U.S. Forest Service Waives Fees During Veteran’s Day Weekend

Release Date: Nov 6, 2013

San Bernardino, Calif., November 6, 2013 –The San Bernardino National Forest is waiving fees at  its day-use recreation sites over the Veteran’s Day holiday weekend, Nov. 9-11. Visitors will not need to provide the normally required National Forest Adventure Pass.

The fee waivers – the fourth this year – are offered in cooperation with other federal agencies under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act. Day-use fees will be waived at all standard amenity fee sites operated by the U.S. Forest Service.

Visitors who inadvertently use a Daily Adventure Pass this weekend can have it replaced free of charge. Though the Adventure Pass fee will be waived, campground, reservation, group-site, and concession fees will still be in effect.

Those interested may contact their local Ranger Station for more information:

Big Bear Ranger Station & Discovery Center 909-382-2790

Idyllwild Ranger Station 909-382-2922

Lytle Creek Ranger Station 909-382-2852

Mill Creek Ranger Station 909-382-2882

Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument 760-862-9984

The fee waiver days support the goals of President Obama's America's Great Outdoors initiative, which encourages all Americans to connect with the outdoors, and First Lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move Outside," which encourages children to get out and get active to be healthy.

The Forest Service also honors active duty military members year-round with the free Interagency Annual Military Pass honored at all Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service sites charging entrance or standard amenity fees.

The mission of the Forest Service 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.

About the U.S. Forest Service, San Bernardino National Forest

The San Bernardino National Forest is comprised of three Ranger Districts spanning 679,380 acres in San Bernardino and Riverside counties. From the desert floor to the pristine mountain peaks, the San Bernardino National Forest offers natural environments, spectacular scenery, developed campgrounds and picnic areas, numerous recreational opportunities, and the solitude of quiet wilderness and open space for the over 24 million residents of Southern California and those visiting the area. The forest environment also provides habitat for numerous plants and animals and is crucial in sustaining drinking water, air, and soil quality. Learn more at http://www.fs.usda.gov/sbnf

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