VICTORY!

On March 17, 2010 the Forest Service officially dropped their plan to eliminate the 50% camping discount for lifetime Senior/Disabled passholders.

READ THE PRESS RELEASE HERE! AND THE INTERNAL BRIEFING PAPER HERE!

THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED DUE TO MASSIVE PUBLIC COMMENTS - OVER 4,000 OF THEM - THAT OVERWHELMINGLY OPPOSED THE POLICY CHANGE.

WE OBTAINED THE COMMENTS UNDER THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT AND HAVE PUBLISHED A REVEALING ANALYSIS OF THEM HERE.

THANKS TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU WHO WROTE, YOU DID THIS! SOME OF THOSE COMMENTS THAT THE AUTHORS SHARED WITH US, AND THE CONCESSIONAIRES RESPONSES ARE POSTED HERE.

ANOTHER VERY IMPORTANT FACTOR WAS CONGRESSIONAL INTERVENTION.

THE FEBRUARY 12, 2010 LETTER FROM THE ENTIRE IDAHO CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION WAS KEY AS WAS THE FEBRUARY 19, 2010 PRESS RELEASE AND LETTER FROM OREGON SENATOR RON WYDEN.

IF YOU LIVE IN OREGON OR IDAHO PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS AND THANK THEM FOR THEIR HELP!

Here's what would have happened under the Forest Service's now-cancelled proposal:

• The 50% discount for camping, available since 1965 to seniors 62 and over and to the permanently disabled, will be reduced to 10% at all Forest Service campgrounds operated by private concessionaires. These campgrounds constitute 50% of National Forest camping capacity and 82% of reservable campsites. The lifetime passes cost $10 to seniors and are free to the disabled.
• Day-use sites managed by concessionaires are currently supposed to be free for Senior and Access pass holders (although this is widely disregarded); under the proposed policy they would only get a 10% discount.

BACKGROUND

The Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 established the Golden Age and Golden Access passes, and specified that they entitled the holder to a 50% discount on camping fees.

The Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (REA - also known as the RAT or Recreation Access Tax) eliminated the Golden Age/Access passes and replaced them with the "America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands" Senior/Access passes. The new passes are the same price and still good for the lifetime of the passholder, BUT the 50% camping discount is not specified in the law. The REA says that Golden passes must continue to be honored according to the terms at the time they were issued, but only "to the extent practicable."

Until now, Forest Service policy has continued the 50% discount and required their concessionaires to do so as well, but for those holding REA passes it has been policy, not law. Golden pass holders have been encouraged to exchange their passes for the new REA pass, and many did so, but they were not told that they were relinquishing an important benefit by trading in for a new pass. 

"America the Beautiful" passes come in four versions: Annual ($80), Volunteer Annual (500 hours or $0.16 per hour), Senior Lifetime ($10), and Access Lifetime (free). The law very clearly states that ALL FOUR versions must be accepted as payment in full at Standard Amenity Fee sites (primarily day use sites). However under the current proposal the Senior and Access versions will only get a 10% discount at those sites.

Sales of Senior and Access passes currently account for more than 78% of all pass sales. The proposed new policy originates directly from the concessionaires, who see the increasing number of people qualifying for Senior and Access passes as a direct blow to their profits.

The proposed policy would almost certainly be counter-productive because many of those who use concessionaire-managed campgrounds will probably no longer be able to afford to do so, thus reducing revenue instead of increasing it. National Forest visitation, which is already in decline, will fall even further.  

Here are some ideas you may want to include when you comment. Please put these into your own words and add your own concerns.

• It is a breach of faith for the Forest Service to change the terms of the lifetime passes on existing passholders. At the very least, existing passes should have their benefits grandfathered-in.
• The law clearly states that ALL annual and lifetime passes must be honored at Standard Amenity Fee (day-use) sites. The proposed policy would not be in compliance with the law.
• Private concessionaires should not be allowed to dictate public lands policy. The same requirements, prohibitions, and discounts for recreation fees should apply at all publicly owned facilities.
• The rules at concessionaire-managed facilities should not be different than at agency-managed facilities. Using concessionaires is a convenience for the agency, not a benefit to the public.
• The proposed policy would continue - and intensify - the trend toward managing recreation on federal public lands as a market commodity instead of as a public good. These are our lands and we have a right to access them under reasonable and nationally consistent rules and regulations.

The comment letter submitted on behalf of the Western Slope No-Fee Coalition is posted HERE.