WHY DO THE NEED TO INCREASE THE FEES???
This is to advise you of a pending increase in the permit fee for the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area (ISDRA). This fee increase will be effective October 1, 2009.
The proposed increase would be as follows:
Season permit purchased off-site will increase from $90 to $140
Season permit purchased on-site will increase from $120 to $180
Weekly permit purchased off-site will increase from $25 to $40
Weekly permit purchased on-site will increase from $40 to $60
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) believes that this increase in visitor fees is necessary due to the requirement to provide trash service, increased road maintenance expense, other economy based increases, and a reduction in revenue due to reduced permit sales.
The ASA Board of Directors (BOD) has reviewed the data provided by the BLM El Centro Field Office (ECFO) at the May 1, 2009 meeting in Phoenix, Az and does not support this increase in fees AT THIS TIME for the following reasons:
The ECFO did not provide sufficient detailed information to support this proposed fee increase to the public with enough time for the ASA BOD to solicit input from their membership.
The presentation from the BLM staff to the ASA BOD at the above meeting lacked sufficient details of the reasons for this proposed increase. The data presented did not address the issue of reducing visitor’s services commensurate with the stated reduction in visitation.
Some data presented to the ASA BOD and members present was not pertinent to the issue of the proposed fee increase at the ISDRA.
The BLM staff making this presentation did not gain the confidence of the majority of the ASA BOD and ASA members that the ECFO would or could manage any surpluses that may be generated in the early years of this five-year plan such as to benefit ISDRA users.
This proposed fee increase is excessive based upon the current economic conditions.
The current and proposed fees are not being collected in accordance with the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA)
The BLM will present their recommendations to the California Recreation Resource Advisory Committee (RRAC) on May 13, 2009 in Vallejo, CA. Information regarding the RRAC meeting may be found at this web site:
http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/passes/rrac/meetings/
The ASA BOD encourages its members to send their comments on this increase to the RRAC at:
Marlene Finley
Designated Federal Official for the Pacific Southwest Region Recreation RAC
1323 Club Drive
Vallejo, CA 94592
707-562-8856
mfinley01@fs.fed.us