[at-l] Breaking News: Smokies Backcountry Camping Fee Approved

[Walt Daniels]

There are others already in the queue as we heard at the MARPC meeting last
weekend. Stay tuned, we are working on it.

On Wed, Mar 7, 2012 at 11:34 AM, giniajim <jplynch at crosslink.net> wrote:

> I don't have a problem with this in principle.  I wonder how long it'll be
> before it spreads to other parks.  My guess is not very long!
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jim Smith" <cutter78 at gmail.com>
> To: "at-l" <at-l at backcountry.net>
> Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2012 11:30 AM
> Subject: [at-l] Breaking News: Smokies Backcountry Camping Fee Approved
>
>
> Smokies Backcountry Camping Fee Approved
>
>
>
>      GATLINBURG  -Great Smoky Mountains Superintendent Dale A. Ditmanson
>
> has announced that the Park’s proposal to begin collecting for the use of
>
> the Park’s backcountry campsites and shelters has been approved by the
>
> National Park Service. This approval clears the way for the Park to move
>
> forward with developing an on line system to collect fees beginning in 2013
>
> for reserving and use of the Park’s backcountry by overnight hikers and
>
> equestrians.
>
>      The Park developed the plan in order to improve its trip-planning and
>
> reservation services to users and to expand its backcountry Ranger presence
>
> to better protect park resources through enforcement of food-storage and
>
> other regulations and  improved visitor education regarding Leave-No-Trace
>
> principles.
>
>      The proposal was open for public comment last summer and some 230
>
> written comments and two petitions were received during the comment period.
>
> According to Ditmanson, the public comments provided a great deal of
>
> constructive input on the concerns Park backcountry users had about the fee
>
> plan. “Many commenters were under the misconception that the Smokies is
>
> legally prohibited from charging user fees.  The Park is prohibited from
>
> charging a toll or license fee from motorists crossing Park roads, by
>
> language in a 1951 deed under which the ownership of some park roads was
>
> transferred from the State of Tennessee to the National Park Service.  But,
>
> we have long been authorized to collect user fees for specific activities
>
> such as front country camping, weddings, and commercial filming.”
>
>                                  (over)
>
>
> Smokies Backcountry Fee Proposal – page 2
>
>
>
>      “There was also a significant amount of concern about our initial
>
> plan to utilize the same computerized federal reservation system,
>
> www.recreation.gov  that virtually all national parks use to reserve
>
> drive-in sites in front country campgrounds. We acknowledge that some of
>
> the policies, such as the lead time for making reservations and
>
> cancellations, are not a good fit for more spontaneous backcountry users.
>
> We will not use that system unless we are convinced that it can provide the
>
> level of service we want to offer, and are exploring the alternative of
>
> developing a stand-alone software program tailored specifically to the
>
> Smokies. The system developed will also need to be practicable for
>
> Appalachian Trail thru hikers whose itineraries evolve from day-to-day.”
>
>      “Concern was also raised about the range of fee amounts that were
>
> under consideration and that the resulting revenues may be diverted to
>
> other programs. We have decided to focus our plans around the lowest and
>
> simplest of the fees under study: $4 per night per person. Most
>
> importantly, 100% of the revenue from this program will be invested in
>
> improving back-country services through extended hours of the back-country
>
> office, trip-planning assistance, on-line reservations, and protection of
>
> park resources through increased ranger staff. ”
>
>      Now that the proposal has been approved, Park managers plan to
>
> provide periodic updates as plans for the reservation system evolve.
>
>
> About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service
>
> employees care for America’s 395 national parks and work with communities
>
> across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home
>
> recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.
>
>
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> > _______________________________________________
> >
> >
> > at-l mailing list
> > at-l at backcountry.net
> > http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/at-l
> >
> >
> > Please trim this footer if replying to the list.   Do not send entire
> > digests in your replies.
>
> _______________________________________________
>
>
> at-l mailing list
> at-l at backcountry.net
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/at-l
>
>
> Please trim this footer if replying to the list.   Do not send entire
> digests in your replies.
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://patsy.hack.net/pipermail/at-l/attachments/20120307/bc7e7a14/attachment.html