Bogley

KanyonKris · Joined: 22 Jan 2006 Posts: 55

The Forrest Service (FS) is proposing to increase the entrance fee to American Fork Canyon / Alpine Loop, from $3 to $6. Yep, double. The annual pass is proposed to increase just shy of double from $25 to $45. This is literally highway robbery! I was OK with the $3 fee because I saw many improvements to the facilities in the canyon. But what do they need twice as much money for? I don't want an AF Canyon Disneyland, just keep things maintained and protect the natural environment - it shouldn't cost double to do that. The FS has a list of projects, most of which I don't approve. For campground improvements, raise camp fees to pay for that, not the entrance fee - duh! The listed projects seem minor and I don't see how they justify such a huge fee increase. Frankly, I think it's a ploy - propose double then "settle" for a smaller increase so the public feels like we did them a favor. The Fee Demonstration Program, which allowed the FS to charge entrance and other fees, put the public trust directly into the hands of the land managers - well, with this proposed doubling of fees, the FS has betrayed this trust. Sad.

Here is a Daily Herald article about it:

http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/235408/4/

I will be sending in my comments tonight. To comment on the proposed entrance fee increases for American Fork Canyon, write to:

Pleasant Grove Ranger District
390 North 100 East
Pleasant Grove, UT 84062

(They can't afford to have an e-mail address? Sheesh! Thanks for making it more annoying to comment - all part of the plan, no doubt.)

orvis1 · Joined: 06 Sep 2007 Posts: 66

Then they should be able to open up ALL the trails and develop some new campsites. I don't mind paying more, but when no improvments are made I wonder where my money goes.

ivinsoffroad · Joined: 07 Aug 2007 Posts: 8

Charges, I haven't seen any changes to the canyon since they started charging people to enter the canyon. If they start charging more, I hope to see some changes.

ExpUt · Joined: 30 Jul 2007 Posts: 168

ivinsoffroad wrote: Charges, I haven't seen any changes to the canyon since they started charging people to enter the canyon. If they start charging more, I hope to see some changes.

Restroom facilities, parking lots at Tibble Fork, re-modeled picnic arees along the North Fork Road as well as some in the canyon proper. Buck/Pole fencing in the upper canyon areas. Alot has been done since the fee demo area kicked in.

I'm torn on the issue, I'll still pay... and if it reduces a bit of traffic in the canyon while still maintaining/improving the canyon... thats all right with me. It really comes as no surprise, the FS budgets were slashed and they are going to be stretching to maintain even their current (under-staffed) resources.

Jaxx · Joined: 16 Jan 2007 Posts: 1745

I was just up there the other day and they are doing construction on one of the campgrounds. Improving, mabey?

CarpeyBiggs · Joined: 18 Mar 2007 Posts: 1748 Location: Fairbanks, AK

45 bucks for access to those areas? Still a steal of a deal in my opinion.

That said, it would be nice to know what the money is going to. Hate to have doubled increase, with only 10 percent more improvements. Is there a land use plan or something that explains the increase? Link?

As a side note, if you want to buy an All-Access pass for all federal lands (BLM, National Forest, National Parks) they are only 85 bucks. That gets you into all the NP's as well as the NFS land, good for one year. Not too bad, IMO.