The ongoing, and spreading, fee scam has made its way into the last stronghold of the less government concept, Wyoming.

According to the WESTERN SLOPE NO FEE COALITION:

The Bighorn N F is planning to start charging a $10/day parking fee at the main trailhead into the Cloud Peak Wilderness (Cloud Peak, Darton Peak) in the Bighorn Range in Wyoming. When I challenged them because parking fees are illegal, they pulled the original notice from the Federal Register and reposted it without the word "parking" but it's still a parking fee. Wyoming is one of only three states that doesn't have a Recreation Resource Advisory Committee, so the FS can pretty much do this unilaterally unless there is lots of public outcry. Comments can go to Craig Cope Wilderness Coordinator cccope@fs.fed.us and Mark Booth District Ranger mbooth@fs.fed.us.

People that live in Wyoming should send their comments to Senator Barasso and Senator Enzi and Representative Lummis.

IMPORTANT ARTICLES TO READ:

BIGHORN NF TO CHARGE ILLEGAL FEE

BIGHORN FEE UNDER FIRE

BIGHORN CHANGES IT WORDING

THE RAT FEE SYSTEM IS ABUSED AND OFTEN ADMINISTERED ILLEGALLY BY THE FOREST SERVICE AND ITS CONCESSIONAIRES. This abuse has now encroached upon the state of Wyoming.

This is an ILLEGAL FEE as determined by the legislation set forth by Congress. The program is currently under fire and two senators are sponsoring a bill to shut down the fee program.

THIS IS A DOUBLE TAX on land YOU ALREADY OWN and have a right to ACCESS FOR FREE.

DO NOT PAY THE FEE at this trailhead!

ADDITIONALLY:

If any SP member would like to authorize use of their SP photos for a video to get the word out about this scam, please send me a PM. I hope to get the video slapped together as quickly as possible. It would be similar in tone to these on my profile page:

AJ's PROFILE PAGE & VIDEOS.

NOTE: In the Spanish Peak Fee Video, the form I designed and filled out resulted in the fee that I paid being returned to me! What does THAT tell you? They know they're out of line and illegal, yet they continue to charge the fee on an ignorant and careless public!

Thanks!

Great post pointing out all the BS going on out there. Thanks Aaron! Thankfully, up here in Jefferson (far northern, sepratist, California) we have not yet had to deal with that. Most here are small government people too.

Question: must you pay the fee if you have one of the federal land passes (also a scam, in my book)? Either way, this crap needs to be rolled back.

Bubba-Make your voice heard on this matter where ever and whenever you get the chance, and DO NOT PAY THE FEE whenever you can as well.

Passes are fast becoming obsolete. Senior passes are under the gun right now.

See the accompanying thread and discission in the general forum.

Thanks for voicing your support!

The fees actually crept in a while ago. Sugarloaf Rec. Area in the Snowy Range has been charging off and on since the late 90's. Feels like a BS deal to me, though it seems to be the norm in the Pacific NW.

1996 was when the "Fee Demo Program" was introduced (here) in AZ.

That's 14 years of paying fees going who knows where, and all we have to show for it is
a multitude of over-used ATV trails, RV Parks and a dying state economy.

That "Smoky Bear" dude should be ashamed of himself/herself.

This September some of my buddies and I were on our way into the Cloud Peak Wilderness to climb the Innominate (a peak north of Cloud Peak) when we were stopped by ranger who told us we needed a wilderness permit to be up there. We had used the trailhead that starts on Bald Ridge to access the area (it shortcuts 2 miles off of the West Tensleep TH) and I didn't see a single sign or kiosk for the permits, so I had no way of knowing that I needed one. He still claimed that I was at fault and that he should fine each of us ($175, if I remember right), but let us off with a warning and gave me one of the extra permits he was carrying. Apparently we should have gone onto the Forest Service website and filled out a permit online since we weren't using a major trailhead.

The ranger told me that the permits were used to see how each area of wilderness was being used and where we were going so they could find us. I'm not too fond of gov. entities knowing where I am going or deciding that an area is being used too much and that more fees need to be slapped on to the folks using that land.

For me the mountains are about freedom and personal responsibility; every time I see somebody policing the area or charging me for access, I feel less free.

The Sawtooths of Idaho had a Fee Project for 2-3 years. They gave the illusion that it was a required trailhead parking fee, but the truth was if you paid the fee, then you were voting yes for keeping the fee. Many people I knew simply ignored the Fee, and occasionally you could get a notice saying you can pay at the Ranger Station if you didn't pay it. Eventually, the fee project went away.

Now a few years ago, there was a non fee trail register at the Turpin Meadows Trailhead
for the Teton Wilderness at the end of the Buffalo Road in the Bridger Teton NF in Wyoming.
How many refused to even register it seemed. The last few summers this register
place has been empty and it seemed the local NF officials even gave up on this register
locally. The Turpin Meadows Trailhead is mainly used by the outfitters and other horse
parties heading to Wyoming's Thorofare region. But the Turpin Meadows Trailhead and
Campground does charge people if they sleep at the trailhead during the night which the
local summer campground host does look after.

What is the logic behind the fees? It seems like if they are spending that money to maintain parking lots and trails, and having users rather than tax payers at large pay for those things, it is just a user fee. If that actually reduces the amount of tax dollars spent, than it is not really a double fee. Now, if they are primarily funding trails and parking with tax dollars, and just using the fees to discourage overuse, that is obviously a double fee.
Anyway, I don't have a strong opinion one way or the other, just want more information. I have been simply ignoring fees on federal lands for a number of years, and it seems like the most I ever get is a warning.