

April 2001
Jackson County Board of Commissioners Opposes Fee Demo

May 2001
Oregon State Legislature Opposes Fee Demo

June 2001
National Parks Stewardship Act Introduced to Make Fee Demo Permanent
Amendment Fails to Cancel Fee Demo Extension and Expansion

September 2001
Hinsdale County Board of Commissioners Opposes Fee Demo
Two Arizona Fee Demo Violators' Charges Dismissed
House Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health Holds Oversight Hearings on Fee Demo

October 2001
Creede Town Board Opposes Fee Demo
Saguache County Board of Commissioners Opposes Fee Demo
Gunnison County Board of Commissioners Opposes Fee Demo

November 2001
Fee Demo Extended Through 2004

December 2001
Mineral County Board of Commissioners Opposes Fee Demo
Oregon Magistrate Rules Fee Demo Illegally Implemented

January 2002
Montezuma County Board of Commissioners Opposes Fee Demo

March 2002
Durango City Council Opposes Fee Demo

April 2002
La Plata County Board of Commissioners Opposes Fee Demo
New Hampshire State Legislature Strengthens Call to End Fee Demo

May 2002
Colorado State Legislature Opposes Fee Demo
Colorado Fee Demo Protesters Found Guilty
Recreational Fee Authority Act Introduced

June 2002
National Day of Action Against Fee Demo

October 2002
Fee Demo Protester's Conviction Upheld on Appeal
Sedona City Council Opposes Fee Demo

January 2003
Two California Fee Demo Protesters' Charges Dismissed

April 2003
Pima County Board of Supervisors Opposes Fee Demo
Village of Oak Creek Business Association Opposes Fee Demo
Washington Fee Demo Violator Found Guilty
Ouray County Board of Commissioners Suspends Fee Demo in Yankee Boy Basin

May 2003
General Accounting Office Slams Fee Demo
Recreational Fee Authority Act Reintroduced

September 2003
House Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health Holds Hearings on Fee Demo

October 2003
Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act Introduced to Make Fee Demo Permanent
Fee Demo Extended Through 2005

February 2004
California Fee Demo Protester Found Guilty
Department of Interior Increases Fee Demo Penalties
Oregon Fee Demo Conviction Overturned on Appeal
Jackson County Board of Commissioners Opposes Fee Demo

April 2004
Adventure Pass Scaled Back
Senate Holds Hearings on Fee Demo

May 2004
Recreational Fee Authority Act Passes in the Senate
Washington Fee Demo Conviction Overturned on Appeal
House Holds Hearings on Fee Demo

June 2004
San Juan County Board of County Commissioners Opposes Fee Demo

July 2004
Ouray County Board of Commissioners Passes Second Resolution Opposing Fee Demo

September 2004
Southeastern Utah Association of Local Governments Opposes Fee Demo
Montrose County Board of Commissioners Opposes Fee Demo

ACTION ALERT! Greeting Page News Calendar The Fees Why Fees Are Wrong
Corporate Agenda Opposition Editorials Discussions Activist Resources Write Congress
Online Petition Support Us Partners' Sites Contact Us Mission Statement webmaster