Celebrate National Public Lands Day! -- Fees Waived at Day-Use Sites on the Umpqua National Forest

Release Date: Sep 19, 2016

Contact: Cheryl Caplan, (541) 957-3411

Join us on Saturday, September 24th, for National Public Lands Day, the nation’s largest, single-day volunteer effort for public lands. To encourage people to join in and visit their public lands, National Public Lands Days is a fee-free day for Forest Service recreation sites.

Within the Umpqua National Forest, day-use fees will be waived at eight locations: trailheads for Umpqua Hot Springs, Howlock Mountain, Mt. Thielsen and North Crater Horse Camp, and boat ramps at Diamond Lake's Thielsen View, South Shore and North End, and Lemolo Lake’s Poole Creek boat ramp. We only charge fees at the boat ramp, not the picnic area. Fees are not waived at campgrounds or for cabin rentals.

Celebrated annually on the last Saturday in September, National Public Lands Day brings together volunteers, agencies, and partner organizations to connect people to public lands in their community, inspire environmental stewardship, and encourage use of public lands for education, recreation, and general health. Many volunteer projects are being held across Oregon. Projects include planting trees, building and repairing trails and bridges, removing trash and invasive plants, refurbishing historic structures, monitoring wildlife, and restoring natural habitats. To find a volunteer event near you, visit www.neefusa.org/public-lands-day.

“Our public lands are a national treasure belonging to all Americans,” said Alice Carlton, Umpqua Forest Supervisor. “Whether you are volunteering in your community or enjoying the great outdoors, we thank you for helping us celebrate and care for these special places.”

Also, as part of the national Every Kid in a Park initiative, all fourth graders and their families can claim their free Every Kid in a Park pass which allows free entry into and use of all federal parks, forests, and recreation areas for a full year. Fourth graders can print out a paper voucher for free entry into and use of all federal lands by visiting the Every Kid in a Park website at www.everykidinapark.gov. Students and their families can also redeem their paper voucher for a plastic pass at any Forest Service office. The voucher and passes are valid for the entire school year, September 1, 2016 - August 31, 2017.

For more information on specific fee sites on the Umpqua National Forest, visit www.fs.usda.gov/umpqua.