[pct-l] States and User Fees

 There are big differences even between the Forest Service Departments in 
different states. Washington gets about half the money per acre that Oregon 
gets based on timber havest records that date back to the late 80's and have

never been updated. Our user fees are skyhigh and increase yearly. Trails on

forest service land are a grab bag. We have trailhead fees here but nothing 
in Montana. We hiked the Bob Marshall Wilderness last year and entered at 
Benchmark. Very nice trailhead with campgroup and no trailhead fees, permit 
fee or anything. It was like going back 20 years!! Montana was a Bush state 
in the last election where values haven't changed much in the last 100
years. 
We saw just 2 hikers in 95 milers but 5 groups of Horses who looked like
they 
were there 100 years ago!!! Each cowboy had a big hogleg 44 mag. strapped on

his or her leg. Most these people have been in the state of Montana 150
years 
and are 4th or 5th generation locals. Even with Ted Turner and Jan Fonda 
dancing naked on the trail, I doubt these people would be interested in 
paying user fees. The trails were in good shape as saw many backcountry 
rangers doing their patrols who were doing so for 10 to 15 years and
wouldn,t 
be anywhere else. Only on the West Coast, where all the dreadlock Nambee 
Pambees live, will people gladly pay for what other get free. The forest 
service has many broken parts and the user fee program is one of them. In 
Waashington, we claim ownership of the very first user fee ever!! ( 5.00 to 
enter Mt. Rainier in 1980) After that, we never looked back and just kept 
adding more.Those cowboys in Montana got it right, this is public land son 
and we ain't Payin Nothin!!
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