In 1996 Congress authorized national forests through the Federal Lands Recreation Act (REA) to enact recreation fees that would generate revenue which would be funneled directly into forest maintenance plans. As the federal budget has continued to hack and slash at service for America (yet, oddly continues to provide billions in aid to people who don’t like us) the U.S. Forest Service has been sorely pressed to come up with funding to make investments to infrastructure and do necessary repairs – especially to those forests that butt up against urban areas and which see heavy traffic.
Many forests adopted the fees and began programs like the Adventure Pass program, which charged forest visitors for access to the lands which, by law, we’re supposed to have free access to.
A federal judge has ruled that the U.S. Forest Service can no longer charge visitors who just want to hike or bike on federal land. The USFS can only charge people for the use of amenities – bathrooms, developed parking lots, campgrounds, and picnic tables.
This could be good, it could be bad. I, for one, do like the idea that I can park near a trailhead for free and not have to worry about whether I remembered by Adventure Pass (and whether I remembered to renew it). But I also see a huge downside in that the forests are going to have more (free) visitors and no revenue to maintain the forests.
The bigger issue with the unpopular Adventure Pass program is that it makes it inconvenient for the spontaneous forest visitor; in most areas you can’t buy a Day Pass. You have to buy the pass elsewhere; like at the sporting goods shop thats 40 miles from the forest where you’re trying to park. You have to plan ahead, find a location that sells the passes, make sure you get the right one, etc.
This is the whole reason that the federal judge was hearing a case in the first place. U.S. District Court Judge Terry Hatter Jr. agreed with four hikers who contended that Southern California forests were improperly requiring them to buy an Adventure Pass even when they didn’t use any developed facilities. I think the Judge made the right decision; if you’re not using any facilities, you probably shouldn’t have to pay for them.
Me? Well, I’ll still spend my $30 a year to get my Adventure Pass. The forests need to be maintained where man treads upon them.