The Ferron-Price, Sanpete, Moab and Monticello Ranger Districts are working together to make recreation fees more consistent across the forest and comparable to similar public and private campgrounds in their respective areas.
The Manti-La Sal National Forest is considering a proposal to increase and/or change fee structures at 30 developed campgrounds. These campgrounds are located in all of the forests’ districts. These fees are entirely used to fund ongoing operations, maintenance, and improvements in the forest’s developed recreation sites.
In 2004, Congress passed the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA) which allows the Forest Service to retain ninety-five percent of the revenue from recreation fees collected at recreation sites to use those funds locally to operate, maintain, and improve these sites. So, revenue collected through recreation fees would help the Manti-La Sal National Forest improve infrastructure at campgrounds, adjacent trails, and help reduce the backlog in deferred maintenance and hire additional recreation staff during the season of operation.
Under FLREA, all new fees and fee changes must be proposed and approved by a citizen’s advisory committee. The Utah Bureau of Land Management Recreation Resource Advisory Committee represents a broad array of recreation interest groups to help ensure that the Forest Service’s proposed fees are reasonable and acceptable to the public.
Members of the public are invited to comment on the proposed fee changes to the developed recreation program. The comment period is set to end by close of business on September 15th. Written comments can be sent to the Manti-La Sal National Forest:
For comments directed at sites on the Ferron, Price and Sanpete Districts
Christopher Nichols, Recreation Specialist christopher.nichols@usda.gov
115 West Canyon Road 435-636-3580
Ferron, Utah 84523
For comments directed at sites on the Moab and Monticello Ranger Districts
Zachary Lowe, Recreation Specialist zachary.lowe2@usda.gov
62 East 100 North 435-636-3360
Moab, Utah 84532
Oral comments can be provided by calling any Manti-La Sal National Forest office during normal business hours (Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.) or by calling Zachary Lowe or Christopher Nichols. Please indicate you would like to provide comments on the proposed recreation fee changes. For more information on the proposed project, visit our website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/mantilasal.
After the comment period closes, the proposed fee changes will be reviewed by the Utah Bureau of Land Management Recreation Advisory Committee, which will submit its recommendation to the Regional Forester for a final decision and possible implementation for the 2021 camping season.
The attached table shows all of the campgrounds and individual sites on the Manti-La Sal National Forest that fee increases and fee structures changes are being proposed
For information on the Manti-La Sal National Forest Service, check out our website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/mantilasal or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.
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PHOTO COURTESY OF MANTI-LA SAL NATIONAL FOREST