USFS rec fees waived for Presidents’ Day weekend

The public may visit many federal recreation day-use sites on the Presidents’ Day weekend holiday – Saturday, Feb. 15 – Monday, Feb. 17 – without paying a fee. The fee waiver is the second of four such days and two weekends offered by the Pacific Northwest Region of the U.S. Forest Service during 2014.

The fee-free day honors America’s presidents, especially George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, whose birthdays are Feb. 22 and Feb. 12 respectively.

The administrative fee waiver of recreation-use fees applies to federal recreation lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service. It does not apply to SnoParks, although they might be located on national public lands. The SnoPark permit program is sponsored by the States of Oregon and Washington. Those using SnoParks that day must have SnoPark permits.

For Washington, visit http://www.parks.wa.gov/winter/nonmotorparks/permits/
For Oregon, visit http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/DMV/pages/vehicle/sno_park_permits.aspx

This fee waiver applies to day-use fees at Forest Service recreation sites in Oregon and Washington. This 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 will not be waived.

Federal agencies are authorized to charge standard amenity fees, commonly known as day-use fees, at recreation sites in the Northwest. Most of those fees help maintain the sites on which the fees are collected.

Visitors to national forests will not pay fees on the following dates in 2014:
• Presidents’ Day Weekend, Feb. 15-17
• National Trails Day – June 7
• National Get Outdoors Day – June 14
• National Public Lands Day – September 27