Procurement News Notice |
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| PNN | 9782 |
| Work Detail | The Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest is proposing to add or increase fees at several recreation sites across the 4 million-acre forest. Doing so would help offset maintenance costs and add the sites to www.recreation.gov, a federal website where they would have greater exposure to people planning vacations. The agency is taking public comments on the fees through Oct. 14. The proposal would add a pair of historic cabins and a pair of lookouts to those available to reserve and rent. New fees would be added to some campgrounds and sheltered day-use group sites where none are charged now and fees would increase at some sites. The agency is proposing $40 per night fees for Gold Meadows and Liz Creek cabins, and $45 per night at the Scurvy Mountain and Wallow Mountain lookouts. Gold Meadows Cabin is seven miles from the Eagle Mountain Trailhead on the Lochsa/Powell Ranger District and accessible only by foot or stock. It sits just outside the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness Area. Liz Creek Cabin on the North Fork Ranger District sits off of Liz Creek, a tributary to Weitas Creek. The cabin, which is accessible via a 4.2-mile hike from Liz Butte, was previously available on a first-come, first-served basis. Diana Jones, recreation manager for the forest, said interest in backcountry cabins is growing and the maintenance costs are high. She said the agency won't make money off of charging a per night fee, but it will help ensure the cabins are kept up. "It helps us restore these historic cabins and that allows us to maintain those facilities," she said. "The money will go back into those facilities." The same goes for the lookouts. Scurvy Mountain lookout sits on a ridge that separates Kelly and Cayuse creeks. It's gone through a number of restorations, the most recent completed by Forest Service retirees in the past few years. The lookout is a popular spot for backcountry travelers. Wallow Mountain Lookout, also on the North Fork Ranger District, is accessible off of Skull Creek Road via Indian Henry Trail No. 101. The trail is open to off-road vehicles. The lookout was formerly part of the rental systems but was taken off when it fell into disrepair. The fee would not be charged until repairs are made. A $15 fee would be charged at Aquarius-Purple Beach group campsite along the North Fork of the Clearwater River. The site, which the agency has improved over the past several years, is across Road 247 from the Old Aquarius Campground. An extra $5 per vehicle fee would be charged for parties using more than two vehicles. The agency is proposing a $12 per night fee for Lolo Creek and Partridge Creek campgrounds, and increasing the fee at White Pine Campground from $8 to $12. Lolo Creek Campground sits on the western edge of the Lolo Trail. White Pine Campground and Partridge Creek, formerly known as Rinky Dink Campground, are on the Palouse Ranger District. The agency has plans to add amenities such as tables, fire rings and road development at Partridge Creek. A fee would not be charged there until the work is done. The agency hopes to institute a $25 per day fee for day-use picnic areas at Elk River Campground near Elk River and the Fish Creek Group Site south of Grangeville. Both sites are often used by large groups and Jones said adding them to the rental program will allow people to reserve the sites and reduce the potential for conflicts. The agency also wants to charge a $10 fee for those who use the Cedar Flats Sewage Dump Station near the Fenn Ranger Station along the lower Selway River. The site, which is used by recreational vehicle users, was once hooked up to the septic and sewage system that serves the ranger station. But to reduce wear and tear on that system, it was disconnected and now is hooked to a sewage vault that has to be pumped out once a week during the busy summer season. The fee would offset the cost of pumping. |
| Country | United States , Northern America |
| Industry | Forestry |
| Entry Date | 15 Oct 2016 |
| Source | http://lmtribune.com/outdoors/forest-service-eyes-adding-or-boosting-fees-at-sites/article_773ca659-5ed4-5c6a-98af-cedcafade244.html |
