USFS Forest Pass opinions and latest legislation?

This weekend I received a citation for not having a USFS Fee Demo pass. I've previously just received paper warnings, but this appears to be a real citation with a court date on it. The citation states I've been fined $50, but if I buy a Forest Pass for $30 and mail the USFS a copy of it within 5 days, they will void the citation. <br><br>Does anyone here not buy the pass just on the principal of it? To get out of this ticket, in theory, I could make a copy of a friend's pass and mail the copy to them every time I get a ticket. I'm happy to pay for government services, but I'd prefer those funds come out of my income tax. If I go ahead and buy the pass (which I probably will), the total I'm forking over for Fee Demo this year is $85: $25 to Mt Shasta, $30 for Mt Adams and $30 for USFS Fee Demo. $85 is not a problem for me to pay, but I could see all these fees as being a deterrent for those of less income to enjoy the outdoors. Why can't they just raise my taxes? And, why can't they first go install the freakin' bridge across Eliot creek, then work on enforcement? <br><br>In addition to this, what is the latest legislation status on Fee Demo? <br>

www.nps.gov/fees_passes.htm says National Parks pass is $50 and for an additional $15, a Golden Eagle sticker may be purchased and affixed to a National Parks Pass to cover entrance fees at not only national parks, but also at sites managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management.   Shouldn't this $65 deal cover you for the $85 worth of stuff you say you need for Shasta, Adams, Rainier, and USFS Forest Pass?

Are you implying the fee to climb Rainier, Adams, and Shasta? Those are additional fees at least at Rainier. Without getting to wound up I just bend over and give them the $65 for the Golden Eagle and call it good like Silaswild.<br>Joe

Jeff, don't waste time taking care of that. I got a similar ticket last year and sent the photocopy, etc. and it turned into the kind of bureaucratic sufferfest nightmares are made of, including threats of court dates, warrants, huge fees, etc., all of which I got out of, but not without a fight. I wish I had paid the damn thing right away (or not forgotten to display it in the first place ).

Unless I was planning on a full day hike, I would usually just park and hike. Sometimes I go up just to snap a photo of an area, might take 15 or 20 minutes and I sure don't feel I should pay $5 for short stops like this. I've also never heard of such a citation, really stinks IMO. <br><br>I'm pretty fed up too with these rediculous fee's that we should not be paying. They started the 'fee' so they could shift their spending from the tax money in other areas. Not really a whole lot we can do about it now cuz once they start the 'pay to play' it would take an act of god for the gov. to give it up. Now we can just hope they don't keep hiking the fee's up on us.<br><br>

I believe that if you read the fine print you will find that the Golden Eagle upgrade does NOT get around the USFS's parking regulations. I believe that it only covers "entrance" fees at said locations. (Just don't ask anyone official as I can almost guarantee conflicting responses depending on who you ask based upon my own MRNP White River/ USFS Enumclaw experience).<br><br>On a personal note, I find great irony and frustration in the fact that anyone can load their station wagon with semi-automatic weapons, drive into the forest, park almost anywhere (so long as it is not a "trailhead"), shoot the living hell out of everything in sight including the beer cans emptied on the drive up the hill, leave a trail of casings, cans and carnage, and then drive home happy as hell never having to "legally" pay anything.<br><br>Meanwhile, otherwise law abiding, tax paying, trail loving americans like us, including that low income family down the street looking for a wholesome family experience in "nature", are chased after by rangers with ticketbooks because we have PARKED properly.<br><br>It is a "Land of Many Abuses", and in this case, I think you have found yourself to be another victim.<br><br>I'm with Harvey Manning on this one...you'd better send me a copy of your Forest Pass if you buy one.... <br><br>- J.P.