Recreation fees on some federal lands have been passed by Congress as
part of a 3,000-page appropriations bill. The permanent extension of the
Fee Demonstration Program allows recreation fees to be charged on land
overseen by the U.S. Forest Service, Park Service, Bureau of Land
Management, Fish and Wildlife Service and Bureau of Reclamation. The
bill also establishes a national interagency annual pass called the
“America the Beautiful” pass that is expected to cost $85 to $100
annually.
The original two-year FeeDemo program was approved in 1996 and has
been extended several times since. Funding shortfalls had left federal
land agencies unable to handle soaring recreation use.
