Remember the huge furor for five summers in the late 1990s when you had to pay a fee at Ketchum Ranger District and Sawtooth National Recreation Area trailheads? The recreation public hated "Fee-Demo" and finally forced its termination on the Sawtooth.
Many national forests are still charging fees for dispersed forest use. A Tucson legal secretary has a criminal record because the Coronado National Forest took her to court after shopping for a judge they knew to be on their side. On the Mount Evans State Highway in Colorado the Forest Service has illegally set up a kiosk to shake down $10 from every car. Fees to take a walk in the woods are repressive and in many cases patently illegal.
Senior Montana Sen. Mike Baucus, a Democrat, is about to introduce legislation to repeal the onerous existing fee law. Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo, a Republican, has consistently, correctly, and commendably opposed fees. In his own words he has stated, "I am opposed to imposition of recreational user fees for access to public lands." But that isn't nearly enough. He needs to take action and proactively step up to the plate to co-sponsor the Baucus bill. Please call Crapo at (202) 224-6142. You can also e-mail him at http://crapo.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm.
This is a viable and rare opportunity to see bipartisan legislation introduced in Congress to right a terrible wrong. As an American citizen and owner of U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands you should not suffer double taxation to take a hike, peddle your bike or trot your horse? It's ludicrous. Please contact Crapo and strongly urge him to stand up for his Idaho constituents and common sense by co-sponsoring the important Baucus fee repeal bill. Please consider personally visiting his Twin Falls office. This is important stuff.
Scott Phillips
Hailey
