Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Recreation Fees topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Forest Service outlines recreation-fee overhaul and flags law-enforcement staffing gaps
Summary
Forest Service staff told the Emery County Public Lands Council it plans to standardize developed-campground fees across the Manti-La Sal National Forest and opened a 60-day public comment period; agency officials also described understaffing in forest-law enforcement and updated fire-restriction rules.
The Manti-La Sal National Forest is proposing to standardize recreation fees across roughly 32 developed campgrounds and six guard stations, Forest Service staff told the Emery County Public Lands Council. The agency opened a 60-day public comment period targeting June 15–Aug. 15 and will post details on a public story map.
Myron, a Forest Service recreation official, said the proposal aims for consistency across the forest: in general single campsites would be raised to $15 per night, double sites to $20, some high-investment sites would be higher (Joe’s Valley single sites are proposed at $20), and guard-station rentals would be $75 per night. "We're really shooting for consistency," he said.
Council members raised grazing and signage concerns, noting several campgrounds sit inside grazing allotments and asking that kiosks warn visitors that areas are open range and livestock may be present. Myron said some campgrounds are fenced but others are not and agreed to consider multi-use language on signs.
Separately, Scott, the Forest Service law-enforcement contact for the region, described limited on-the-ground patrol capacity. He said the unit is authorized for more officers than currently staffed and that one officer in the area, Dave Defries, covers a vast portion of the Manti-La Sal. "He covers around 700,000 acres," Scott said, adding that vacancies and logistics mean officers respond mainly to reported complaints and incidents.
Officials also described coordinated updates to fire-restriction language for the state—specifically clarifying allowable propane devices at certain restriction levels—and highlighted summer operations including fuels work, trail repairs for National Trails Day, weed spraying and maintenance of gravel pits to support mountain roads.
Public comment on the recreation-fee proposal will be accepted through the Forest Service’s online e-planning portal and on the story map once posted. The agency said the proposal does not affect dispersed camping and that materials will include projected operating costs and predicted revenue for each site.
The Forest Service asked residents and county officials to participate in the comment period and provide campground-specific concerns and usage data to inform decisions.
