BILL REQ. #:  H-1026.1 

Read first time 01/22/2007.   Referred to Committee on Agriculture & Natural Resources.

     TO THE HONORABLE GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED:
     We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:
     WHEREAS, The Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, P.L. 108-477, allows the federal land management agencies such as the United States Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and Bureau of Reclamation to charge access fees for recreational use of federally managed public lands by the general public; and
     WHEREAS, H.R. 3283 was never approved by the United States House of Representatives, was never introduced, never had hearings, and was never approved by the United States Senate, but was instead attached to omnibus spending bill H.R. 4818 as an appropriations rider; and
     WHEREAS, The Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act is substantive legislation including criminal penalties that fundamentally changes the way America's public lands are funded and managed; and
     WHEREAS, Federal policies regarding management of public lands have a profound impact on the well-being of the citizens of Washington State and changes to those policies should be conducted in an open public forum; and
     WHEREAS, Recreational fees constitute double taxation and bear no relationship to the actual costs of recreation such as hiking, picnicking, observing wildlife, or scenic driving on state and county roads and public rights of way; and
     WHEREAS, The concept of paying fees to use public lands is contrary to the idea that public lands belong to the American people and are places where everyone is granted access and is welcome -- a concept that has been and should remain in place; and
     WHEREAS, The fees imposed by the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act are a regressive tax that places undue burden on the people living in rural areas adjacent to or surrounded by large areas of federal land, as well as discriminating against lower-income and working Americans by placing financial obstacles in the way of their enjoyment of publicly owned land; and
     WHEREAS, These access fees to public lands are highly controversial and are opposed by hundred of organizations, county governments, several state legislatures, and by millions of Americans; and
     WHEREAS, The Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act also establishes an interagency pass to be used to cover entrance fees and recreational amenity fees for federal lands and waters, disregarding the substantially different way in which national parks and other federal public lands are managed and funded; and
     WHEREAS, The limited means of expressing opposition to and the lack of public debate in the implementation of the fee program raises the concern that some citizens are deterred from visiting and enjoying public lands in Washington State and throughout the United States; and
     WHEREAS, Tourism is an important industry to Washington State, and recreational fees will have a negative impact on the state and local economies;
     NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, which was enacted December 8, 2004, be abolished, and that no recreational fees be imposed on federal lands within the State of Washington under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act.
     BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable George W. Bush, President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.