Release No. 0338 .98

Statement


                               by
 Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment Jim Lyons
           on the National Forest Recreation Program 
                        August 14, 1998

     "The declining state of recreational facilities throughout the National
Forest System  have fallen into an appalling state of decay and cannot be used
safely.  Americans come to the National Forests expecting and deserving a
pleasant recreational experience.   If the maintenance situation is not
addressed, the public will be disappointed in those experiences far more
often.  In addition, access to national forest recreation will be more and
more limited. 

     "Soaring demand has strained the Forest Service's ability to keep up
with the ever increasing number of recreational visits to the National Forest
System.  Visits have increased from 729 million in 1993, to more than 900
million visits in 1998, while budgets for recreation programs have declined
from $261 million in 1993 to $218 million today.     

     "To help supply some of the needed funds, Congress in 1996 authorized
the Recreation Fee Demonstration Program for public lands administered by the
U.S. Forest Service and other federal agencies.  The program has provided many
National Forests with the funds to begin making a dent in the more than $1
billion backlog of  maintenance, repairs, and construction.  Only $58 million
has been allocated to address the backlog through the normal budget process.

     "The Fee Demonstration Program is a start, but it is only a start in
solving the long-term problem.  We need more funding and a long-term solution. 
 The growing interest in national forest recreation cannot be sustained under
current budgets.  We are on a collision course.  The National Forests are
administered by the U.S. Forest Service, America's largest provider of outdoor
recreation.

     "I urge continuation of the Forest Service Recreation Fee Demonstration
Program, and an increase in budgets.  The Fee Demonstration Program allows
selected forests to test user fees.  Of the fees collected, 80 percent is used
for maintenance and upgrading facilities, and 15 percent for program
administrative costs in the forest where the fees were collected.   The
remaining five percent of the fees is reinvested in the same forest, or in
other fee demonstration forests in the same National Forest region.
                                
     "The Forest Service recreation program will provide nearly $100 billion
annually to the U.S. economy by the 21st Century and is key to the economic
sustainability of many rural communities.  The National Forests are an
integral part of the U.S. economy, and we need to invest in recreation
resources now to ensure the extremely positive role the forests play in the
American economy and quality of life will continue." 
     

     
                                
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