RAT ROUNDUP
Recreation Fee Chronology
By Bill Schneider, 5-29-07
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As any frequent visitor to NewWest.net knows, I’ve written extensively about the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA) or as called by opponents, the Recreation Access Tax (RAT) over the past year. Too extensively for some agency folks. The issue remains in the news with two major hot sports, Mount Evans in Colorado and Mount Lemmon in Arizona, and with Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) introducing a bill to repeal FLREA.
I have been asked to provide a chronology of all my coverage on the issue of recreation fees on public lands, so for the most curious and engaged among us, here it is, listed from newest to oldest. I’ll update this chronology with each new article.
Fees Keeping People Off Their Land, 11-21-08
New Video Slams Forest Service for “Illegal” Mount Evans Fee Program, 7-29-08
Congress Needs to Walk the Talk on Recreation Fees, 7-3-08
Public Land Owners Taking RAT, Forest Service into Civil Court, 5-5-08
Two Key Western Senators Sign Up to Co-Sponsor the Baucus-Crapo Bill, 2-4-08
Park Groups Endorse RAT Repeal, 12-19-07
What the Baucus-Crapo Bill Does, 12-13-07
Baucus, Crapo Introduce RAT Repeal, 12-6-07
FS Wins Next Round on Mt. Lemmon, 9-20-07
TV Reporter Ticketed on Mt. Evans, 6-12-07
Colorado Caves on Mount Evans Fee, 5-29-07
Mount Lemmon Trial Coming May 31, 5-19-07
Make National Parks a Free Tradition, 5-10-07
FS Digging Its Own Grave, 4-26-07
State of Colorado Takes Charge, 4-24-07
Mount Evans Fee Caught in Impasse, 4-23-07
Baucus Berates Recreation Fee Policy, 4-21-07
National Parks Plan Big Fee Increases, 3-26-07
Time to Kill the RAT?, 2-19-07
Now We Know Where the RAT Goes, 2-10-07
Forest Service Wins RAT Appeal, 1-22-07
Local Media Turns on FS over Mount Lemmon Fee, 12-15-06
America the Beautiful Pass Sends Us a Strong Message, 12-7-06
Park Fee Media Coverage Sparks Concern Among Agency Reps, 12-6-06
America the Beautiful Pass Goes on Sale in January, 12-05-06
The Real Reason National Park Visitation Has Declined, 11-30-06
Retired Forest Planner Blasts Secret Forest Service Project, 10-1-06
Forest Service Plans to Appeal Arizona RAT Decision, 9-16-07
Arizona Court Order Could Hobble Recreation Access Fee Policy, 9-13-06
Coalition: Forest Service Working Silently on Plans That Could Close Thousands of Recreation Sites, 8-30-06
Repeal RAT Now Before It’s Too Late, 6-1-06
Making Public Lands a RAT-Free Zone, 4-12-05
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Comments
Evidently US Senate, S. 2438 will, among other things, restrict access to some BLM properties that have recently been closed to the public. I am talking specifically about Clear Creek in Central California. This remote location is significant for rock hounds looking for material that does not have to be illegally removed from public land. If this information about S. 2438 is indeed correct, and it appears to be, the public can expect to see people reverting to illegal hunting of rocks. The upshot would be that respectable rock hounds would disappear to be replaced by people who would have no or little regard for the land and fragile ecosystem. The price for various rocks would invariably increase which would further entice illegal hunting. Clear Creek is also a favorite place for off-road motorcyclist riders, many of whom I can only hope have the same respect for the ecosystem.
The area is known for being contaminated with asbestos and mercury. If this is the reason for closing down Clear Creek, I suggest the following. The government should restrict access to certain times of the year, increase the access fee to the area, and post a larger sign stating that the government is not responsible for any medical problems resulting from entering Clear Creek. The sign should be quite specific about what medical problems might result from breathing the dust.