Congressman Tom McClintock made the following statement to the Regional U.S. Forest Service Management Roundtable hosted by Congressman Wally Herger in Sacramento on Wednesday, August 25: There are four general subjects that my constituents have brought to my attention that I feel are important to raise in this forum. First, some of the most disturbing stories I have heard locally involve the abuse of cost recovery fees by the Forest Service. This has been a source of great frustration and evinces an attitude within the Service that I believe requires immediate correction. For example, the California Endurance Riders Association had been using the El Dorado National Forest for many years. This time, when they sought a simple 5-year 10-event permit to continue doing exactly what they have been doing without incident for decades, the Forest Service demanded $11,000 in fees. They paid these fees, but the El Dorado National Forest management nevertheless pulled the approved permit and halted the process on utterly specious grounds. It then demanded an additional $17,000 fee, causing the Endurance Riders Association to cancel what had been a long-term civic tradition that had been a boon to the local economy. In 2010 this outrage was repeated after the group spent $5,800 for the “Fool's Gold Endurance Run” that had been an ongoing event for more than 40 years. The Polka Dots Motorcycle Club tells a similar story...more
Friday, August 27, 2010
Congressman blasts U.S. Forest Service for "abusive," "predatory" fees
Congressman Tom McClintock made the following statement to the Regional U.S. Forest Service Management Roundtable hosted by Congressman Wally Herger in Sacramento on Wednesday, August 25: There are four general subjects that my constituents have brought to my attention that I feel are important to raise in this forum. First, some of the most disturbing stories I have heard locally involve the abuse of cost recovery fees by the Forest Service. This has been a source of great frustration and evinces an attitude within the Service that I believe requires immediate correction. For example, the California Endurance Riders Association had been using the El Dorado National Forest for many years. This time, when they sought a simple 5-year 10-event permit to continue doing exactly what they have been doing without incident for decades, the Forest Service demanded $11,000 in fees. They paid these fees, but the El Dorado National Forest management nevertheless pulled the approved permit and halted the process on utterly specious grounds. It then demanded an additional $17,000 fee, causing the Endurance Riders Association to cancel what had been a long-term civic tradition that had been a boon to the local economy. In 2010 this outrage was repeated after the group spent $5,800 for the “Fool's Gold Endurance Run” that had been an ongoing event for more than 40 years. The Polka Dots Motorcycle Club tells a similar story...more
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2 comments:
I don't think it is wrong to re-evaluate the impact of even long-held permits and uses on our public lands. But simply increasing fees without basis or reference and especially to the levels mentioned makes the lands not public, but (gov't) privatized. That is not their purpose. Similarly, we all know cattle grazing can be a destructive process to our lands, but if the impact is simply not there, it seems we should be rewarding responsible business practices instead of punishing them. As a democrat, I believe in the ability of departments and their agencies to better our society, redistibute benefits for all parts of our country - but that doesn't mean our goverment should be a haphazard money making entity. It must focus on the recipient and ITS benefit (i.e. the people and land of our country).
As far as the healthy forest initiative, I have been skeptical from the start. I understand and agree with the premise. But what I have really been seeing (where I live at least) is cutting and clearing of trees (that loggers are making a profit from, I have heard - but without normal permitting fees) and piling of debris. Debris piles have been left for years, stacked in a kindling-like pile, drying. It is frightening, I think.
I very much appreciate your attention to the matter and I hope the issues are resolved - making the forest service a SERVICE and the community enriched and safer.
Interesting comments, thanks.
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