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Forest Service Eyes Campsite Cutbacks12-01-06 | News

Forest Service Eyes Campsite Cutbacks




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The campgrounds on White Mountain, N.H., and all the other national forests, must justify their continued existence.


The 155 national forests and 20 grasslands within the USDA Forest Service must complete a recreation site-facility master plan by the end of 2007?EUR??,,????'??+basically justifying the need for their campsites and other recreation facilities.

The 2007 Forest Service budget was cut 2.5 percent to $4.9 billion. The agency reports a $346 million maintenance backlog and cites the growing costs for fire fighting, which eats up about 42 percent of its expenditures.

As of Thanksgiving 2006, about 44 national forests had completed their reports. The Forest Service anticipates ?EUR??,,????'??decommissioning?EUR??,,????'?? or closing about 10 percent of those recreation facilities. Decommissioned campgrounds would still be available for camping but have no amenities like toilets, trash cans, picnic tables or potable water.

The San Bernardino National Forest (SBNF) in Southern Calif. is just beginning to study the resources at its 45 campgrounds. The national agency is requiring public comment. Kermit Johansson, the landscape architect with the SBNF, reports the SBNF will hold public hearings in January.

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