Technology & Development Center

Privacy | Legal	Recreation Pubs	Search Pubs

Fee Deposit Tube Fabrication Drawing

Cara Grill, Support Services
Gary Hoshide, Recreation Program Leader

Manual fee collection, requiring fee permit envelopes, has been used at Forest Service recreation sites for many years. The success of this self-service collection system depends on the public’s understanding the instructions and on a secure fee deposit vault. The vaults are often called fee tubes in the Forest Service and "Iron Rangers" in other Federal and State agencies.

The Technology and Development Program last evaluated self-service fee collection systems in 1971. Since then, many designs have been tried, but all continue to be susceptible to vandalism. Due to their unattended locations in remote recreation sites, the fee deposit vaults are easy targets for vandals and thieves. Providing a totally "vandal-proof" vault for remote, unattended recreation sites is not practical.

Recent legislation establishing fee demonstration projects authorizes the Forest Service and other selected Federal agencies to charge higher user fees at some recreation sites, renewing interest in self-service collection systems. In addition, fee deposit vaults are being used as temporary safes at attended fee demonstration entrance stations.

The Technology and Development Center at Missoula, Montana (MTDC), was asked to develop a fabrication drawing of a durable fee deposit vault design used by the Boise National Forest (Figure 1a and Figure 1b) in Idaho. Figure 2 is a fabrication drawing of the Boise National Forest design with recommended improvements.

Figure 1a—Fee deposit vault used by the
Boise National Forest in Idaho.

Figure 1b—Rear view of fee vault.

Figure 2b—Fee deposit tube plans part I.

Figure 2a—Fee deposit tube plans part II.

Figure 2c—Fee deposit tube plans part III.

Manufacture and Procurement

The fabrication drawings provide the option of using a local fabricator to construct the fee tube, lowering unit costs. For example, the Boise National Forest uses a local Job Corps Center to fabricate its design. The cost of materials is estimated at $40 per vault. This does not include costs for handling, delivery, and installation. Even after these additional costs are considered, this method is less costly than purchasing most commercially made vaults.

Several commercial manufacturers produce fee vaults and collection equipment. Contact Gary Hoshide, Recreation Program Leader at MTDC, for information on commercially available vaults.

Acknowledgments

Special thanks to Ken Waugh, Boise National Forest, for submitting the project proposal and to Diane Herzberg, P.E., Mechanical Engineer, who led the initial project work at MTDC.

E-mail: wo_mtdc_webmaster@fs.fed.us	Technology & Development Center