[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 134 (Friday, October 11, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1863-E1864]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        NATIONAL FOREST ORGANIZATIONAL CAMP FEE IMPROVEMENT ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                             HON. JIM KOLBE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 10, 2002

  Mr. KOLBE. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5316 is the culmination of a year and a 
half of work by parents and volunteers who wanted to save the camps 
that serve under-privileged children and disabled adults.
  The Forest Service is in the midst of pricing off forest lands, the 
very camps that serve these children and adults. Government should not 
be making a profit on disadvantaged children. We should charge these 
camps a modest fee that pays for the paperwork and maybe a little extra 
if the camps use a lot of land. But not $71,000 per year, which could 
happen in at least one instance if this bill is not enacted.
  If we, the Congress, cannot change a law that requires the Forest 
Service to charge exorbitant use fees on youth camps and camps for 
disabled adults, fees that almost certainly will lead to the camps 
closing down their operations, then what laws should we pass?
  This bill before us today reforms and improves the fee structure used 
by the Forest Service for non-profit recreational camps--camps operated 
by organizations such as the Girl Scouts and church groups. Blame 
should not be attached to ``Scrooge-like'' Forest Service officials. 
Let's face it; the re-calculation of fees is required by a law enacted 
by Congress. But the result is the same. Fees will dramatically 
increase for camps across the nation. In one case in Tucson, Arizona, 
the fee would go from $4,500 to $71,000 per year.
  The Tucson Citizen put it well in a recent editorial:

       With so many arms of government raising fees on just about 
     every service known to taxpayers, one might start to wonder 
     how their general tax dollars are being spent . . .
       Ever vigilant for new revenue-raising opportunities, the 
     Forest Service then proposed raising the rents on national 
     forest land that is used by nonprofit organizations for 
     summer camps. Targeted cash cows include the Boy Scouts, Girl 
     Scouts, religious and men's groups. The Forest Service pulled 
     that one off by borrowing a trick from local governments 
     loathe to commit political suicide by raising tax rates. They 
     accomplish the same thing, however, by reappraising the value 
     of land, making it subject to higher taxes under the old 
     rates once it's deemed more valuable.

  We must establish a new, common-sense fee system that is rational and 
will allow camps to remain on forest lands while providing a fair 
return to the American taxpayer. Surely, there can be no better use of 
Federal land than by under-privileged children and disabled adults.
  The National Forest Organizational Camp Fee Improvement Act will 
establish a new fee system based on acreage used by the camps, 
providing incentives to make the most efficient use of the Federal 
lands. To prevent large spikes in fees, the camp's fee would be 5%--a 
reasonable rate of return to the U.S. Government--of the value of the 
land based on rural land values, not developable land values.
  Therein lies the key. We are not going to turn these camp sites 
inside our beautiful national forests into suburban housing tracts. So, 
why should the fee be based on a value of the land which will never be 
realized, rather than the only alternative use to a camp site, which is 
agricultural uses?
  The land value we propose to use is a statistic calculated by USDA's 
National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). NASS is not part of 
the Forest Service, thus ensuring it is independent and appraises the 
value fairly. The NASS valuation is based on previous sales of 
farmlands. This is a departure from the current methodology, where 
valuation is determined by future probable sale prices of land for 
development. Further, the land value is a 5-year rolling average of 
agriculture lands by County, thereby taking into account geographical 
differences and the need to even out large fluctuations in fees over 
time.

[[Page E1864]]

  This legislation also provides two discounts to the base fee to 
maximize the number of under-privileged children and disabled adults 
who attend camp. There is a 100% reduction proportionate to the number 
of participants who are physically disabled or children at risk, and 
there is a discount of 60% to recognize the benefits to the community 
of organizational camps serving certain character-building youth 
programs.
  But even worthy organizations operating camp sites should pay the 
administrative cost of a permit. So, there is a minimum fee required 
that represents, on a regional forest basis, the average cost to the 
Forest Service to administer the permit. This fee is expected to be 
approximately $300 to $500 per year.
  Our Federal lands are an important resource for our Nation. It's only 
right that we should give priority to children to learn, play, and 
enjoy these areas. We want them to grow up appreciating outdoors and 
environmental values, and to have a childhood filled with positive 
wilderness experiences.
  This bill benefits camps of all types in every corner of America.
  There are 320 camps in 25 States and Puerto Rico affected by this 
bill--from Arizona and California in the west, to Minnesota in the 
north, Florida and Tennessee in the south, and New Hampshire in New 
England.
  This bill is supported by the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, various church 
groups, and the Forest Service. Even the Forest Service agrees that the 
current law is not fair. The administration supports this bill. In a 
letter dated October 9, 2002, USDA Under Secretary Mark Rey wrote:

       The Administration supports H.R. 5316 and your efforts to 
     revise the existing Forest Service organizational camp permit 
     fee structure. . .
       The Forest Service became concerned last year when it 
     learned that some camp permit fees in Arizona would increase 
     substantially as a result of the new appraisals and fee 
     calculations required under the current system. Such 
     increases would create significant financial burdens for many 
     permit holders and could cause a number of sponsoring 
     organizations to terminate and close their camps. These fee 
     increases and possible camp closures are unacceptable to the 
     Forest Service, just as they are to you. . .
       Enactment of H.R. 5316 would provide sponsoring 
     organizations and the Forest Service the mechanism to set and 
     adjust the fee in a manner that would continue these 
     important, long-term relationships that provide immeasurable 
     benefits to America's youth.

  Finally, I would be remiss if I did not express my thanks and 
appreciation to the many folks in Tucson, Arizona, who have advised me 
and my staff on this fee structure change.
  Dillard Broderick from the Church of Latter Day Saints has been an 
especially strong, stable force in the effort to Save the Camps.
  Gail Gurney from the Sahuaro Girl Scout Council has worked tirelessly 
to do whatever was necessary to help.
  Lou Salute from the Boy Scouts, David English from Southern Pines 
Baptist Camp, Bob Lofgren from Amphitheater Men's Club, and Lori Block 
from St. Mark's Presbyterian Church round out the phenomenal people who 
volunteer part of their lives to help children and want nothing more 
than to give back to the community.
  I am proud that the House of Representatives is doing its part to 
help these kids, their parents, and the volunteers.
  I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill.

                          ____________________