Judge rules against Forest Service fees in Southern California

Opponents of day-use fees in national forests chalked up another victory this week with a federal court ruling in the long-running battle over the recreation charges. U.S. District Court Judge Terry Hatter Jr. sided with four hikers who contended that Southern California forests were improperly requiring them to buy an Adventure Pass even when they didn’t use any developed facilities. The regional pass, which costs $5 a day or $30 annually, has funneled millions of dollars to the four Southland forests, which are some of the most heavily used in the nation. The pass was adopted under an unpopular national program of forest recreation fees that has been scaled back by Congress and the courts. Citing a 2012 federal appeals decision involving an Arizona national forest, Hatter said that case made it clear that “the Forest Service is prohibited from charging a fee solely for parking.”...more