Forest Service in NW waives fees on Veteran’s Day

The U.S. Forest Service will waive fees at day-use recreation sites in Oregon and Washington on Wednesday, November 11th in honor of Veteran’s Day.

“We honor our veterans each November 11th and every other day of the year,” said U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell. “We hope that this time will serve as a way for our veterans and other visitors to find our national forests and grasslands as a year-round respite, a place where they can take time out for themselves.”

This fee waiver includes many picnic areas, boat launches, trailheads, and visitor centers. Concession operations will continue to charge fees unless the permit holder wishes to participate. Fees for camping, cabin rentals, heritage expeditions, or other permits still apply.

No fees are charged at any time on 98 percent of national forests and grasslands, and approximately two-thirds of developed recreation sites in national forests and grasslands can be used for free. Check with your local forest or grassland or Recreation.gov to see if your destination charges a fee. Go online to find a national forest or grassland near you.

The Pacific Northwest Region consists of 16 National Forests, 59 District Offices, a National Scenic Area, and a National Grassland comprising 24.7 million acres in Oregon and Washington and employing approximately 3,550 people. To learn more about the U.S. Forest Service in the Pacific Northwest, please visit www.fs.usda.gov/r6