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Please note that you may still provide comments on the proposed fee increase at Ten X Campground
through Oct. 31, 2019. Comments should be submitted to Dutch Maatman at
joseph.maatman@xxxxxxxx
or (928) 635-5661. Please see the attached news release for details. This is a reminder to get your comments submitted prior to the end of the comment period.
Kaibab National Forest proposes fee increase for Ten X Campground TUSAYAN, Ariz.,
July 29, 2019 —
The Kaibab National Forest is proposing to increase fees for overnight camping at Ten X Campground on the Tusayan Ranger District in order to better align prices with other nearby private and public recreation areas as well as to improve visitor experience
by enhancing amenities and services. The fees at Ten X Campground have not been raised for more than 25 years, resulting in the recreation area being significantly underpriced
as compared to equivalent offerings. The proposed fee increases would not only better align costs with average market values but would also provide additional funds to better maintain existing infrastructure, hire more seasonal workers to service the campground,
and support the proposed
expansion of this popular recreation site. The Kaibab National Forest is proposing that the overnight camping fee for a single site be raised from the current $10 to $24, and for a
double site from $20 to $48. The Kaibab National Forest is also proposing that the overnight fee for Group Site A, which accommodates 75 people, be increased from the current $125 to $175, and for Group Site B, which accommodates 50 people, from $75 to $125.
Fees are assessed based on the level of amenities and services provided, cost of operation and maintenance, market assessment, and public comment. "Ten X Campground provides a valuable camping experience in a beautiful setting for visitors to Grand Canyon National Park and northern Arizona,"
said Dutch Maatman, assistant recreation staff officer with the Kaibab National Forest. "If approved, this fee increase will help us support the proposed expansion of the campground, increase the amenities offered there, and ultimately provide the positive
recreation experience that our visitors have come to expect." In 2004, Congress passed the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, which allows the Forest Service to retain funds collected at certain
recreation sites and use those funds locally to operate, maintain and improve these sites. Eighty to 95 percent of the revenue collected at recreation fee sites remains on forest for management of those same facilities. Under REA, all new fees and fee changes must be proposed and approved by a citizen advisory committee, in this case the Arizona Bureau of
Land Management Recreation Resource Advisory Committee. Committee members represent a broad range of recreation interest groups to help ensure that the Forest Service is proposing reasonable and publicly acceptable new fees and fee changes. Members of the public are invited to provide input on the Kaibab National Forest's proposed Ten X Campground fee increases through Oct. 31,
2019. Comments should be submitted to Dutch Maatman at joseph.maatman@xxxxxxxx
or (928) 635-5661. Once the public review period has ended, the proposed fee changes and all comments received will be considered by the advisory committee,
which will then submit a recommendation to the Regional Forester of the Forest Service's Southwestern Region for a final decision. To learn more about the proposed Ten X Campground Expansion project, please visit
www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=55626. Kaibab National Forest information is available through the following sources:
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Attachment:
1650-1_so_FeeProposalTenXCampground_2019_0729.pdf
Description: 1650-1_so_FeeProposalTenXCampground_2019_0729.pdf
