BLM floats fee to ride river rapids

Floating down the Colorado River is a local tradition. But if a Bureau of Land Management idea holds water, users of the Colorado River in the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area could be paying fees by 2011. The fee could be $3 to $7, based on the fee river users already pay in the Kremmling area ($3) and in the Ruby Canyon area ($7). “This is in the very preliminary stages, looking at whether a fee to float in that area of the river would be appropriate,” said David Boyd, spokesman for the BLM. Implementation of the fee would not be immediate, if it is imposed at all. First, the citizen advisory council for the McInnis Canyons area would have to hear the proposal and give its OK for it to be explored. The BLM would then poll river users this summer. Public meetings would be hosted, and there would be a formal comment period. If all went smoothly, the fee would take effect in 2011...GJ Sentinel