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 George Orwell once wrote - "Omission is the most powerful form of lie" and today the US Forest Service is guilty of that lie.
Those who read Orwell's Animal Farm know how the farm animals would scratch their head in wonder as what had been clear and unambiguous Commandments written upon the barn wall seemed to change in the night. "No animal shall sleep in a bed" became "No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets". "No animal shall kill another animal" became "No animal shall kill another animal without reason" and, most famous of all, "All animals are equal" became "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others."
The law which grants the USFS authority to charge, collect and retain recreation fees says the following:
The Secretary may use not more than an average of 15 percent of total revenues collected under this Act for administration, overhead, and indirect costs related to the recreation fee program by that Secretary.
In the appended article from yesterday's Southern Illinosian and in countless similar references, the US Forest Service is now claiming that they may use no more than 15% of total revenues collected to cover the costs of fee collection.
The difference between what the law requires and the agency's new interpretation of the law, is as great as the difference between the original Commandments and those rewritten by the pigs in the dead of night.
I encourage you to read the appended article online at the link provided and to read the comments that your fellow barnyard animials have posted.
Scott
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Proposed Shawnee fee increases stir debate
BY BECKY MALKOVICH, THE SOUTHERN
March 4, 2008
Proposed recreational fees, if approved, will help the Shawnee National
Forest cope with rising costs, a shrinking budget and a scaled-back
labor pool, a Shawnee official said.
While controversial, the Recreational Enhancement Act fee proposals
will help maintain and improve trails, day use areas and campgrounds,
Recreation Program Manager Tim Pohlman said.
The proposed fees at developed recreational facilities in the forest
include a $5 per car per day fee at Johnson Creek and Pounds Hollow
beach and picnic areas, Little Grand Canyon and Garden of the Gods and
Bell Smith Springs interpretive and picnic sites.
Fees would also be increased by $5 or $6 at certain campgrounds
including Johnson Creek group, Pine Hills, Pine Ridge, Camp Cadiz and
Pharaoh.
A $5 per day fee is also proposed for equestrian use of designated trails in the Shawnee.
Frequent Shawnee visitors could purchase yearly passes at $50 for use of the trails or day use areas.
"The budget for developed recreation is down, while expenses are up. We
pay the same price for gas and electricity as everybody else. Those two
factors, coupled with the loss of the Senior and Community Service
Employment program have put us where we are today," Pohlman said.
The SCSE program for many years provided the Shawnee with dozens of
employees whose salaries were paid for by the U.S. Department of Labor,
Pohlman said.
"As recently as five years ago, there were 50 people working in the
program. They provided maintenance service - mowed grass, painted
signs, picked up litter - basically cared for and tended the recreation
sites in the forest at a vastly reduced price," he said. "Now there are
just a couple of workers. That's made a huge difference. I can't stress
enough how important they were."
To make up for the loss of workers, the forest has either reduced services or is forced to contract out for services, he said.
The budget has increased for designated trails in the past few years,
but with a backlog of planned trail maintenance and reconstruction
projects, Pohlman said there is no guarantee that the budget increases
will continue long enough to complete all of the projects.
"We've done a lot of work, but there is much more to be done," he said.
"The trails are our No. 1 priority. Equestrians are big customers for
the forest and we want to accommodate that use. We are working
diligently to bring the trails up to the standards of use they require."
Pohlman said he is aware of opposition to the proposed fees. Businesses
that serve Shawnee visitors are concerned about the economic effect the
fees might have, while county boards, including those in Hardin and
Pope counties, are considering passing resolutions opposing the
implementation of fees.
Users of the forest also have concerns about the proposed fees. At a
recent informational meeting held by concerned citizens, some audience
members expressed their distrust of the forest service and their doubts
that the money would be used for the stated intentions.
"The Act is very specific about how the money is spent," Pohlman said.
"Specific accounts must be set up; the money doesn't go into a general
fund. The accounting side will be very transparent."
Ninety-five percent of the fees collected will be returned to the
Shawnee and 80 percent must go back to the facilities where they were
generated, he said.
Costs to administer fee collection cannot exceed 15 percent of the collected money.
The forest service must submit reports to Congress and the public
annually detailing exactly how much money was collected and where it is
spent.
"The forest service supervisor is committed to making sure people can see how their money is being spent," he said.
Public comment on the proposed fees will be accepted until April 15.
After that, public comment will be scrutinized and the proposal will be
modified, altered or left the same before reaching an advisory
committee that will make a decision on whether to implement the fees.
If the proposal is accepted, fees could be put into place by fall at
the earliest, although the Shawnee would likely wait until spring 2009,
he said.
Comments and recommendations regarding the Shawnee National Forest's
Recreation Enhancement Act fee proposals can be sent to Hurston A.
Nicholas, Forest Supervisor, Shawnee National Forest, 50 Highway 145
South, Harrisburg, IL 62946 and must be submitted before April 15.
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