| WESTERN SLOPE NO-FEE COALITION |
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THE FEE-FREE PRESS
DEAR PUBLIC LANDS SUPPORTER Kitty Benzar ,
The US Senate will hold an oversight hearing on Thursday, September 17th to discuss the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA), the federal statute that governs recreation fees. WSNFC President Kitty Benzar will be an invited witness, and members of the public can submit testimony for the record by email for up to two weeks after the hearing date.
This is the best opportunity in a long time to let Congress know how federal recreation fees have affected you, and how you think they should be changed.
Please ACT NOW on this excellent opportunity!
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SENATE COMMITTEE TO HOLD HEARING ON THE FUTURE OF FLREA
 The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources will hold an important hearing on Thursday, September 17th.
They will be taking testimony about the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA). The committee members want to know how the public views FLREA and how you think it should be revised or replaced when it sunsets, which is currently scheduled for September 30th, 2016.
Although in-person testimony is limited to invited witnesses, anyone can submit a statement for the record for up to two weeks following the hearing date. The deadline is October 1st, but don't delay, ACT NOW.
We urge you to take advantage of this rare opportunity to express your opinion and especially your personal experiences directly to the elected officials who will decide the future of recreation fee policy on our National Forests, Parks, BLM, and other public lands.
Please keep your statement short and - very important - polite. State your top two or three concerns about FLREA and add any personal experience with recreation fees that you have had. A few sentences should do it. The more personal you can make it, the more impact it will have. Thank them for considering your thoughts. That's it - quick and easy!
Send your message here, with the subject line "Statement for FLREA Oversight Hearing":
Darla Ripchensky, PMP
Chief Clerk
U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
Darla_Ripchensky@energy.senate.gov
We'll be sending a follow up Action Alert once the hearing is over, with more details about exactly what issues the Senate is most interested in. But a short personal message now will go a long way toward letting the committee know that this is a very important issue to ordinary Americans.
Thanks for taking prompt action!
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WATCH THE HEARING
The Senate hearing will be webcast live at 10 am EDT on Thursday September 17th, and archive video will be posted shortly after it ends. To watch it, go to the Committee website HERE.
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CONTACT YOUR SENATORS
After you have sent your statement to the committee, your next step should be to contact both of your Senators and send a copy of it to them using the contact form on their website. You can find the links HERE.
If you live in Alaska, Wyoming, Washington, Idaho, Arizona, Utah, Louisiana, Colorado, Ohio, Montana, North Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia, Oregon, Vermont, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Hawaii, Maine, or Massachusetts, then you have at least one Senator who represents you that sits on the committee, and that amplifies your voice. If you live in West Virginia you have two!
The complete committee member list can be found HERE. If your Senator is among them, please take a moment to call their office today and urge them to attend this important hearing. Let them know how important federal public lands are to you. All the contact information is easy to find at the Senate website HERE. |
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The Western Slope No-Fee Coalition is a broad-based organization consisting of diverse interests including hiking, biking, boating, equestrian and motorized enthusiasts, community groups, local and state elected officials, conservatives and liberals, Republicans and Democrats, and just plain citizens.
Our goals are:
- To eliminate recreation fees for general access to public lands managed by the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management
- To eliminate backcountry fees and interpretive program fees in National Parks
- To require more accountability within the land management agencies
- To encourage Congress to adequately fund our public lands
Thank you for your support!
Sincerely,
Kitty Benzar
Western Slope No Fee Coalition |
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