WASHINGTON, January 12, 2015– The U.S. Forest Service will waive fees at most of its day-use recreation sites five times in 2015, beginning with Jan.19, in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
"Our fee-free days touch on every season and serve as an enticement to new and repeat visitors to come out and enjoy their national forests and grasslands," said U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell. "These public lands offer rich experiences for everyone, from the avid sportsman to the casual hiker or nature observer."
No fees are charged at any time on 98 percent of national forests and grasslands, and approximately two-thirds of developed recreation sites in national forests and grasslands can be used for free. Check with your local forest or grassland or on Recreation.gov to see if your destination charges a fee. Use the Forest Service map to find a national forest or grassland near you.
The 2015 fee-free days observed by the Forest Service are:
— Jan. 19: the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which honors the legacy of the civil rights leader and encourages Americans to participate in the MLK Day of Service
— Feb. 16: Presidents Day, honoring our nation's Presidents with particular attention towards commemorating Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.
— June 13: National Get Outdoors Day, a day when federal agencies, nonprofit organizations and the recreation industry encourage healthy, outdoor activities.
— Sept. 26: National Public Lands Day, the nation's largest, single-day volunteer effort in support of public lands.
— Nov. 11: Veteran's Day, commemorating the end of World War I and paying tribute to all military heroes past and present.
Contact your local forest or grassland for more information about events, especially on National Get Outdoors Day and National Public Lands Day.
Encouraging use of public lands supports the goals of President Obama's America's Great Outdoors, an effort with a premise that the protection of the Nation's natural heritage is a non-partisan objective shared by all Americans. America's Great Outdoors turns to communities for local, grassroots conservation initiatives and seeks to rework inefficient policies and to make the Federal government a better partner with States, Tribes and local communities.
The Forest Service manages its lands for multiple uses, including recreation. America's national forests and grasslands offer more than 150,000 miles of trails for hiking, biking, equestrian and motorized use, and more than 10,000 developed recreation sites. Visitors can choose a wide variety of recreational activities using more than 57,000 miles of streams, 122 alpine ski areas, 338,000 heritage sites, 9,100 miles of National Scenic Byways, 22 National Recreation Areas, 11 National Scenic Areas, eight national monuments, one national preserve and one national heritage area.
The fee-free program is in cooperation with other Federal land management agencies under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act. Fees are waived generally for day-use areas, such as picnic grounds, developed trailheads and destination visitor centers. Concessionaire-operated sites may be included in the waiver if the permit holder wishes to participate. Contact your local national forest or grassland to learn what fees might be waived.
The mission of the U.S. Forest Service, part U.S. Department of Agriculture, is to sustain the health, diversity and productivity of the Nation's forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to State and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world. Public lands the Forest Service manages contribute more than $13 billion to the economy each year through visitor spending alone. Those same lands provide 20 percent of the Nation's clean water supply, a value estimated at $7.2 billion per year. The agency has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 80 percent of the 850 million forested acres within the U.S., of which 100 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.
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