RIP - Adventure Pass

Discussion Topic

Return to Forum List

This thread has been locked

Messages 61 - 80 of total 92 in this topic

<< First | < Previous | Show All | Next > | Last >>

Batrock

Trad climber

Burbank

Jul 6, 2012 - 09:05pm PT

I just got a ticket for not having a pass today. I was bouldering at Horse Flats but not parked in the campground, I was parked up the road at the other trailhead. I thought they were doing away with the pass in undeveloped area? What gives? In the past when I received a ticket I either ignored it or sent a letter in with the ticket saying I was using the wilderness for religious reasons and they never followed up, but that was back when the program started. We'll see what unfolds I guess?

nature

climber

SoSlo, CO

Jul 6, 2012 - 09:08pm PT

is it a ticket or a "notice of none compliance"?

if it's the latter you can just toss it.

Batrock

Trad climber

Burbank

Jul 6, 2012 - 09:11pm PT

It says "this is not a ticket" so I am guessing a notice of non compliance. I think they are just trolling to get what they can before everyone knows its over.

Tony Bird

climber

Northridge, CA

Jul 6, 2012 - 09:32pm PT

i saw that sign too, tfish--it marks the boundary between an area where the pass is required and one where it isn't. i believe it's intended to soak the weekend picnickers at switzer's. you don't need it to enjoy hiking through the ash of the angeles national charred area, but you need it at baldy trailhead, and i recently got a ticket at horse flats too, for not displaying the pass quite according to government specification.

if you're confused, that's probably the way it's supposed to be. several of us have noticed that the area closure signs around williamson are gone. negligence, lack of concern, reopening, who knows. don't expect anything like credibility to come out of this outfit.

nature

climber

SoSlo, CO

Jul 6, 2012 - 09:52pm PT

Batrock, I'd check around a bit more but my guess is you are right - the are tooling around to get what ever you volunteer to them.

Sparky

Trad climber

vagabond movin on

Oct 24, 2012 - 07:21pm PT

http://westernslopenofee.org/index2.php?display=yes&pageid=41

CALIFORNIA HIKERS SUE TO AXE ADVENTURE PASS

October 24, 2012
The U.S. Forest Service's "Adventure Pass" is being challenged in federal court by four southern California hikers. Under the Adventure Pass program, visitors are required to display a pass on their vehicle when they park on the Angeles, Cleveland, Los Padres, and San Bernardino National Forests, even when they do not use any developed facilities.

In a civil suit filed yesterday, Alasdair Coyne and Richard Fragosa, both of Ojai, John Karevoll of Running Springs, and Peter Wiechers of Kernville are asking the Los Angeles District Court for relief from having to pay a fee just to go for a hike in many popular parts of the four forests.

A similar fee on the Coronado National Forest in Arizona was struck down in February by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. Writing for the unanimous three-judge panel, Judge Robert Gettleman said, "Everyone is entitled to enter national forests without paying a cent." That decision is binding in nine western states, including California, but the Forest Service has not yet made any changes to its Adventure Pass fee program, which is one of the largest in the nation.

"It should now be possible to go for a hike in your local forest without having to risk a ticket if you don't pay an access fee," says plaintiff Alasdair Coyne, Conservation Director of Keep Sespe Wild, a Los Padres watershed organization based in Ojai. "Eight months after the Arizona court ruling is quite enough time for the Forest Service to bring their other local fee programs into compliance. The Forest Service is not above the law."

Recreation fees on federal land are governed by the 2004 Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, or REA. Fees are authorized under the REA for use of campgrounds and day use sites that meet certain minimum requirements, but fees are prohibited for some activities, even where those requirements are met. The activities for which fees are prohibited include parking, passing through without use of facilities and services, camping in dispersed undeveloped areas, and general access.

The hikers challenging the Adventure Pass are represented by public interest attorneys Matt Kenna of Durango, Colorado, and René Voss of San Anselmo, California, with support from the Colorado-based Western Slope No-Fee Coalition.

"The 9th Circuit ruling is quite clear that forest visitors who don't use developed facilities can't be charged a fee," said Coalition President Kitty Benzar. "Yet fee signage across southern California's four National Forests, as well as information on the Adventure Pass website, says you must pay just to park your car to access trails, rivers, lakes, and undeveloped backcountry. People are being intimidated into paying illegal fees under threat of federal prosecution. We are confident this lawsuit will put a stop to that."

The Forest Service has 60 days in which to respond to the lawsuit.

Read the lawsuit here http://www.westernslopenofee.org/pdfuploads/01-Adv._Pass_RecFee_Complaint_10-23-2012_Signed.pdf

Psilocyborg

climber

Oct 24, 2012 - 07:32pm PT

I have never bought an adventure pass, and was never ticketed....maybe once or twice. I have done countless multiday trips parking on weekends at humber park in the height of summer. Never a ticket. I had an unmistakable POS truck and have been a san J local since 1999

Sparky

Trad climber

vagabond movin on

Oct 24, 2012 - 07:35pm PT

Same. Never bought one and only had two tickets which I threw away. Had to renew my licence since those tickets. No problems. The adventure pass is total bullsh#t.

mountainlion

Trad climber

California

Oct 24, 2012 - 08:52pm PT

I agree with Coz the fees to utilize our recreation areas keep the poor from taking advantage. Think of all the rangers driving around all day with nothing to do in jtree. Instead of us paying for 10-20 LEO's to do this as their daily activity we should use the blue phones in the campground to notify one ranger who should stay at the ranger station when there is a problem.

Peace Eric

Tony Bird

climber

Northridge, CA

Oct 24, 2012 - 10:23pm PT

our scofflaw forest service has had its adventure pass struck down multiple times by the court system, and yet it insists on--the best word i can think of--perpetrating this walt disney corporation-conceived travesty.

think the adventure pass is dead? every busy weekend up in the san gabriels there's armies of volunteer rangers patrolling every trailhead, ticket pad in hand. it's the only thing the forest service is good at. they're not very good at fighting forest fires any more.

Onewhowalksonrocks

Mountain climber

portland, Maine

Oct 24, 2012 - 11:19pm PT

I stopped at the visitor center in Los Padre National Forest to ask about the Adventure Pass. I was told we don't need them if we stay on a road. Been climbing up there for the past four years never a problem. I haven't seen anyone use them at all up there.

GDavis

Social climber

SOL CAL

Oct 25, 2012 - 12:08am PT

Instead of us paying for 10-20 LEO's to do this as their daily activity

More like 1-3, and they are busting ass from one place to the other. All the rangers I've met in the park have been courteous, cool, mostly were climbers as well and all really felt like regular people just trying to keep the park happy and healthy.

Oh, there was one cu.nt that worked in Indian Cove...

mountainlion

Trad climber

California

Oct 25, 2012 - 12:24am PT

Gdavis I have met a few "ok" LEO rangers but far more "tools". We successfully had two removed to other assignments for being "tools" by writing letters. What do they do? I still stand by my statement that if there is a problem (camping dispute, dog, drunk, vandalism, harming wildlife) you can contact a ranger via the blue phone. Cuts down on the
need for them to drive all over for no real purpose. Crimes aren't really
happening for them to bust ass driving all over. Just my opinion.

Peace Eric

apogee

climber

Technically expert, safe belayer, can lead if easy

Oct 25, 2012 - 01:34am PT

"In a civil suit filed yesterday, Alasdair Coyne and Richard Fragosa, both of Ojai, John Karevoll of Running Springs, and Peter Wiechers of Kernville are asking the Los Angeles District Court for relief from having to pay a fee just to go for a hike in many popular parts of the four forests. "

These are true Americans that deserve all of our respect.

couchmaster

climber

Jun 27, 2016 - 06:22am PT

Agree with Tony and Apogee. Todays news, years after congress mandated that they cease with the BS, 4 Californians have won the right to walk in the woods without getting a ticket. IN CALIFORNIA. There has been a hodgepodge of lawsuits, pretty much overwhelmingly won by citizens, that have restated that this is the law, however, I don't believe that this is accepted throughout public lands by the Forest Circus yet. So your results may or may not be the same and you may or may not get a ticket for following the law and doing what is right. I would say that if the bureaucrats were to be held personally responsible for not following the law, they would fix this affront in other states much faster and without so much angst. Note that if you choose to use the facility's, you still need to pay for the pass or get a ticket. So the title of the thread, from 4 years back "RIP - Adventure Pass", has not come to pass.

Full text of the settlement:
http://www.westernslopenofee.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Settlement_Agreement-with-signatures_amended.pdf

If anyone else supports this effort, you can send some $ to these folks to offset mail and other costs: http://www.westernslopenofee.org/about/

Escopeta

Trad climber

Idaho

Jun 27, 2016 - 06:34am PT

I'm with Da Wolf.....

In truth, the adventure pass was a watershed moment for me. It was the proverbial straw that broke the dam open and represented the first time I simply said "Enough".

I never bought one, I never cared.

Jon Beck

Trad climber

Oceanside

Jun 27, 2016 - 06:45am PT

Didn't you have an interagency pass? That always satisfies the requirement.

Escopeta

Trad climber

Idaho

Jun 27, 2016 - 08:43am PT

If memory serves, when they first came out with this POS, it was only in a few areas (frequented by your truly) and wasn't covered by any other fee, tax, surcharge, penalty, admission or pass that was out there.

It may have changed as they decided to expand the bilking program.