Hittin' the Trails 4 You: National Public Lands Day preview

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Posted 6:31 AM 9/28/2012 : Fee Waiver Day on Coronado National Forest this Saturday

TUCSON - The USDA Forest Service will waive the day-use fees associated with many recreation sites or amenities on national forests nationwide on September 29, National Public Lands Day.

"The Forest Service waives fees every year to encourage more Americans from all walks of life to get outdoors and experience the wide array of recreation opportunities provided on our forests and grasslands," said Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell. "We hope that these experiences on our lands will foster a lifelong appreciation and stewardship of precious natural resources."

Fees are not charged for 98 percent of national forests and grasslands. The Forest Service operates approximately 18,000 recreation sites nationwide. More than two-thirds of developed recreation sites can be used free-of-charge.
This year's remaining fee waiver dates are as follows:

• National Public Lands Day - September 29
• Veterans' Day Weekend - November 10-12

Day-use fees will be waived at all standard amenity fee sites operated by the Forest Service for the listed dates. Additionally, standard amenity fees will be waived on the Coronado National Forest overnight September 29. Concessionaire-operated recreation sites may be included in the waiver if the permit holder wishes to participate. Campsites and locations that are reserved through the website http://www.recreation.gov will not be included in the fee waiver.

Visitors to the Coronado National Forest are encouraged to contact the appropriate ranger district office to determine which recreation sites will have fees waived, and at which sites concessionaires will charge fees.

• Douglas Ranger District - (520) 364-3468
• Nogales Ranger District - (520) 281-2296
• Sierra Vista Ranger District - (520) 378-0311
• Safford Ranger District - (928) 428-4150
• Santa Catalina Ranger District - (520) 749-8700

The Coronado will host three National Public Lands Day volunteer projects. The Sierra Vista Ranger District will celebrate the occasion from 8:00 a.m. to noon near the historic Brown Canyon Ranch. Volunteers of all ages are welcome to join the Friends of Brown Canyon Ranch in collaboration with the Coronado to replace barbed wire fencing which has fallen into disrepair. Participants are encouraged to bring water, gloves, and hats, and to wear long sleeves, sturdy work boots and sunscreen, and may bring lunch to enjoy at the ranch following the work session. For more information please contact the Sierra Vista Ranger District at the number listed above.

Two projects will be undertaken on the Santa Catalina Ranger District. In Sabino Canyon, volunteers will remove invasive buffelgrass and fountain grass from the Sonoran Desert landscape. Registration begins at 7:00 a.m. followed by two to three hours of grass removal. For further information please contact Devin Quintana at devinquintana@fs.fed.us or call the number listed above.

On Mt. Lemmon the Coronado will team up with El Grupo Youth Cycling, REI and Southwest Conservation Corps from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. to remove trash and rehabilitate heavily used campsites at Bear Wallow Dispersed Camping Area. For further information please contact Robert Walter at (520) 749-7723.

More information on National Public Lands Day is available at www.publiclandsday.org.