The Department of the Interior wants to ensure that federal lands continue to play a central role in providing recreational opportunities for American families. Fulfilling this mission requires that we maintain visitor facilities and services, preserve natural and historic resources, and enhance visitor opportunities with an adequate and steady source of funding.

The Recreation Fee Program has been an important source of that funding and a vital component to the Department's ability to provide quality recreational facilities and services to our visitors. The program significantly enhances the Department's efforts to support a key initiative of President George W. Bush: to address the deferred maintenance backlog at our National Parks. This program also enables us to better manage other federal lands.

The recreation fee effort is currently a demonstration project. The Department supports legislative solutions to provide permanent interagency recreation fee authority and has advocated for a permanent program.

Additional Information:

• Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget, P. Lynn Scarlett, on the Recreation Fee Demonstration Program before the Subcommittee on National Parks of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (September 9, 2003)
• Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget, P. Lynn Scarlett, on the Recreation Fee Demonstration Program before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. (June 19, 2002)
• National Park Service: About the Recreation Fee Demonstration Program
• U.S. Forest Service: Recreation Fee Demonstration Program
• USDA: Recreation Fee Demonstration Program Website
• Federal Recreation Pass
• Recreation.Gov
• Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA) - Frequently Asked Questions