Notice2023-16864
Notice of New Recreation Fees on Public Lands in the Colorado River Valley Field Office, Colorado
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
August 8, 2023
Effective
February 8, 2024
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentLand Management Bureau
Abstract
Pursuant to the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Colorado River Valley Field Office (CRVFO) has established expanded (overnight/specialized use) amenity fees at the Gypsum, Catamount, Pinball, Lyon's Gulch, and Upper and Lower Prince Creek Campgrounds. The CRVFO has also established a standard amenity fee (day-use) at the Wolcott Day-Use Site.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 151 (Tuesday, August 8, 2023)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 151 (Tuesday, August 8, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53518-53519]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-16864]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[BLM_CO_FRN_MO4500169571]
Notice of New Recreation Fees on Public Lands in the Colorado
River Valley Field Office, Colorado
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of new fees.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act
(FLREA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Colorado River Valley
Field Office (CRVFO) has established expanded (overnight/specialized
use) amenity fees at the Gypsum, Catamount, Pinball, Lyon's Gulch, and
Upper and Lower Prince Creek Campgrounds. The CRVFO has also
established a standard amenity fee (day-use) at the Wolcott Day-Use
Site.
DATES: New fees will take effect on February 8, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Documents concerning these new fees may be reviewed at the
Colorado River Valley Field Office, 2300 River Frontage Road, CO 81652;
phone: (970) 876-9000; and online at: <a href="https://www.blm.gov/office/colorado-river-valley-field-office">https://www.blm.gov/office/colorado-river-valley-field-office</a>. The recreation fee business plan is
available at: <a href="https://www.blm.gov/sites/blm.gov/files/Business%20Plan%20FINAL_12-16-19.pdf">https://www.blm.gov/sites/blm.gov/files/Business%20Plan%20FINAL_12-16-19.pdf</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Hilary Boyd, Assistant Field Manager,
telephone: (970) 876-9003, email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d5bdb7baacb195b7b9b8fbb2baa3"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="ec848e839588ac8e8081c28b839a">[email protected]</span></a>. Individuals in the
United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a
speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access
telecommunications relay services for contacting the BLM. Individuals
outside the United States should use the relay services offered within
their country to make international calls to the point-of-contact in
the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice provides public notice that the
BLM CRVFO has established recreation fees at campgrounds and the
Wolcott Day-Use Site as follows: expanded amenity campground fees of
$20 per campsite per night will be charged at the Catamount, Pinball,
Lyon's Gulch, and Upper and Lower Prince Creek Campgrounds. Individual
campsites can have up to nine people, two vehicles, and two tents per
site.
A $4 per person per night fee will be charged for use of group
campsites at the Gypsum, Lyon's Gulch, and Upper and Lower Prince Creek
Campgrounds. A $40 minimum fee, covering up to 10 people, is
established to reserve a group site. The minimum group site fee will
apply toward the total amount due. The maximum occupancy of a group
site is 25 people.
A $5 per vehicle per day standard amenity fee will be charged at
the Wolcott Day-Use Site.
Campground and day-use fee information will be posted at each
recreation site, available at the CRVFO, and available online through
BLM websites.
To keep up with rising management and maintenance costs, the CRVFO
will implement the new fee structure and the following year will begin
using the average annual Western U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) to
make future fee adjustments. The BLM will use the CPI the year after
the collection of fees is implemented. When the increase or decrease
reaches a $1 increment for per person fees or a $2 increment for
campsite fees, the fees would be adjusted accordingly. For example,
with a $20 fee for individual campsites, a 10 percent increase in the
Western U.S. CPI would lead to a $2 increase in fees to $22. Typically,
the Western U.S. CPI increases approximately 3 percent a year. Thus, it
would likely take 4 years to increase the fees by $2. For group sites,
a 25 percent increase in the Western U.S. CPI would lead to a $1
increase. The BLM would return to the BLM Northwest Resource Advisory
Council (RAC) before each fee increase to update the RAC on successes
and challenges in using the Western U.S. CPI.
All visitors holding an America the Beautiful--National Parks and
Federal Recreational Lands pass (Annual, Senior, Access, Military,
Fourth Grade, etc.) will be entitled to free standard amenity fees at
locations charging these fees. People holding the America the
Beautiful--National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands ``Annual
Senior Pass,'' ``Senior Lifetime Pass,'' or ``Access Pass'' (or Golden
Age or Access passes) may be provided a 50 percent discount on some
expanded amenity fees, except those associated with group reservations.
FLREA provides authority for the Secretaries of the Interior and
Agriculture to establish, modify, charge, and collect recreation fees
for use of some Federal recreation lands and waters, and contains
specific provisions addressing public involvement in the establishment
of recreation fees. FLREA also directs the Secretaries of the Interior
and Agriculture to publish 6 months' advance notice in the Federal
Register whenever recreation fee areas are established under their
respective jurisdictions.
Under section 803(g)(2)(A) and (C) of FLREA, developed campgrounds
and rental cabins qualify as sites wherein visitors can be charged an
``Expanded Amenity Recreation Fee.'' Pursuant to FLREA and implementing
regulations at 43 CFR 2933, fees may be charged for overnight camping,
rental of cabins, and group use reservations where specific amenities
and services are provided. Specific visitor fees will be identified and
posted at each campground, day-use site, or rental cabin.
Under section 803(f)(4) of FLREA, all day-use sites in this notice
qualify as areas wherein visitors can be charged a ``Standard Amenity
Recreation Fee.'' Pursuant to FLREA and implementing regulations at 43
CFR 2933, fees may be charged for an area where there are significant
opportunities for outdoor recreation, that has substantial Federal
investments, where fees can be efficiently collected, and that contains
specific amenities and services. Specific
[[Page 53519]]
visitor fees will be identified and posted at each day-use site.
In response to increasing recreation demands and visitation on BLM
lands, the CRVFO developed a recreation fee business plan. The business
plan reviewed campgrounds and day-use sites where new Standard and
Expanded Amenity Recreation Fees are needed to maintain visitor
facilities and visitor services, replace aging infrastructure, and
improve access to recreational opportunities. The business plan
explains: (1) consistency with the BLM recreation fee program policy;
(2) the CRVFO recreation management direction; (3) the need for fee
collection; (4) how the fees will be used at the sites; (5) Resource
Advisory Council coordination; and (6) guidance on future fee
increases. As analyzed in the business plan, the recreation use fees
are consistent with other nearby Federal land management agency fees
and are lower than the fees charged at privately owned campgrounds. The
business plan is available upon request to the CRVFO and at the CRVFO
website (see ADDRESSES).
The BLM notified and involved the public at each stage of this
process. A public comment period on the draft business plan, announced
via news release, ran from December 11, 2018, to January 25, 2019. The
final business plan was signed on December 16, 2019. Public notices
were posted at each recreation site during the 2019 use season. The
CRVFO contacted local special recreation permit holders who might be
affected. Local governments were contacted and both Eagle and Pitkin
counties provided letters of support for the fee increases. Following
FLREA guidelines, the BLM Northwest Resource Advisory Council approved
the proposed fee structure on June 13, 2019.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 6803 and 43 CFR 2933.
Douglas J. Vilsack,
BLM Colorado State Director.
[FR Doc. 2023-16864 Filed 8-7-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-16-P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on August 8, 2023.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.