How does the Recreation Enhancement program help the Forest Service address this issue?
A3. Recreation on public lands has increased and grown more popular over the years. The Forest Service estimates that more than 211 million annual visits occur on national forests each year. More and more people are recreating on their national forests, and more people are moving to areas where they are within one to two hours of a national forest. This increase in visitation means an increase in visitor demand for adequate visitor facilities and services. An increase in visitor use on national forests also creates a greater need to expend funds to protect natural and cultural resources, the resources that are often the very reason visitors are drawn to a particular site. The Act benefits visitors to federal public lands by: • Providing a consistent, interagency fee program that reduces confusion over differing national fee programs and passes; • Providing more opportunities for public involvement in determining recreation fee sites and fees; • Providing focused criteria and limits on
