For the past 100 years, our nation's public lands have been managed so as to maximize the commodity value that could be extracted from them. Today, a major shift in federal land management policy is being developed and implemented. Instead of extracting commodities from nature, nature itself is being converted into a commodity to be repackaged, marketed and sold in the form of value-added recreation products.

On this website you will discover how conservative Congressmen, cash-strapped land managers, and recreation industry leaders are working cooperatively to create an entirely new land management paradigm. Their efforts are being directed toward maximal "commercialization, privatization and motorization" of our natural heritage. The name best used to describe their vision for the 21st century and beyond is:

"Industrial Strength Recreation"

 

The Opportunity

• "It baffles me that the Department of Agriculture tracks the value of soybeans, corn, or wheat to the penny by the day, yet, rarely is recreation and tourism on federal lands understood as a revenue generator. Instead it has been perceived as an amenity - something extra that we are privileged to enjoy. Fortunately, that's beginning to change."
  Spoken by: Michael Dombeck, Chief of the Forest Service,   (12/97).

• "The bill calls for the Forest Service to develop a significantly improved program to encourage private-sector investment, construction, and operation of forest-based lodges, resorts, marinas, riding stables, campgrounds, and stores..."
  From: The National Forest Recreation Site Enhancement and Management Act;
  Legislation proposed by the National Forest Recreation Association,   (5/98).

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"Fee-Demo" Era Ends
"RAT" Era Begins

The Recreation Fee Demonstration Program (Fee-Demo) effectively ended on November 21, 2004 when Congress authorized the new "Recreation Access Tax" (RAT). RAT should be thought of as Fee-Demo on steroids.

For most current information click here.
To read the "Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act"
click here for PDF or click here for HTML or click here for Microsoft Word.
To learn how the USFS intents to implement the RAT, click here.
For current RAT-related news click here
Download trailhead survey form and groundtruth the RAT.
Download Initial Report of Rat Surveys (10/05).

 

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To see a guide to this very large web site click here.

Background	Mission Statement Who and What is Wild Wilderness Our Current Major Issue (in 250 words) Why Does this Site Exist? Three Competing Visions - Take Your Pick! Recreation Fee Status Updates! NEW
Focus Issue	Boycott the Fee (1 page) Industrial Recreation: The New Product What You Haven't Heard Listen to the American People! Hear a radio interview with Scott Silver Learn what Forest Service Employees really think! Read actual letters from Angry Americans
Take Action	Protest Artwork and Images Sign Internet Petition to End Fee-Demo Obtain copy of Selling Our Birthright video