Last chance to keep lands fee free

[sanjuancruiser]

I saw this and figured it applied to all of us who love the outdoors and public land. A bill has been rammed through making fees a permanent part of public land use. This is very serious stuff for us. It requires that people buy a 'america the beautiful pass' for $80 anually to be able to access your public land! If you don't you can be fined up to $5000 and or 6 months in prison. This bill HR3283 never saw congressional vote because it was attached to another bill which will be voted on Dec 6. This is major legislation not to have gone through the normal voting process.
Here is a link to what you can do to shut this sh*t down

http://www.wildwilderness.org/aasg/current1.htm

Sorry I don't know how to make this a link.
Please make the effort to rid the world of this evil you CAN make a difference!

 

[timbercruiser]

Which side is wildwilderness on?

(Either way, they're right on this one!)

 

[sanjuancruiser]

I'm not sure but you're right they are right on this one.

I get this info from the western slope no-fee coalition who is here in Colorado. They keep a eye on this fee thing and are made up of all kinds of groups and individuals from motor heads to enviros. But the main thing is that they fight to prevent this from becoming law. The disapointing thing about fees on our public lands is that it is driven by the American Recreation Coalition who is made up of mfgs of outdoor equipment incl. motorized and non- motorized. It makes me sad to know that some of the things that I buy for camping & 4 wheeling is from companies that are members of the ARC.

Sorry for the rant but this is hardcore to think about when I use public land almost every day and feel I've paid for it w/taxes. I sure I'm not alone

 

[sanjuancruiser]

Looks like its pay pay pay

Hope this can be reversed I'd hate to pay for wheeling on our public land


See attached-



WESTERN SLOPE NO-FEE COALITION

P.O. Box 403, Norwood, CO 81423

970/259-4616

wsnfc@hotmail.com









December 6, 2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information: Robert Funkhouser, 802/235-2299, rfunk9999@earthlink.net

Kitty Benzar, 970/259-4616, wsnfc@hotmail.com





WESTERN OUTCRY FAILS TO STOP OHIO CONGRESSMAN’S RECREATIONAL ACCESS TAX



Despite a last-minute outpouring of letters and phone calls and a flood of negative editorials, an Ohio congressman with no public lands in his district has forced a measure through Congress to implement permanent access fees for recreation on all land managed by the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Reclamation.

Ralph Regula (R-OH), the original architect of the unpopular Recreational Fee Demonstration Program (Fee Demo), attached his bill as a rider to the giant omnibus appropriations bill. Originally passed on November 20, the omnibus unexpectedly had to be revisited by Congress because of language objectionable to privacy-rights groups that would have allowed certain members of Congress to scrutinize individual tax returns. The omnibus bill passed Monday evening, December 6th.

Opponents of Regula’s bill seized the opportunity to mobilize a massive phone call and letter-writing campaign in a last-ditch attempt to delete it before the final vote. Despite thousands of letters and phone calls and press coverage coast to coast, the effort failed. Fee opponents have vowed to take their fight to the next Congress.

The fee bill, HR 3283 or the “Recreational Access Tax (RAT), allows the federal land management agencies to charge access fees for recreational use of public lands by the general public. It has been highly controversial and is opposed by hundreds of organizations, state legislatures, county governments and rural Americans.

“This is a bad bill and it is a bad tax. It will not be accepted by the American people,” said Robert Funkhouser, President of the Western Slope No-Fee Coalition, one of the groups coordinating opposition to public lands fees. “It was forced through without passing the House or any hearings or debate much less a vote in the Senate. Such a major change in policy should be done in an open public process not behind closed doors. Congressman Regula has sold out America’s precious heritage of public lands.”

Key provisions of the RAT include permanent recreation fee authority for National Forests and BLM land as well as all land managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the National Park Service. Failure to pay the fees will be a criminal offense. Drivers, owners, and occupants of vehicles not displaying either a daily or annual pass will be presumed guilty of failure to pay and can all be charged, without obligation by the government to prove their guilt. The measure encourages agencies to contract with private companies and other non-governmental entities to manage public lands. The bill also establishes a national, interagency annual pass called the America the Beautiful Pass, expected to cost $85-$100 initially.

“Congressman Regula has claimed that fees will be limited to only highly developed facilities,” said Funkhouser. “But the actual language is very broad and contains internal contradictions. The RAT prohibits entrance fees for Forest Service and BLM managed lands on one hand and authorizes basic or standard fees for the very same lands on the other. It gives the agencies a free hand to decide how large an area a fee can apply to, and it calls for essentially only a toilet in order to qualify. Make no mistake, this bill transfers ownership of our public lands from the taxpaying public to the agencies. These agencies have a long history of financial bungling and mismanagement, and should have more congressional oversight, not less.”

Fee opponents plan to work closely with the incoming 109th Congress to repeal the Regula bill, and anticipate strong bipartisan support in both houses. In the meantime the Western Slope No-Fee Coalition will be monitoring agency implementation of the RAT to ensure that the agencies do not implement fees outside this new law. Regula’s bill failed to attract a single western sponsor but was co-sponsored by seven eastern congressmen.

Regula is seeking to become Chairman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee and is running into stiff opposition from Congressmen Jerry Lewis (R-CA) and Hal Rogers (R-KY). While Regula has no public land in his district, both Lewis and Rogers district’s have vast tracks of Forest Service and/or BLM managed public lands.

 

[boerboel313]

I'm TLCA#14563. This is Bullsh@#. We pay enough taxes as it is in this country. Public land is just that "Public Land" It's there for our use aslong as we don't abuse it.

 

[sanjuancruiser]

Exactly

 

[hj60]

Y'know, I wouldn't be against this if it meant more rangers in the parks and patrolling trails
instead of closing them.
But I have no faith that this will come about as a result of this law.

 

[sanjuancruiser]

Yes unfortunately we may ultimately be pushed off what was once public. The new face of public lands is closure instead of stewardship and responsibility.

 

[dd113]

I dont know about the particulars of this bill to really comment on it. I do know that fees kept my local trail area, Tellico, TN, open and it gets better all the time. 11 years ago when I first went there it was ll sandbuggies and ATVs with trucks trying to fit in. Now, with the fees, the trails are better, no sandbuggies and few ATVs. It got to be too expensive to run these trails for all the 'necks.

Tellico is a closed fee area that is the largest trail series of its difficulty level on the east coast. I can pay $10 a day or $65 per year. It is still there even though it is a favorite target of the enviros. The reason it is there is a no BS attitude about the rules and the fees.

I dont think public land should be fee based and I agree that we pay taxes to have access to the land but at times fees do work.

 

[sanjuancruiser]

I don't disagree esp. when there is heavy use. but in the middle of nowhere what do the fees actually serve? The last thing I want to see is a public toilet where there might be 10-15 visits a year.

A designated park or facility is fine for fees but not primitive and less developed sites. Our taxes should fund that.

 

[4n24wd]

Once again, I can see Uncle Sam and Croonies alike are hard at work for the citizen, rich bastards

 

[sanjuancruiser]

An update FYI

I got this e-mail a while back. haven't had time to go through all of it but it is not the best outlook for the future of OUR public lands.


----- Original Message -----
From: "Scott Silver" <ssilver@wildwilderness.org>
Sent: Saturday, February 12, 2005 10:57 AM
Subject: The Recreation Agency - The Official Agency of the Great Outdoors


> --- This message is contains much important information. ---
>
> In preparation for rollout of its major new public lands legislation, (
the
> "National Recreation Policy Act"
> www.fseee.org/fsnews/nat.rec.policy.act.draft.pdf ), the American
Recreation
> Coalition is readying a massive Public Relations blitz (see appended).
>
> The ARC has already launched a brand new website
www.greatoutdoorsmonth.org
> called "Great Outdoors Month." A related website
www.recreationagency.com
> has been created by Ticketmaster/ ReserveAmerica and will be fully
> operational within days. That site is called "The Recreation Agency" and
its
> slogan is "The Official Agency of the Great Outdoors." Are they serious???
> Check it out and keep watching as it grows.
>
> Please note that the ARC's slogan which adorns every page of their website
> www.funoutdoors.com is, "Outdoor Recreation in America, Brought to you by
> the American Recreation Coalition."
>
> Q. Put them both together and what do you get??
>
> A. 'The Corporate Takeover of Nature'
> and 'The Disneyfication of the Wild'.
>
> As anyone who has followed my updates knows, ReserveAmerica
> www.reserveamerica.com is a private company that now provides the gateway
to
> YOUR public lands. If you want to reserve a campsite, get on a
interpretive
> tour or buy a ticket to a National Park Service event, ReserveAmerica is
the
> place to go. It is, in fact, the ONLY place to go because ReserveAmerica
has
> the federal monopoly. Check them out!
>
> Then understand that as your favorite recreational pursuits become
> increasingly commodified, the things you enjoyed doing freely upon public
> lands will be more tightly controlled by, and regulated for, the fiscal
> benefit of land managers and their corporate partners. Opportunities to
> participate in outdoor recreation will be MARKETED and SOLD to you.
> You will, in other words, become THEIR paying customer.
>
> Hunting, fishing, hiking, floating, touring, viewing, exploring and skiing
> are activities that the agencies have already identified, labeled and
begun
> marketing as THEIR "Recreation Brands" (see their brand logos at:
> www.wildwilderness.org/docs/brands.htm). It would not surprise me in the
> least, were The Recreation Agency to become the exclusive portal through
> which all paying customers will someday pass in order to access those
> branded activities.
>
> Unbelievable???? --- Hardly.
>
> Hell, it's an almost inevitable.
>
> Preventable???? --- Perhaps.
>
> Today the fate of outdoor recreation in America hinges upon how vigorously
> YOU act. Wild Wilderness can not stop the ARC and it's partners. What I
can
> do, is to keep YOU informed. It's up to YOU to protect and preserve those
> things that are most important to YOU.
>
> Please do not file this message in your trashcan. Share it with 50 of your
> closest friends and encourage them to further spread the words. As for
what
> more you can do, specific suggestions can be found at
> www.wildwilderness.org/docs/options.htm.
>
>
> Scott
>
> PS... If America's "Great Outdoors" are transformed into 'Great Recreation
> Shopping Malls and Fun Centers', these are the organizations who will be
> responsible for that transformation.
> www.greatoutdoorsmonth.org/sponsors.html
>
>
> ----- begin quoted -------
>
> http://www.funoutdoors.com/node/view/1225
> Great Outdoors Week | News Releases Posted on Thu, 02/10/2005 - 14:40.
> Contact: Derrick Crandall
>
> GREAT OUTDOORS WEEK 2005 WILL FOCUS ON
> PROPOSED RECREATION POLICY ACT AND
> NATIONAL RECREATION STRATEGY
>
> Washington, D.C. - Great Outdoors Week 2005 - June 5 -11 - will highlight
> efforts underway to enact a new national recreation policy act designed to
> enhance outdoor recreation's contributions to Americans' health and
quality
> of life. The legislation also calls for a new National Recreation Strategy
> that responds to changing and growing demands for quality recreation on
> federally-managed lands and waters - areas that cover one-third of the
> nation's surface.
>
> The week will again be coordinated by the American Recreation Coalition
> (ARC) and will include events hosted by more than a dozen federal agencies
> and national organizations. Public/private cooperative ventures - from
Take
> Pride in America to WOW-Wonderful Outdoor World - will be highlighted,
along
> with presentations of key awards, including the 17th annual Sheldon
Coleman
> Great Outdoors Award, ARC's Legends Awards to outstanding federal
recreation
> program officials, and best practices awards by the Coalition for
> Recreational Trails.
>
> For the second year, the Washington-focused Great Outdoors Week will be a
> key component of Great Outdoors Month. First proclaimed by President
George
> W. Bush in 2004, Great Outdoors Month - June - includes a long list of
> recreation community events and meetings, including National Trails Day
and
> National Fishing and Boating Week. Full details on the month are available
> at www.greatoutdoorsmonth.org.
>
> Great Outdoors Week will include a Recreation Policy Forum on the nation's
> surface transportation program, highlighting its importance to recreation
> opportunities and honoring Congressional champions of the Recreational
> Trails Program, the Transportation Enhancements program and the National
> Scenic Byways Program. The week will also include a session on new outdoor
> recreation technologies designed to enhance recreation experiences and
> improve recreation program management, as well as the June Recreation
> Exchange, which will focus on the key link between health and
participation
> in active recreation. Great Outdoors Week has traditionally included a
focus
> on youth and volunteerism, and 2005 will continue this pattern with a
> combined Take Pride in America/Greater Washington WOW-Wonderful Outdoor
> World Day on Saturday, June 11.
>
>
>
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> Scott Silver
> Wild Wilderness


I'm no tree hugger but I do believe in multi-use and the freedom that our tax dollars give us to enjoy public lands fee free. The RAT is BullSh*t!

done.

 

[sanjuancruiser]

Another Update

A recent e-mail indicating the western states are NOT psyched.



WESTERN SLOPE NO-FEE COALITION
P.O. Box 403, Norwood, CO 81423

March 20, 2005



FOR IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE



For more information: Robert Funkhouser, 802/235-2299, rfunk9999@earthlink.net Kitty Benzar, 970/259-4616, wsnfc@hotmail.com



COLORADO AND MONTANA CALL FOR REPEAL OF NEW FEDERAL LAND ACCESS FEES



By overwhelming bipartisan majorities the state legislatures of Montana and Colorado last week called on the U.S. Congress to repeal a controversial new federal lands fee law, and Oregon appears poised to join them in the coming weeks.

The Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA) was slipped into the omnibus appropriations bill in December by U.S. Representative Ralph Regula (R-OH). Dubbed the RAT, or Recreational Access Tax, by its opponents, the measure allows the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and Bureau of Reclamation to charge fees for recreational use of vast tracts of federally managed land by the general public.

The Montana resolution, HJR-13, passed the state House in February by a vote of 92-8 and cleared the Senate on March 14th by 49-1. It was sponsored by Rep. Paul Clark and supported by a diverse spectrum of organizations including the Montana State Parks Foundation, the Montana Trail Vehicle Riders Association, Montana Wilderness Association, Montanans for Multiple Use, Montana Wood Products Association, the Sierra Club, Montana Logging Association, Citizens for Balanced Use and the Governor’s Office.

In Colorado, long a hotbed of access fee opposition, Senator Jim Isgar and Rep. Mark Larson sponsored SJR05-015. It was introduced on Thursday, March 17th and put on a fast track, easily passing both the state Senate and House on Friday, March 18th.

In Oregon, Senate Joint Memorial 4, sponsored by state Senator Charlie Ringo, cleared its first hurdle on March 15th when it was passed unanimously out of committee in the state Senate.

All three state measures call on the U.S. Congress to repeal the FLREA.

The FLREA supersedes the Recreational Fee Demonstration Program, or Fee Demo, which was enacted via an appropriations rider as a two-year test in 1996. It was renewed and expanded for over eight years. Opposition to Fee Demo was increasingly vocal and widespread, and it was not expected to survive another attempt to renew it on its scheduled expiration at the end of 2005.

The FLREA was buried in the 3,000-plus page omnibus appropriations bill enacted in the final days of the 108th Congress. It had not been expected to pass when originally introduced by Regula in early 2004 as stand-alone legislation. Outrage at this preemption of the democratic process to enact a law that could not have survived a vote on its own merits is evident in the language of the state resolutions.

The Colorado resolution says “The fees imposed by the FLREA are a regressive tax that places an undue burden on the people living in rural areas adjacent to or surrounded by large areas of federal land, as well as discriminating against lower-income and working Americans by placing financial obstacles in the way of their enjoyment of publicly owned land.”

Montana’s statement points out that the FLREA “was never approved by the U.S. House of Representatives and was never introduced, never had hearings, and was never approved by the U.S. Senate, but was instead attached to an omnibus spending bill as an appropriations rider.”

Both state resolutions contend that the FLREA “is substantive legislation, including criminal penalties, that fundamentally changes the way America’s public lands are funded and managed.”

In addition to the three state legislatures, six counties in Colorado (San Miguel, Hinsdale, La Plata, Ouray, Montrose, and San Juan) have passed their own resolutions calling for repeal of the FLREA since the first of the year.

The resolutions demand that the FLREA be repealed or abolished. They have been sent to congressional leaders in Washington and to the congressional delegations of each state.

The issue of access to federally-managed public lands is especially resonant in the West, where such lands account for 28% of Montana, 36% of Colorado, 60% of Oregon, 27% of Washington, 34% of New Mexico, 45% of Arizona, 47% of California, 62% of Idaho, and 93% of Nevada. Changes to federal land management policy have a profound impact in these states, and their residents and elected official are furious that such a fundamental change was done behind closed doors, without congressional debate.

Robert Funkhouser, President of the Western Slope No-Fee Coalition and a leading opponent of Fee Demo, is pleased that elected officials are taking action. "A law that criminalizes access to public lands by the citizens who own them and pay taxes for their support would never pass muster in an open public debate. Slipping it in as an appropriations rider, by a congressman with no federal public lands in his district, was a despicable abuse of the legislative process,” Funkhouser said.

 

[Pluton]

if the fee keeps the 'necks and meth cookers out, I'm for it...but i don't think it will.
This Ralph Regula guy sounds like a real P.O.S. However, I've chatted with Rep. Jerry Lewis of CA whose district includes huge areas of N.Forest and most of the Mojave Desert and found him to be reasonable and moderate, even considering he's a Republican. Don't know how he stands on this...subject didn't come up.
By the way, in our local SoCal forest fee program, called the "Adventure Pass", you can usually avoid paying any fee even if you're a frequent user of the forest. It seems they don't have enough ticket writers to effectively enforce the pass, so you can park your vehicle many.many times before it gets "cited", and the citation is only to pay one day's fee[in our area,$5] . So if out of 30 days of use you only have to pay $5 once or twice, it's not cause for suffering. Still, is it an ominous precursor to an eventual plan to all-out privatize the public land? I guess we'll all have to stay tuned.