(National Day of Action to End Forest Fees -- SUPPORT MATERIALS)
The following is an example news releases from which you might wish to borrow ideas when writing your own release. This example comes from the Western Slope No Fee Coalition. Missing from this news release is contact information.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JUNE 1, 2002 National Day of Action to End Forest Fees OPPOSITION TO CONTROVERSIAL RECREATION USER FEES FOR ACCESS TO PUBLIC LANDS. NATIONAL DAY OF PROTEST AGAINST FEES, JUNE 15, 2002 Summary: Grass roots Colorado protesters and volunteers will be demonstrating along State Highways 103 and 5 (the Mount Evans Highway) and at Echo Lake-Denver Mountain Parks at 10 A.M. on Saturday, June 15. They will be joining other grassroots activists across the nation in a National Day of Protest against the Federal Recreation Fee Demonstration Program, which seeks to charge visitor access fees to National Forests and other public lands for such historically free recreational activities as walking along trails or driving along state and county roads through those National Forests. Purpose: Volunteers will be handing out informational flyers explaining why the Western Slope No Fee Coalition, the Rocky Mountain Coalition for Public Lands, and other groups oppose the program. Volunteers will be talking to forest visitors, urging them to contact Members of Congress with a request for repeal of the program. "Why must forest visitors pay a fee to enjoy a hike, observe wildlife, or watch a sunset?" asks Robert Funkhouser, president of the Western Slope No-Fee Coalition. "As taxpayers we've already paid for the privilege and for upkeep of our taxpayer-owned lands." Says Bill Benson of the Rocky Mountain Coalition for Public Lands: "Americans are being told by Congress our government has no money to take care of public lands and now we must be charged fees. In reality, it's budgetary discretion. Congress can allocate two millions dollars for a fancy toilet at Maroon Bells, but won't allocate two cents for forests and trails." State and Nationwide Opposition: The State of Colorado, as well as nine Colorado counties and 3 other states (California, Washington, and New Hampshire), have passed resolutions asking the Congress to abolish the Fee Demonstration Program and restore appropriations funding to public lands for recreational purposes. The Colorado resolution, HJR02-1051 "CONCERNING OPPOSITION TO THE FEDERAL RECREATIONAL FEE DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM," passed on May 8, 2002, is the 4th state to oppose the public lands fees. The Colorado resolution says in part: "WHEREAS, Recreational fees constitute double taxation and bear no relationship to the actual costs of recreation such as hiking, picnicking, observing wildlife, or scenic driving on state and county roads and public rights of way; and WHEREAS, The concept of paying fees to use public lands is contrary to the idea that public lands belong to the American people and are places where everyone is granted access and is welcome, a concept that has been and should remain in place; Be It Resolved...by the Sixty-third General Assembly of the State of Colorado that the Recreational Fee Demonstration Program be abolished and Congress restore funding to the public land agencies..." Background: The National Day of Protest is being coordinated by Scott Silver of Bend, Oregon, the nation's leading activist in alerting forest visitors to the dangers of commercialization of our nation's public lands. Grassroots organizations and major environmental groups opposing the Rec Fee Demo Program will also be participating in the National Day of Protest. 100 years ago, the bull-headed rough rider, Theodore Roosevelt, inspired by the tree-hugging mountaineer, John Muir, began what has become an American legacy of conserving our natural resources for future generations. Roosevelt left us a legacy of National Parks and Forests which are the foundation of American outdoor recreation and tourism today, offering spiritual renewal and respite from city life to millions of citizens. Citizens own the public lands and already pay taxes to fund those lands for public access and use. Roosevelt had a vision in mind for access to public lands: "Some at least of the forest reserves should afford free camping grounds for the ever increasing numbers of men and women...set apart forever for the use and benefit of our people as a whole and not sacrificed to the shortsighted greed of a few." 1901 address to Congress. At Mount Evans, however, the federal government's "pay to play" strategy has resulted in a $10 fee, in essence an unauthorized "toll," for citizens to access their own state highway and National Forest lands. The federal government is now charging it's citizens for scenery, trails, and highways which historically were free and open to the public. Even to just walk up the Mount Evans road, a fee is being charged by the U.S. Forest Service. The Bush Administration and the American Recreation Coalition (a consortium of businesses intent on maximizing corporate profits off taxpayer owned lands) want to double-tax citizens and limit access to public lands to those who can pay. Recreation industry lobbyists have been pushing user fees since 1979. If the public has to pay for recreational access and Congress permits private industry to develop commercial facilities on public lands, then the proponents of privatization stand to reap enormous economic benefit. In 1996 Congress, minus any debate or public comment, passed a rider attached to an omnibus spending bill authorizing federal land managing agencies to collect fees on public lands (PL 104-134 Sec. 315.) Under this program, four government agencies (Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Park Service) have been charging fees for access to hiking trails, picnic areas, and other public recreation sites. Meanwhile Congress has deliberately reduced recreational appropriations to these agencies, which are plagued by enormous maintenance backlogs and outdated facilities. Although the Bush Administration, Congress, and the Forest Service continue to expound the public's willingness to pay fees in order to visit National Forest and Bureau of Land Management lands, there is increasing evidence of public disapproval. Grassroots organizations opposed fees for recreational access have sprung up across the nation and national environmental advocacy groups are stepping up efforts to terminate the experimental Recreation Fee Demonstration Program. The public, environmentalists, and recreationists are asking why the Forest Service and other agencies are being denied money for managing our public lands. Millions of visitors directly benefit from funding public lands each year, making it one of the greatest cost-benefit values afforded to taxpayers. "What this adds up to is an effort to acclimate the public to paying for something for which there is a long tradition of free access," says Scott Silver. "Recreation industry lobbyists have been pushing user fees. If the public has to pay for recreational access and Congress permits private industry to develop commercial facilities on public lands, then the proponents of privatization stand to reap enormous economic benefit." Environmentalists counter that protections afforded to forests and watersheds through proper management, funding, and limited development benefit everyone by providing clean air and water, wildlife habitat, and healthy forests. Scott Silver, Executive Director of Wild Wilderness in Bend, Oregon, reports "The Forest Service shows no inclination to listen to the growing public opposition to Forest fees. Unless enough public protest reaches Congress directly, it is likely that Forest fees will soon be made permanent." With this in mind Wild Wilderness, the Western Slope No-Fee Coalition, and organizations throughout the country are joining in a National Day of Protest against the Recreation Fee Demonstration Program on June 15, 2000. ------- END -------