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Vail Pass Fee Increase Proposal
Why a fee increase? The Vail Pass Winter Recreation Area provides unique backcountry winter access to over 55,000 acres of motorized and non-motorized use as well as access to 6 backcountry huts, providing a winter experience for a variety of National Forest visitors. The Forest Service wants to continue to provide essential operational services at VPWRA that contribute to the unique and unparalleled backcountry experience. The White River National Forest has not increased recreation fees at the Vail Pass Winter Recreation Area since 2005 and steady growth in visitation, rising costs for staffing and services, coupled with inflation, has prompted the Forest Service to propose a fee increase to continue to sustain this recreation opportunity into the future.
Fees pay for essential operational services that maintain the area such as parking lot plowing, grooming, ranger presence and informational services, emergency assistance, and signage and route maintenance. The Vail Pass Winter Recreation Area program has been operating at a deficit for the last three years and is projected to be operating at an estimated $60,000 deficit beginning in 2020. Without a fee increase, the ability to provide existing services is at risk.
Additionally, visitation has nearly doubled in the last 15 years from 16,726 visitors in the winter of 2002-2003 to 32,136 visitors in 2017-2018. Although growth in visitor use has added to annual fee collections, the additional visitation has been insufficient to offset steady increases in operational costs over the years. Additional visitation has created a need for more frequent grooming to maintain the same quality of trail surface, increased staff time to enforce travel zones and manage the Vail Pass trailhead parking lots, and increased need for materials such as maps, signs, winter equipment, route indicators and day passes. Grooming costs have also increased by over $35,000 annually in the past 3 winter seasons.
Fee Proposal Page: https://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/whiteriver/feeproposals
Timeframe for outreach & details: We will be seeking public comment Feb. 7 – April 14 on this fee increase proposal. The Forest Service will be conducting extensive outreach via local press, on-site at Vail Pass and Camp Hale, and through social media.
How to comment: Members of the public may submit comments electronically at the above link beginning on Thursday 2/7/19, via mail, or in person at any VPWRA fee station location or at the Dillon/Eagle-Holy Cross and Leadville Ranger Stations.
Why a fee increase? The Vail Pass Winter Recreation Area provides unique backcountry winter access to over 55,000 acres of motorized and non-motorized use as well as access to 6 backcountry huts, providing a winter experience for a variety of National Forest visitors. The Forest Service wants to continue to provide essential operational services at VPWRA that contribute to the unique and unparalleled backcountry experience. The White River National Forest has not increased recreation fees at the Vail Pass Winter Recreation Area since 2005 and steady growth in visitation, rising costs for staffing and services, coupled with inflation, has prompted the Forest Service to propose a fee increase to continue to sustain this recreation opportunity into the future.
Fees pay for essential operational services that maintain the area such as parking lot plowing, grooming, ranger presence and informational services, emergency assistance, and signage and route maintenance. The Vail Pass Winter Recreation Area program has been operating at a deficit for the last three years and is projected to be operating at an estimated $60,000 deficit beginning in 2020. Without a fee increase, the ability to provide existing services is at risk.
Additionally, visitation has nearly doubled in the last 15 years from 16,726 visitors in the winter of 2002-2003 to 32,136 visitors in 2017-2018. Although growth in visitor use has added to annual fee collections, the additional visitation has been insufficient to offset steady increases in operational costs over the years. Additional visitation has created a need for more frequent grooming to maintain the same quality of trail surface, increased staff time to enforce travel zones and manage the Vail Pass trailhead parking lots, and increased need for materials such as maps, signs, winter equipment, route indicators and day passes. Grooming costs have also increased by over $35,000 annually in the past 3 winter seasons.
Fee Proposal Page: https://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/whiteriver/feeproposals
Timeframe for outreach & details: We will be seeking public comment Feb. 7 – April 14 on this fee increase proposal. The Forest Service will be conducting extensive outreach via local press, on-site at Vail Pass and Camp Hale, and through social media.
How to comment: Members of the public may submit comments electronically at the above link beginning on Thursday 2/7/19, via mail, or in person at any VPWRA fee station location or at the Dillon/Eagle-Holy Cross and Leadville Ranger Stations.
