Get Outdoors - Volunteer: Washington Trails Association Gives USFS, Congress Failing Grades on User Fees

The U.S. Forest Service finally unveiled its user fee program for the Year 2000, and the Washington Trails Association says they should go back and try again.Seattle, March 8, 2000 - Washington Trails sharply criticized both Congress and Forest Service for managing its lands beyond closed doors and out of the reach of the people. The new Northwest Forest Pass "which will be required to park at Forest Service trailheads across the state" fails to measure up on three very important points: resource protection, volunteer recognition, and user friendliness.

The problems start with the lawmakers. "Although Congress has the power and the responsibility to fully provide for the lands under its care, it hasn't," said Elizabeth Lunney, Executive Director for Washington Trails Association. "Instead, they've enacted a program through a rider, without legislative hearings and have asked the Forest Service to research a fee program as if they were entrepreneurs, not stewards of a national resource."

Lunney notes that WTA can accept a modest user fee, but only if certain criteria are met, including the guarantee to hikers that the fees would be used to protect hiking resources. But those safeguards haven't been put into place, Lunney said.Adding to these concerns, Lunney points out that the Forest Service developed the Northwest Forest Pass using "market research" performed by the USFS, rather than direct public comment. This type of "governance through market research" has not given us a good product. "The Northwest Forest Pass does not reward volunteers, it is not comprehensive enough, and it does not guarantee that this program will be used to better protect our natural resources," she said.

The lack of universal recognition of volunteers caused concern within WTA as well. In previous years, volunteers who performed two days of service were guaranteed a free pass. Now that decision is left up to local land managers.

"If volunteers are going to step in where Congress has failed, then those volunteers need to be rewarded. They deserve a free access to the trails they've contributed to. Anyone who spends two days working on a trail ought to be able to hike on that trail," said Lunney. "Two days of work on a trail is the equivalent of a $150 payment to the Forest Service. Is that not enough to earn a Pass?"

Washington Trails Association is also seriously disappointed in the failure of the Forest Service and National Park Service to work out an agreement that would create one public lands' pass honored on all federal lands in the region. This year's pass will be honored on all U.S. Forest Service lands in the region and at trailheads within the North Cascades National Park, but won't be recognized at Olympic or Mount Rainier National Parks.

"The agencies have got to work out an agreement that lets people buy one pass that's good on all public lands in the region. The system is still confusing," Lunney said. "When hikers leave their home on Saturday morning, they ought to know that their Northwest Forest Pass will be good wherever they go."

"There is the opportunity in the fee system to create immense good for trails" Lunney said. "But you'll need the public's active participation to do that." Washington Trails Association's volunteer trail maintenance program provides a prime example of how this can work. In 1999, more than 1,300 volunteers came out an average of four times each to help maintain hiking trails in Washington state. Some of the funds supporting this program came from the Forest Service's Trail Park Pass system. "It's an incredibly efficient use of our money. Our volunteers can leverage every Trail Park Pass dollar by a factor of at least five, getting the most trail work done for the least amount of money." Lunney said. "We're very proud to have made such a positive contribution to our trails."

The Washington Trails Association (WTA) is a non-profit organization with more than 8,000 members and volunteers, and is the primary hiker advocacy organization in Washington state. WTA finds solutions to trail problems statewide through education programs, direct involvement in trail planning and management activities, and volunteer trail maintenance.

For more information contact:
Dan Nelson, WTA, (206) 625-1367 or
Craig Engelking, WTA, (360) 570-8663