1998 Explanatory Notes USDA, Forest Service Alaskans or walk through an ice tunnel to learn about glaciers. Interpretive programs are able to accommodate the needs and abilities of all visitors, giving them access to experiences they would otherwise miss. Many of these programs, such as The Children's Forest on the San Bernardino National Forest in southern California, aim to introduce urban youth and diverse populations to natural resources and the national forests. A growing number of our interpretive programs and facilities are managed as interagency partnerships with Federal, State, and local partners. Cooperative activities with interpretive associations supplement national forest services and goods to enhance visitor satisfaction and enjoyment. Recreation Special Uses now Concession management is the major delivery system for outdoor recreation with an estimated 70 percent of the total developed campground capacity being provided through private concessionaire management. More than 8,000 commercial concessionaire activities provide the majority of developed site recreation on the national forest. These concession operations and facilities include ski areas, lodges and resorts, and outfitter-guides, as well as many organization camps providing outdoor recreation experiences for millions of Americans. These concessions, in addition to the over 15,000 recreation residence permits, generate approximately $47.5 million to the Treasury. One-third of the ski areas and 60 percent of the ski lift capacity in the United States, are wholly or partially located on the national forests. These ski areas provide about 20 million RVDs in FY 1996, and account for about 60 percent of the total skier-days in the United States. Outfitter-guide operations account for over 5,100 permits of the more than 8,000 commercial concession operations. Outfitting and guiding is a major industry with big game hunting, white water river rafting, and guided trips making up the major portion of these permitted activities. Proposals to expand private sector activities on the national forests to serve visitor needs are increasing at rates that exceed the Agency's capability to evaluate them. The special use program authorizes and monitors these uses. The primary objectives of effective special use management are to authorize uses that meet forest plan objectives and serve the interest of the American people, provide protection of the natural resources, assure compatibility with other uses, and ensure that fair market value is collected for the uses that occur on NFS lands. Congressionally Designated Areas Since 1965, Congress has identified "special places" in the national forests (national recreation areas, national scenic areas, and national monuments) to respond to the American people's desire to have their special places recognized and managed in a specified way. These areas include such national treasures as Hells Canyon, Idaho, and Admiralty Island, Alaska. The Forest Service manages 51 legislatively established special recreation areas totaling more than 8.4 million acres. Included in that total are 19 national recreation areas, 7 national scenic areas, and 4 monuments, covering approximately 6.4 million acres. These areas showcase national forest recreation management. These areas are critical to regional and local tourism programs. Wild and Scenic Rivers: The National Wild and Scenic River System was created in 1968 to assure a heritage of protected waterways. The Forest Service administers 41 percent of the National Wild and Scenic River System with 96 rivers totaling 4,348 miles. The Forest Service goal is to identify, protect, designate, and manage significant free-flowing rivers in the national forests according to standards and guidelines identified in forest plans. Some rivers are jointly managed with one or more Federal agencies or States. All potential candidate rivers must be afforded protection under management requirements prescribed in the forest plans. National Forest Designated Scenic Byways In FY 1996, there were 133 national scenic byways in 35 States totalling nearly 8,000 miles which offer recreational motorists a showcase of 1998 Explanatory Notes USDA Forest Service outstanding scenic beauty such as the rugged terrain of the San Juan Skyway in Colorado. Scenic byways offer great opportunities to tie national forests to local communities. "Driving for pleasure" is the No. 1 recreation activity in the United States. National forests provide scenic quality, interpretive and educational facilities, and scenic vista points along the byways. Rural economies can benefit by providing gateway services to the visitors drawn to these attractions. Addressing Demands of the 21st Century In order to meet the escalating demand for outdoor recreation, while supporting efforts to address the Federal deficit, the Forest Service is testing new ways of providing quality recreation experiences while ensuring ecosystem protection. Fee collection and retention authority is being tested at recreation fee demonstration sites authorized by P.L. 104-134. In addition, joint private and public sector investment opportunities in recreation facilities and/or services on NFS lands are being offered as viable business ventures to private partners. These sites will provide visitors with needed recreational opportunities and relieve some of the pressure on Federal appropriations. • Program in FY 1998 This level would provide 157 million PAOT days of developed recreation opportunity (PAOT-Days are calculated by multiplying a site's design capacity by the number of days per year that the site is open to the public). Most fee sites and all non-fee recreation sites would be operated and maintained at less than forest plan standards. In order to keep developed recreation sites open the Forest Service is looking at all options, including leveraging existing funds through partnerships and the recreation fee demonstration program; reducing service levels; and providing operation and maintenance through concession operations and the use of volunteers, SCSEP, and other human resource programs. In addition, some sites would be temporarily closed, and many others will have a limited operating season. A recent customer satisfaction survey (10,000+ persons) indicated that poor recreation facility conditions were the number one complaint with recreation visitors. As customer satisfaction drops for particular recreation sites, site use declines and local economies are affected. The Agency will attempt, within this funding level, to continue implementation of innovative programs that allow us to continue to provide quality recreation experiences within available funding. These would include the Recreation Fee Demonstration pilot, and partnerships with the private sector such as Public-Private Ventures (PPV). The rate of implementation and subsequent level of revenues generated, are dependent upon availability of funds for start up of some of the projects. Resources available would allow focused Special Use permit administration on high priority and problem areas such as: updating fee schedules for approximately 15,000 recreation residences by 1999 to obtain fair market value (FMV), implementing the new ski resort fee system legislated by the 104th Congress; and, preparing regulation and implementation of program changes necessitated by findings from GAO/OIG audits. At the end of FY 1996, approximately 23,000 permits existed (15,000 non-commercial recreation residences and 8,000 commercial special use permits). They include such activities as recreation residences, downhill skiing resorts, campgrounds, marinas, lodges, etc. Other than the high priority and problem areas, the remaining permits would be administered at a less than standard level. A less than standard level could lead to reduced monitoring, activities occurring on expired permits, and inaccurate billing. On many national forests no new permit applications would be accepted. Funding would be focused on about one-half of the 31 Congressionally-designated special areas (19 national recreation areas, 7 scenic areas, and 4 monuments), and 40 of the 96 Wild and Scenic Rivers managed by the Forest Service would receive adequate attention. Minimum technical assistance would be provided to States and river planning organizations. Interpretive services programs and facilities would receive minimum funding at this level. Many under-utilized centers will have reduced hours of operation, staffing, and services, and 1998 Explanatory Notes USDA Forest Service • Objectives To preserve and protect the natural, biological and social values of designated wilderness on NFS lands. To provide wilderness experience opportunities to the public that increase their awareness and understanding of wilderness values. To train Agency personnel so that they are adequately equipped for their wilderness stewardship role. Το maintain strong professional leadership in wilderness stewardship, to improve efficiency in administration, and to enhance interagency cooperation. • Program Description Since passage of the Wilderness Act in 1964 the National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS) has grown from about 9 million acres to 103.5 million acres. This represents nearly 4.5 percent of all land in the United States. The Forest Service is responsible for managing almost 400 of the 630 units in the NWPS, comprising nearly 35 million acres, approximately 63 percent of wilderness in the contiguous 48 States and more than one third of the entire NWPS. There are approximately 33,000 miles of trails in wilderness that provide visitor access. A total of 14.5 million visits were recorded in wilderness in FY 1996. Management and planning of the NWPS has brought an increased recognition of the challenges, issues, and concerns involved in actively managing these valuable wildlands. Wilderness areas pose a different management approach to issues such as: managing the special provisions for grazing, mining, and oil exploration; resolving fish and wildlife stocking issues; managing inholding access issues; making determinations on future status of existing structures; addressing research needs; addressing management of adjacent development with its associated pollution; managing the role of fire as a natural process; managing visitor party size to maintain solitude for other visitors; and developing a strategy to deal with resource protection in a wilderness that is "loved to death." Managers must be prepared to address these complex issues and ensure the integrity of the wilderness resource. In addition, we must increase public understanding of the wilderness. An interagency approach to addressing wilderness issues and opportunities is chartered in "Wilderness Stewardship - A Strategic Plan," the strategy document of the Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and the Fish and Wildlife Service. The Forest Service has taken the lead in establishing the interagency Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center to "foster interagency excellence in wilderness stewardship by cultivating knowledgable, skilled and capable wilderness managers and by improving public understanding of wilderness philosophy, values and processes." Managers must also be provided state-of-the-art information to address complex wilderness issues. The Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute was established to "provide interagency leadership in the development and use of the scientific understanding needed to formulate policies and practices that protect and preserve wilderness ecosystems and values." Wilderness provides for the health of all ecosystems, as a gene pool for rare and endangered plant and animal species, as protection of geological resource values, as a unique repository for cultural resource values and serves as a unique and irreplaceable "living laboratory" for medical and scientific research. Wilderness includes the headwaters of rivers and water systems that many cities and rural communities depend upon. Wilderness contributes to local and regional economic development through livestock grazing, mining, irrigation (where previously designated) and tourism. Forest Service wilderness management is designed to ensure preservation of these unique values. This requires training and education about the principles of the Wilderness Act, baseline information about wilderness ecosystems and their interactions with lands |