Forest users likely to encounter fees
From our weekly issue dated December 5, 2007
The U.S. Forest Service is beginning a series of public meetings to obtain community input on the draft Recreation Facility Analysis (RFA), a document that itemizes the proposed fate of 208 camp sites, trails, day use areas, and other recreation facilities in the Rogue-Siskiyou National Forest.
The plan has two overall purposes: identify the cost of critical maintenance and repairs for many sites, and establish a priority list to identify which repairs would most effectively result in improving public safety and enjoyment.
The priority list also identifies several sites that will be decommissioned and other sites that may begin charging fees or have higher fees charged to help defray the cost of maintenance.
Decommissioning sites may not necessarily mean that the site will be removed. Some campgrounds, for instance, may be changed from a site that has water and trash cans to a dispersed camping site where camping will be allowed; but water, trash removal and cleanup of the site will be the responsibility of the user. Some of these changes are necessary at sites that historically have use levels below what justifies the cost of trash removal and maintenance of water treatment facilities.
Fee increases might seem to be an issue of contention, and rightfully so if the forest service were required to operate under historic conditions where 70 percent of the money collected money went into the U.S. Treasury. From there it might be distributed to, for example, the Dept. of Defense and other agencies without ties to recreation.
However, with recent enactment of the Recreation Enhancement Act (REA), fees that are spent at recreation facilities in Illinois Valley will now stay in Illinois Valley, or at least in Rogue-Siskiyou National Forest. The REA assures that approximately 80 to 90 percent of the fees collected will be retained by Rogue-Siskiyou National Forest to be used locally to help operate, maintain and improve facilities to meet health, safety and accessibility standards.
The first public meeting was held in Grants Pass Monday, Nov. 26 during which an audience of some 15 people discussed the Rogue-Siskiyou recreation plan. Most attendees had knowledge about the history and condition of local recreation facilities.
Most in the audience voiced a greater concern about losing recreation facilities than concerns about the increase in fees. The longest discussion of the evening regarded establishment of an entrance fee for the Wild & Scenic Illinois River corridor west of Selma. The proposal included establishing a fee station near Six Mile Road and charging $5 for day use.
Residents could purchase a $30 annual pass that would include unlimited use of the corridor as well as covering day-use fees for other sites in the forest.
Another meeting was held in Cave Junction on Thursday night, Nov. 29. Originally scheduled for I.V. Visitor Center, it was relocated to the Josephine County Bldg.
One of the greatest concerns in Grants Pass was about the limited number of parking spaces that would be available in the corridor. Visitors would be required to park only in designated sites, and those parking elsewhere would be issued a parking citation. One in the audience brought up concerns about problems that might be caused by charging a fee to use the river and what might happen if there are no places to legally park.
Joel King, district ranger for Illinois Valley, said that issues such as this are one of many reasons the forest service is asking the public to participate with the planning process.
“We need your help,” he said.
King also pointed out that there could be no fees charged for using the upper part of the corridor along Eight Dollar Mountain Road to Babyfoot Lake. He emphasized his understanding that not everyone in Illinois Valley will be able to afford paying recreation fees.
“I wanted to leave a section of the river with no fees attached,” he said. “Actually, I would be happy not to charge fees on any facilities if someone can tell me how I can meet the goals of public health and safety and wheelchair accessibility in some other way.”
The recreation fees to be charged in the Rogue-Siskiyou National Forest also would be used to cover the cost of law enforcement patrols and general upkeep of recreational facilities.
The group attending Monday’s meeting expressed strong backing for volunteer support to assist with such areas as fund-raising or providing labor and materials for improving facilities and maintaining trails. This might be a possible way to reduce the need for fees.
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