Proposed River Recreation Fees Reopened for Comment on the Bridger-Teton National Forest
The Bridger-Teton National Forest proposed a new fee program to fund much needed resources and failing infrastructure in the Snake River Canyon during the summer of 2023 and received substantial public interest and valuable input. The Forest has reviewed and considered all comments submitted and made changes to its river fee proposal that make it less cumbersome, less costly, and easier to manage by both the agency and user. “We’ve heard loud and clear that river users felt our proposal would exclude underserved populations based on cost, and that a per person fee structure was too cumbersome. As a result, the proposal was adjusted to charge by the vehicle at a lower price point, and we appreciate the public helping us get here,” said Wild & Scenic Rivers Coordinator David Cernicek.
As a result, the Bridger-Teton National Forest is reopening a 30-day comment period February 1, 2024 to March 1, 2024 and would like to invite partners, stakeholders and public to examine and reassess how the proposal has evolved. There will be one public meeting in Jackson, Wyoming on Thursday February 22, 2024. The meeting will be from 5:00-6:00pm at the Bridger-Teton National Forest Office at 340 N. Cache.
The reworked proposed fees for the 23.1-mile Snake River Canyon (Hoback to Alpine Junctions) river corridor are listed in the table below. Visitors would be required to display a receipt on their vehicle dashboard, or a season pass placard hanging from the center rearview mirror.
The public is invited to comment on the proposed fee changes to the developed recreation program. The comment period is set to end by close of business on March 1, 2024. To ensure that your comments are considered, please send your comments no later than the above date to Bridger-Teton National Forest, Attention: David Cernicek, 340 N. Cache, P.O. Box 1888, Jackson, WY 83001 or SM.FS.BTNFFeeProp@usda.gov.
Comments can also be provided online at: https://usfs.maps.arcgis.com/
Oral comments must be provided in person at the Bridger-Teton National Forest Supervisor’s Office during normal business hours (Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.) or by calling David Cernicek at 307-739-5565 and indicating you would like to provide comments on the proposed recreation fee changes. For more information on the proposed project, visit our website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/
Once public involvement is complete, the proposed fee changes will be reviewed by the Recreation Action Team (REACT), who will submit their recommendation to the Regional Forester for a final decision.
