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Oregon Territory

December 9, 2005 — Recreation Fees on Public Lands

part one part two

download links: part one | part two

In 1996, the U.S. Congress passed a recreation fee demonstration project that allowed federal agencies to start charging the public to use public lands. Last year, Congress passed the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act which extended the fees for another ten years. This law also increased the penalty for using public lands without paying this fee to six months in federal prison and $5000 fine.

The Forest Service, citing budget cuts, has recently turned over the management and fee collection for many public campgrounds to private concessionaires. Reservations for these campgrounds are made through private corporations, which collect a commission on each reservation. Businesses such as REI and GI Joes also collect a commission when they sell the passes required to visit many trailheads in national forests.

Corporate advertisements on ski chairlifts operating on public lands were also recently approved and the National Park Service is considering corporate advertising in the parks.

Proponents of the fees and advertising say it will help raise badly needed money to maintain trails, campgrounds, and park structures--money that Congress is not providing. Opponents say it will lead to further commercialization and privatization of public lands.

This week, you'll hear from both sides of this issue.

Host: Christy George

Guests: Derrick Crandall, president of the American Recreation Coalition in Washington, DC; and Scott Silver, Wild Wilderness in Bend, Oregon.

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