People required to buy passes to visit

public lands

By SCOTT MORRELL

Heads up folks! We are losing a basic civil

liberty. We

are no longer free to walk on our public lands

without

purchasing a federal permit. This freedom has

been

stripped away by the Recreation Fee

Demonstration

Program (Fee Demo). This unpopular

"temporary"

program requires citizens to buy a Northwest

Forest

Pass, costing $5 per day or $30 per year to

walk on

most National Forest trails in the Northwest. If

you don't

buy the permit, you will be ticketed. Ignoring the

ticket

nets a $55 fine.

Fees are reasonable for improved sites such

as

campgrounds, snow parks, and boat ramps.

Fee

Demo goes too far. It imposes fees to access

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