Alsea Falls Buisness Plan
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July 2016 Bureau of Land Management Salem District Office ______________________________________________________________________________ DRAFT-Alsea Falls Recreation Site Business Plan Bureau of Land Management Salem District Office 1717 Fabry Road Salem, Oregon 97306 (503) 375-5646 Business Plan for Alsea Falls Recreation Site – OR27 Approval Process This business plan was prepared pursuant to the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (REA) of December 2004 (P.L. 108-447, as amended), Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recreation fee program policy and manual (Manual 2930 – Recreation Permits and Fees) and handbook (H-2930-1 Recreation Permit and Fee Administration Handbook) guidance for Alsea Falls Recreation Sites. This Business Plan provides a regional comparative market study of fees charged for other similar recreation facilities. The BLM will implement the following fee schedule after approval by the BLM Deputy State Director, consultation with the BLM Resource Advisory Council, and proper public notification. Fee Schedule and Definitions The fee schedule comparison outlines the existing and proposed changes for expanded and standard amenity recreation fees at Alsea Falls Recreation Site. Standard Amenity Existing Fees Proposed Fees Day-Use $3 $5 Annual Day-Use Pass $15 see below $30 Annual District Day-Use Pass NEW (Northwest Oregon BLM Pass) Expanded Amenity Existing Fees Proposed Fees Individual Tent Campsite NEW $15 Basic Campsite $12 $20 Double Campsite $12 each $40 $50 (up to 20 people) Group Campsite $20 $2.50 for each additional person Extra Camping Vehicle $5 $5 Firewood (half cart) $5 $5 Firewood (full cart) $10 $10 Definitions of Standard and Expanded Amenities taken from H-2930-1 BLM Recreation Permit and Fee Administration Handbook for area covered under this business plan: • Standard Amenities fees cover outdoor recreation sites and services for a well-defined area or developed day-use recreation site that has all of the following amenities: (1) parking, (2) permanent toilet facility, (3) permanent trash receptacle, (4) interpretive sign, exhibit, or kiosk, (5) picnic tables, (6) security services, (7) convenient and effective fee collection (8) identification and informational signs (p. 2-11 to 2-12). DRAFT-Alsea 2016 Business Plan Page | 2 • Expanded Amenities fees cover specialized outdoor recreation sites and services including but not limited to developed campgrounds with at least five of the following amenities: (1) tent or trailer spaces, (2) picnic tables, (3) drinking water, (4) access roads, (5) fee collection by an employee or agent of the BLM, (6) visitor protection, (7) refuse containers, (8) toilet facilities, (9) devices for containing a campfire; group overnight sites; and use of reservation services (p. 2-13 to 2-14). Contact Person for Business Plan Dan Davis, Outdoor Recreation Planner Salem District BLM 1717 Fabry Road, Salem, OR 97306 (503) 315-5935 E-Mail: [email protected] Signatures for Approving Business Plan Recommended By: Jeff McCusker, Salem District Supervisory Recreation Planner Date Approved By: Kim Titus, Salem District Manager Date Concurrence By: Oregon Deputy State Director for Resources, (Acting) Date DRAFT-Alsea 2016 Business Plan Page | 3 Fee Site Description – OR27 Alsea Falls Recreation Site is an approximately 26-acre developed camping and day-use recreation area adjacent to an extensive non-motorized trail system located in Benton County, roughly 27 miles southwest of Corvallis near Alsea, Oregon. The Alsea Falls Recreation Site is located on the banks of the South Fork Alsea River in the forested foothills of the Coast Range Mountains along the South Fork Alsea Backcountry Byway, an alternate route from the Willamette Valley to the Coast Range. The site is on BLM-administered Oregon and California Grant Lands (O&C Lands) and was developed, maintained, and operated over the past 40 years using O&C funding and user fees. The site lies within Oregon’s 4th Congressional District. The site has separate entrances to the picnic area, campground, and mountain bike trails, with trail connections. Standard amenities in the picnic area include 15 picnic units, barbecue grills and fire pits, water, extensive non-motorized trails, interpretation kiosks, designated parking areas, vault toilet facilities, and periodic patrols by park staff or host. Expanded amenities in the campground include 15 basic campsites and 1 double campsite with plans to add another 5 basic sites and convert another basic site to a double; which contain picnic tables, barbecue grills, fire pits, potable water, extensive non-motorized trails, interpretation kiosks, designated parking, vault toilet facilities, and onsite host. Standard amenities at the Fall Creek Trailhead include improved parking, access to the extensive non-motorized trails, information kiosk, picnic tables, trash collection, and vault toilet facilities with more trails planned for 2016. School groups and educational organizations can arrange free vehicle access at any time of the year for educational activities by contacting the BLM and providing a curriculum of their planned educational activities (see Conditions for Recreation Use Fee Waivers). Other recreational events must be held under a special recreation use permit issued by the Salem District Office. Season of Use The Alsea Falls campground is open to vehicles from May through September, with the option to expand or shorten the season based on user demand and budget. All vehicles entering the campground are required to pay for an expanded amenity fee for camping or a standard amenity fee for parking near the bridge. Visitors can purchase a camping permit and daily vehicle passes at self-service fee stations located near the entrance. All passes must be displayed either on the campsite post or within view from the vehicle’s front window. The BLM is considering placing some or all of the campsites on the National Recreation Reservation System. Visits would be expected to increase as a result of adding Alsea Falls Recreation Site to the reservation system. The picnic area is now open year round, due to the popularity of the day-use site and Fall Creek mountain bike trail system. All vehicles entering the sites are required to pay for and obtain a pass, i.e. one vehicle, one pass. Visitors can purchase daily vehicle passes at self-service fee stations located in parking areas at the Alsea Falls Recreation Site. All passes must be displayed within view from the vehicle’s front window. DRAFT-Alsea 2016 Business Plan Page | 4 Visitors Alsea Falls’ campground had 2,570 visitors in 2015, the day-use area had 5,549 and Fall Creek Trailhead had roughly 15,000 visitors. The majority of visits occur in July and August with camping, picnicking, and waterfall viewing being primary activities. Visitation varies from year to year, based on factors including weather and regional economics. Many visitors are repeat users from surrounding communities. The overall occupancy rate for the year is usually about 40 percent, with most of the use of weekends, when the campground is often full. The new and growing Fall Creek Trail System has been a welcome addition to the Alsea Falls Recreation Area, increasing use not only of the trailhead but also of the campground. Campground use and trailhead use is expected to grow significantly in the future years with the success of the Fall Creek Trail System. The Fall Creek Trail System has already received national attention through magazine articles, website articles and word-of-mouth accolades in the mountain biking community. Fee Collection and Enforcement Alsea Falls Recreation Site fees are enforceable through the presence of the onsite host that patrols the site and a rotation of BLM employees that monitor the site. Campers post the envelope stub as a receipt, on the campsite post. If problems arise, the host contacts law enforcement or BLM staff in the Salem District Office. Benton County Officers patrol the area and are available to assist. Conditions for Recreation Use Permit Fee Waivers Section 803(d) of the REA provides that standard amenity recreation fees shall not be charged for (shortened list): use of overlooks or scenic pullouts, any person engaged in the conduct of official Federal, State, Tribal, or local government business, special attention or extra services necessary to meet the needs of the disabled, any person under 16 years of age, outings conducted for noncommercial educational purposes by schools or bona fide academic institutions, and others. Waivers of fees both for purposes of traditional cultural importance and education may be obtained in writing by contacting the Northwest Oregon District Office. Fee Discounts Section 805 of the REA provided for the establishment of a single interagency national pass known as the “America the Beautiful – the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass,” which provides the bearer full coverage of standard amenity fees and holders of the Interagency Senior and Access Passes half-off some expanded amenity fees. The national interagency pass replaces the popular Golden Passports, which provide for free standard amenity day-use, and half-off some expanded amenity fees, in the case of Golden Age and Access Passports. No discount is allowed for group use sites, shelters, yurts or cabins. The BLM would honor existing Golden Passports until they expire or exchanged for interagency passes. It is not expected that this pass would make a substantial impact on fee revenue in the near future. DRAFT-Alsea