The US Forest Servcie Department is seeking an end to the Senior Discount Pass and the Disabled Access Pass for next year.

If you were looking forward to spending your golden years  parking your camper at national forest campgrounds for some inexpensive camping? Might be time to redo your budget.

According to a Press Release from “Oregon Environmental News” the Forest Service Department wants to end the 50 % discount for the disabled and Senior campers at the parks now run by Concessionaires.

The argument that the discount ends up making the cost to the other campers increase to cover this loss is now going to bring the end to the passes.

I find this very disturbing.  It is hard enough to budget for camping expenses as it is and now with this increase we will be doing most of our camping  at a seasonal site where we can get the most for our money.

The Forest Service’s campsites that are managed by the private concessionaires were required to continue to give the discount to seniors and disabled and honor their passes as part of their contracts.

The Forest Service’s agency,  this week filed a notice in the Federal Register proposing to reduce to 10 percent the minimum discount that private concessionaires are required to offer to those groups.

A quote from Kitty Benzar, “No more special honors, no more special breaks,” president of the Western Slope No-Fee Coalition which opposes fees for public lands. “Pay up or stay home now applies to everyone.”

The report is that  there are likely as many as hundreds of thousands of pass-holders nationwide, though the agency doesn’t have figures for how many passes are active.

Camping is not the same as it was  a few decades ago, when the Forest Service employees we knew were the employees  in green uniforms were in charge of the campground.  Not like today where the campground you stay at is run by a private corporation.  They report that there are over 150 such separate contracts.  Meaning that about 90% of the reservable camping sites in the national forests system now are privately managed.  They do however report that the other oh, about 10% the passes would be accepted.   Who knows we may even get a report of which camping spots they are some day.

These corporations have been trying for years to  eliminate  the mandatory discount, arguing that recent federal laws no longer require them to offer it.  And with the baby boomers coming of age they further argue that the discounts are too steep and unreasonable.

I remember taking my children camping and the overnight fees were a manageable $3.00 a night (I know I am really showing my age now).  Now we pay $19.00 – $ 24.00 depending on the day of the week and the services available.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Seniors to lose camping discounts with US Forest Service proposal (gadling.com)
• Ballot Measure to Save State Parks Submitted to State (laist.com)
• Advice for disabled travellers (telegraph.co.uk)
• Bills would push more national forest thinning (sfgate.com)

BLOGbalB2B Marketplace

• Salvation Army Kettle Upgrade! Image by turtlemom4bacon via FlickrI guess it really is a sign of the times. The Salvation Army is now installing credit card swiping machines in their kettles. According to an article: Salvation Army Debuts Credit Card Kettles They are a booming success. The article reports that they have found that......
• I Miss Camp Already I have only been home about 2 weeks now and I miss camp already. The camp we have is not like real camping. I have a 30ft, 5th wheel on a permanent site in a privately owned campgrounds just on the outskirts of the Adirondack Mountains in Upstate New York.......
• Snowmobiling in Upstate New York Image via WikipediaA camping trip is a way to have enjoyable family time whether it is in a tent or RV or even in a trailer. A Winter camping trip takes different planning and considerations. Snowmobiling is a well loved winter activity that can be combined with the camping trip.......
• A Letter to President Obama Image by cobalt123 via Flickr> I received this email and just had to pass this on. I vowed that I would not get into politics on my blog and keep it only on things I deal with "at home" pertaining to my "lifestyle" but, I just can not pass this......
• Camping Fun- Even if it Rains Image by CapnOats via Flickr A camping trip preparation should always include the possibility of camping during wet weather, you can plan in advance and still enjoy the trip. If you follow some important camping tips, you can avoid getting into unpleasant situations. If you wait for a perfect weather......

• History of Top 10 Banks of the United States [/caption] The year 2009 was not a very promising one as the global recession wounded the financial conditions of the world. The economic slowdown of the advanced countries that began as a result of sub-prime crisis in U.S.A., soon spread over across the globe. The banking sector was bound to......
• 100 of the Best Privacy Tools and Online Resources [/caption] The Internet still remains a largely unregulated domain with no enforcement agency with any teeth to protect the privacy of citizens using the World Wide Web. Recent outrages such as the “Google Chrome Crime”, the “Facebook Fiasco” and “Whitehouse.gov – gate” have encouraged Internet users to take it into......
• H.R. 4872 - Reconciliation Act of 2010 - Health Care Reform Bill - Full Text (PDF) [/caption] H.R. 4872 - Reconciliation Act of 2010 - Health Care Reform Bill - Full Text H.R. 4872 - Reconciliation Act of 2010 - Health Care Reform Bill -PDF H.R.4872 Title: Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010 Sponsor: Rep Spratt, John M., Jr. [SC-5] (introduced 3/17/2010) Co-sponsors......
• How to Get a Job with the Federal Government So you are job searching and have turned your eyes towards the Federal government. After all, the chances of losing a federal job are far less likely to happen than in private industry. But how can you find job openings and what is the process like? Where to Go If......
• Four Seasons Hotel Macao at The Cotai Strip Now Recruiting Four Seasons Hotel Macao at The Cotai Strip will offer our guests their own private Macau in the heart of the premier Cotai Strip. An elegant, refined world of privileged access, of energy and excitement in an intimate atmosphere of elite gaming, high-end shopping, world-class entertainment and dining, and the......