Visitors’ Survey Criticizes Forest Service Adventure Pass

LOS PADRES FOREST — Opponents of the National Forest Service’s Adventure Pass program are hailing a recent visitor survey conducted by Cal State San Bernardino’s economics department as the first conclusive proof that the program isn’t working and should be abolished.

With 83% of respondents saying they haven’t seen any improvement since the program was instituted, the study also determined that almost half of the visitors to national forest lands in Southern California didn’t purchase the pass because, as most said, they didn’t know about it. Even more failed to display it, as regulations require.

“So much for Forest Service claims of a successful program,” said Alasdair Coyne of Keep the Sespe Wild, a leading opponent of the program.

Coyne said he has sent copies of the report to local congressional representatives, hoping it will illustrate that the Adventure Pass program is nothing more than another costly level of bureaucracy.

Forest Service officials were unavailable for comment Friday, but have said the program is working and helps them maintain and improve the lands for public use.

The study, which was commissioned by the Forest Service, was used to judge the success of the program after its first year.

The survey polled 1,544 visitors at 87 sites in Southern California’s four national forests.

Established last October, the Adventure Pass program charges national forest visitors $5 a day or $30 for an annual pass.

The Forest Service started the program to help pay for forest maintenance and improvements.

While agreeing that more money needs to be spent to support the state’s forest wilderness, opponents argue that it is something they have already paid for with their tax dollars and that if the service wants more money it should look to Congress.

They also feel that firms that exploit the forests’ natural resources should be required to pay more for their permits to support the forests’ overall operation.

“The Forest Service has been saying it’s working well, while for us here it doesn’t seem to be,” Coyne said. “This shows that isn’t necessarily the case.”