The U.S. Forest Service has proposed changes that would allow public access to an additional 30,000 acres of the Cleveland National Forest for free.
The changes to Recreation Fee Areas would eliminate or reduce the size of six existing recreation areas where visitors are now required to have Adventure Passes.
The public comments period is open now through December 13, 2013. Comments may be submitted to:
Cleveland National Forest
Trabuco Ranger District
1147 East Sixth Street
Corona, CA 92879
or by email to: jfrodriguez@fs.fed.us
The full press release follows (you may also view it HERE):
Forest Service seeks public comments on proposed changes to Recreation Fee Areas on Cleveland National Forest
Cleveland National Forest officials are seeking public comments on proposed changes to the Corral Canyon, Holy Jim, Mt. Laguna, Ortega, Tenaja and Wildomar Recreation Fee Areas. The forest is proposing to eliminate or substantially reduce the size of these standard amenity fee areas. These proposed changes result in over 30,000 acres becoming free to the public. Comments should be submitted by December 13, 2013 so they may be compiled, analyzed, and shared with the California Recreation Resource Advisory Committee.
The Adventure Pass and America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands passes will continue to be accepted as payment for recreation fees at the following sites and areas:
Holy Jim Standard Amenity Fee Area, 3 small Mt. Laguna Standard Amenity Fee Areas, Bobcat Meadow Campground, Bear Valley Trailhead, El Cariso South Picnic Area, Tenaja Trailhead, Laguna Interpretive/Day Use Site, Pioneer Mail Picnic Site, Nobel Canyon Trailhead, Four Corners Trailhead, Corral Canyon Campground, El Cariso Picnic Area, San Juan Loop Trailhead, Wildomar OHV Staging Area and Desert View Picnic Area.
These sites will continue to have a separate expanded amenity fee:
Blue Jay Campground*, Falcon Group Campground, Laguna Campground*, Horse Heaven Group Campground, El Cariso Campground, Upper San Juan Campground, El Prado Group Campground and Wildomar Campground.
*Passes only accepted for day use within this site, including trailheads.
These recreation sites are free:
Elsinore Hang Gliding Sites 1&2, Ortega Falls Day Use Site, Tenaja Falls Trailhead, Garnet Information Site, Storm Canyon Vista/Trailhead, Firefighter Memorial Site, Morgan Trailhead, Fisherman’s Camp Trailhead, West Horse Thief Trailhead, Penny Pines Interpretive Site and El Cariso Information Site.
In June 2011, the U.S. Forest Service conducted a national review of the 97 fee areas on National Forest System lands. As a result of the review, the Forest Service plans to remove the fee area designations for 73 fee areas and reduce the boundaries for the remaining 24 fee areas across the nation. The proposed changes for the six Cleveland National Forest recreation fee areas are consistent with the results of the national review.
The proposed changes to the Cleveland National Forest recreation fee areas will be presented to a citizen’s advisory committee, called the California Recreation Resource Advisory Committee (R-RAC). Committee members represent a broad array of recreation interest groups. The public is welcome to attend and comment at all R-RAC meetings. The next R-RAC meeting is expected to be held in the winter of 2014. More information about the R-RAC, including meeting dates and locations can be found at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/main/r5/recreation/racs.
If adopted, it is anticipated that the proposals for the Cleveland recreation fee areas would be implemented in the winter of 2014. In the interim, consistent with direction on implementation of the national review, the Cleveland National Forest has not been issuing notices of required fees or enforcing recreation fees outside of the listed recreation sites and reduced area boundaries.
Fee revenue is used for operations and maintenance and future enhancements of these recreation sites. More information about the recreation fees and the Cleveland National Forest Recreation Program can be found in the Forest’s Annual Fee Program Accomplishment Reports at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r5/passes-permits/recreation/?cid=fsbdev3_048946.
For more information about this fee proposal, please contact Jacob Rodriguez by phone at (951) 736-1811 or by email: jfrodriguez@fs.fed.us. Further information about this proposal, can also be found on the forest website at:www.fs.usda.gov/cleveland.
Comments may be submitted to: Cleveland National Forest, Trabuco Ranger District, 1147 East Sixth Street, Corona, CA 92879 or by email at: jfrodriguez@fs.fed.us.