[polarbear]

[WTM]

Take a look at the following book to put the Fee Demo Program in a much larger perspective: Reaganism & the Death of Representative Democracy by Walter Williams. Since Reagan, the strategy of the right has been to defund the public sector. The result has been dissaffection with government (goaded on by right wing radio) and growing demand for privatization. When Wall Street runs the Social Security System and Disneyland runs the National Forests we will have entered Rush's version of nirvana. I can hardly wait.

[H. Hound]

The sad thing is, that even though fee demo is set to expire in 05, our senator Cantwell is working hard to figure out a way to re-package it, and re-implement it. Her form letter says “Although the bill passed, I share the concerns of several other members who believe that the Energy and Natural Resources Committee should consider a more comprehensive recreational fee program that would cover all federal land agencies”. Below is the form e-mail I received on 4/12 Thank you for contacting me regarding the Recreational Fee Authority Act (S. 1107). I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue. As you may know, the Recreation Fee Demonstration Program, was originally authorized as a three-year pilot program which allows the National Park Service (NPS), Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Forest Service to collect and expend funds for areas in needs of additional financial support. Although the program was set to expire in late 2002, the fiscal year 2004 Interior Appropriations bill extended the program through 2005. The Recreation Fee Demonstration Program requires participating federal land agencies to use 80 percent of the receipts for protection and enhancement of the area where the fee was collected. Since 1996, the program has generated nearly $1 billion and these funds have helped to address the substantial maintenance backlog and chronic underfunding of most federal sites. In Washington state, fees have been used to pay for interpretive services at Mount St. Helens to improve disabled access to viewing platforms, restrooms, and picnic facilities, and for maintenance or reconstruction of 1,500 miles of trails. As you know, Senator Thomas introduced the Recreation Fee Authority Act on February 11, 2004. The legislation would permanently authorize the Recreation Fee Demonstration Program for the NPS, and require the Secretary of the Interior to establish fees based on an analysis to consider benefits provided to users and the effect of such fees. The bill would also allow the Secretary to enter into agreements with states to accept state and national park passes at sites within each state. S. 1107 was considered by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, upon which I serve, on February 12, 2004. Although the bill passed, I share the concerns of several other members who believe that the Energy and Natural Resources Committee should consider a more comprehensive recreational fee program that would cover all federal land agencies. My colleagues unanimously agreed that that the bill would not be put before the full Senate until these issues can be dealt with comprehensively. Please be assured that as the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee continues to debate this issue, I will keep your views in mind. Thank you again for contacting me to share your thoughts on this matter. Finally, you may be interested in signing up for my weekly update for Washington state residents. Every Monday, I provide a brief outline about my work in the Senate and issues of importance to Washington state. If you are interested in subscribing to this update, please visit my website at http://cantwell.senate.gov. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if I can be of further assistance. Sincerely, Maria Cantwell United States Senator