MAJOR DEVELOPMENT IN THE FEE-DEMO ISSUE!

On June 11, 2001, Senators Bob Graham (D-FL) and Akaka(D-HI)
introduced new legislation known as the 'National Parks Stewardship
Act.'  
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c107:S1011:

The bill is primarily concerned with the recreation fee demonstration
program and with challenge cost share partnerships. The bill, if
passed, would make fee-demo permanent for all the National Park
Service, the USFS, the BLM and the USFWS. It would permanently modify
the Land Water Conservation Fund to provide broad new recreation fee
collection authority and would facilitate private-public partnerships
for development of recreation and tourism infrastructure on public
lands. There is even a pilot program within the bill for the purpose
of attracting "professionals with expertise in areas such as business
management who are not typically attracted to careers in the National
Park Service!"

It is, in short, the American Recreation Coalition's dream bill.

Is it a coincidence that this particular piece of legislation was
introduced on the very first day of the American Recreation
Coalition's Great Outdoors Week (http://www.funoutdoors.com)?

We suggest not!

This is truly major and breaking news. More updates will follow.

This document was prepared by Wild Wilderness. To learn more about ongoing industry-backed congressional efforts to motorize, commercialize, and privatize America's public lands, contact:

Scott Silver, Executive Director,
Wild Wilderness
248 NW Wilmington Avenue,  Bend  OR 97701
Phone (541) 385-5261    E-mail: ssilver@wildwilderness.org