welndmn
11-14-2001, 10:19 AM
http://www.thespectrum.com/rest.php?section=localnews&storyid=3560
Visitor fees for federal land to continue until 2004
11/14/2001 By: Associated Press
Visitor fees for federal land to continue until 2004
# Associated Press
SALT LAKE CITY - The visitor fees paid at Utah's national forests, parks
and
other federal lands will continue for a few more years.
President Bush extended the recreation fees until 2004 by signing the
Interior Department spending bill, which has included testing the "fee
demonstration program" since 1996.
Last year, $11.5 million in visitor fees were collected in the state.
Rep. Jim Hansen, R-Utah, initiated the pilot program five years ago to allow
the collection of fees for using campgrounds, guided tours, fishing access
and other recreation on taxpayer-owned lands that are managed by the U.S.
Forest Service, the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service and the Bureau of Land Management.
The fees raised more than $176.6 million nationwide last year from 376
recreation areas. Under the law, 80 cents of every dollar goes to back into
the recreation area where it was collected.
The bill signed last week allows federal agencies to try out fees at more
recreation sites.
In Utah, the fees have helped finance $1.25 million in road improvements
at
Bryce Canyon National Park and $2.5 million for shuttle buses at Zion, while
Dinosaur National Monument has used the money for skeleton casts, bone
excavation and other new exhibits.
The collections also have paid for better water-quality monitoring at the
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, ski trail maintenance in American
Fork
Canyon, a trip-planning guide for San Juan River boaters and campground
improvements at Mirror Lake and Flaming Gorge.
A report published in September by the U.S. Forest Service's Intermountain
Region said collections at the five national forests in Utah raised $843,500
in 2000 and provided $764,400 of that for local improvements.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++
NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, any copyrighted
material herein is distributed without profit or payment to those who have
expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit
research and educational purposes only. For more information go to:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml
Visitor fees for federal land to continue until 2004
11/14/2001 By: Associated Press
Visitor fees for federal land to continue until 2004
# Associated Press
SALT LAKE CITY - The visitor fees paid at Utah's national forests, parks
and
other federal lands will continue for a few more years.
President Bush extended the recreation fees until 2004 by signing the
Interior Department spending bill, which has included testing the "fee
demonstration program" since 1996.
Last year, $11.5 million in visitor fees were collected in the state.
Rep. Jim Hansen, R-Utah, initiated the pilot program five years ago to allow
the collection of fees for using campgrounds, guided tours, fishing access
and other recreation on taxpayer-owned lands that are managed by the U.S.
Forest Service, the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service and the Bureau of Land Management.
The fees raised more than $176.6 million nationwide last year from 376
recreation areas. Under the law, 80 cents of every dollar goes to back into
the recreation area where it was collected.
The bill signed last week allows federal agencies to try out fees at more
recreation sites.
In Utah, the fees have helped finance $1.25 million in road improvements
at
Bryce Canyon National Park and $2.5 million for shuttle buses at Zion, while
Dinosaur National Monument has used the money for skeleton casts, bone
excavation and other new exhibits.
The collections also have paid for better water-quality monitoring at the
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, ski trail maintenance in American
Fork
Canyon, a trip-planning guide for San Juan River boaters and campground
improvements at Mirror Lake and Flaming Gorge.
A report published in September by the U.S. Forest Service's Intermountain
Region said collections at the five national forests in Utah raised $843,500
in 2000 and provided $764,400 of that for local improvements.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++
NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, any copyrighted
material herein is distributed without profit or payment to those who have
expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit
research and educational purposes only. For more information go to:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml