Opportunities to discover, explore and enjoy America's public lands in their natural state are quickly disappearing. Today the goal of federal land-managers is to turn raw nature into a 'product' and then to repackage it, market it, and sell it, as differentiated 'brands' of value-added recreation.
Although few readers are aware that these changes are occurring, most are familiar with the new demonstration recreation fee program already implemented on approximately 100 test sites around the nation. And while various journals have recently reported on this subject, few have focused sufficient attention upon the much larger, but related, issue looming just beneath the surface.
The implementation of trail fees, Adventure Passes, call them what you will, is not an issue of whether the government has the right to force people to pay some small amount of money in order visit publicly owned lands. Rec-fees are the first visible manifestation of an entirely new federal land-management paradigm, one that strongly emphasizes and promotes highly developed, intensively motorized, recreation. The fee program itself has been sponsored by, and is being implemented as a private partnership with, the pro-wise-use, corporate-backed, American Recreation Coalition. Rec-fees may be unpopular, but they are, in and of themselves, inconsequential. The current push to "commercialize, privatize and motorize" America's public lands could be disastrous not just for recreationists, but for biodiversity and ecosystem preservation as well.
The basic tenets of the new paradigm are listed below. These are the facts as currently envisaged by federal agencies:
Upon reading these, you may ask: "What's the problem? These sound reasonable enough?" Our grass roots organization, dedicated to preserving and enhancing opportunities for the enjoyment of 'undeveloped recreation', admits that we view these tenets with a particular bias.
Bias or not, there can be little doubt where this program is headed. And although we cannot provide specific on-the-ground examples in this brief article, we have placed such examples, and other supporting evidence, on our Internet web site (http://www.wildwilderness.org).
There are no secrets regarding the changes occurring in federal land-management policies. There are no conspiracies between government and private industry. There is no need for speculation and conjecture. In America today, politically conservative Western States Congressmen are ensuring that allocations to land-management agencies are cut drastically. Without funds, the USFS, the BLM and other land managers are left with no alternative except to embrace the 'market-driven' options being offered. And, to facilitate this transition, commercial recreation interests are eagerly offering their expertise, cooperation and supplemental funding. This is a classic win-win situation. This is an example of how government can do 'more with less.' The only losers are those Americans who value and respect Nature - raw and untamed, and the environment itself.
In the coming debate, you will hear all about the benefits of rec-fees and glowing proclamations explaining how federal agencies have been re-invented and are now more responsive to their customers. You will hear sad tales about diminished budgets and be told that user fees will be retained locally to improve local resources. While our land-managers may continue to pay lip service to the idea of biodiversity, conservation and natural resource protection, you must understand that these agencies are being transformed into profit-driven enterprises. Foremost upon their minds are thoughts of downsizing, spinning off unprofitable assets, brand management, customer satisfaction and all the problems associated with running a profitable business. To these former bureaucrats, what were once recognized as our public lands are now considered their "working capital."
So, when next faced with the prospect of purchasing a permit allowing access to your public lands, please consider the following. You can say: "What the heck, it's only a few dollars spent for a good cause." Or you can remember that access fees are not just about dollars. The "demonstration" program in which you are being asked to participate is a test of your willingness to accept the new management paradigm. We suggest that you read the fine print before signing on the dotted line.
The author, Scott Silver, is Co-Founder and Executive Director of Wild Wilderness. Located in Bend, Oregon, Wild Wilderness has fought in support of 'undeveloped recreation' since 1991. Readers can learn much more about this subject by visiting the Wild Wilderness website at -- http://www.wildwilderness.org or phone us at (541) 385-5261
Scott Silver, Executive Director,
248 NW Wilmington Avenue, Bend OR 97701
Phone (541) 385-5261 E-mail: ssilver@wildwilderness.org