Current Until Updated
"Can't See the Forests for the Fees" is a complaint being heard from
coast to coast as the recreation industry's Recreation Fee
Demonstration Program increases its grip upon America's public lands.
Enacted as a legislative rider in 1996, Fee-Demo provides authority for
federal land managers to charge and retain user fees for an almost
limitless range of recreation products, goods and services. "Hiking",
"Fishing", "Camping" and "Skiing" have suddenly become commodities
while you and I have just as suddenly become customers.
The good news is that opposition runs deep. Over 300
environmental, conservation and recreation organizations oppose this
program.
The bad new is, on November 21, 2004 Congress abolished the
fee-demo program and replaced it with a new Recreation Access Tax (RAT)
program. RAT was authorized for a period of ten year and should be
viewed as being nothing less than fee-demo on steroids.
It's going to take much more than silent opposition to end a
program created expressly for the purpose of introducing the profit
motive into public land recreation management. The special interests
who created Fee-Demo and RAT have every intention of using it to
commercialize, privatize and further develop recreational opportunities
upon America's public lands.
PLEASE:
1) Write your elected officials and ask them you oppose Recreation Access Taxes.
2) Write letters to the editor and encourages others to do the same.
3) Know that the success of the program is being judged based
upon compliance rates and dollars collected. If you don't support the
program, don't visit RAT sites and don't pay the fees.
For additional information contact Wild Wilderness 541-385-5261, or visit us online at - http://www.wildwilderness.org.
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