[Kim Brown]

[Schroder]

Again, for emphasis

[hbb]

[philfort]

[snoqpass]

The "America The Beautiful" Pass is free for all veterans honorably discharged, I just went to the local USFS office and showed them my veterans ID and was done in less than ten minutes, a lifetime pass is in the works but right now it's a yearly pass Overview of the Annual Interagency Military Pass Will there be a “Lifetime Pass” for Veterans and Gold Star Families? Yes. On December 27, 2021, President Biden signed into law S. 1605 “The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022” (NDAA). Section 641 of the NDAA makes Gold Star families and veterans eligible for lifetime passes to federal recreational lands. It will be several months before the new lifetime passes are printed and delivered. Until then, Gold Star families and veterans may continue to use The Interagency Annual Military Pass with proof of eligibility as described above. Overview $10 processing fee on USGS Store, Free in person at sites that issue passes Available to Current US Military, Veterans, Dependents and Gold Star families. Documentation is required. Obtained in person at Federal recreation sites that charge entrance or standard amenity fees. Federal Recreation Sites Covers entrance to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service sites that charge Entrance Fees, and covers Standard Amenity Fees at Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation sites, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sites. Admits the pass owners and any accompanying passengers in a private non-commercial vehicle at per vehicle fee areas, or the pass owner and up to additional 3 adults at sites that charge per person. Effective January 1, 2021 only one person may sign the Interagency Military Pass. The USGS Store will print your name on your pass. Current Military dependents may obtain their own pass after showing proper documentation (DD 1173). If I purchased an $80 Annual Pass earlier in the year can I return the pass and get a refund? Refunds will not be issued. Who qualifies for the Annual Pass - Military? 1. Current Military and Dependents: Current members of the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, Space Force and National Guard with valid DoD CAC card Dependents of current U.S. military members with valid DD Form 1173 U.S. Military Cadets U.S. Active Reservists (Do not need to be deployed) 2. Gold Star Families Gold Star Families are next of kin of a member of the United States Armed Forces who lost his or her life in a “qualifying situation,” such as a war, an international terrorist attack, or a military operation outside of the United States while serving with the United States Armed Forces, as explained in Department of Defense Instruction 1348.36 Gold Star Family members must self-certify by applying for a Military Pass online at https://store.usgs.gov/MilitaryPass or downloading and printing a special voucher to either present to the ranger, exchange for a Military Pass in person, or place on the vehicle dashboard at unstaffed sites. Gold Star Vouchers may be downloaded from https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/upload/Gold-Star-Family-Free-Access-Voucher.pdf. 3. Veterans Individuals who served in the U.S. Armed Forces, including the National Guard and Reserves, and are able to present one of the following valid non-expired forms of identification when entering or using federal lands: 1) Department of Defense Identification Card (CAC Card, DD Form 2, DD Form 2765) 2) Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC) 3) Veteran ID Card 4) Veterans designation on a state-issued U.S.driver’s license or identification card When acquiring a pass in person, the actual IDs listed above must be presented. When acquiring a pass online, photocopies or digital images are accepted. Form DD-214 is not accepted. 4. The following individuals/groups DO NOT  Qualify for the annual Iinteragency Military Annual Pass: • Foreign military members (Including those stationed in the U S and have a CAC card) • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) employees • Public Health Service (PHS) members • Inactive U S Reservists • Civilian military contractors • Civilian military employees Can dependents of National Guard and the Reserve members acquire a pass? Dependents of deployed military members with DoD Form 1173 may obtain a pass. Are there any other benefits for military, veterans or Gold Star Families? In addition to the annual Interagency Military Pass, if you are U.S. citizen or permanent resident age 62 or older you qualify for an annual or lifetime Senior Pass. You can buy a Senior Pass in person from a participating Federal recreation site, office, online, or by mail. If you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and have a permanent disability you may qualify for an Access Pass. This is a free lifetime pass that you may obtain in person from a participating Federal recreation site, office, online, or by mail.

[BigBrunyon]

Again, I recommend to just here's the deal 'em. Just intimidate them. They are WEAK and will cower!!!! Just tell them. Just say "here's the deal" and notify them ASSERTIVELY of what the deal is.

[water]

anyone heard any more action on this? The FS is supposed to release a final fee proposal and all public comments (names redacted/removed) and provide a period of additional public comment, and providing these materials to a Recreation Resource Advisory Committee (RAC), though most PNW National Forests have segued to using Secure Rural Schools RACs since they are much more rubber-stamp happy to the FS's requests to charge more fees. However their justification for using a SRS RAC is specious. The RAC reviews the proposals and makes recommendations. If they do not recommend a fee site, the FS cannot implement it as such. FLREA also states "general public support for the recommendation is documented." Though the FS regularly ignores this and/or finds ways to say "well yes 150 people were opposed but 90 of them had addressable concerns" I have reached out to Amy Linn at MBS NF a week ago and got no response.

[JimmyBob]

Should be a lifetime pass for all people, not just people that worked for the government. They're giving free passes to about 7% of the population because of that. Just make all parks/forests permit free for all, all the people that pay most of the park costs via taxes.

[Kim Brown]

[water]