Sample Fee Demo

By Dave Saville

Congress has been slashing the US Forest Service (USFS) budgets in the name of "deficit reduction." Meanwhile, with timber extraction becoming less profitable and with fewer forests left uncut, the USFS must scramble to fill its coffers. Fearful of losing their jobs, and enticed by financial support from commercial interests, USFS managers have concluded that "Pay-For-Play" Recreation will be their next venture. In their current parlance, you and I have become their "customers" and they, our "service providers." I preferred it when we were "owners" and they, our "faithful servants."

Unfortunately, many things that we once enjoyed as "amenities," because we were fortunate enough to be Americans, are now being turned into products that we may purchase if our incomes permit. Hunting, fishing, hiking, trail riding or virtually any other outdoor activity you can name will soon be offered as a recreation product. The more products the USFS sells, the more they make. The more they charge, the better their bottom line.

The Fee-Demo program has Outdoorsmen crying: "We Can’t See the Forest for the Fees." Unfortunately, many people do not realize that this program is just the thin edge of a very thick wedge. Fee-Demo exists to "demonstrate" that the public will accept the Pay-for-Play concept. The big profits won’t come from user-fees. However, unless it can be proved that the public will pay for what once was free, the entire venture will fail. The real money will be made through privatizing and commercializing our public lands, and that’s what’s truly driving the new federal recreation agenda.