Tongass National Forest

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Recreation Fee Program

Issue

In recent years, visitors to Alaska’s national forests found visitor centers open longer, new interpretive programs, more maintenance at recreation sites, and other improvements and services; all the result of revenue from the recreation fee demonstration program.

In 1998, the Alaska Region placed three recreation sites in the national fee demonstration program, and today the recreation fee program has nine projects, with others being considered. Today, fees collected at recreation fee project sites are returned to the unit administering the recreation site for improvements, maintenance, and additional visitor services.

Background

In 1996, Congress passed temporary authority for the Forest Service, as part of a national fee demonstration program, to establish and collect fees at national forest recreation sites. The Forest Service was given broad discretion with its authority to charge fees through 2001 and was extended the authority through 2005.

In late 2004, Congress passed the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (now called the Recreation Fee Program) that gives federal agencies authorities to continue charging for enhanced recreation services for an additional ten years, and drops the demonstration aspect of the program. It also added recreation special use permits as a fee category, allowing those special use fees to be kept at the national forest to enhance the recreation special use programs.

The total fee receipts for the Alaska Region in FY05 were $2,262,000. The Alaska Region’s fee sites are: Begich, Boggs Visitor Center near Anchorage (only for the movie, Voices From the Ice), the Juneau Ranger District Recreation Complex (visitor center, campgrounds, shelters, and the Juneau Icefield helicopter tours), the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center in Ketchikan, Pack Creek Bear Observation Site on Admiralty Island, Anan Wildlife Observatory near Wrangell, Ohmer Creek Campground near Petersburg, the Public Recreation Cabin rentals, Tongass National Forest campgrounds, the Golden Passes (Age, Eagle and Access), and recreation special use permits; which accounts for nearly half of the fees collected in 2005.

Alaska Region Fee Revenue (in thousands)

Current Situation

Fees are being used to maintain facilities, trailheads and trails, campgrounds, picnic areas, cabins, and visitor centers. There has been an improvement in public safety, and new opportunities for heritage expeditions, tours, and interpretive programs. The new legislation also provides for fees generated from commercial recreation outfitting and guiding to be returned to the Forest Service for use to manage that program. While there has been some controversy about the recreation fee program nationally, analysis of survey results in the Alaska Region show that the acceptance of fees is generally positive, especially when the public can see direct benefits and improvements at the sites where the fees are paid.

More Information

Jeffrey Miller, Recreation Budget and Business Manager, Alaska Region (907) 586-8804

Current as of July 2006

USDA Forest Service - Tongass National Forest Accessibility Statement
Last Modified: February 15, 2007