| WESTERN SLOPE NO-FEE COALITION |
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THE FEE-FREE PRESS
DEAR PUBLIC LANDS SUPPORTER
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The Wayne National Forest in Ohio is asking for public comments on a proposal to ELIMINATE their longstanding practice of requiring a "Trail Permit" fee to ride a horse through the forest. The elimination of any fee is a rare opportunity - you should not miss this chance to weigh in!
DETAILS BELOW |
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EQUESTRIANS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BUY A "TRAIL PERMIT"!
Residents of southern Ohio have convinced the Wayne National Forest to eliminate its "Trail Permit" fee. They need your help to make it happen.
 Years of effort by equestrians for access to their own public lands have potentially come to a happy outcome on the Wayne National Forest. Horse owners there have long been required to buy a "Trail Permit" to ride anywhere on the 79 miles of trail that are open to equestrian use. The other trails on the Wayne don't allow horses, so there has been no place where you could ride a horse without paying a fee. The Forest's justification for this has been that horseback riding is a "specialized recreation use," putting it in the same legal category as commercial uses, organized events, and large group gatherings, which is ridiculous.
The permit requirement has especially rankled horse riders because of their long history of volunteering on the Wayne, including
creating new trails for riders and hikers, and helping re-route others to make them safer and more environmentally responsible. Local riders have been working with other user groups to get changes made to the Forest's overall recreation fee program, and thanks to their efforts a general revision to recreation fees on the Wayne has been proposed and is out for public comment until July 28. It includes the elimination of the Trail Permit requirement for horseback riders!
You can read the details of the proposal
HERE. This chance to eliminate an inappropriate fee is a rare event, so no matter where you live your comments to the Wayne will help make the rest of the National Forests sit up and take notice that general access fees remain unpopular with the public and need to end.
Send your comments by email to [email protected] with the subject line "Fee Change." You can put your comments in the body of your message or attach them as a Word document or PDF. Please include your name, home town, and email address. Keep your comments respectful and polite.
Comments need not be lengthy, so this should only take you a few moments. Here is some suggested language. Please modify this to put it into your own words and reflect your own concerns:
I support eliminating the requirement that horseback riders purchase a Trail Permit to ride on the 79 miles of trail open to horses on the Wayne National Forest. Horseback riding is not a "specialized recreation use" and should not require a fee of any kind.
Thanks for coming to the defense of your right to access your public lands!
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SENIOR PASS PRICE INCREASE POSTPONED TO OCTOBER 1
According to Thomas Crosson, the chief spokesman for the National Park Service, the increase in the price of a lifetime Senior Interagency Pass, from $10 to $80, will not take effect until October 1, 2017.
You are eligible to buy a lifetime Senior Pass as soon as you turn age 62. If you will achieve that landmark before the end of September, you can rest assured that you will be able to obtain your pass at the current price so long as you buy it as soon as you qualify.
The Senior Interagency Pass entitles the holder and all occupants of the same vehicle, regardless of their ages, to enter all National Parks and Wildlife Refuges that charge an entrance fee. It also covers any requirement to display a recreation pass, such as the Adventure Pass in southern California, the Red Rock Pass in Sedona, and the Northwest Forest Pass in Washington and Oregon, at "Standard Amenity Fee" sites on National Forests and BLM lands.
In addition, the Senior Pass entitles the holder to a 50% discount on the camping fee at developed campgrounds for the site they occupy, including any friends or family members sharing the same site, regardless of their ages. Passes are valid for the rest of the holder's life.
You can obtain any your pass at any National Park Service unit and at most Forest Service, BLM, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Reclamation offices. They are also available online from the USGS Store, but online purchases incur additional service charges.
The $80 price that takes effect in October is not fixed by Congress. It will float with the price of the Annual Interagency Pass that's available to anyone, and the agencies can raise that price without congressional approval. The Annual Pass currently costs $80 but there is enormous pressure on the agencies to raise that, and we expect it will happen within the next several years. So everyone who qualifies for a lifetime Senior Pass is well advised to obtain it at the earliest possible date!
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The Western Slope No-Fee Coalition is a broad-based organization consisting of diverse interests including hiking, biking, boating, equestrian and motorized enthusiasts, community groups, local and state elected officials, conservatives and liberals, Republicans and Democrats, and just plain citizens.
Our goals are:
- To eliminate recreation fees for general access to public lands managed by the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management
- To eliminate backcountry fees and interpretive program fees in National Parks
- To require more accountability within the land management agencies
- To encourage Congress to adequately fund our public lands
Thank you for your support!
Sincerely,
Kitty Benzar
Western Slope No Fee Coalition |
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