Pay to play proposed on Wild and Scenic portion of Snake River

Published 8:14 am Monday, June 27, 2016

Forest managers would like to charge a special recreation permit fee of $5 to $10 per passenger for people who travel on the Wild and Scenic portion of the Snake River.

The proposed fee would be per-person, per-trip and would be collected from all boaters and passengers. The fee also would include individuals using outfitter/guide services on the Wild and Scenic portion of the Snake River. The area subject to the proposed fee is the Snake River beginning at Hells Canyon Dam to Cache Creek Ranch (approximately 70 miles).

Employees of outfitters and guides would not be subject to the fee during working hours, nor would travel by private, noncommercial boat to any private land inholding; or any person who has right of access for hunting or fishing privileges under specific provisions of treaty or law.

The $5 to $10 fee would be used to improve maintenance of developed facilities and historic sites used for recreation, expand interpretation, address health and safety concerns and provide extra river patrols. In 2004, Congress passed the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act which allows the Forest Service to keep 95 percent of fees collected at certain recreation sites and use these funds locally to operate and maintain and improve these sites.

Deputy District Ranger of the Wallowa Mountains Office Jake Lubera said the service was having trouble keeping up with normal operations and hoped the fee would help provide a stable funding source.

“With this proposed investment from those who use the river, we will be able to maintain the sites to the level and quality that people expect and invest in other needs such as education and safety,” Lubera said.

All new fee proposals will be presented before the John Day-Snake River Resource Advisory Committee, a citizen’s advisory committee.

In addition, open house sessions will be conducted in Boise, Riggins, Clarkston/Lewiston and Joseph. The Joseph meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday, July 8 at the Joseph Community Center.

For more information, questions or comments about any of these new fee proposals, contact Lubera at 541-426-5581 or jlubera@fs.fed.us or visit the 2016 Wild and Scenic Snake River Fee Proposal website at http://tinyurl.com/hay4oed.