Additional Opportunities to Learn About Proposed Fee Changes Saturday, March 7 & March 21, 2015

Release Date: Mar 3, 2015

PHOENIX March 2, 2015 - For Immediate Release. Tonto National Forest officials are seeking public comments on proposed changes to recreation fees.  In 2004, Congress passed the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA) which allows the Forest Service to retain 95 percent of fees collected at certain recreation sites and use these funds locally to operate, maintain and enhance these sites.  To see what fees have been collected and how the fees have been spent, go to the Annual Fee Program Accomplishment Reports which can be found under Quick Links on the Recreation Page.

The purpose of the proposal is to modify the existing fees in order to continue to operate and maintain campgrounds, boat launches, and picnic areas.  As costs to provide trash removal and maintain facilities continue to increase, the Forest Service needs to consider options in order to ensure high quality recreation opportunities.  “In these times of increasing costs and declining budgets, we want the public to help us determine what our best options are”, said Neil Bosworth, Tonto National Forest Supervisor.

The public is invited to attend additional On-Site Open Houses to learn more about the proposal.

Tonto Basin District
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Cholla Boat Ramp within the Cholla Campground
10:00 am to 2:00 pm

Saturday, March 21, 2015
Badger Boat Ramp within the Windy Hill Recreation Area 10:00 am to 2:00 pm

The changes being considered include:

• Eliminate recreation fees from six areas, charge for individual sites, and change shoreline areas to special recreation permit areas;
• Decrease the cost of the Tonto Annual Pass from $95/annually to $80/annually;
• Increase the daily Tonto Pass fee from $6/day to $8/day;
• Align fees in 10 developed campgrounds and 3 group sites to be comparable to similar sites with similar services and operation and maintenance costs;
• Eliminate fees at 12 recreation sites; and
• Install fee machines to provide an onsite option to purchase the daily Tonto Pass and watercraft sticker.  Proposed new onsite fee is $12 for the daily Tonto Pass and $6 for the watercraft sticker.  The passes will still be available for purchase at over 200 venders in the area or online for the regular Tonto Pass Fee price.

The fee proposal can be reviewed on the Sustainable Recreation website.  For more information about the fee proposal, please contact Rebecca Hoffman at 602-225-5257, or by email at rchoffman@fs.fed.us.  Comments on the fee proposal may be submitted to: tonto_recreation@fs.fed.us, or Tonto National Forest, 2324 E McDowell Road, Phoenix, AZ  85006, Attn: Rebecca Hoffman.  Please submit your comments by April 15, 2015, so they may be included in the decision making process.  If you have already provided comments you do not need to resubmit them to have them considered.