USDA Forest Service sets fee-free dates for 2018 to encourage new visitors

TALLAHASSEE, Fla., Jan. 5, 2017 – USDA Forest Service will waive fees at most of its day-use recreation sites on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 15, the first of six days the agency uses to provide people an easier way to experience national forests and grasslands, sometimes referred to as “America’s Backyard.”

The fee waiver program is in cooperation with other federal land management agencies under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act. Fees are waived generally for day-use areas, such as picnic grounds, developed trailheads and destination visitor centers. Concessionaire-operated sites may be included in the waiver if the permit holder wishes to participate.

The following areas on the National Forests in Florida will waive fees on fee-free dates in 2018:

Ocala National Forest

·   Fore Lake Day Use

·   Farles Day Use

·   Lake Eaton Boat Ramp and Pier

·   Mill Dam Boat Ramp and Swim Area

·   Lake Dorr Boat Ramp

“Fee-free days present an excellent opportunity for the public to enjoy the National Forests in Florida,” said Recreation Staff Officer Erika Davis. “Each forest offers its own unique experience, from recreation to rare and protected plant and animal species.”

The other USDA Forest Service fee-free days in 2018 are:

·      Feb. 19 – Presidents Day

·      June 9 – National Get Outdoors Day, an event to encourage healthy, active outdoor fun

·      Sept. 22 – National Public Lands Day, the nation’s largest, single-day volunteer effort for public lands

·      Nov. 10-11 – Veterans Day Weekend

The other federal agencies – Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, U.S. Army Corp of Engineers – determine their fee-free schedule.

No fees are charged at any time on 98 percent of national forests and grasslands, and approximately two-thirds of developed recreation sites in national forests and grasslands can be used for free.

National forests and grasslands are working lands that provide a multitude of benefits to the American public, including contributing more than $30 billion annually to the American economy and supporting nearly 360,000 jobs. Recreation alone accounts for more than $9 billion in annual visitor spending.

Visitors are encouraged to visit their national forests and grasslands and join the year-long celebration of the 50th anniversary of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System Act and the National Trails System Act. Both were signed into law in October 1963 and called for designation of certain rivers and trails for their outstanding values.

For more information contact the National Forests in Florida local ranger district offices:

·         Apalachicola National Forest: Apalachicola Ranger District, (850) 643-2282 or Wakulla Ranger District, (850) 926-3561

·         Ocala National Forest: Lake George Ranger District, (352) 625-2520 or Seminole Ranger District, (352) 669-3153

·         Osceola National Forest: Osceola Ranger District, (386) 752-2577 

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