RIP - Adventure Pass

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Reeotch

Trad climber

Kayenta, AZ

Feb 29, 2012 - 05:25pm PT

Aw shoot!

I always enjoyed writing nasty little tirades on those fee envelopes . . .

rlf

Trad climber

Josh, CA

Feb 29, 2012 - 06:17pm PT

Wendell (TGT) is spot on. I think the congressman was from Ohio, but I'm not sure. The c*#k sucker sold out our land to get some pet project legislation of his own passed.

Tony Bird

climber

Northridge, CA

Mar 1, 2012 - 09:35am PT

personaslly, ive never had a wildrness permit,, pass, hiking ticket or any other such non sense...You have to draw a line somewhere.

there's a reason for that, ron, if you live way out in nevada. the adventure pass only targeted national forests close to larger urban areas--los angeles, denver, tucson were among them. my bro in alaska never got this nonsense. urban people are docile, backcountry rednecks take potshots at unpopular rangering.

the other buzz on this travesty was that it was heavily promoted by the theme park industry. people should get used to paying for their recreation. will it be a picnic up at switzer or a trip to disneyland this weekend?

i only know of one individual who was hauled into court for refusing to display the AP. his name is bob bartsch. i met him about 10 years ago close to the top of mt. baldy. he was in his 80s then, and i think he's still kicking like a mule. bob started a one-man assault on this "law", putting anti-AP literature on windshields right next to those tickets (which, in the tradition of orwellian newspeak, declared that "this is not a ticket"). they tried to make an example of him, basically selective prosecution to discourage dissent. here's to you, mr. bartsch.

rincon

Trad climber

SoCal

Mar 1, 2012 - 10:07am PT

I've never paid one penny towards the Adventure Pass!

I did get a ton of the fake tickets, most got thrown away, but I saved a few as souvenirs.

Spider Savage

Mountain climber

The shaggy fringe of Los Angeles

Mar 1, 2012 - 10:35am PT

Fantastic news!

craig mo

Trad climber

L.A. Ca.

Mar 1, 2012 - 10:56am PT

It should have happened a long time ago
It was supposed to be a new revenue stream not called a tax,
I hope that this is true i have always hated this idea of fees for access

Eric Beck

Sport climber

Bishop, California

Mar 1, 2012 - 11:34am PT

Let's recall the origin of this outrage. The Disney corporation was disturbed that there might be recreation opportunities that were free and that Disney might be at a competitive disadvantage. They applied political pressure to get this "inequity" rectified.

For more detail see: http://articles.latimes.com/1999/aug/29/local/me-4839

apogee

climber

Mar 6, 2012 - 01:23pm PT

Just received this notice from the Western Slope No Fee Coalition...seems the USFS is thumbing their nose at the District Court that ruled the Adventure Pass illegal, and plans to continue it's implementation.

This update wasn't posted on the Western Slope website when I received the email, but probably will be soon:
http://westernslopenofee.org/index2.php?display=yes&pageid=23

Here's a cut & paste from that email blast:

FOREST SERVICE DEFIES FEDERAL COURT
Will Continue To Charge Recreation Fees Ruled Illegal By 9th Circuit

In a press release issued March 1, 2012, the US Forest Service said they will continue to charge recreation fees that were recently ruled illegal by a unanimous decision in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

The Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA) allows the Forest Service to charge a fee for use of developed recreation sites, but it prohibits charging those who don't actually use the developed facilities. The Forest Service has been evading the prohibitions in the FLREA by charging a fee for all uses within areas they designated as High Impact Recreation Areas, or HIRAs. There are 96 HIRAs nationwide. The agency claims that within a HIRA they can charge a fee for any use because developed facilities are provided, regardless whether they are used or not.

In a ruling that is binding in nine western states and sets a nationwide legal precedent, the 9th Circuit emphatically disagreed. Writing for the panel, Judge Robert Gettleman likened the Forest Service's HIRA argument to a restaurant patron confronted with an unexpected entry on his bill:

"If told that the fee was for ten bottles of wine that the patron's group neither ordered nor drank, the patron would rightly be outraged. He would not find much solace in a waiter's explanation that the wine cellar contained ten bottles, which the patron could have ordered if
he wished."

In their press release, the Forest Service says the ruling will have no effect on their recreation fees. They cite an internal review of HIRAs that has been underway since spring 2011, implying that the review was somehow the result of the court decision despite the contradictory timeframes. The internal review resulted in a recommendation in January to jettison the HIRA terminology, although what changes, if any, would result on the ground was uncertain. The review's findings were to go to regional citizen advisory committees, a process that could take over a year.

Tony Bird

climber

Northridge, CA

Mar 13, 2012 - 10:21pm PT

i told you they'd be back. to kill a vampire, you have to drive a stake through its heart.

couchmaster

climber

pdx

Mar 13, 2012 - 11:32pm PT

I don't care how many stakes you have Tony, if they have too much money, (they clearly do, despite FS protestations otherwise and you can tell they're over funded cause they pull this kind of crap) they'll keep rolling this bullshit our way as long as we keep sending them way too much scratch.

Thanks for that info on the leisure industry helping to effect this crap Eric. Time for a ground swell Disney protest?

Reilly

Mountain climber

The Other Monrovia- CA

Topic Author's Reply - Mar 14, 2012 - 01:45am PT

I don't care how many stakes you have Tony

I thought the only stake we needed was called the US Congress' Appropriations
Committee. One cross look from them ought to send those FS lackeys scurrying
to pick up trash tossed out of logging trucks instead of holding the people's
heritage hostage.

Bruce Morris

Social climber

Belmont, California

Mar 14, 2012 - 01:58am PT

Speaking from a wholly self-interested point of view, does the following mean that Forest Service can't bust you for sleeping in the pullouts along US 120 to the east of Tioga Pass?

The Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (“REA”)
prohibits the United States Forest Service from charging fees . . . .
“[f]or camping at undeveloped sites . . . .” 16 U.S.C. § 6802(d)(1)(A), (D) & (E).

Sounds like it.

justthemaid

climber

Jim Henson's Basement

Mar 14, 2012 - 07:59am PT

I could have told you that would happen. I figured the local districts would continue to create their own policy regardless of any court ruling. Rincon.. your collection of unpaid "tickets" isn't finished yet. ;)

James Wilcox

Boulder climber

The Coast

Mar 14, 2012 - 11:15am PT

USFS launched the Adventure Pass under the auspices that
the funds would be used on projects that would benefit
the visiting public. Improved facilities near trail heads,
trail work, and staffing in the field. Three things I've
never seen at our congested Los Padres in Santa Barbara.

It appears they have turned the forest over to the Rocky Mountain Concessioner and washed their hands of the matter.

Tony Bird

climber

Northridge, CA

Mar 14, 2012 - 01:19pm PT

what you don't understand, reilly, is that the lackeys are in congress. beck's link tells you who calls the shots.

Psilocyborg

climber

Mar 14, 2012 - 03:23pm PT

I bought a day pass or two, and got a couple tickets I never paid....but out of easily hundreds of days/nights I was parked without a pass, thats not bad. My truck is memorable, and its been a regular all over san jacinto area for the 11 years ive had it. I can only imagine someone in the fs was watching out fpr me

Reilly

Mountain climber

The Other Monrovia- CA

Topic Author's Reply - Mar 14, 2012 - 05:11pm PT

Tony, you need to hie yourself to the eye doctor if you didn't see the
sarcasm dripping from my post. I may not be the brightest bulb but I'm
not the most naive either. Besides, I grew up in Chicago. ;-)

Batrock

Trad climber

Burbank

Mar 14, 2012 - 05:12pm PT

I think the money went to pay for the new Awahnee Lodge Forest Sevice Headquarters in Arcadia.
http://arcadiasbest.com/2011/09/forest-rebuilding-arcadia-hq/