Of interest to those who use the forest

[jimfoo]

This impacts to those who use the forest, whether camping, hiking, or whatever. Please read and respond!!

Subject: ACTION ALERT Senate Hearing

WESTERN SLOPE NO-FEE COALITION

P.O. BOX 135 DURANGO CO 81302

www. WesternSlopeNoFee.org
URGENT: Ask Senators to Hold Oversight Hearings on Public Lands Recreation Policy!

It's the end of summer and the US Forest Service is releasing proposals to close thousands of developed recreation sites around the nation - campgrounds, trailheads, picnic areas, boat launches, and swimming sites - to charge new or increased fees at hundreds of others, and to remove facilities, reduce capacity, and shorten seasons at hundreds more.
These changes are outlined in documents known as Recreation Facility Analysis (RFA) Proposed Programs of Work (PPOW). Each National Forest is producing an RFA -PPOW and the bulk of them - around 140 - are due out in coming weeks. (For the past few years, these documents were known as RSFMPs. The name change to RFA is very recent.)

The Western Slope No-Fee Coalition has carefully gone over the 18 or so RFAs that are so far available to the public, and in just these 18 forests, the agency's proposals over the next five years will

close 407 campgrounds (17% of sites in these 18 forests);
reduce capacity at 464 sites (20% of the total);
remove amenities (toilets, tables, trash cans, fire rings) at 243 sites (10% of total);
turn 225 sites over to concessionaires or partners (10% of total);
implement new fees at 136 sites (6%)
and increase fees at 170 sites (7%).

We don't have time to wait until all the RFAs are published to alert Congress to these threats to our publicly-owned recreation sites! In some cases, the US Forest Service has already gone and removed water systems, toilets, picnic tables, and fire rings, and completely closed campgrounds and other developed recreation sites without ANY public notice at all.

For the WSNFC's June 2007 update report on RFA/RSFMP plans go to

http://www.westernslopenofee.org/NoFee/RSFMP_update.pdf


PLEASE CONTACT CONGRESS

The RFA process was not authorized by Congress; the US Forest Service calls it an internal matter.

It is up to you and me to bring the RFA-PPOWs to Congress's attention, by requesting that the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee hold oversight hearings on recreation policy, particularly on the RFAs and on the agencies' implementation of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA), the public lands recreation fee program.

Below you will find ideas about what to say, a sample letter, and a list of Senators to contact.


WHAT TO SAY
Mention the FIRST point at least, and then one or more of the following points. Please put them in your own words!

** Ask that the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee hold oversight hearings this fall on the FLREA / fee legislation and on the Forest Service's Recreation Facility Analysis.

** State that you oppose Forest Service plans to close thousands of developed recreation sites.

** Support adequate public funding for public lands recreation sites that reaches sites on the ground (rather than going mostly to administrative overhead).

** Mention your opposition to the Forest Service's High Impact Recreation Areas (HIRAs), where recreation fees are charged often miles away from any developed facilities.

** Say you want trailhead access to wilderness and undeveloped backcountry to be free from fees, as the FLREA requires.

** Oppose the BLM and Forest Service use of Recreation Permit fees for individual access to undeveloped lands and Wilderness Areas.

SAMPLE LETTER
(for those who want to fax a letter to Senators - VERY EFFECTIVE. Please mention these points in your OWN words.)

Dear Senator...

I request the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee to hold oversight hearings on public lands agencies' implementation of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA) and on the US Forest Service's Recreation Facility Analysis.

Recreation fees are still being charged where the FLREA prohibits them - for parking at the side of the road, for access to wilderness and undeveloped backcountry, and at hundreds of sites that do not have the six amenities required by the FLREA.

I oppose the US Forest Service's proposals to close thousands of developed recreation sites around the nation that are not found by the agency to be financially self-supporting.

I support funding for public lands recreation sites that is adequate to maintain them. Congress must make sure that this funding reaches the ground.

I oppose the BLM and Forest Service practice of charging individuals for Special Recreation Permits to access undeveloped backcountry and designated Wilderness.

Thank you,
Yours sincerely,

(please print your name and address VERY CLEARLY.)

CALL OR FAX THESE SENATORS ON THE ENERGY & NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE

At a Minimum: Contact the Chairman and Ranking Member of the committee by calling the committee's office number at - (202) 224-4971. Or you can fax your comments - the fax numbers for the two chairs are below. Faxes have the most impact, phone calls are next. Emails are not effective. Regular letters take too long because of security delays.

Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) Chairman
fax (202) 224-6163

Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM) Ranking Member
fax (202) 224-6173
-------------------------------------------
Also contact these Senators who sit on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
If you have limited time or resources, concentrate on the Senators who are shown as members of the Public Lands and Forests Subcommittee.
Again, faxes have the most impact, phone calls are second. Emails are not effective.
If your own Senator is on this list your comments will have MAXIMUM impact with him or her!
Sen Ron Wyden (D-OR) Chairman, Public Lands and Forests Subcommittee
phone (202) 224-5244
fax (202) 228-2717

Sen Richard Burr (R-NC) Ranking Member, Public Lands and Forests Subcommittee
phone (202) 224-3154
fax (202) 228-2981

Sen Maria Cantwell (D-WA) Member, Public Lands and Forests Subcommittee
phone (202) 224-3441
fax (202) 228-0514

Sen Ken Salazar (D-CO) Member, Public Lands and Forests Subcommittee
phone (202) 224-5852
fax (202) 228-5036

Sen Jon Tester (D-MT)
phone (202) 224-2644
fax (202) 224-8594

Sen John Barrasso (R-WY)
phone (202) 224-6441
fax (202) 224-1724

Sen Gordon Smith (R-OR) Member, Public Lands and Forests Subcommittee
phone (202) 224-3753
fax (202) 228-3997

Sen Bernie Sanders (Independent-VT) Member, Public Lands and Forests Subcommittee
phone (202) 224-5141
fax (202) 228-0776

Sen Daniel Akaka (D-HI) Member, Public Lands and Forests Subcommittee
phone (202) 224-6361
fax (202) 224-2126

Sen Byron Dorgan (D-ND)
phone (202) 224-2551
fax (202) 224-1193

Sen Tim Johnson (D-SD) Member, Public Lands and Forests Subcommittee
phone (202) 224-5842
fax (202) 228-5765

Sen Mary Landrieu (D-LA) Member, Public Lands and Forests Subcommittee
phone (202) 224-5824
fax (202) 224-9735

Sen Robert Menendez (D-NJ) Member, Public Lands and Forests Subcommittee
phone (202) 224-4744
fax (202) 228-2197

Sen Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) Member, Public Lands and Forests Subcommittee
phone (202) 224-4843
fax (202) 228-1371

Sen Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) Member, Public Lands and Forests Subcommittee
phone (202) 224-6665
fax (202) 224-5301

Sen Jim DeMint (R-SC) Member, Public Lands and Forests Subcommittee
phone (202) 224-6121
fax (202) 228-5143

Sen Bob Corker (R-TN)
phone (202) 224-3344
fax (202) 228-0566

Sen Jeff Sessions (R-AL) Member, Public Lands and Forests Subcommittee
phone (202) 224-4124
fax (202) 224-3149

Sen Jim Bunning (R-KY) Member, Public Lands and Forests Subcommittee
phone (202) 224-4343
fax (202) 228-1373

Sen Mel Martinez (R-FL)
phone (202) 224-3041
fax (202) 228-5171

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FURTHER NO-FEE NEWS

Sen Max Baucus (D-MT) is expected to introduce his bill soon to repeal the FLREA. We will send out a new action alert at that point in support of the bill.

Thanks, as ever, for your help in this truly grassroots effort.

Kitty Benzar
President, Western Slope No-Fee Coalition

[disco doggie]

Thanks Jim for the Info. This has been a problem that I have noticed an increase in the reguations and problems with forest services here in CA. I will be writing my letter and faxing tonight. Thanks for the heads up!!!


Mike

[TsiArt]

I think that this is BULLSHIT!
I'll be writing something to them .

[kellijo]

Wow, this is an interesting read. Is it safe to assume it's a budget problem? I do know that state parks in themselves have done a lot of cut backs. However, it'd be a real shame if that many facilities get shut down.

I would *think* that people would not mind paying higher entry fees, and campsite fees, if it meant not to have these closed down. I'm sure it is very costly to keep things up to standards and regulations. With that being said, I could be way off base here but, I guess if enough people spoke out, a new financial plan could be made... (obviously, beyond LRO..haha!)

This is a good time to be proactive. Hmm....perhaps we can all get together.....tie ourselves together attached to trees and protest not to leave...

On a side note, for those who can....I always thought it was a good idea to invest money into the forestry for future generations. That's what I did, and have accumiliated many acres, that is now considered 'classified forest'. No one can touch it, and it's a great preservation for wild life, and camping groups. I'm sure my small little dot in the Midwest will count for something one day, when everything else is developed.