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Public comment period on Shawnee forest fees extended

BY BECKY MALKOVICH, The Southern

Friday, March 28, 2008 6:24 PM CDT

HARRISBURG — The public comment period on proposed Shawnee National Forest user fees and fee hikes has been extended to June 30.

The comment period was originally set to expire April 15 on the proposal that is based on the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act. The act was implemented nationally as a tool to assist public land managers in addressing certain recreational needs.

Under the act, federal land management agencies can charge fees for certain facilities and requires that at least 80 percent of the fee revenue stay where collected and made available for the operation and maintenance of recreational facilities including trails, a Shawnee press release said.

The Shawnee has proposed a $5 per day, per vehicle charge for use of the Johnson Creek boat launch, Johnson Creek beach and picnic area, Buttermilk Hill picnic area, Lincoln Memorial Park at Jonesboro, Little Grand Canyon trailhead, Pounds Hollow beach and picnic Area, Garden of the Gods interpretive and picnic site and Bell Smith Springs interpretive and picnic area.

As an alternative, a yearly pass covering use of all of these sites would be available for $50 per vehicle.

The Shawnee has also proposed a $5 per day, per person charge for equestrian use of the designated trail system. Equestrians could instead purchase a $50 bridle tag that would be good for a year.

Camping fees could also go up if the proposal is accepted. Existing fees at Camp Cadiz and Pine Hills campgrounds would increase from $5 to $10 per night,while fees at Pine Ridge (Pounds Hollow) and Pharaoh (Garden of the Gods) campgrounds would increase from $5 to $12.

Fees at the Johnson Creek Group Campground, which vary between $5 and $12, would increase to between $12 and $20.

The fee proposal would allow for the continued operation of the forest's recreation sites, and to further the progress that is now being made in trail maintenance and reconstruction, the press release said.