Federal recreation sites waive fees on Saturday

Saturday, is National Public Lands Day. Come celebrate your public lands by volunteering – or just playing – on the national forests in Oregon and Washington! National Public Lands Day is the nation’s largest, single-day volunteer effort for public lands.

To help you enjoy the magnificent public lands of the Pacific Northwest, the US Forest Service and other federal agencies will waive use fees at our recreation sites on Saturday.

Concessionaires, the private partners who help operate some of our sites, may also choose to waive their fees. Fees are not waived for camping, tours, permits, or recreation rentals. If you are looking for information on a specific recreation site, call your local national forest or visit their website through www.fs.usda.gov.

If you are looking to do more than visit, there are dozens of ways to volunteer during National Public Lands Day.

“The work our volunteers accomplish on Public Lands Day means a great deal in helping us provide the best outdoor experiences we can while also caring for our vast and precious natural resources in the Pacific Northwest,” explains Gordie Blum, Regional Director of Recreation, Lands, and Minerals. “We are grateful for their time and efforts.”

Last year, nearly 170,000 people volunteered for NPLD projects. We invite you to join their ranks this year. More than 50 volunteer projects have been registered in Oregon and Washington for NPLD, and local partner organizations are arranging many more. For volunteer project sites near you, visit http://publiclandsday.org/npld-sites.

Volunteer activities are different at every project site, but projects include: planting trees, building and repairing trails and bridges, removing trash and invasive plants, refurbishing historic structures, monitoring wildlife, and restoring natural habitats. And, in addition to the satisfaction of helping care for the land, volunteers on federal lands will receive coupons for one day of free entry as recognition for their efforts.

Whether you are visiting, volunteering, or just curious, please follow us on Twitter at #NPLD. And be sure to retweet us with your photos and experiences!

One more thing, remember, if you are a fourth grader, you and your family can visit federal public lands and waters for free all year. Visit www.everykidinapark.gov to print your free pass. Lucky you!

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