{"article":{"id":15,"heading":"Paying to walk in your own backyard","author":"Evan Sisson","created":"2000-05-17 18:14:20","modified":"2000-07-23 10:40:03","last_modified":"Sun, 23 Jul 2000 17:40:03","article":"

The Fee Demostration

Program is being run by

the Forest Service,BLM

and Army Corp. They are

running a pilot program to

test the American puplic's

complience to the idea of

user fees on public land.

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In 1996 congress passed a rider on a

appropriations bill which allows the Forest

Service.BLm and Army corps. of engineers to

charge user fees to recreate on public lands.

Written into the bill is the concept of a joint

effort by the Forest Service and corperations

to begin managing sites and facilities and

charging the public \"fair market value\"

to recreate on public land. This was lobbied

by a group called ARC (American Recreation

Colalition) some of the members include

Disney,Rei,Harley Davidson,Times-Mirror.

What we have here is double taxation,your

taxes already support the National Forest

Service. And most importantly this is the

beginning of a corperate take over of public

lands. Somethig needs to be done!!!

Several organistations are currentely

contesting this program but more public

outcry needs to be heard!

Check out these web sites:

www.wildwilderness.org and www.

freeourforest.org. A national day of protest

has been set for June 10th let us all get

active or the corperations will be running

OUR public lands.<\/p>\n","contact":"evsisson@hotmail.com","link":"","address":"","phone":"","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"text\/plain","summary":"Who is the ARC and what are they doing to your public land?","numcomment":1,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/","filesize":null,"article_url":"\/news\/2000\/05\/15.php"},"attachments":[],"comments":[{"id":28,"heading":"Refusal to Pay Forest Service Adventure Pass","article":"Here is some useful information I've quoted from the August '99 Free Our Forests flier titled:\r\n\r\nAll About the Forest Service Adventure Pass\r\n\r\n - What To Do If You Get a \"Ticket\":\r\n\r\n\"If you disagree with the Adventure Pass program, don't pay it. The Notice of Noncompliance (Notice) IS NOT ACTUALLY A TICKET; it is a notice that you have not paid the fee, and is carefully designed to look like a ticket.\r\n\r\n\"...No one has yet been fined for refusing to pay for a Notice of Noncompliance after receiving one. In fact, everyone who has challenged the program of the Notice of Noncompliance in court has had thier case dismissed 'in the interest of justice.'\r\n\r\n\"Forest Service officers can issue these Notices, but they have no authority to ban you from public lands for not having a pass. ANY NOTICE OF NONCOMPLIANCE RECEIVED AND NOT PAID IS A 'NO' VOTE against this program. You should copy the Notice and send it to your Congressional Representitive with a note questioning the authority for it. This will force your Representative to review the legal inconsistencies in the Adventure Pass and Fee Demo programs while noting your opposition to them.\" \r\n\r\nLets go enjoy OUR forests and be counted as \"NO\" votes in the process!","author":"Ethan Turpin","parent_id":15,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2000-06-03 13:14:26","modified":"2000-07-23 10:40:03","fileurl":""}]}