Action Alert to End Fee Demo

Please call or fax your senator by no later than <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 /> 6:00 EST Tuesday, February 3^rd.

The Committee will be acting on Fee Demo early on Wednesday morning.

UPDATE: Due to closure of the Senate Offices on 2/3,
you may not get through or be able to leave a message.
However, your calls are still needed.

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FEE-DEMO CAN BE ENDED FOR THREE AGENCIES.

THE SENATE COMMITTEE TO VOTE ON S.1107 ON WEDNESDAY (FEB 3)

ENCOURAGE AN AMENDMENT TO STOP FEE DEMO.

YOUR HELP IS NEEDED TODAY!

Legislation now before the US Senate (S 1107) would allow the Recreation Fee Demon­stration Program to end for the US Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service and Bureau of Land Management. S 1107 would make Fee Demo permanent for the one land management agency, the National Park Service. Meanwhile, the Department of Interior is desperately lobbying Congress to make recreation user fees permanent for all of the agencies mentioned above, PLUS the Bureau of Reclamation and to further expand the scope of the unpopular Fee Demo program. We need your help in ensuring that user fees are limited to the Park Service only and to end the Fee Demonstration Program in all other federal agencies.

HR 3283 and S. 1107 can be read online at:  http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c108 

THE OPPORTUNITY:

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will soon be engaging in debate and voting upon Sen. Thomas's (R-WY) Recreational Fee Authority Act of 2003 (S. 1107)  S. 1107 calls for making recreation user fees permanent in the National Parks only. Although this bill would allow the program expire in the Forest Service, BLM, and US Fish and Wildlife agencies, there is a possibility that one or more Senators will introduce an amendment that will specifically end Fee Demo in those three agencies. This is our chance.

IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT YOU CONTACT ALL SENATORS ON THE COMMITTEE. ASK THEM TO PASS S.1107 ONLY IF THE BILL DOES NOT MAKE FEE DEMO PERMANENT FOR ANY AGENCY OTHER THAN THE NPS. ASK THEM TO FULLY SUPPORT ANY AMENDMENT THAT COMPLETLY ENDS FEE DEMO IN THE USFS, BLM, AND USFWS. TELL THEM YOU OPPOSE FEE DEMO FOR ANY AGENCY OTHER THAN THE NPS.

THE THREAT:

Interior Secretary Gale Norton is putting enormous pressure upon Committee members to add into S.1107 the same language that appears in Congressman Regula's (R-OH) atrocious fee legislation titled "Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act", HR 3283.

That language includes:

• Permanent authorizing of recreation user fees for the Forest Service, BLM, Park Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Bureau of Reclamation.
• Authorizing the creation of an "America the Beautiful Pass," which would provide access to lands administered by any of five land management agencies. Agency sources have indicated that this pass would cost at least $85 annually and perhaps substantially more.
• Establishing two additional tiers of fees beyond the current "Basic Fees":

 "Basic Fees" would be required to access areas administered by the five agencies.  These fees will be charged for general access as well as for:

1)       Visitor centers

2)       Dispersed areas with no investment and backcountry use

3)       Roads, pull offs, and scenic overlooks

4)       Drinking fountains

5)       Restrooms

6)       Undeveloped parking

7)       Individual picnic tables

 "Expanded Fees" would be required for specialized facilities like campgrounds and boat launches.

"Special Recreation Permit Fees" would apply to use of a motorized recreation vehicle on lands administered by these five agencies. This would be on top of having to pay a "Basic Fee." "Special Recreation Permit Fees" also would be necessary for any group activity or recreation event.

• Abolishing the Golden Age Pass. This National Parks pass has traditionally been available as a lifetime pass to our seniors for onetime cost of $10.
• Criminalizing the offense of failing to pay a recreation fee. The penalties for not having a pass on the roughly 700 million acres of federally administered public lands would be increased to a Class B Misdemeanor punishable by six months in jail and/or a $5000 fine. The new law holds the registered owner of a vehicle responsible for payment whether he is with the vehicle or not. Occupants of the vehicle would be held equally liable to a Class B Misdemeanor as well.
• Eliminating  the constitutional protection of "presumed innocent until proven guilty" for fee-offenders.  Persons who failed to properly display a pass (even though one might have been purchased) would be considered guilty by the land management agencies.
• Make the recreation industry a full partner in the development of this fee program. HR 3283 reads: "The Secretaries may jointly enter into cooperative agreements with governmental and nongovernmental entities for the development and implementation of the National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands Pass Program."

WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE:

Please contact every Senator on the Committee by fax and by phone. These are the most effective means of input. Phone calls only take one minute.

Let them know that you would like them to support S.1107 and more importantly ask them to support any amendment that kills the Fee Demo Program COMPLETELY for the Forest Service, BLM, and US Fish and Wildlife Service.

The contact list is below. These letters and phone calls MUST be made by no later than 6:00 EST Tuesday, February 3^rd. The Committee will be acting on Fee Demo on Wednesday morning.

It is extremely important that as many organizations and individuals weigh-in on this legislation. We have strong support on the Committee for ending fee-demo. Let them know you support them. It is just as important to contact our supporters on the Committee as it is to encourage others to come our way. It is time to regain the heritage that is ours. With your help we can put the Public back in the Public Lands. Together we can end this poorly implemented bad idea. Let us end Fee Demo. Now is the time.

WHAT TO SAY:

My name is _____________. I am a voter,a taxpayer, and a recreationist (kayaker, hiker, hunter, fisherman, etc). I am calling to encourage Senator ___________ to vote for S. 1107 to authorize permanent fees in the National Parks AND TO OPPOSE oppose any amendments for permanent fee authority in the Forest Service, BLM, FWS, and Bureau of Reclamation.  Please ask the Sentator to vote only for fees in the Parks.

COMMITTEE CONTACT LIST:

* Indicates a crucial Senator to contact if you only have limited time. Otherwise please make the effort to contact all listed below.

If you send a fax, you can send the same letter to each member; simply address it to "Dear Senator".

Senator                                                  Phone                     Fax

Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)           202-224-5521             202-224-4340

*Sen. Pete Domenici (R-NM)         202-224-6621             202-228-0539

*Sen. Craig Thomas (R-WY)          202-224-6441             202-224-1724

*Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN)       202-224-4944            202-228-3398

*Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR)               202-224-5244            202-228-2717

*Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)       202-224-3841            202-228-3954

Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR)            202-224-3753             202-228-3997

*Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID)                 202-224-2752           202-228-1067

*Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ)                      202-224-4521           202-224-2207

*Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA)          202-224-5824            202-224-9735

*Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT)            202-224-2644           202-224-8594

Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND)           202-224-2551             202-224-1193

Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA)        202-224-3441             202-228-0514

Sen. Jim Talent (R-MO)                202-224-6154             202-228-1518

Sen. Don Nickles (R-OK)             202-224-5754              202-224-6008

*Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY)      202-224-6542           202-228-3027

*Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD)             202-224-5842           202-228-5765

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)       202-224-6665             202-224-5301

Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY)             202-224-4343             202-228-1373

Sen. Bob Graham (D-FL)              202-224-3041            202-224-2237

Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI)             202-224-6361             202-224-2126

*Sen. Ben Nighthorse

                Campbell (R-CO)          202-224-5852              202-228-4609

Please also Contact:

Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN)                    202-224-3344              202-228-1264

Sen. Tom Daschle (D-SD)             202-224-2321               202-224-6603

Rep. Dennis Hastert (R-IL)            202 225-2976               202-225-0697

Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA)         202-225-1947               202-226-0861

This alert was prepared by the:

WESTERN SLOPE NO-FEE COALITION

Robert Funkhouser, President

rfunk9999@earthlink.net

P.O. Box 403, Norwood, CO  81423

February 2, 2004

The Western Slope No-Fee Coalition is a broad-based group consisting of motorized recreational interests, boating and hiking groups, equestrian groups, conservation groups, conservatives and liberals, Republicans and Democrats, elected officials and just plain citizens. We have members and supporting organizations in 35 states and the military. Together we've been working to end Fee Demo. We encourage more oversight and accountability in the agencies, and encourage Congress to fund our public lands adequately through the regular appropriations process.