[Federal Register: September 28, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 187)]
[Notices]
[Page 56622-56623]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28se05-26]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Notice of Guidelines for Public Involvement in Establishing
Recreation Fee Areas and for Demonstrating How the Public Was Informed
on the Use of Recreation Fee Revenues
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA; National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife
Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, DOI.
ACTION: Establishment of interagency guidelines.
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SUMMARY: This notice establishes guidelines on public participation and
public outreach for the United States Department of Agriculture, Forest
Service, and the United States Department of the Interior, National
Park Service; United States Fish and Wildlife Service; Bureau of Land
Management; and Bureau of Reclamation (the cooperating agencies). The
guidelines apply to the establishment of new recreation fee areas and
the demonstration of how the cooperating agencies have informed the
public on the use of recreation fee revenues. In addition, each
cooperating agency will determine specific public involvement
opportunities based on local needs and interests. Detailed guidance on
public involvement will be incorporated in each agency's directives,
manuals, or orders.
EFFECTIVE DATE: These guidelines are effective September 28, 2005.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jonathan Stephens, Recreation and
Heritage Resources Staff, USDA Forest Service, (202) 205-1701; Lee
Larson, Bureau of Land Management Recreation Fee Program, (202) 452-
5168; Jane Anderson, National Park Service, (202) 513-7087; Rebecca
Halbe, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, (703) 358-2365; or Bruce Brown,
Bureau of Reclamation, (202) 513-0599.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
In accordance with Section 804(c) of the Federal Lands Recreation
Enhancement Act (REA) (16 U.S.C. 6803(c)), the United States Department
of Agriculture, Forest Service (FS), and the United States Department
of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Bureau of Reclamation
(Reclamation), United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and
National Park Service (NPS), referred to collectively as the
cooperating agencies, are jointly publishing these public involvement
guidelines. These guidelines address public involvement in the
establishment of any new recreation fee areas and describe how the
cooperating agencies will demonstrate how they have informed the public
on the use of recreation fee revenues.
The cooperating agencies are responsible for management of Federal
lands, resources, and waters and enhancing the public's knowledge, use,
and appreciation of these lands, resources, and waters. The cooperating
agencies agree to work together to implement the public involvement
requirements in REA efficiently and effectively. The goals of the
public involvement guidelines are to provide the public with
opportunities to be actively engaged in establishment of any new
recreation fee areas and to provide for effective ways to demonstrate
annually how the public has been informed of how recreation fee
revenues are spent. In addition, REA provides the FS and BLM with
additional opportunities for public involvement through the
establishment of Recreation Resource Advisory Committees. The public
will also have opportunities to work with the cooperating agencies in
recommending how the recreation fees will be spent.
II. Establishment of New Recreation Fee Areas
The cooperating agencies will integrate public involvement
opportunities in any decision to establish new recreation fee areas.
REA applies to the Secretary of Agriculture as to National Forest
System lands and the Secretary of the Interior as to lands managed by
NPS, FWS, BLM, and Reclamation (16 U.S.C. 6801(10)). As required by
Section 804(b) of REA (16 U.S.C. 6803(b)), the
[[Page 56623]]
Secretary with jurisdiction will publish a Federal Register notice of
the establishment of each new recreation fee area 6 months prior to its
establishment.
The cooperating agencies will identify outreach efforts to
encourage public involvement in establishment of new recreation fee
areas. Outreach efforts may include recreation fee site visits, public
meetings, focus groups, newsletters, and Web sites.
Public involvement opportunities will include sharing plans
developed by the cooperating agencies for establishment of any
recreation fee areas. These plans generally will contain (1) a
description of the new recreation fee areas; (2) a financial analysis,
including projected development, operating, and maintenance costs and
projected income for the fee area; (3) an analysis of existing private
and public facilities or services in the vicinity of the fee area that
may compete with it, and (4) a description of how the cooperating
agencies will inform the public as to how the fees collected at the
area are spent.
In addition, each cooperating agency will determine specific public
involvement opportunities based on local needs and interests. Detailed
guidance on public involvement will be incorporated in each cooperating
agency's directives, manuals, or orders.
III. Demonstrating Annually How the Public Was Informed of the Use of
Recreation Fee Revenues
The cooperating agencies annually will post notices at each
recreation fee area informing the public of the use or anticipated use
of recreation fees collected at that site during the previous year. In
addition, in the triennial report to Congress on the recreation fee
program required by Section 809 of REA (16 U.S.C. 6808), the
cooperating agencies will describe how they have informed the public
about the use of recreation fee revenues. This information will also be
made available on cooperating agencies' Web sites.
Dated: September 15, 2005.
Mark Rey,
Under Secretary, Natural Resources and Environment, Department of
Agriculture.
Dated: August 12, 2005.
P. Lynn Scarlett,
Assistant Secretary, Policy, Management and Budget, Department of the
Interior.
[FR Doc. 05-19332 Filed 9-27-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-P