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Forest Service says Maroon Bells operations face budget shortfall; proposes ebike fee and RAFTA RFP to shore up funds
Summary
Forest Service leaders told Pitkin and Eagle County officials the Maroon Bells Scenic Area operates at a multi‑hundred‑thousand‑dollar shortfall and faces reduced services because of broad staffing losses; the agency plans to seek some new revenue via a proposed ebike fee and will publish a new RAFTA/operations RFP for 2026.
Forest Service officials told Pitkin County and partner representatives that operations at the Maroon Bells Scenic Area are unsustainably underfunded and that broader staffing losses across the White River National Forest are constraining management capacity across the Roaring Fork Valley.
Deputy District Ranger Jennifer Schuler summarized the fiscal situation: recreation fees and voluntary remittances currently provide the Forest Service about $220,000 annually for operations at the Maroon Bells, while estimated operating and deferred maintenance costs total roughly $600,000, leaving an annual revenue gap the Forest Service estimated at about $380,000. Schuler said the Forest Service has not collected any bike revenue to date and is exploring options to increase collections.
As an immediate revenue measure, the Forest Service proposed applying the existing motorcycle…
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