The US Forest Service has decided to return free access to most national forest lands. The Los Angeles Times reports that the Forest Service plans to eliminate the fees for three fourths of the forest areas where they are now imposed.
The fees have been controversial ever since they were adopted in a demonstration program in 1996. Liberals said they kept poor families from public lands and Conservatives said the charges amounted to double taxation.
A recent Federal Appeals Court decision may force the Forest Service to cut the fee program even more. The judges ruled that parking fees in Arizona’s Coronado National Forest were improper. They sent the case back to a lower court for further consideration.
The Forest Service does plan to continue charging for the use of certain busy sites that are equipped with amenities such as toilets, trash cans and picnic tables.
No comments:
Post a Comment