BCHA 2004 National Board Resolutions
Resolution in Opposition to the Recreation Fee Demonstration Program:
A RESOLUTION by the Back Country Horsemen America of urging the United States Congress to abolish the Recreation Fee Demonstration Program on public lands managed by the USDA, Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
WHEREAS, the Recreation Fee Demonstration Program was authorized in 1996 and implemented on selected public lands throughout the United States to provide an additional source of funding not subject to the Congressional appropriations process; and
WHEREAS, while the National Park Service has a long history of charging entrance fees, an existing collection infrastructure, and a higher level of development and service that the public expects, the Recreation Fee Demonstration Program has proved to be controversial and not cost effective for the USDA Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the US Fish and Wildlife Service,
WHEREAS, the original intent of the Recreation Fee Demonstration Program was to alleviate the backlog of deferred maintenance on public lands and to improve the public lands, public facilities, and visitor services; and
WHEREAS, the Recreation Fee Demonstration Program, after having been extended five times in the past eight years, has failed to materially resolve the backlog of deferred maintenance issues; and
WHEREAS, the fees imposed by the Recreation Fee Demonstration Program are being used to control and limit access to public lands; and
WHEREAS, legislation introduced in the 108th United States Congress (HR 3283) to make the Recreation Fee Demonstration Program permanent allows for the introduction of a costly national pass to access any part of the Public Domain regardless of the extent of development; and
WHEREAS, the concept of paying fees to access public lands is contrary to the notion that public lands belong to the American people as a whole and are places where everyone is granted access, a concept that has been and should remain in place; and
WHEREAS, the citizens of the United States pay for the operation and maintenance of public lands through income taxes, the fees imposed by the Recreation Fee Demonstration Program are, in effect, an unwarranted double tax on all users of public lands; and
WHEREAS, the Back Country of America has a long history of striving to preserve access to public lands for recreational equine use and has gone to great lengths to have recreational pack and saddle stock be recognized as an appropriate and historical use of wilderness; and
WHEREAS, the Back Country Horsemen of America has made public its opposition to user fees on public lands;
BE IT RESOLVED that the Back Country Horsemen of America, having gone on record opposing curtailments of recreational equine use, or grazing incidental to that use simply because an area is, or has been designated as wilderness, opposes the extension or permanent adoption of the Recreation Fee Demonstration Program in any form on the public lands managed by the USDA Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Back Country Horsemen of America supports and encourages the full funding of the operation and maintenance of the public lands of the United States through adequate Congressional appropriations.
The Forest Service Trails Budget Dilemma
Whereas the lack of accountability of Congressional appropriations to the Forest has resulted in no increase in the agency budgets for the last five years and the Forest Service has received $1.2 billion annually during that period; and
Whereas within that annual allocation, approximately $70 million has been designated for trail maintenance nationwide, yet of that allocation only a small fraction is ever available for actual trail maintenance on the approximately 135,000 miles of trails in the Forest Service trail system; and
Whereas in contrast during this same time period other land management agencies have received significant increases in funding, an example of which is the National Park Service nearly doubling of its budget; and
Whereas frustration regarding the lack of funds that are available for actual trail maintenance occurs within the using public and the trail managers within the Forest Service; and
Whereas the Back Country Horsemen of America has made a commitment over the last thirty (30) years of our existence to work in partnership with the Forest Service to supplement, not supplant, the trail maintenance budget. And although our efforts have increased dramatically over the last several years, we have seen a decline in the ability of the agency to meet its stewardship responsibilities; and
Whereas it appears that until the Forest Service can reduce fixed costs, streamline the planning process and can demonstrate to Congress that it can manage to meet its intent, no additional funding will be available.
Therefore Be It Resolved That the Back Country Horsemen of America does encourage that funds intended by Congress for trail maintenance be dedicated for that purpose.
Resolution on Trails within the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness Area
WHEREAS, the trail system in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness (FCRONRW) have never been maintained to the standards set forth by the Central Idaho Wilderness Act (CIWA) of 1980; and
WHEREAS, the catastrophic fires of 2000 are starting to have a significant impact on the trail system in the FCRONRW; and
WHEREAS, the United States Forest Service (USFS) trail funding has been severely reduced, if not eliminated; and
WHEREAS, the USFS national priorities do not recognize the importance of trails and recreation;
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the Back Country Horsemen of America call upon Congressional and Administrative entities to rehabilitate and maintain this National Recreation investment in the FCRONRW.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that these trails be maintained to the standards in place at the time of passage of the CIWA of 1980, and in a manner acceptable to accommodate saddle and pack stock.
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