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HR 5204

agesilaus
Explorer II
Explorer II
"To amend the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act to improve
recreation opportunities and increase consistency and accountability in
the collection and expenditure of recreation fees collected on public
lands and forests, and for other purposes."
------------------------------------------------------------

Bill text

This bill if it gets passed and signed will affect anyone who uses Federal Lands: BLM, FS ect. I got an email saying that it was going to cause fees to be charged for camping in what the feds called distributed camping: also known as boondocking.

But a read thru didn't show that to me but it is written in lawyerese. It does seem to change Access passes so that any service connected veteran or current military person can get a free access passes.

It seems to restrict fees to areas which are improved with frequent service by park personnel. Otherwise I miss the boondocking impact since that occurs on non-improved land.

But maybe some of you can spot some objectionable items in the bill. I get the feeling this was inspired by the Obama park shutdown last year.

OK I just found this site which is rather alarmist:

Freecampsites
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Shearwater
Explorer
Explorer
In the 1930's the CCC built many of the things we take for granted now.
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Off_Pavement
Explorer
Explorer
darsben wrote:
you know if you had done a simple search for HR 5204 you would have found an established thread.
SEARCH IS YOUR FRIEND

http://forums.motorhomemagazine.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/27917297.cfm

How about just continuing the discussion on the alredy established thread


darsben wrote:
It is a BS bill that is given less than a 7% chance of passing he house. There is no corresponding senate bill.


Personally, I'm glad it posted here as well since a public lands issue doesn't seem to be well placed in "RV Parks, Campgrounds, and Attractions" to me. I also admit that I never do a search on new posts to see if there is an existing thread. I don't look at all the different forum posts and perhaps I should, but I don't stay in campgrounds and RV parks, and I seldom am looking for an attraction so finding that referenced post of yours would go unnoticed to me. Since the public lands forum isn't well read, this seems a good place to discuss.

If you think this legislation doesn't have a chance of passing, I agree it's unlikely on it's own, but what if it's attached to another bill as is expected? I'm quite sure this will be the result as it happened long before this bill was introduced...



The above sign is in the Coronado National Forest. Here is what they say about fees...

"What would happen if you didn't charge fees?

Most facilities on National Forests were built many years ago. For example, many Sabino Canyon facilities are 30-50 years old; some were even built in the 1930s. Most of these facilities need repair or replacement and were not built to handle current volumes of visitation (about 1.3 million visitors in Sabino Canyon every year). If we don't start repairing and replacing these facilities, we will have to remove them or close areas. Unfortunately, Congressional appropriations for recreation operations and maintenance are declining. Pass receipts won't meet all our needs, so other resources such as partnerships, grants and volunteer assistance remain critical in helping to meet total needs."

As far as the US Forest Service is concerned, it all about money if you read the last sentence. How in the world did the National Park Service/US Forest Service/BLM get all that stuff built way back when without additional fees? I think most folks will agree now-a-days congress will look for any way possible to fund public lands, including user fees, closing areas, and as previously proposed by HR 1126 in 2011 just selling off assets rather than providing adequate funding.
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Please Support Multiple Use of our Public Lands!

Brian Hoag
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pnichols
Explorer II
Explorer II
The executive branch of our government is doing exactly what I want it to do when the congress won't do anything ... and this includes keeping an eye on our federal lands.

I just wish the executive branch would also do something about growing pot on our public land - especially some of the beautiful CA land I would like to camp on.
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darsben
Explorer II
Explorer II
Popsie wrote:
Yes

Then I excuse your thought process
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Popsie
Explorer
Explorer
Yes

darsben
Explorer II
Explorer II
Popsie wrote:
darsben wrote:
It is a BS bill that is given less than a 7% chance of passing he house. There is no corresponding senate bill.
You may not have noticed, but the executive branch of our government has now assumed the authority to make rules and regulations that have the force of laws without any corresponding legislation from the House and Senate. In fact, the rules may run contrary to US Codes, etc.

obviously you have an agenda because your answer has no bearing on the topic
but some people must take a moment to keep up their agenda. why investigate the bill and its consequence or even read the ongoing thread just blame someone. In this case the bill is a republican sponsored bill but let us blame the white house.
Sir you make no sense. Do you perhaps live in one of the states with liberal pot laws?
Traveling with my best friend my wife!

GordonThree
Explorer
Explorer
Sounds good to me... if Uncle Sam is going to hire enough rangers to patrol the tens of millions of acres of land managed under the federal umbrella searching for free-loading campers, it'll also cut down on teenage drinking parties, pot growing operations, meth lab trailers not to mention all the poaching that goes on.
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Popsie
Explorer
Explorer
darsben wrote:
It is a BS bill that is given less than a 7% chance of passing he house. There is no corresponding senate bill.
You may not have noticed, but the executive branch of our government has now assumed the authority to make rules and regulations that have the force of laws without any corresponding legislation from the House and Senate. In fact, the rules may run contrary to US Codes, etc.

darsben
Explorer II
Explorer II
It is a BS bill that is given less than a 7% chance of passing he house. There is no corresponding senate bill.
Traveling with my best friend my wife!

Wrace
Explorer
Explorer
agesilaus wrote:
"To amend the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act to improve
recreation opportunities and increase consistency and accountability in
the collection and expenditure of recreation fees collected on public
lands and forests, and for other purposes."
------------------------------------------------------------

Bill text

Freecampsites

Thanks very much for the heads-up on this, definitely an important subject for many of us to be sure.

darsben
Explorer II
Explorer II
you know if you had done a simple search for HR 5204 you would have found an established thread.
SEARCH IS YOUR FRIEND

http://forums.motorhomemagazine.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/27917297.cfm

How about just continuing the discussion on the alredy established thread
Traveling with my best friend my wife!

Tom_Barb
Explorer
Explorer
agesilaus wrote:
"To amend the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act to improve
recreation opportunities and increase consistency and accountability in
the collection and expenditure of recreation fees collected on public
lands and forests, and for other purposes."
------------------------------------------------------------

Bill text

This bill if it gets passed and signed will affect anyone who uses Federal Lands: BLM, FS ect. I got an email saying that it was going to cause fees to be charged for camping in what the feds called distributed camping: also known as boondocking.

But a read thru didn't show that to me but it is written in lawyerese. It does seem to change Access passes so that any service connected veteran or current military person can get a free access passes.

It seems to restrict fees to areas which are improved with frequent service by park personnel. Otherwise I miss the boondocking impact since that occurs on non-improved land.

But maybe some of you can spot some objectionable items in the bill. I get the feeling this was inspired by the Obama park shutdown last year.

OK I just found this site which is rather alarmist:

Freecampsites


As I read it, every agency is involved and all sites are referenced

(f) Day Use Fee.--
``(1) Authorized sites for day use fees.--The Secretary may
charge a day use fee for Federal recreational lands and waters
under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management, the
Bureau of Reclamation, or the Forest Service at the following:
``(A) A National Conservation Area.
``(B) A National Volcanic Monument.
``(C) A destination visitor or interpretive center
that provides a broad range of interpretative services,
programs and media.
``(D) Sites of concentrated public use that are
managed primarily for outdoor recreation purposes where
there has been a substantial Federal investment in
facilities and services that are necessary to
accommodate heavy public use, public access to the site
is provided in such a manner that fees can be
effectively collected at one or more centralized
locations, the site has regularly serviced and well
maintained toilet facilities and contains at least four
of the following:
``(i) Designated developed parking.
``(ii) Trash collection.
``(iii) Permanent interpretative materials.
``(iv) Picnic tables.
``(v) Routine presence of agency personnel.
``(2) Single fee for multiple sites.--If there are two or
more sites of concentrated public use located within one-half
mile of each other, the Secretary may charge a single day use
fee for the sites and the area between the sites.
``(3)[COLOR=] Policy.--The Secretary shall determine, by agency, a
nationally consistent day use fee policy and rate structure
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