[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 151 (Tuesday, August 8, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53518-53519]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-16864]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[BLM_CO_FRN_MO4500169571]


Notice of New Recreation Fees on Public Lands in the Colorado 
River Valley Field Office, Colorado

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of new fees.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act 
(FLREA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Colorado River Valley 
Field Office (CRVFO) has established expanded (overnight/specialized 
use) amenity fees at the Gypsum, Catamount, Pinball, Lyon's Gulch, and 
Upper and Lower Prince Creek Campgrounds. The CRVFO has also 
established a standard amenity fee (day-use) at the Wolcott Day-Use 
Site.

DATES: New fees will take effect on February 8, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Documents concerning these new fees may be reviewed at the 
Colorado River Valley Field Office, 2300 River Frontage Road, CO 81652; 
phone: (970) 876-9000; and online at: https://www.blm.gov/office/colorado-river-valley-field-office. The recreation fee business plan is 
available at: https://www.blm.gov/sites/blm.gov/files/Business%20Plan%20FINAL_12-16-19.pdf.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Hilary Boyd, Assistant Field Manager, 
telephone: (970) 876-9003, email: [email protected]. Individuals in the 
United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a 
speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access 
telecommunications relay services for contacting the BLM. Individuals 
outside the United States should use the relay services offered within 
their country to make international calls to the point-of-contact in 
the United States.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice provides public notice that the 
BLM CRVFO has established recreation fees at campgrounds and the 
Wolcott Day-Use Site as follows: expanded amenity campground fees of 
$20 per campsite per night will be charged at the Catamount, Pinball, 
Lyon's Gulch, and Upper and Lower Prince Creek Campgrounds. Individual 
campsites can have up to nine people, two vehicles, and two tents per 
site.
    A $4 per person per night fee will be charged for use of group 
campsites at the Gypsum, Lyon's Gulch, and Upper and Lower Prince Creek 
Campgrounds. A $40 minimum fee, covering up to 10 people, is 
established to reserve a group site. The minimum group site fee will 
apply toward the total amount due. The maximum occupancy of a group 
site is 25 people.
    A $5 per vehicle per day standard amenity fee will be charged at 
the Wolcott Day-Use Site.
    Campground and day-use fee information will be posted at each 
recreation site, available at the CRVFO, and available online through 
BLM websites.
    To keep up with rising management and maintenance costs, the CRVFO 
will implement the new fee structure and the following year will begin 
using the average annual Western U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) to 
make future fee adjustments. The BLM will use the CPI the year after 
the collection of fees is implemented. When the increase or decrease 
reaches a $1 increment for per person fees or a $2 increment for 
campsite fees, the fees would be adjusted accordingly. For example, 
with a $20 fee for individual campsites, a 10 percent increase in the 
Western U.S. CPI would lead to a $2 increase in fees to $22. Typically, 
the Western U.S. CPI increases approximately 3 percent a year. Thus, it 
would likely take 4 years to increase the fees by $2. For group sites, 
a 25 percent increase in the Western U.S. CPI would lead to a $1 
increase. The BLM would return to the BLM Northwest Resource Advisory 
Council (RAC) before each fee increase to update the RAC on successes 
and challenges in using the Western U.S. CPI.
    All visitors holding an America the Beautiful--National Parks and 
Federal Recreational Lands pass (Annual, Senior, Access, Military, 
Fourth Grade, etc.) will be entitled to free standard amenity fees at 
locations charging these fees. People holding the America the 
Beautiful--National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands ``Annual 
Senior Pass,'' ``Senior Lifetime Pass,'' or ``Access Pass'' (or Golden 
Age or Access passes) may be provided a 50 percent discount on some 
expanded amenity fees, except those associated with group reservations.
    FLREA provides authority for the Secretaries of the Interior and 
Agriculture to establish, modify, charge, and collect recreation fees 
for use of some Federal recreation lands and waters, and contains 
specific provisions addressing public involvement in the establishment 
of recreation fees. FLREA also directs the Secretaries of the Interior 
and Agriculture to publish 6 months' advance notice in the Federal 
Register whenever recreation fee areas are established under their 
respective jurisdictions.
    Under section 803(g)(2)(A) and (C) of FLREA, developed campgrounds 
and rental cabins qualify as sites wherein visitors can be charged an 
``Expanded Amenity Recreation Fee.'' Pursuant to FLREA and implementing 
regulations at 43 CFR 2933, fees may be charged for overnight camping, 
rental of cabins, and group use reservations where specific amenities 
and services are provided. Specific visitor fees will be identified and 
posted at each campground, day-use site, or rental cabin.
    Under section 803(f)(4) of FLREA, all day-use sites in this notice 
qualify as areas wherein visitors can be charged a ``Standard Amenity 
Recreation Fee.'' Pursuant to FLREA and implementing regulations at 43 
CFR 2933, fees may be charged for an area where there are significant 
opportunities for outdoor recreation, that has substantial Federal 
investments, where fees can be efficiently collected, and that contains 
specific amenities and services. Specific

[[Page 53519]]

visitor fees will be identified and posted at each day-use site.
    In response to increasing recreation demands and visitation on BLM 
lands, the CRVFO developed a recreation fee business plan. The business 
plan reviewed campgrounds and day-use sites where new Standard and 
Expanded Amenity Recreation Fees are needed to maintain visitor 
facilities and visitor services, replace aging infrastructure, and 
improve access to recreational opportunities. The business plan 
explains: (1) consistency with the BLM recreation fee program policy; 
(2) the CRVFO recreation management direction; (3) the need for fee 
collection; (4) how the fees will be used at the sites; (5) Resource 
Advisory Council coordination; and (6) guidance on future fee 
increases. As analyzed in the business plan, the recreation use fees 
are consistent with other nearby Federal land management agency fees 
and are lower than the fees charged at privately owned campgrounds. The 
business plan is available upon request to the CRVFO and at the CRVFO 
website (see ADDRESSES).
    The BLM notified and involved the public at each stage of this 
process. A public comment period on the draft business plan, announced 
via news release, ran from December 11, 2018, to January 25, 2019. The 
final business plan was signed on December 16, 2019. Public notices 
were posted at each recreation site during the 2019 use season. The 
CRVFO contacted local special recreation permit holders who might be 
affected. Local governments were contacted and both Eagle and Pitkin 
counties provided letters of support for the fee increases. Following 
FLREA guidelines, the BLM Northwest Resource Advisory Council approved 
the proposed fee structure on June 13, 2019.
    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 6803 and 43 CFR 2933.

Douglas J. Vilsack,
BLM Colorado State Director.
[FR Doc. 2023-16864 Filed 8-7-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-16-P