Residents oppose Tahoe wilderness fees

Tuesday, Dec. 10, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

At an informational meeting on Monday, opponents urged the U.S. Forest Service to find other ways to manage and preserve the area.

The fee proposal is being considered through a pilot program authorized this year by Congress. Desolation Wilderness Area is one of 46 areas targeted for demonstration projects.

The Forest Service is considering a fee of $3 per day for day users and $8 per trip for overnight campers.

"It's getting hard at Tahoe to go any place where there isn't a fee," said Dave Brewer, a South Lake Tahoe resident. "I have a real problem with the fees."

Another resident, Jeanette Kelley, opposed the fee but favored other measures to restrict the number of people allowed into the wilderness area.

"It's like being in the city," she said of summertime hikes into Desolation. "You can't call it a wilderness area anymore. It's been desecrated by so many people."

Don Lane, Forest Service wilderness manager, said new standards for Desolation Wilderness Area will be considered early next year when discussions on updating the area's management plan are held.

But the pilot fee program was not intended as a way to reduce use of the area, he said.

Residents from around Lake Tahoe offered other suggestions to consider before a fee plan is adopted.

Among other things, they proposed a season pass, possibly for $20, be made available for residents or others who frequently use the area.

They proposed that senior citizens and children be given a break in fees, and volunteers willing to work in the backcountry be issued a season pass at a lesser or no cost.

Additionally, they recommended a citizens committee be formed to ensure that most money collected from Desolation users is used to manage the area.

Jim Micheaels, a wilderness planner for Eldorado National Forest, said a fee program should not be too much of a burden on users and could win acceptance if it brings noticeable improvements.

"I guess our hope is people will see a difference in management and most people will feel it's worth paying for," Micheaels said. "It's a test. We will find out if it's worth it or not."