• A Strategy for Recreation  [EXTREMELY IMPORTANT]

(Read a shockingly honest explanation of how the USFS intends to commercialize and privatize the lands we, the American people, have entrusted to it.)

Agreement Between ARC and the U.S. Forest Service 
(This is the actual Challenge Cost-Share Partnership agreement for the Demonstration Recreation Fee Program. ARC paid for the program so ARC gets to control the message.)

USFS pays private consultant $250,000 to make Fee-Demo work 
Read about the Forest Service "Marketing Resources Group." They believe they have a great product to sell ... if only the public would pay for it.

• USFS:   "National Recreation Strategy"  

(In 1988 ARC led President Ronald Reagan's Commission on Americans Outdoors to conclude that our public lands should be commercialized, privatized, and motorized.)
• President Reagan's uses fees to cut park funding 

(When Ronald Reagan and James Watt introduced their National Parks fee legislation the stated purpose was to free the parks from appropriated funding and force the NPS to be self-funded.)
• Army Corps Engineers: Recreation Partnership Initiative [Very Explicit]

(The Corps describes a "win-win-win" scenario in which privately financed recreation infrastructure is build on public lands.")
• Forest Service "Brands" of Recreation 

(View the new product logos of the US Forest Service. This page is directly related to the page listed immediately below. Both are very important.)
• Forest Service: Marketing the Great Outdoors [MUST READ]

(Forest Service top executive asks - "Have we fully explored our gold mine of recreation opportunities in this country and managed it as if it were consumer product brands?")
• ARC's Answer to Public Lands Funding  

(This is legislation ARC is shopping around the House of Representatives. So far, no one in Congress is willing to sponsor this bill. Look out, this will be introduced in the 106th Congress.)
• An Outdoor Recreation Policy 

(This official Policy Document is what now guides Congress in its effort of Commercialize and Privatize America's public lands. Painful to read, but truly enlightening!)
• Outdoor Recreation: A Reader for Congress 

(Chairman Frank Murkowski introduces this "reader" by reminding committee members that recreation is not only about "fun and games." It's about money and partnerships with the private sector!)
• ARC Director Christine Jourdain tells Congress how fee-demo should be run

(Congressional testimony from May 6, 2004 explains precisely how the recreation industry wants to take control of the fee-demonstration program.)  [MUST READ]
• KOA President Tells Congress how Public Lands Should be Run

(Hear the true story straight from ARC's spokesman. This testimony should make your hair stand on end. KOA's are coming to a forest near you, and Fee-Demo is nothing but the nose of the camel.)
• Good Sam Club Director Tells Congress - RVers are Prepared to Pay-to-Play

(ARC Board Member, Susan Bray, let's Congress know their members support fee-demo so long as it provides campgrounds optimized for RVers, paved roads into Wild lands and plenty of roadside attractions.)
• The BlueRibbon Coalition Addresses Congress on Fee-Demo

(The motorized recreation community has only one complaint about fee-demo. They are worried that some of the money is not being spent to provide new motorized trails, snow groomers, and ACCESS!)
• Private/Public Ventures

(Read about a disastrous new USFS program designed to attract private investment to finance commercial, privately owned facilities upon public lands. After the camel's nose, comes this!)
• Recreation Super-Bill (Murkowski)

(Senator Murkowski's statement on his proposed omnibus legislation, with notes provided by Wild Wilderness. This is ARC- sponsored legislation, written for recreation industry special interests such as KOA, Disney, REI and others.)
• Recreation Super-Bill (Crandall)

(Derrick Crandall, ARC President, explains the legislation his team has co-authored with Senator Murkowski.)
• American Recreation Coalition Membership

(Learn who ARC represents. It's certainly not you. Link to ARC's web page.)
• They Paid-To-Play - Now So Must You!

(Follow the money. Find out which politicians receive campaign contributions for ARC member corporations.)
• Memorandum of Understanding: The Walt Disney Company

(An agreement between Disney and the U.S. Government to conduct joint research and educational projects involving natural resource management issues. Read it and try not to cry.)

The Walt Disney Company is such an important player in the future of America's Public Lands. They are a sustaining member of the American Recreation Coalition, they are a member of the Recreation Roundtable and they are SO MUCH MORE!

• Recreation Roundtable Membership

(List of Recreation Roundtable Members and their corporate affiliations. These are the players calling the shots in Washington.)
• The Partners Outdoors Program [ Major Gateway]
  (An annual conference held at DisneyWorld sponsored by ARC's Recreation Roundtable and seven federal agencies. Learn how the private recreation industry and public employees are conspiring to create recreation policy for America's public lands.)
• Political Contributions by ARC and the Recreation Roundtable

(Follow the money. See whose pockets Derrick Crandall lines.)
• Recreation Exchange Membership

(List of corporations who support ARC's Recreation Exchange. The exchange is a monthly get-together of recreation industry executives and federal policy decision makers.)
• ARC's 1994 Tax Return

(How can ARC possibly qualify as a 501(c)3 Tax Exempt Corporation?)
• ARC's 1998 Board of Directors

(Discover who's on ARC's Board of Directors. We've provided their names, addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses. They'd love to hear from you!)
• ARC Congressional Testimony 1998

(ARC's Feb. 26, 1998 Congressional statement in support of its Fee-Demo program. Listen to the man who brought you Fee-Demo.)
• More ARC Congressional Testimony 1998

(ARC's May 7, 1998 Congressional statement in support of pay-to-play, commercial, recreation. Derrick Crandall tells congress how National Forests and Parks should be run.)
• ARC Senate Testimony 1999

(ARC's Feb. 4, 1999 Senate Hearing statement in support of Fee-Demo. Crandall, once again, instructs Congress on Fee-Demo and outdoor recreation.)
• U.S. Forest Service Partnership Guide

(This document was recently removed from the web by the USFS. We suspect they didn't want you to read it!)
• National Forest Foundation

(The NFF "is the official nonprofit partner of the U.S. Forest Service"... created by Congress, no less! What a boondoggle.)
• GAO Report: Forest Service - Barriers to Generating Revenue or Reducing Costs

("This report (1) identifies the lessons that can be learned from efforts by nonfederal land managers to generate revenue or become financially self-sufficient from the sale or use of natural resources on their lands and (2) discusses legal and other barriers that may prevent the Forest Service from implementing similar efforts on its lands.")
• GAO Report: Fees for Recreation Special-Use Permits Do Not Reflect Fair Market Value

("Overall, our past work has shown that frequently the Forest Service charges considerably less than fair market prices for the use of the land for these major commercial activities and that as a result federal fee revenues are millions of dollars less than they could be.")
• Forest Service explains why Fee-Demo is important to Industrial Tourism

("Many areas are now charging fees and having those fees returned to the site where collected thanks to this innovative congressional program. Marketing plans and business plans are now becoming part of the Forest Service lingo. Outfitter and Guide service operations and other private concessions are now being seen more as partners...")
• Still More ARC Links

(More Dirt on the American Recreation Coalition and its president, Derrick A. Crandall.)

A Bad Program That Must be Stopped!

The following references pertain to a proposal currently being evaluated by Congress and the Department of the Interior. If enacted, this program would remove 2100 lakes from federal management and turn control over to local, state and corporate interests.

This is the most egregious legislation currently being advanced by the American Recreation Coalition and under no circumstances must this program be allowed to proceed beyond the study phase.

• National Recreation Study to Boost Tourism at Federally Built Lakes

("The commission will study how improvements in roads, utilities, buildings, and management of facilities at these sites could be accomplished through innovative partnerships with the private sector and evaluate the viability of private sector development of public attractions at the lakes, including marinas, lodgings, nature centers, golf courses, visitor centers, and other amenities.")
• Recreation Boating is Just Too Popular...

("Pristine under-utilized lakes" should be upgraded, using private investments, so they can handle increased boating demands.")
• Coalition Formed to Spur Lakes Development

("For industry it should mean more boat and related equipment and service sales.")
• User-Friendly Lakes

("The report also concluded that enhanced recreation opportunities were readily achievable through public/private partnerships and management changes.")
• Senate Testimony by Statement of Derrick Crandall 3/31/04

(Provides excellent historical context, outlines ARC's 25 year-long campaign and gives a current update of where ARC would like to see Army Corps recreation policy head.)
• The Public says NO!

(Testimony from public hearings in Aurora, Kentucky. Officials try to promote "privatization" to a crowd that wanted none of it.)
• Industry Speaks on Lakes Study

("This level of support can best be accomplished by using 30 to 50 year lease agreements, clear rights of ownership, reduced annual payments on the lease agreement until the properties are profitable, and favorable financing to the investor willing to make the capital investments ...")
• Look For Better Boating...

(A blessing for the National Recreation Lakes Program endorsed by dozens of recreation and tourism organizations . . . and ARC members.)
• Memo Written by Derrick Crandall, President ARC

("Vice Chairman Richard Davies played a very positive role. Among his observations was the comment that prior to fee demo, visitors were solely expense items and thus a "problem" for federal recreation site managers.")
• Another memo Written by Derrick Crandall, President ARC

("the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be a partner with the American Recreation Coalition...")
• Senator Lincoln to Lead Recreation Lakes Legislative Effort

("Her bill follows the goals of the Lakes Commission closely, including provisions for a demonstration program, involving up to 20 lakes, where creative partnerships between the public and private sectors would be allowed.")
• Lake Study Proves that Water Recreation = Big Business

("Move over Disneyland. Water is the No. 1 recreation attraction in America...")
• ARC Members Testify on Lakes Study

("To enhance public/private partnership opportunities, is almost a primary -- (is) the primary goal of this Commission...")
• Identify Barriers to Private Sector Development

("One of the tasks of the Commission work plan is to identify barriers to private sector development at federally-managed, man-made lakes and reservoirs.")
• Executives Want Piece of Parks Operations

(The Recreation Rountable and ARC lobby for a piece of the action by promoting the National Recreation Lakes Study.)

For additional information please visit


• the official National Recreation Lakes website
  
• the website of the National Recreation Lakes Coalition.
• the website of the American Recreation Coalition.