Since the initial information about this proposed fee system was released and the 60-day comment period was opened by the USFS there have been a lot of great discussions and feedback from community members, mountain bikers, and equestrians. As advocates for mountain bikers and equestrians, we had a lot of questions and we wanted to gain insight and clarity for all parties involved. Pisgah Area SORBA and the Back Country Horsemen of Pisgah have been working with USFS leadership to ensure the public receives clear, precise information. We will present our public stance on the fee system in the near future, but for now, we want to answer questions and provide clarity so trail users may create well-informed opinions as they voice questions, comments, and concerns based on the best information available. Don't my tax dollars already fund trail maintenance on Public Lands? Yes, but tax dollars only fund a small percentage of the maintenance necessary for these trails and additional funds are needed. The PRD receives an average of $7,500 a year towards trail maintenance. Based on current estimates, the same trail system would require approximately $1 million a year to be properly maintained.Why can’t the USFS just charge a parking fee that would affect all users like Great Smoky Mountains National Park? The USFS is held to different legislative standards than the National Park Service and are incapable of putting in such a fee due to language within the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act. The closest equivalent to a parking fee would be a Standard Amenity Fee. This fee can only be issued at sites which include services such as a permanent toilet and trash. Fees collected for amenities are restricted to improving that specific site facilities, such as the parking lots and bathrooms. Fees collected would not be used for maintaining trails within the rest of the system. The only eligible sites in the PRD for a Standard Amenity Fee would be Black Balsam, Rice Pinnacle, Ledford Branch, and qualifying picnic areas such as Coon Tree. The USFS is also prohibited from charging an entrance fee or fees at trailheads/roadside parking. Why does this fee single out bikers and equestrians? Legislative constraints permit the USFS to charge fees for specialized trail uses like biking, equestrian, OHV, or ATC through a Specialized Recreation Permit. Hiking is not qualified as a specialized use, so a hiker and hiking only trails are not eligible for inclusion under this permit system. An example of this type of fee is the one used at the Tsali trail systems in the Cheoah Ranger District. Due to these constraints, charging bikers and equestrians is the only current viable option for the District to secure additional funding for our local trails. To learn more about the specifics of each type of fee, refer to the information found in the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act beginning on page 7. How would this change how the trails are currently maintained?Currently, multiple trail advocacy groups adopt trails within the PRD to help support the extreme amount of maintenance required, and these groups will still be needed in the future. These interest groups raise funds for materials or equipment and provide thousands of hours of volunteer labor. Securing more funds for the USFS will allow for increased support for trail advocacy organizations to complete more consistent and high quality trail work, but it will not alleviate their need. Groups which contribute to maintaining and improving our trails include Pisgah Area SORBA, Back Country Horsemen of Pisgah, Carolina Mountain Club, The Pisgah Conservancy and more. Where would the fee collections be spent? The PRD wants to see the largest amount possible, 95%, remain local. The USFS is required to show deliverables for the fees and they would be dedicated explicitly to trails including biker and equestrian use. The remaining 5% would go to the broader USFS region. The local funds may be used to support volunteer trail advocacy organizations such as Pisgah Area SORBA and Back Country Horsemen of Pisgah or to purchase new machinery and equipment. The proposal includes that annual passes will be honored at different bike/horse trail systems which require a specialized recreation permit. This means if you purchased a pass for the Pisgah Ranger District you could also use it to ride the system at JackRabbit, but the funds would stay with the local ranger district from which the pass was purchased. Will the collected fees be used to improve all trails in the district?No, the funds collected will specifically be used for trails open to bikers and equestrians, which are outlined in this document. These funds would not be eligible for use on any trail that is hiking only. This means the funds would not be eligible for trail maintenance on hiking only trails such as the Art Loeb.Does this fee also apply to use of the gravel roads? No, the fee applies only to single track usage on the trails outlined in this document.
What about the logistics? How would this be implemented and enforced? Following the 60-day public comment period, the Forest Leadership will formalize the comments received and pass them onto the Southern Region Recreation Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) for review. The RAC has not yet been formed, but when formed they will review the condensed feedback from the public and input from interest groups to make a recommendation to the Regional Forester for the final decision. During this 60 day period, the USFS is focused on overall interest and has not finalized details of enforcement or implementation. The USFS encourages public participation in the comment period as this time exists to help them work out the potential details of the proposal. How do I submit my public comment? You may submit your public comment online by going to this website and choosing the tab at the top of the page titled “National Forests in North Carolina.” Scroll down on the project description until a map appears in the center of the page. Then choose “PISGAH COMPLEX MOUNTAIN BIKE AND HORSE TRAIL SYSTEM” on the right hand side. Find and click the small rectangular green button to submit your comment. Yes, this entire system is difficult and not intuitive. Comments may also be made via email to SM.FS.NFsNCfees@usda.gov, via phone at 828-257-4256, or via mail at ATTN: Recreation Fee Proposals, 160A Zillicoa Street, Asheville, NC 28801.
