Thanks to Scott Silver of Wild Wilderness for his hard work in locating most of these documents!
Table of Contents
1. Senator Murkowski explains how Congressional budget cuts led to the privatization of National Forest campgrounds.
2. The Main Players. The ARC and the Recreation Roundtable share an address, phone number and staff in DC.
3. How we first heard of the ARC's role in evaluating Fee Demo to Congress.
4. The corporate positions of ARC's Board of Directors.
5. The ARC's membership roster, mostly motorized sports interests.
6. ARC testimony to Congress - ARC was founded to implement fees.
7. ARC testimony to Congress - Disney assisted with Southern California Forest fees, the "Enterprise Forest."
8. The ARC helps oppose Southern Californian legislative attempts to repeal Fee Demo; mentions ARC's infrastructure improvements initiative.
9. The Visitor Infrastructure Improvement Act of 1998, produced by the ARC, to allow private capital to build facilities on public lands and to charge fees for their use.
10. US Forest Service Private/Public Ventures Desk Guide, cover.
11. Private/Public Ventures, excerpt.
12. Private/Public Ventures, excerpt.
13. ARC president Derrick Crandall on the next 10 years of National Forest campground privatization.
14. The revolving door between the US Forest Service and the Recreation Roundtable.
15. Jim Lyons on National Forests being a "product", a "brand" of recreation.
16. Where the Army Corps of Engineers is headed with their commercial recreation developments.
17. The Recreation Roundtable restate their direct responsibility for Fee Demo.
18. The above letter is signed by 17 corporate CEO's of the Recreation Roundtable.
19. The US Forest Service has requested permanent fees, way before Fee Demo expires on 9.30.01.
20. The Memorandum of Understanding between Disney and seven federal public lands agencies. What could Disney have in mind except theme parks and resorts?
21 & 22. Partners Outdoors, the Disney-sponsored, three day mid-winter sessions held at Disney World, where recreation industry executives and dozens of top public lands agency managers plan the future of American public lands recreation, with NO input from low-impact public lands users or conservation groups.
23. Partners Outdoors state their responsibility for Fee Demo.
24. Partners Outdoors "Green Team" of BLM and motorized recreation executives state the need for more public lands facilities, for their interests.
25, 26, & 27. US Forest Service Recreation Marketing Plan, prepared by private consultant Robert Shulman, who has previously worked for Disney and Universal Studios, among others.
28. Robert Shulman's contract for nearly $254,000 for the above marketing plan.
29. US Forest Service Fee Demo Briefing Report 1997, cover.
30. Vision Statement from the above.
31. New legislative authority requirements from the above, to accompany permanent fee programs, allowing the use of private capital and allowing private interests to collect and share the fees received.
32. US Forest Service Strategy for Recreation, still under revision.
33. US Forest Service Built Environment Image Guide.
34. The S. Cal. Adventure Pass Business Plan.
35. The ARC President, Derrick Crandall, claims Americans want to pay more for public lands recreation.
36. One third of the USA may fall under permanent fee programs!
37. US Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt states the money is available for our public lands, if only Congress would stop taking it away.
NOTE: Some of the above documents have been cut and pasted to save space. The shaded segments are the parts to check out. Please feel free to copy and distribute freely.
Prepared by Keep Sespe Wild Committee, PO Box 715, Ojai, CA 93024. (805) 646-5960.