2012 Third Triennial Report to Congress
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TRIENNIAL REPORT TO CONGRESS | MAY 2012 Implementation of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act San Isabel National Forest U.S. Forest Service, Colorado Jim Karczewski II Triennial Report to Congress Implementation of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act i TRIENNIAL REPORT TO CONGRESS Implementation of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act MAY 2012 Prepared By U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Bureau of Reclamation National Park Service U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. Department of Agriculture U.S. Forest Service Many of the photographs in this report were submitted by members of the public as part of the annual Share the Experience photography contest, which is managed by the National Park Foundation on behalf of the five agencies authorized under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act. Photography is a popular recreation activity on federal lands. See page 57 for more details on the contest. II Triennial Report to Congress Implementation of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act i Bandelier National Monument National Park Service, New Mexico Chuck Bury ii Triennial Report to Congress Implementation of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act iii Table of Contents Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................... v I. Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 1 II. Sample Project Accomplishments and Future Plans .................................................................. 5 III. Tour of the Recreation Fee Program.......................................................................................... 39 Visitation and Visitor Satisfaction ......................................................................................... 42 Financial Statistics................................................................................................................. 47 Fee Structure and Fee Changes ............................................................................................. 50 The Interagency Pass Program .............................................................................................. 56 Public Participation and Outreach ........................................................................................ 61 Ensuring Accountability ........................................................................................................ 65 IV. Connections and Contributions to Federal Priorities and Initiatives ...................................... 69 Jobs Supported and Economic Contributions ....................................................................... 71 Connecting People to America’s Great Outdoors ................................................................. 75 Recreation.gov and the National Recreation Reservation Service ......................................... 78 V. Changes in the Overall Recreation Fee Program ...................................................................... 81 Development of the Program Since 2004.............................................................................. 83 The Future of the Recreation Fee Program............................................................................ 88 VI. Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 91 Appendix A. Statistics and Budgetary Data ........................................................................................ 95 Appendix B. Agency Units that have Implemented Fee Changes from FY 2009-2011 ................... 113 Appendix C. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Site Visitation, Economic Contributions, Number of Jobs Supported, by State ........................................................................................ 121 ii Triennial Report to Congress Implementation of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act iii Tables Table 1. Agency REA Revenue for FY 2011 ...............................................................................................................................................vii Table 2. Estimated Number of National Park Service Projects Funded by Recreation Fees under REA, by Year .................................7 Table 3. Sample Agency Project Accomplishments and Future Plans ...................................................................................................8-9 Table 4. Change in Visitation at Top Ten National Park Service Sites, by Fee Revenue Collected, 2009-2011 .................................45 Table 5. National Park Service Recreation Fee Changes, FY 2009-2011 .............................................................................................51 Table 6. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Recreation Fee Changes, FY 2009-2011 .................................................................................52 Table 7. Bureau of Land Management Recreation Fee Changes, FY 2009-2011 .................................................................................52 Table 8. Forest Service Recreation RAC Recommendations and Fee Changes, FY 2009-2011 ..........................................................54 Table 9. Annual and Senior Passes Sold by Agencies, 2009-2011 .......................................................................................................60 Table 10. Revenue from Annual and Senior Passes Sold by Agencies, 2009-2011 .............................................................................61 Table 11. Jobs Supported and Economic Contributions due to Visitation at Department of the Interior Sites, 2011 .......................72 Table 12. Jobs Supported and Economic Contributions from Visitation to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service REA sites in 2011, Top 15 States ...... 74 Table 13. Agency Facilities Posted on Recreation.gov ............................................................................................................................79 Table 14. Reservations and Revenue from Recreation.gov, FY 2009-2011 ..........................................................................................80 Table 15. Changes from the Fee Demo Program to REA ...................................................................................................................84-85 Table A-1. Department of the Interior Visitation to REA and Non-REA Sites, 2003-2011 ....................................................................97 Table A-2. REA/Fee Demo and Related Revenues, FY 2003-2011 ..................................................................................................98-99 Table A-3. REA/Fee Demo Revenues and Cost of Fee Collection, FY 2003-2011 ......................................................................100-101 Table A-4. Fee Demo/REA Revenues and Obligations, FY 2003-2011 ........................................................................................102-103 Table A-5. National Park Service Obligation of REA Revenues, FY 2003-2011 ...........................................................................104-105 Table A-6. Bureau of Land Management Obligation of REA Revenues, FY 2003-2011..............................................................106-107 Table A-7. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Obligation of REA Revenues, FY 2003-2011 ...............................................................108-109 Table A-8. Forest Service Obligation of REA Revenues, FY 2003-2011 .......................................................................................110-111 Table A-9. Bureau of Reclamation Recreation Fee Program Costs and Revenues, FY 2008-2011 .................................................. 112 Table C-1. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service REA Site Visitation, Economic Contributions, Number of Jobs Supported, by State ....122-123 Figures Figure 1. Expected Expenditures in FY 2012, Ochoco National Forest ..................................................................................................38 Figure 2. Expected Expenditures in FY 2012, Boise National Forest .....................................................................................................38 Figure 3. Department of the Interior Total Visitation, by Bureau in 2011 ..............................................................................................43 Figure 4. Department of the Interior Visitation to REA Sites, by Bureau in 2011 .................................................................................43 Figure 5. Visitation to National Park Service Sites, 2003-2011 .............................................................................................................44 Figure 6. Visitation to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Sites, FY 2003-2011 ...........................................................................................46 Figure 7. Visitation to Bureau of Land Management Sites, FY 2003-2011 ...........................................................................................46 Figure 8. Total Fee Demo/REA Revenue for All Agencies, FY 2003-2011 .............................................................................................47 Figure 9. Fee Demo/REA Revenue, plus Additional Revenue Sources for the National Park Service, and Cost of Collection, FY 2003-2011 .............48 Figure 10. Total Fee Demo/REA Revenue and Unobligated Balance Brought Forward and Recoveries